Gambling at home or away in a real casino? Which option is better? The question about the advantages and disadvantages of online casinos compared to the gaming house has been asked many times. And not infrequently, it is primarily a question of personal preference whether a player prefers to gamble in the arcade at the machine or play the same games on his PC or even smartphone. In this article, however, we will try to objectively compare online casinos and arcades. Online casino or real casino? Arcade or casino app? We summarize the advantages and disadvantages.
Starting in the 90s – online casinos have long been established
Whether it’s on a computer or a cell phone, most of today’s life takes place on the World Wide Web. Almost all everyday products can be purchased online from providers such as Amazon. Even groceries can now be ordered online and delivered within a few hours on the same day. In theory, we don’t even have to go out the door anymore and can survive without any problems. And of course, in the digital age, no one has to enter an arcade to try their luck at casino games.
Online casinos have been around since the late 90s. In the meantime, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of them. Of course, this is also causing financial problems for real casinos and gaming arcades. The turnover in casinos is shifting more and more, literally from the street to the World Wide Web. Why still play in a real gambling house or a real casino when the same games can be played from the comfort of your own home? We took the time to take a closer look at this question. What are the advantages of an online casino? Are there also serious disadvantages? Does it still pay off to leave your own four walls and go to a gambling house or a real casino? We will now try to answer these questions for you in the following article.
Online casino and land-based casino – advantages and disadvantages
Before we go into detail about what advantages and disadvantages real casinos, online casinos and arcades have, we offer you here the most important points at a glance.
What are the advantages of real casinos and arcades?
- Real gaming atmosphere and the possibility to communicate with dealers and other players.
- The casino visit becomes an event on the weekend.
- Possibility to play together with friends.
What are the disadvantages of virtual and land-based casinos?
- Significantly worse payout ratios for slot machines.
- The dress code in many casinos, so a good wardrobe is needed.
- Getting there and parking can be a problem.
- Full gaming tables can lead to waiting times.
- Gaming tables or machines cannot be changed as quickly.
What are the advantages of an online casino?
- Payout ratios for video slots are usually over 90%.
- It can be played flexibly on a PC, smartphone, or desktop.
- No dress codes. Plays in bathing shoes or at the pool.
- Progressive jackpots are usually much higher than in gaming arcades.
- Games can be tested without obligation in demo mode.
- What speaks against an online casino?
- Lack of interaction with other guests or dealers.
- Playing online casino games can become boring in the long run.
- The fact that you can play 24 hours a day can be problematic in terms of gambling addiction.
- Higher game limits can lead to higher losses.
Always and everywhere available – the online casino
No matter where you are. As long as you have an Internet connection, you can gamble in an online casino. While not so long ago it was only possible to gamble from home on your home PC, the mobile revolution has made it possible to gamble anywhere. Nowadays, just about every major online casino also has a site that is optimized for mobile devices. Meanwhile, deposits and withdrawals can also be made with a few clicks on a smartphone.
In bathing shoes or by the pool – online gambling goes everywhere
In addition to being able to play 24 hours a day, online casinos also offer the possibility of location-independent gaming, as already briefly mentioned above. Due to the development of mobile devices as well as the constant availability of internet connections, it almost doesn’t matter today where you gamble. Whereas a visit to a gambling house or a real casino can be fraught with travel, the search for a parking space or stress with public transport, at home a simple activation of the computer or tablet is enough, and you can get started without stress. And between us: do you prefer to play at 35 degrees in summer on your terrace, or in a dark gaming house without daylight? Many land-based casinos also have a relatively strict dress code. In some casinos, for example, gentlemen are only admitted with a shirt and tie. All these dress codes are of course obsolete in an online casino. You can play comfortably in slippers and sweatpants.
The payout ratio – one more reason for online casinos
Real casinos and gaming houses have to deal with quite high fixed costs. First of all, a suitable location must be rented. This can be expensive, especially in larger cities with high rental prices. Then, of course, appropriate staff must be hired and trained. Especially the salaries of roulette croupiers and BlackJack dealers are quite high-cost factors. And last but not least, of course, the machines must be regularly maintained, and defective gaming equipment repaired.
What’s the story: do slot machines in the land-based casinos only pay out 60%?
So, it’s no wonder that a casino or gaming arcade has to recoup these fixed costs from the players. This happens primarily because the payout ratios for slot machines are much lower than in online casinos. Until 2006, there was a law in Germany according to which the payout ratio for slot machines had to be at least 60%. This law no longer exists since 2006, it was replaced by a regulation that limits the maximum loss per hour. As a result, lower odds can also be set. When we researched for this article, we were able to find out that the payout ratio is still around 60%.
Payout ratios of 95% in online casinos are not uncommon
Let’s now look at the online casinos in contrast. Online casinos are very often located in tax havens and countries with low fixed costs and wages. The cost of running a casino is therefore much lower, especially since 95% of all online casinos do not develop the gaming software themselves but enter into partnerships with providers such as Netent or Microgaming. Due to these circumstances, the payout ratios in online casinos are many times higher. Typically, these odds are usually well over 90% for video slots and thus much higher than in gaming arcades. In the long run, you will therefore do much better in online casinos than in a gambling house. In contrast to arcades, online casinos are also much more transparent with their payout ratios. In the game instructions of pretty much every online slot, the payout ratio is available.
No full tables – variety in the online casino made easy
Especially on weekends, real casinos can be very busy. In many cases, it is then not so easy to find a seat at a roulette or blackjack table. Once you’ve found a seat, it’s customary to gamble there for a while – and not to switch immediately to a slot machine, for example. The online casino is completely different. With a single click, you can switch from your Blackjack table back to the game lobby and go to a slot machine of your choice. In the online casino, you can act completely flexible and switch between different games within a few seconds. In a gaming house or casino, you are much more flexible and therefore very often bound to a certain game.
Play and try in demo mode – an advantage in the online casino
A big advantage that the online casino has over a gambling house or a real casino is the possibility to test games for free without risk with play money. Most online casinos offer the option to start games directly from the website in a demo mode. At many casinos, it is not even necessary to have a player account for this. It can be tested directly without registration.
The advantage here is of course obvious. Countless games can be tested in countless online casinos before a decision has to be made about where and what to play for real money. In the real casino, this is unfortunately rarely possible. From the very first round of play, the stakes are real, regardless of whether you like the game or not. We recommend that you visit the tables and machines with the lowest stakes in the casino, especially as a beginner, and test the game there.
No atmosphere in the online casino – the atmosphere is in the real casino
Playing in an online casino can sometimes get quite lonely. Especially when you sit alone at home and play for hours on a video slot. Unfortunately, especially in slot games, but also in many table games there is no interaction with dealers or other guests. Also, the possibility to just walk around the casino and see what other players are doing, or how it is going on at other tables, unfortunately, does not exist at online casinos.
Live Casino makes roulette an online experience
To the desire of many players for more interaction in online casinos, the major providers have now responded. Thanks to high-speed Internet and fast transfer rates, live casinos are becoming increasingly popular. In these games, a casino game is transmitted directly to the player’s screen. The player has the opportunity to play live with a dealer or watch the croupier at work. Bets are placed by clicking on the screen. In many live casinos, there is also the option of communicating with the other players at the gaming table via a live chat function.
Virtual Reality is seen as the next big trend to create a more lively atmosphere in online casinos. In this new trend, the player has so-called VR glasses on, which allows him to dive into a virtual casino world. This virtual reality trend is slowly coming out of its infancy. It will certainly take a few more years until it is fully developed. But the first VR casinos have already opened.