Case study: Land based casino vs. online casino gambling

The major advantage to a land-based casino is it offers a thriving social ambience, but when it comes to online gambling there are far more benefits, such as a lower house edge on casino games, regular promotions, larger variety and many other factors that make online gambling a smarter option for serious punters. This case study sees all aspects of online and offline gambling explored in order to detail exactly why it is better to sign up to a secure web casino than organise a night out at a land-based one.

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Online and offline casino payout rates

Land-based casinos are proven to have an overall lower payout rate than their online casino counterparts.

Interestingly they aren’t as transparent as Internet casinos either as they can say they have a high payout rate, such as 90% for example, but are actually just referring to one of their slots that offer that payout rate and not factor in other games that have lower payout rates to create an overall percentage. It has been proven that the real payout rates of land-based venues can be as low as 70%.

Reputable online operators however, factor in all their games into their payout rates with the online casinos in the table above offering the best payout rates on the web.

Lowest house edge

Land-based venues have high overhead costs, this means they need to earn a lot of revenue in order to pay these costs and still make a profit. To do this, they make their casino games, including table games, slots, etc, have a higher house edge than what you’d find online.

Online operators don’t have these type of costs and therefore can lower the house edge and still make a profit. For example, the lowest you can get the house edge of a classic blackjack title at Crown Melbourne casino using the basic strategy is 0.56% (and this is very generous), but online you can get as low as 0.13%.

Generally the land-based house edge we speak of is only available on high limit tables, for the average punter playing on a $10 or $20 minimum bet table there will be a far greater house edge, including the ridiculous rule introduced by Crown where it is a push if the dealer gets 22. For a game often referred to as 21 this is sacrilege. Online, players are far more likely to find a table with a lower house edge.

Best casino promotions and bonuses

Overhead costs come into play once more when it comes to promotions. Unfortunately, land-based casinos can’t afford to offer every new player who exchanges cash for chips (for table games) a bonus and they also wouldn’t be able to keep track of who is a new player and who isn’t so these would ultimately be taken advantage of.

Online however, players can opt in for welcome bonuses when they sign up to an online casino and it is easily tracked by the online operators due to the player using their details to open an account. Players can create multiple accounts, but it has been proven online casinos catch up quite quickly to this kind of behaviour and these players are suspended.

What’s more is web casinos put on regular promotions throughout the year and because everything is online it is easy to find out about them, and players can even subscribe to an e-service to be notified.

Loyalty programs

Land-based casinos are known for their loyalty programs, but they are generally only worthwhile for high rollers who receive an array of rewards including their own VIP host.

Online however, you are granted regular incentives through tiered loyalty programs and high rollers also receive special customer service with packages created just for them.

Additionally, to sign up for a land-based VIP program you have to locate the information desk, but online you are instantly signed up as soon as you make your first real money deposit.

Accessibility of casinos

Brick and mortar casinos are nowhere near as common as online casinos. Our select list of safe casinos that have been chosen from hundreds of Internet casinos due to their reputation even out number the amount of land-based venues in the country.

So naturally, land-based casinos aren’t as easy to access as online casinos, which is one of the biggest drawcards to Internet gambling. You can save on travel expenses and time and spend it on playing real money titles online.

RNG casino games vs human dealers

The biggest drawback of playing online is the majority of games are RNG based. But if you refer back to our payout rates section, interestingly reputable online casinos pay out at a better rate, with RNG games included, than land-based venues that use human dealers.

Still there is some skepticism involved when it comes to RNG games – are they rigged? How do I know the computer isn’t cheating? I like to see my cards being dealt etc. But most of these concerns have been ironed out by the emergence of live dealer games, which is in short a live stream of a card table.

The live dealer titles available at the aforementioned sites are all governed by third parties to ensure they are fair and safe for players, making them more transparent than what you would find at any land-based venue.

Variety of casino games

Land-based casinos may have quite a few tables on offer, but upon closer inspection they are generally the same titles with different limits. Online, however, you can find a bigger range of games, including roulette, blackjack, and baccarat, along with all of their associated unique variants.

What’s more is that these titles are always available to play so you don’t have to wait for someone to get up and leave the table to get a seat, rather you can jump on in immediately.

You can also experience a range of different software developers, including Microgaming, Net Entertainment, BetSoft, and more, to change things up and keep the excitement there, all the while enjoying the various features the Internet casino game providers have to offer.

Our thoughts

In conclusion it is obvious that online gambling brings many more benefits to the table than its land-based counterpart, but in the end it comes down to what you prefer to do.

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