Since the emergence of the first online casino in 1996, the growth and
popularity of the online gambling industry has skyrocketed at a
phenomenal rate. There are currently thousands of online casinos
generating an estimated annual revenue of over USD $7,000,000,000. If
this figure is divided by 365 days, then it could be said that online
casinos generate an average of well over $19,000,000 in revenue every
single day.
As the global internet population continues to grow, and with internet
gambling expanding into numerous non-English speaking countries in
Europe and Asia, it is safe to assume that the above figures will
continue to grow with no immediate signs of slowing down in the near
future.
In many cases, compared to a traditional land based casino, an online
casino has many advantages which have contributed to its overall growth,
popularity and success.
Multilingual: Most of the popular online casinos offer multiple language
support, so a person who does not understand English is still able to
gamble and enjoy oneself without having to worry about language and
communication difficulties. Some of the languages offered at online
casinos include: Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English,
Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese,
Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and
Turkish.
Currencies: Unlike a land casino, many online casinos accept multiple
currencies so that two or more persons are able to play the same game
using their own currencies. A person living in Italy can purchase credit
in Euro while a person living in the United States can purchase credit
in USD. This removes the inconvenience and confusion of having to
firstly convert an unfamiliar currency to one’s own currency before
placing each bet.
Real Money: Online gamblers play with real money, and as a result they
are more acutely aware of the value of their money as opposed to one who
plays with a stack of multi-coloured casino chips which don’t seem to
have as much of an immediate value. Unlike a land casino where chips
don’t seem to have as much value as real money, thus encouraging the
player to gamble away more money, an online casino displays the exact
amount of money in a player’s account and as a result encourages the
player to take his/her money more seriously and not lose track of the
value of his/her money.
Dress code: Online casinos don’t have dress codes. One can play in a
business suit, dress, underwear, or naked. Thus one does not have to
worry about choosing what to wear and dress according to one’s social
environment or weather forecast. Being able to wear whatever one chooses
gives the player a greater sense of comfort and convenience.
Food and Drinks: Unlike land casinos which enforce certain eating and
drinking rules, an online casino player does not have to worry about
what he/she can or cannot eat and drink during a game. Thus an online
gambler may play with greasy fingers while drinking from a bottle of
whisky without an objections from the casino.
Smoking: Whether the player is a compulsive, chronic smoker or a
non-smoker who cannot bear the smell of cigarettes, one sets his/her own
environmental conditions and does not have to worry about the
environmental preferences of other players.
Free Casino Chips: In an effort to attract players, numerous online
casinos offer players free casino money to play with. Free online casino
bonuses can range from $10 to $2400. Offering potential players free
no-deposit or match-play casino bonuses presents a tremendous incentive
for players to register real player accounts with these online casinos.
Less Expensive: If the land casino is located in another city, then the
gambler would need to take into account transport, accommodation and
meal costs, while a person living near a casino would have to take into
account transport costs. Depending on how far away from the land casino
the player is living, these costs can run into thousands of dollars,
whereas an online player can gamble from virtually any computer with an
internet connection.
Player Support: Online casinos usually offer better customer service in
the sense that they may usually be contacted via telephone, fax, live
24/7 live chat support and email. In addition to this, they provide the
player with detailed instructions on how to play each game, whereas a
land based casino does not usually provide the player instructions on
how to play the games.
Privacy: The sense of privacy available via online casinos greatly
exceeds the sense of privacy offered by land based casinos in the sense
that online casinos do not take photographs or film footage of players.
One is able to enjoy the games without having to worry about what the
photographic records or video footage will be used for. In addition to
this, one is able to play at an online casino without the knowledge of
any other person who is not a casino employee.
Safety: In many cases, it is actually safer for a person to play at an
online casino than at a land based casino because the risk of the player
being assaulted or robbed greatly decreases when one plays from the
safety of one’s home. This not only applies to persons who win large
amounts of money in the presence of other people, but also to persons
who attend casinos with cash money to play with.
Weather: One does not have to worry about the weather conditions or how
to dress for it when playing from the comfort of one’s own home. There
is no need to worry about the wet and slippery road conditions when it’s
raining or taking an hour long trip to the casino on a hot summer day.
Ill Health: Whether the player is suffering from back pain or diarrhea
and as a result is unable to attend the land casino, or whether he/she
is simply trying to avoid catching the flu from other persons, ill
health does not appear to represent a significant obstacle to those who
wish to gamble online.
Less Distractions: Land casinos usually have more distractions which aim
to decrease the player’s focus on the game and separate the player from
his/her money. Some of the distractions which land casinos utilise
include glamorous flashing lights, machine sounds, free alcohol, large
mirrors, the absence of wall clocks, windows or any indicators of time
so that the player will lose track of time and spend more time in the
casino. Unlike land casinos, online casinos do not utilise such
distractions.
Play for Free: Online casinos offer players the opportunity to play the
casino games for free. Thus one is able to practice and get a feel for
the casino games before deciding if and whether to play for real money.
Land casinos do not offer such an option and expect all players to play
for real money with no opportunity to practice for free.
Relaxed Atmosphere: An online betting session is usually much more
relaxed with no time limit or pressure to perform, compared to land
casino betting. An online casino player may play a game at his/her own
pace without having to quickly make his/her move because he/she is
worried about the dealer or other players rushing him along.
Anywhere at Anytime: Online casinos may be played from anywhere at
anytime. Whether the player is playing at 2.00 a.m. or 2.00 p.m., from
the comfort of one’s one home, or from a laptop inside a camping tent,
online casinos may be accessed from any computer with an internet
connection, anytime during the day or night.
Shyness: Internet gambling seems to appeal a great deal to persons who
are very shy and do not wish to interact with strangers in a land
casino.
Equal treatment: Whether the player is wealthy or not, male or female,
young or old, Asian or American, online casinos do not discriminate
against or show special favor to specific groups of players. Every
player is valued and treated equally without having to feel inferior
because he/she is betting $50 when another player is betting $5000. It
would be difficult to imagine a Hollywood celebrity and the average Joe
receiving the same type of treatment from a land based casino.
Better Payouts: Online casinos don’t need to employ dealers, buy gaming
tables and slot machines, purchase a casino building, manage a bar and
restaurant, hire security guards, etc, and as a result they usually have
much lower overhead costs and better payouts than land casinos.
Due to the above-mentioned set of reasons, it is not very difficult to
understand why online casinos have proven to be so popular among
gamblers from all walks of life.