Gambling boasts of a rich history as part of human culture. The activity has not only stood the test of time but also managed to evolve alongside technology and changing business landscapes. For a better part of the past century, gambling activities were confined to land-based venues. This led to the rise of massive corporations and casino operation businesses that still have a huge stake in the gambling industry to date.
The arrival of the internet changed everything. Online gambling is one of the biggest developments for gambling. Despite being around for over two decades and growing to unimaginable heights, the vertical is still picking up pace.
Now, for the modern gambler, there is often a dilemma of choice. Online casinos have often been pitted against land-based casinos and this has left many players wondering which side they should take. That said, let’s see what each of them has to offer:
From the glamorous venues in Las Vegas to the amazing architecture in Macau, land-based casinos are found all around the world. They have made their mark on the world and if the past two decades are anything to go by, they are not going anywhere anytime soon.
It all starts with the live casino floor atmosphere that lots of revelers still love. The excitement that such a setting offers is something that makes players feel like they are enjoying a truly authentic and luxurious experience.
The gameplay experience, as stated by many gamblers, is also amazing at land-based casino venues. Like any other kind of business, gambling operators want to keep you around for as long as legally possible. That is how they make their money. To make this possible, they have fitted their venues with exciting lights and mind-blowing art pieces and furniture. In addition to that the music which is usually played by bands or from Hi-Fi speakers makes players feel right at home.
While technology makes human interaction way easier than ever, it has been super difficult to replace the highly social and all-round entertainment experiences available at brick-and-mortar casinos. This even applies to your non-gambling friends as well. That’s because the casino complexes also include nightclubs, bars, restaurants and even hotels. Having all that under the same roof is not possible on other platforms.
On the flip side, land-based casinos have a few shortcomings that may be off-putting to many modern gamblers. To begin with, these venues are usually quite expensive to be around which is not ideal for casual everyday gamblers. Moreover, for people living far from these casinos, accessing the venues can be very hard.
The social element of the brick-and-mortar casino environment also presents some health challenges. Case in point, the COVID-19 pandemic which necessitated social distancing made it incredibly difficult for these casinos to operate normally without jeopardizing the health of their customers. Moreover, disruptions such as renovations or maintenance can render the casinos inaccessible for extended periods. No one wants that.
Right from the time they were launched in the mid-90s, online casinos had all it takes to redefine the online gambling sector forever. The internet boom propelled the sector to unimaginable heights making it one of the most lucrative sectors in the global entertainment scene. It is poised to get even better as internet access and affordable internet-enabled devices continue to reach more people.
But what makes online gambling so alluring?
Well, it all begins with two things – inclusivity and convenience. When it comes to inclusivity, online casino sites accept a wider range of gamblers compared to their land-based counterparts. Regardless of whether you are a high roller or a casual gambler, there will always be an iGaming operator offering something that caters to your needs.
Convenience relates to how flexible and hassle-free online gambling is. Players can place bets from wherever they are without having to worry about a dress code or long drives to a retail casino venue.
So long as you have an active internet connection and a capable device, you can quickly and easily tap into the iGaming experience. This is possible round the clock.
One thing that ties this together, even more, is the rise in mobile technology. Smartphones and tablets are today the most popular and widespread computing devices on the planet. With the technology, gambling on the go is now a staple offering. Operators continue to optimize their apps and services for mobile meaning that it will only get better.
Getting bored is almost impossible with all the available casino sites on the internet today. Since they do not have to deal with size or floor limitations, iGaming platforms can host several hundred or even thousands of online casino games. These include and innovative twists of existing casino genres as well as exclusive game titles.
The technologies that power casino sites have certainly come a long way but they are not robust enough to replace the land-based casino experience, at least not yet. That is perhaps their biggest downside.
For the most part, it will feel like a solo experience and even the games that have a social element may not feel true-to-life.
As you may have already established, the question about which of the two is better can be quite hard to answer. Everyone will have a different opinion about this. However, we pride ourselves in giving actionable insights into the world of gambling and we intend to do the same for this.
So, choosing between online gambling and land-based gambling will depend on several factors with the most important being you. Your tastes and preferences will certainly determine which kind of environment will offer you the very best experience.
If what you are looking for is the largest selection of games possible then an online casino is the best choice. If you are looking for a lively, social environment with a lot of luxurious ambiances, land-based casinos offer the best experiences.
Circumstances such as your location also play a huge role in this. In the United States, not all states have legalized online gambling which makes iGaming sites the only option that many of their residents are left with. Other states only have land-based gambling as the regulated option – most of their residents will gravitate towards these land-based venues.
As you can see, choosing the better option is an individual choice. Both online and land-based gambling have unique strengths and shortcomings that need to be put into consideration within various contexts.
One of the things that fuel the debate about which is better between land-based and online gambling is speculation about the future. Interestingly, both verticals still have a lot to offer and should remain with us for decades to come. If the capabilities of emerging technologies are anything to go by, what can expect to see is more of an amalgamation of the two.
Perhaps the most notable developments in that regard are Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. These amazing innovations are slowly turning what was only possible in science fiction into a reality. That is unraveling right before our eyes as devices powered by these technologies have already started making their way to the mainstream market.
It will, of course, take a bit of time for them to mature and trickle down to more affordable prices but we are off to a very good start.
The gambling sector has a reputation for being very receptive to new technologies and innovations. We saw that with the internet and recently the crypto and blockchain trends. As such, it seems there is a lot more to look forward to beyond AR and VR. Even Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already found a use case in the gambling sector. Makes you wonder what else is lurking behind the scenes.
Samantha has a passion for all things casino, especially for the development in new slots games and technology. She has a background in psychology and loves to study strategies behind gambling in her spare time.
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