Pros and Cons of Playing Online vs Playing at a Real Casino. By: Sarah Jones February 27, 2018. Having worked and played in land-based casinos for many years, I fully understand the glamour, the excitement and the unique atmosphere they provide. Yet whilst more and more land-based casinos are being closed down, online casinos are thriving. Online Casinos Img source: europeangaming.eu. Just imagine gambling from the comfort of your home, without facing and hardships you would face when you are in a real casino. You can play countless different games that can be found in online casinos. Moreover, there are a lot of online gambling sites where you can find, literally, anything you want.

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• Online Gambling Vs Casino Gambling No Deposit

In real-money casino games, be it an establishment in the physical world such as a hotel on the strip or online, the potential to win or lose money is present from the moment a player “enters” the casino. It’s this danger of the gamble that drives many players back to the tables time and time again.

The online social casino is on a different playing field. Most important, within the confines of social casino gaming, it has no “cash out’ option, eliminating any possibility for real-world gain. As a result, anyone who participates in social casino is aware that if they put money into the game, they won’t get it back, and therefore there is an absolute certainty, that any potential gambling element within the games is entirely phased out.

Without a core element of risk or return on investment, can we really justify labeling these games as gambling?

Player mentality

Something that KamaGames has seen and that we stress strongly and continuously is that social casino players have different motivations for playing casino games than those who partake in real-money gambling. This factors heavily into why we don’t encourage a gambling mentality. Social casino players are attracted to the highly social elements of these apps and are encouraged to interact with one another through the community features that are regularly roll out. For instance, players can not only engage via chat options but also by sending gifts or by transferring dice throws in games like craps. Players are attracted to these apps, in part, because of these features along with their genuine love for the casino-style games.

A good sport

Just as any sector evolves so will social casino with the industry branching out into new avenues such as sports betting in recent years. Yet, like with the other types of social casino games, this latest venture has no “cash out” feature, with absolutely no chance of winning real-world currency.

KamaGames soft-launched a sports betting feature six months prior to its official announcement. Launching with 14 different types of sports — such as basketball, volleyball, tennis, and soccer (including the Champions League and the FIFA World Cup) — players were able to place wagers using the in-game chips that they’ve already been rewarded through either daily bonuses or from previous wins. Player reaction was hugely positive, with Pokerist players placing over 30 million individual bets during the soft launch period.

So, why would players opt for a social sports betting platform in lieu of “the real thing”? From our own player research, a bunch of people have an avid interest in live sports and enjoy partaking in the social aspect of sporting events, yet, they want to add another element of involvement in the game without spending money. This is what a social sports betting app delivers.

Similarly to any other social casino game, the success of a social sports betting feature hinges heavily on the importance of social interaction and it is this selling point that KamaGames will focus on when considering our own players in the future.

A loot to be desired

Concern has grown recently that social casino could introduce gambling techniques to impressionable players, however, remember that there are several areas outside of traditional casinos, online gambling, or sports betting where players can experience the rush of a gamble. Yet, despite the obvious real-money spend and risk involved, until recently many haven’t associated these elements of gaming with gambling.

Loot boxes are a consumable virtual item that contains a randomized selection of in-game things, ranging from cosmetics to those that provide a player with a decidedly competitive edge when it comes to winning. They can be acquired through gameplay, but more often — and to great outrage — they’re bought by players who want to advance through the game more quickly.

Games like Fortnite have made loot boxes infamous in the press thanks to the total lack of guarantee on return. No matter the price, the number of purchases made, or how much money players spend on boxes, there is no absolute assurance that players will receive the high quality or a rare item they actually want or that the content will even be equal to or worth more than the value of the money they’ve spent. Essentially — it’s just a good old-fashioned gamble!

Above: Meet Mr. Loot Box.

This resulted in the emergence of several ethical questions around the idea of loot boxes, with many detractors stating that the practice of employing them is allowing developers to take advantage of gamers.

The Netherlands made headlines in 2018 when the Dutch Gaming Authority ruled that some loot boxes, such as those found in popular games FIFA 18, Dota 2 and PUBG, could be classified as gambling. As a result of the ruling, in June 2018, the region enforced a ban on loot boxes. Belgium was also one of the first countries to investigate the gaming mechanic and in 2018, the Belgian Gaming Commission ruled that loot boxes in several games were considered games of chance and therefore constituted gambling.

In a U.K. Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Committee meeting earlier this year, EA vice president Kerry Hopkins referred to loot boxes as “surprise mechanics,” much to the amusement of the gaming industry as a whole. Hopkins insisted that these mechanics were a joy for gamers who enjoy the element of surprise. In September 2019, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee went on to recommend that the U.K. Parliament regulate loot boxes as gambling.

The department released a full report focusing on the “immersive and addictive technologies” with a focus on online gaming and loot box mechanics in particular. This report highlighted the hesitation on behalf of game developers to admit any responsibility to define what counts as normal or excessive gameplay within their games along with their reluctance to share data on player behaviors. The report states that much of the evidence they received from gamers themselves critiqued the loot box mechanics in Electronic Arts’ FIFA series and their Ultimate Team mode where “in order to compete, players feel like they need to buy hundreds, if not thousands, of £s worth of packs in order to get the best players.”

