Gone are the days when we needed to suit up to head over outdoors to gamble. The days of land-based casinos aren’t over, but players are now consumed by online gambling. Playing from wherever you are in the world, even wearing your pyjamas at your crib, gambling is available on a 24/7 basis, with just a 2-minute signup and deposit, and you are good to go.
Online casinos also offer you various bonuses, kicking off with a welcome offer when you sign up and deposit. Ongoing promotions follow after that, as online players enjoy other perks like a loyalty program. Welcome to the world of online casinos, dear readers. Today we talk about the rise of playing online, the perks and what the future holds for us devout followers of online gambling platforms and playgrounds.
The rise of online casinos
Gambling kicked off primarily with us placing horse bets at the race track. Soon after, the gambling world was stunned by the concept of betting shops. Heading to your town corner shops, you could start placing bets on various sports while enjoying the occasional scratch card gambling. But what an excellent platform gambling turned into when in the late 90s, the first online casinos popped up on our Google searches. Poker was the first to dominate the scene, with many poker players worldwide joining online platforms to test the new online gambling sensation. Following that, the first online slot machines started to be marketed, with your classical bells, lemons and Lucky 7s icons available on your reels. Today, 20 years on, you will find many slot games with themes, bonus rounds, extra wins and even multipliers.
More games joined the online casino world, with our favourite table games also cutting. Baccarat, Blackjack, Roulette and other games became available to play online. At online playgrounds, you can play for fun and then go all in for real money once you grasp the strategy. Today, UX and gamification allow you to play your favourite table games live, all manned by a live dealer, as you interact with fellow players and give them the poker face you have genuinely mastered online.
What makes online casinos interesting is the gamification factor. Many online casinos know very well that the competition is fierce; hence they offer players perks, promos and even special bonuses throughout the week. Weekend slot duels are also a thing, where players can play specific slots at online casinos and compete with fellow players for special money pot prizes. Bonuses, game variety, ongoing promos, marketing tools and even game suggestions make the online gambling world a force to be reckoned with, with gambling enthusiasts increasing by the minute.
The differences between natural and online casinos
Gambling comes along in many ways and forms, the most prominent being online or land-based. Land-based casinos are establishments like Vegas, where you can gamble and spend a weekend. Many land-based casinos offer their pundits weekend specials, where you can go all in and stay over at the resort for a weekend fuelled gambling fun. Such resorts also offer live musical shows, various table games, linked jackpots and even drag shows. We guess this would be an appropriate time to say: ‘Welcome to Vegas, baby’; still, while Vegas is the hub of land-based gambling worldwide, there are many land-based casinos wherever you go. Just keep in mind that you would need to be over 25 to enter land-based casinos, with some also asking you to adhere to a strict suit and tie policy. Also, you should forget bonuses and rewards at land-based casinos.
Online casino is a different story. Here you play online, with the age requirement only being 18. You will find most of the games you are accustomed to at land-based sites and more. Playing online is a 24/7 gig, with many online casinos available to tickle your fancy. Some online gaming sites also offer you the possibility to gamble on sports, with betting market guides to get you started. Your favorite table games are also available, with the opportunity of playing live or non-live. Other games are also available online and gaining popularity, such as Monopoly Live, Deal or No Deal, and Football Manager. Take your pick and enjoy the online play. Remember, you just need yourself and a mobile device to gamble online. Still, welcome to the growing market of online play!
So what is your preference? Are you a land-based kind of player or a fully-fledged online gambler? While the Covid-19 pandemic closed down many brick-based casinos, bettors decided to play online, enjoying the perks that allowed. Missions, tasks, weekly offers and weekend slot tournaments are commonly get found at legit operators by NonGamstop sites, with many casinos competing with one another to register and retain a solid player base for years. The land of online is growing, and we are invited.
What are the projections for the future of Casinos?
For sure online casinos will continue to rise up and gain further momentum. The future is about integrating Artificial Intelligence into gambling, with further UX coming your way. Rumor has it that slot games will also see a new shift to the live casino spectrum, where you can play live, compete with other players and enjoy the perks live games offer. Cryptocurrency is also making its way to your payment section, with many Bitcoin casinos available for you to register and binge at.
In the meantime, land-based gambling sites will always be a fan favourite. A once-in-a-lifetime weekend at Sin City is on everyone’s to-do list. The glitz, the glamour, and the endless sound of slot machine reels going off one after the other. To prompt and engage more players in visiting, land-based sites must offer promos, like free drinks, food, entertainment and possibly linked jackpot games. Table games manned via a live dealer is an experience one needs to experience, but this comes at a higher cost than playing online games, where various wagers are available. Land-based sites cannot withstand another pandemic and shut down, that is for sure, as the world is still recovering from business losses from 2020 onwards. Yet, the primitive form of gambling will remain, where you spend a night heading over to a gambling site, playing poker, sitting at a table, and enjoying the thrills online fixed sites offer.
The future is always bright, yet as the UKGC predicts, it looks brighter for the online gambling world. Tech advancements are in full force, with the online world buzzing with new tricks such as live gambling, voice recognition and more. While we continue to ride the online wave, many players will still choose land-based. There is no answer to what is best, just that gambling is fun wherever.
