Online vs. traditional casinos: 5 differences you need to know

June 19th, 2020

You don’t have to be Albert Einstein to realize online and traditional casinos are different. One is in a big building, and the other is on your computer, tablet, or mobile phone. And you can play online in your bathrobe, if that’s your thing.

But there are some other more subtle differences between an online casino and its bricks-and-mortar brother. Join us as we guide you through five of them so that you can appreciate some of the finer details of online gaming.

Play when you want, with no waiting

One of the key advantages of online casinos is that you can play any time you want. Flip open your laptop, and you can be testing your strategy at the blackjack tables or trying to spin your way to riches on any of the hundreds of available slot games.

While this is all well and good in this modern age of convenience, having online gaming available at the flick of a virtual switch needs to be enjoyed in moderation. Pace your gaming and be strict about the funds you set aside to play with in your online account.

In live casinos, you may be frustrated by someone else playing on your favorite slot, or that the blackjack tables at your stakes are full. That’s no problem online, where you can play computer blackjack at any time. Note, however, that your online live dealer casino tables for blackjack can fill up with virtual players.

Online casino vs. land casino, the need for speed

One of the frustrations of playing table games like blackjack, baccarat, or casino hold’em in a real casino is that the action can be slow. The dealers are hard-working, but they can only deal cards and then shuffle them at a particular pace. There is then the delay in retrieving your losing chips and counting out your winnings.

In the online table game equivalent, the computerized dealers will do all this in double-quick time, meaning that you can enjoy many more hands of your favorite game to the hour. On your mobile phone, for example, you can enjoy a few rounds of blackjack in no time at all – perfect if you have a few minutes to kill.

Online casino slot games will spin in normal mode at the same rate as those in a live casino. However, many of the games have a speed spin option to make things tick along even faster if you wish.

Dress how you like online, but no free drinks

Many land-based casinos have a dress code. And even if they don’t specify it, they won’t let you in with no trousers or shirts on! This is not a problem in online casinos. So long as your neighbors can’t see!

A drawback of playing online, however, is you won’t get any free drinks while playing. In bricks and mortar casinos, you might be offered comps, including free drinks or buffet vouchers when you play. Casino operators want to keep you busy as long as possible so that they will feed and water you for nothing.

More game variety online

When it comes to online casino vs. live casino, you get a whole lot more variety online. The reasons are apparent when you begin to think about it: there’s only so much floor space in a casino, and only so much money available to hire dealers and staff.

This is not a problem online, and if you go to somewhere like BetAmerica Casino, you’ll find many different variations on your favorite table games like roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and video poker. And where live casinos have minimum bet requirements for many of their tables, you can bet what you like online, so long as you have the funds in your account.

You can even play for free online. Try doing that in a land-based casino!

Cash out instantly in live casinos

One of the thrills of live casinos is the feeling of handling the casino chips. When you’re playing blackjack, roulette, or baccarat, watching your tower of chips mounting up is as good as it gets. The good news is you can get up at any time, wander over to the cage and exchange them for real money.

It’s a little different online. You don’t get the same buzz from the chips but must rely on numbers in your account. And although you can also cash out whenever you wish, it may take a little while to land in your bank account. Check your online casino’s banking pages for more details.