Since the emergence of a few online casinos 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.
