The Difference Between Online Casino Gameplay And Visiting A Physical Casino

Two different worlds of the casino gaming industry bridge the gap between one another for bettors to have varying experience. The glowing lights and bustling sounds of a physical casino with its gaming machines is a much different experience than virtual reality that is the modern-day casino online. There are pros and cons to both.  Let's take a look.

Online Casinos Are More Accessible And Convenient (Sometimes)

The online equivalent is superbly easy to log on to as long as you are within the appropriate region of the casino website as nearly all sites are able to employ what is known as geofencing.  This ensures that the casino is not operating in a jurisdiction where gambling is not permitted or the operator has opted not to obtain the proper licensing. 

European nations each have their own unique gambling regulations and this is true in the United States as well with only a handful of states like Michigan and New Jersey permitting casino games over the web.  Many folks in New Jersey work in New York City as a perfect example.  You will not be able to access the licensed New Jersey online casino while working in your Manhattan office building.  New York State is yet to regulate i-Gaming.

Assuming you can access the online casino, there are fewer obstacles standing in the way outside of the need to provide proper identification for security purposes when opening an account.

Contrast that to the challenges posed when accessing a physical casino location. Depending on how long of a drive your local casino is, it could be upwards of a one hour drive or more. Then, there’s possibly parking fees to worry about depending on which city in which the physical casino is located.

Over the Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas, Gambling911.com highlighted the rage experienced by casino patrons who, not only now have to pay parking fees (casino parking used to be free), they also had to wait in hours long lines to exit the parking garages.

The Immersiveness Of A Physical Casino

A physical casino embodies more of an immersive social and entertainment experience. Between the sounds of the slot machines, the sound of dice hitting on the craps table, the conversation amongst bettors and dealers, and the flashing lights on the casino floor, going to a physical location is more of an exciting scene.  Visiting a land-based casino is more thrilling than logging on to an online casino on a computer or smart device at home by yourself and only hearing the minor noises coming from the game.

It goes beyond that however.  Regular casino players often gain access to top perks such as free hotel rooms, buffets and of course that endless supply of adult beverages.  We recently stayed at the Guitar Hotel in Hollywood, Florida, part of the Seminole Hard Rock.  A friend's wife who played there regularly got us this beautiful room for free.  The rates only were more than US$500 that night.

Virtual reality features of online casinos have attempted to make the gameplay experience more immersive for those who can’t gain easy access to a physical casino or simply don't have the time. VR components still need work as today's components require a lot of money and a lot of bandwidth.

As far as the perks go, online casinos compete for customers by offering generous welcome bonuses and free spins.  Cash bonuses are based on loyalty and regular game play.  In order to claim the bonus, one must gamble up to a certain amount of the advertised bonus (i.e. 20 times).

One of the biggest complaints involving land-based casinos had to do with the smoking.  More and more casinos these days are becoming "smoke free", not all of them.

Social Interaction Dynamics

Both a physical casino and online casino involve some sort of social interaction dynamics, with authenticity being the main difference.

Online casinos have gotten around this obstacle by offering live dealer platforms, some of which originate from an actual land-based casino or a studio that tries to mimic a particular establishment.

Being able to meet new people in-person, learn each other’s life stories, celebrate casino game victories, and encourage one another through losses are all great positives of the social environment at a physical casino.

Being able to not have to deal with the loudmouth sitting next to you talking about his or her grand kids you can care less about, well, that's the one benefit of a virtual casino.

The live dealer aspect allows for a nice go-between.  You still have many of the elements of the retail casino such as the ability to get an actual dealer to wave his or her hand.  The surroundings are nearly as authentic.  You just need to pour your own drink.

Online Casinos Have More Game Variety

At a physical casino, you are only limited to the number of gaming machines located in the building. While there may be hundreds of slot machines and maybe 10 different blackjack tables, there may be even more themed options available online. Because of its digital framework, of course more games can fit into an online casino for bettors to have plenty of options during their gaming experience.

If you like slots, for example, there are endless themes, many of which are based on popular film and television titles.

Online games are created and tested by some of the top developers in the world.  Most have the same or better payout odds than your local land-based casino.

Surveillance and Safety Measures

Transferring funds to and from an online casino will involve a secure payment page with end-to-end encryption. If you need to refill your bankroll on the casino floor, then you would have to speak to a casino representative or find a deposit machine for self-service. A physical casino location can only have surveillance cameras and security guards to reassure that players are physically safe and are practicing fair play measures.

Most land-based casinos tend to be located in areas that aren't always in the best neighborhoods.  These establishments will tend to attract a more seedy element.  Remember too these are mostly still cash businesses. Reading the pages of Gambling911 you'll find at least one story weekly involving the robbery of someone leaving a casino following their big win.  Countless other cases go unreported.

Don't even get us started with the random whacko that stabbed some poor customer at a Washington State casino for no apparent reason other than that he couldn't find the person he was initially looking to kill that night.  No need to fear this playing at home on your laptop.....well, unless your gambling-hating spouse happens to catch you perhaps.