Having concluded that loot boxes are designed to exploit potent psychological mechanisms associated with the development and maintenance of gambling-like behaviors the report states, that loot boxes which contain the element of chance should only be made available via in-game credits which should be earned via rewards won through playing the games.

The report outlines its belief that loot boxes which can be bought with real-world currency without disclosing their contents to the buyer beforehand are “games of chance played for money’s worth” and as such recommends that Government bring forward regulations under Section 6 of the Gambling Act 2005 in the next parliamentary session to specify that loot boxes are a game of chance. This recommendation brings the world of gaming and gambling ever-closer.

Keeping it social

Even though the loot box mechanic is not featured in any social casino game available at this time, some would still argue that because there is a possibility to spend real-world currency, then it still poses a risk. Yet, in order to be considered gambling, any activity must be comprised of three components. Prize, chance and consideration. Our virtual chips cannot be cashed out for real-money currency or anything of real-world value.

Also worth noting is that studies around both the social casino industry and the gambling industry separately are plentiful and still, there is no proof of a definitive link between the two. So far, those who cite a connection between them are only speculating. There have been a number of experiments to cross-promote players from social to real money casinos which have largely proven unsuccessful with disappointing conversion rates.

Even the most adamant critic of gambling can’t deny the fact that it’s just fun, especially at casinos such as Cozino. Whether we like to admit it or not, we all gamble in everyday life. From whether to take that job or wait for something better to asking yourself if your significant other is who you should be spending your life with, at the end of the day, we all bet. If you think about it, it’s not as easy as it seems to take a leap of faith and bet on something. And gambling is every bit as hard as that. True, you gamble away money for the most part. But let’s not kid ourselves; money is quite important.

According to Live Casino Canada, there is a basic human need buried deep down inside people that only gambling could fulfil. We need an adrenaline rush every now and then. We need to feel that our lives aren’t as boring as working a 9 to 5 job and go home to the wife and kids. There’s a reason why most people who try gambling for the first time can’t get enough afterwards. It’s because the adrenaline is addicting. The rush of guessing something and winning, or using your skills in a certain game, this is what people seek. It’s an escape from the mundane tediousness that can often be our reality.

It’s not just the adrenaline that’s addicting, it’s also that winning feeling. Many people who gamble regularly have never won a thing in their lives before trying out gambling. To win something and to be good at something is an underrated gem. We feel good about ourselves when we win, and it feels good to be acknowledged for something you’re good at. It doesn’t hurt also that being good at gambling entails earning money!

With the advent of the internet, gambling has started taking different forms. Live casino betting wasn’t the only way you could gamble anymore. Online casinos surfaced and started gaining much popularity, and for good reason. But if you’re new to this while gambling thing, which should you opt for? This is a detailed mention of the pros and cons of online casinos and how they fare against a live one.

Online gambling

The pros:

• Accessibility: probably the most important thing about online gambling is accessibility. Not everyone lives next or close to a casino. With online gambling, that isn’t a problem anymore. You just need a cellular device –– phone, tablet, or laptop –– and an internet connection. Just like that, you have access to all games available at any casino. From blackjack and poker to the slots, you have it all.

• Abundance: cool thing about gambling being online is you get access to hundreds of casinos. The internet is full of different casinos offering different games and bonuses, each with their own pros and cons. This is a quality that many people want. If you tried a casino and didn’t like how the roll, you just skip them and try on another casino. This type of comfort is important when it comes to casino. After all, you’re betting actual money. You want to be able to feel good and trust your casino. This is why having many options helps. It’s also important because online casinos offer signup and regular bonuses. So, you get the option of signing up with different casinos and making use of all the offers you could, though that’s not always the best idea.

• Variety: you might have a casino close by, but that’s not always a good thing. Your casino very well might not have some of the games you prefer. Maybe it’s a small town and they can’t afford a slot machine or something. This is an issue you’ll not face with online casinos. If you signed up with one and didn’t like their variety of games after a while, you just quit and find another. There are hundreds of them: see abundance. Maybe you want to change casinos just to try out a new game, not necessarily looking for a favorite one. An interesting point about online casinos is they’re always coming up with interesting ways to keep their customers entertained. This is why they create new games all the time and find new ways to help people indulge in their betting habits. You might find them even gambling on Angry Birds or Candy Crush. As long as people are willing to try out something new, online casinos will come up with new games. Some casinos even have jackpots that could change people’s lives; lm333 online casino even has lottery, amongst other cool options.

• Payment options: this is an important one, because it’s about money. A very relevant feature about online casinos that you’d come to appreciate down the line is the variety of payment options. You can pay by credit cards, debit cards, vouchers, cash deposits, bank transfers, and a million other ways. The fact is, online, they care about getting their payment, and they don’t really care how. If you have valid vouchers, that’s cool. As long as they get paid, an online casino will accept payment by faxes if they could.

