Wondering if online casinos or land-based casinos are better? Trying to decide what you’d rather do? Which option would you rather spend your money on? It can be a difficult choice, and both have their pros and cons.
We have a suggestion for you that will make your decision SUPER EASY. In a moment, we will share that with you.
But first, let’s dig deeper into the original question. We think the best way to find the answer is to ask yourself the following 6 questions.
Let’s start with online gaming; there is no travel involved at all. Unless you count the steps you have to take from one room to your computer.
But you will have to travel to a land-based casino. This comes at a cost, both in terms of money and opportunities.
For example, you need to fly there. There are costs involved. There are also potential issues such as delays and connecting flights. And travelling sometimes takes up many hours of your time.
You’ll probably also need a hotel. A room on the Strip will probably cost you $100+ per night.
When you’re on the Strip, you can walk everywhere if you want. There are also trams. You can travel cheaply from one end to the other.
But suppose you want to get where you want to go quickly. You can take a taxi. From one end of the Strip to the other, you should spend $15 to $25 (including tip).
Or you can rent a car. You’ll probably spend $25 a day.
Then you have food. Everything is more expensive on the Strip. We’re going for $40 for two people per meal, and more if you want to eat at one of the more expensive restaurants (easily $150+ for two people).
So let’s say you want to go to Las Vegas for a week:
- Food: $420 per person per week
That comes out to just under $1,500. Plus, you want money for gambling and other activities (of which there are many).
And don’t forget the opportunity cost. That’s seven days you’ll spend in Vegas. which means you’re not going to work. That’s more money spent.
All in all, that’s a lot of money down the drain.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But another way of looking at this is that you could spend $1500+ plus your gambling money to go to Las Vegas, or just deposit $1500 at an online casino and play whenever and wherever you have internet access.
Then you can pocket the rest while avoiding the extra time, effort, and resources you spend on travel.
- Do I want extracurricular activities?
If you go to Las Vegas, you can gamble 24/7. But there is SO MUCH MORE to do than that. For example, you can:
- Go sight-seeing (the Grand Canyon is popular).
- Do all kinds of things, like race in cars or jump off the Stratosphere.
Some of these options are available to you from home.
So you have to ask yourself:
- Do I want to do any of these things?
- Am I willing to spend the money on them?
This is another situation where you spend money on activities that could otherwise be used for gambling.
Of course, gambling is not everything. Some of our employees have seen and enjoyed several shows in Las Vegas. Some of us have also raced a Ferrari and an Audi R8 on a track in Las Vegas-an incredible experience that we won’t regret spending the time or money on.
- What games do I want to play? How much should I spend on gambling?
There are some things to think about here.
You have a great selection of games whether you play online or in a real casino. Offline, however, you may have to travel from one casino to another to find different games, as each set of properties works with different software companies.
Many casinos have many games within one casino. But even if you want to play something different, it is often just a matter of logging in at another casino. This only takes a few seconds (versus minutes or 1+ hours offline) to do.
Something else to think about are game variations. You will find variations for some games offline, as you may find a specific blackjack variation somewhere in Las Vegas. But you can sign up at just about any online casino and have 7–10+ blackjack games to choose from almost immediately.
And online, you can play table games for as little as $1. Machines cost just $0.01. Machines are almost the same offline, but table games start at $3–$5 depending on where you play.
You can also play online on your mobile device. That means you can play anywhere you have internet access. You can’t do that offline (we dare you to drag a slot machine from the casino floor to your car).
You can also play online for free.
Another big advantage is that online games are always available. You don’t have to wait for someone to get up and leave the machine you’ve been looking for so long. This is super frustrating, let me tell you.
- Do I want promotions? What kinds of promotions do I want?
Another thing to think about is promotions.
This is where online casinos excel.
It’s not that you won’t find promos offline. They just don’t compare to online promos.
For example, the deposit bonus When you sign up and deposit for the first time, you can get hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars from an online casino. We have never seen an offline casino do this.
Then you have reload bonuses. These are just like deposit bonuses, except they are for existing customers.
In addition, you have VIP programmes where you can get money back and sometimes get nice gifts.
Offline, you can earn points, which you can use for buffets, shows, or rooms. And you will see games where you can win a car or something. But the variety and scope of land-based casinos pale in comparison to online casinos.
- Do I want to interact with people?
When you gamble online, you are not dealing with anyone. The exception is if you are playing online poker, but even then you can disable the chat.
But offline? You deal with people your entire journey.
You have to deal with people at the airport, such as security and queues, and then have to sit next to random people on the plane.
Then you have the casinos, which are full of queues, people with no manners, and drunk or otherwise obnoxious people.
You can’t forget the filthy hawkers either (at least in Las Vegas).
It’s not that you can’t handle all this, but the question is, do you want to?
- Do I care about legal gambling laws?
One more thing to think about Is online gambling legal where you come from? This narrows your choices and may mean that you are not betting legally. It could also mean that the people you do business with are not 100% up-to-date.
But you don’t have to worry about that when you gamble offline. All casinos are licenced and strictly regulated.
Here’s another thought:
At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong answer. It just depends on what you want from your gambling experience.
But here’s something else to think about: why not both?
It may sound like we are anti-land-based casinos. But we really aren’t.
Places like Las Vegas are great. There is food, gaming, and shows. It’s just that there’s so much more to it in terms of money, time, and stress.
But it is a unique experience that you can not get when gambling online.
So why force yourself to choose? Why not enjoy the best of both worlds?
