You may have noticed that there are more examples of iGaming and online casino platforms for you to enjoy on the internet these days. Their rise to ascendancy has coincided with a decline in the traditional or ‘land-based’ casino, such as you might see on the Las Vegas Strip or possibly your local high street. What are online casinos offering customers that land-based casinos are not, and could this be the end of the real-life casino experience?
Why are we gambling online?
The answer to this is pretty simple. We are moving to online casinos in the same way we are embracing online shopping and other digital services. Our lives are being transformed by the progression of technology and every few months, fresh innovation changes a part of our lives for the better. The digital casino world is growing quickly, leaving the traditional Caesar’s Palaces and MGM Grands trailing in its wake.
Online casinos have a multitude of advantages over their land-based cousins. Casino apps and easy-to-use websites make them more accessible to users more of the time. Whenever the mood takes you, you can log in and try your hand at a roulette game, slots or cards. Major online casinos use platforms suitable for all mobile, tablet and desktop devices, and there are always helpful FAQs and guides for beginners – you don’t need to worry if you don’t know the ins and outs of European or American roulette, the casino site will have you covered. Even better: you can often try out a new game for free and hone your skills before gambling your hard-earned cash!
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With more game variety, improved incentives and betting limits to suit all comers, the online casino has quickly adapted to the needs of its customers. What’s more, a website or app is far easier to operate and maintain than a large building, allowing casino companies to pay out more winnings to players. This could mean that your chances of success when playing online are greater than you are when visiting your local emporium-based casino.
Why are we neglecting land-based casinos?
The simple fact is that not all of us are James Bond. The traditional casino is associated with Vegas, Monte Carlo and Macau. It has long been the habitat of the high-roller, a strictly evening venue and a place where you must order an expensive drink to fit in. And although there isn’t a dress-code in most establishments, the sharply-dressed croupier is bound to make you wish that you’d ironed your shirt. Put simply, the traditional casino as a concept has become outdated and we are starting to leave it behind or to enjoy it now merely as a novelty for when no better entertainment presents itself.
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There are some exceptions to this. Trips to Las Vegas retain their appeal as an expensive escape from the everyday. Food and drink service is obviously a plus, and there is a palpable tension or element of casino ‘soul’ that is lost in the translation to online. The noise, the lights, the joy and the anguish are sensations that we have grown used to associating with the casino life and would be loathe to let fade away.
Unfortunately, land-based casinos are closing, and the dominance of the online casino is a primary reason for the decline. Connoisseurs of the craps tables and Texas Hold ’Em may find the time and energy to visit one occasionally, but the majority of players will simply pick up their mobile phone. It seems silly not to.