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• Less flash: let’s face it; despite all the pros of an online casino, it’s still not an actual live casino. Yes, it has many advantages, but the live casino has more flash and persona. Why is it then this is put in the pros? Well, because less flash is not necessarily a bad thing. If you think about it, less flash means less appeal. And what does less appeal mean? Less gambling! It’s easier to control your gambling habit when the casino has less appeal. Gambling is one of life’s guilty pleasures, but there’s a thing as gambling more than you should. Like all fun, addicting activities in life, if you get too hooked to betting, it can have serious consequences on several aspects of your life. The fact that a live casino is more appealing and flashy than an online one is a good thing. It means you can more easily know when to quit and cut your losses.

The cons:

• No edge: you can talk about the advantages of online casinos all you want, but there’s just no edge. Many heavy punters would never use an online casino, although it might be better for them financially or logistically. For them, online gambling is as good as playing Solitaire. For many purists, online gambling is a computer game not an actual gambling.

• The human element: the lack of human element is another thing that many punters would choose live casinos over online ones for. Picture a poker game online; sure, you could have the same stakes as a live one. But is it really as interesting and exciting as a real live standoff? Playing a game of poker behind your mobile screen would most probably take some of the fun out of it, for many. It all comes down to the person and their preferences.

• Less flash: you might be surprised because it was all in the cons, but less flash is also a con. The fact that online casinos aren’t as exciting as live ones means you don’t get the full experience. This could also mean you can quit before you experience what gambling is really about. The optimum scenario would probably be a person gambling online while having gambled live before. They wouldn’t be missing out on much because they know the deal and they know how it goes. This is on the contrary to a novice trying out online gambling for the first time and getting bored and switching to some RPG game instead.

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• Security: yes, most reputable casinos are well secured and guarantee your money is safe. Yet, these are the reputable ones. A beginner might not think to look for the credentials and legality of the casino before betting online; they could just walk right into a scam if they don’t do the proper research.

Live Casino Gambling

The pros:

• More exciting: As mentioned, online casinos don’t have that edge and excitement of a real live one. An experienced punter would always look for the live experience. These people are looking for the real deal, the actual casino experience. They want to deal with croupier and get cheered by surrounding guests. They want to cash in their money for real chips, not virtual ones.

• The human element: The need for human element is something many gamblers look for. They want to be able to enjoy human interaction and talking with strangers about the game. This even becomes more prominent when it comes to opponents. Picture a poker game where you’re looking your adversary in the eyes and trying to figure out if he has a tell. This is what most non-amateur (and even some amateur) poker players will be looking for in a poker game. Trying to read the other guy is part of what makes poker so much fun. It’s not just about the cards, it’s mostly about the person.

• More secure: You replace cash for chips. There’s no online transaction, so it’s safer. What are the odds of you walking into an unlicensed, illegal casino that would scam you out of your money? In a Hollywood movie, huge chances, but in real life, not so much. Contrary to an online casino, where you could easily get scammed out of your money if you’re not careful.

The cons:

• Variety: a live casino might not have the same variety of games as an online one. The casino might be small or missing some of the games you could find easily online. Online casinos offer a wide array of games and offers that a regular might not have.

• Accessibility: online casinos can be everywhere. All you need for one is a mobile phone and internet. A live casino has to have a physical location, and many people simply don’t live next to one. So an online casino is more accessible.

• Payment options: a problem many face with online casinos is the fact that most require cash to pay, unlike an online casino, who have many different payment options. In live casinos, you most probably won’t get that luxury. Many states have regulations that prohibit the use of credit cards at the casinos. Imagine having a credit card with enough limit to gamble away, but not being able to do it because the casino doesn’t accept credit cards. Even if the casino accepts credit cards, good luck trying to play at the slots with one. Bottom line, a live casino prefers cash. And they wouldn’t nearly be half as flexible with payment options at an online casino.

• Weaker learning curve: gambling is like anything in life, it requires discipline and practice to become better at it. The more you watch videos, ask for advice, and play the game, the better you’ll become, in games that require skills at least. However, that is not much of an option in live casinos. Unless you’re living in Vegas, chances are you don’t hit the casinos quite often. When you do go, you get caught up in the moment so much that it’s impossible to stop and ask for advice or learn. That is not the case with an online casino. There, you could take your time and learn before you leap into it. If things get bad, you can take some time off and practice to become better, and then come back. It’s accessible at any time, so you’re not really bound by a schedule. Practice is key to becoming a good punter, and in online casino there’s just more room for practice and learning.

At the end of the day, the choice is yours. You’re the one that gets to choose if you’re into the nuances of the live casino or the convenience of the online one. Are you looking for the human element? Or is it about making some money while doing something fun that you’re good at, and it doesn’t matter if it’s online? Fair play would be trying out both option before deciding on one. Maybe you’ll find that you like the glamour and the flash of a live casino. Or it’s possible you’d opt for the convenience of being able to bet on a toilet. Either ways, it’s a good time to be a punter.