Pros Cons Online Gambling

 

Dec 18, 2019 Advantages Of Online Gambling. The other big pro when it comes to online gambling Poker Strategy is that in order to attract players almost all online casinos offer large cash bonuses. This is something that you are not going to get if you play live at a casino. The best casinos online offer bonuses of several hundred dollars to new players. When looking at the online gambling pros and cons, it’s difficult not to see some of the appeal of the land-based casinos. Many gamblers who spend time regularly playing online will also play at land-based casinos in order to fully enjoy the advantages of both worlds.

Online gambling began the mid 90s in the Saskatchewan Province in Canada (Kahnawake Gaming Commission) and in the Caribbean Islands. The Caribbean islands based online gambling off the Free Trade and Processing Act established in 1994.

From a measly 15 or so sites in 1996, a virtual platform designed by Microgaming exploded the business within two years to 200 sites generating a revenue of more than $1 billion.

When reviewing the history of the online gambling market, I see the market has expanded and increased revenues totaling $53.7 billion in 2019.

And it continues to grow.

Given the current conditions and atmosphere, it’s expected to grow conservatively by an annual rate of 12%.

Obviously, at some point it will not be able to sustain this growth, but there are many influencing factors that will affect this growth.

So, with this incredible growth, what can affect online gambling in the future?

What benefits and consequences do I see relative to online gambling’s current and future status?

Bonus Money Just for Playing

There are numerous benefits to gambling at online casinos, and one of them is bonus monies just for playing. I can get bonuses of up to 100% on my first deposit.

I understand that these bonuses have upper limits, but getting extra money just for playing is something I have not seen happen to me when buying chips at a casino.

Online Gambling Pros And Cons

Freedom Is Important, Too

Another benefit is that with online gambling is freedom. I do not have to leave home and can play from the comfort of my home. In fact, I can play on multiple electronic devices regardless of the location if I have internet service. Some casino sites even offer real money mobile casino apps so you can play casino games from your phone!

The hour long wait that comes with my doctor’s annual checkup visit can be a lot less monotonous when playing a few games as opposed to reading the two-month-old sports illustrated magazine on table next to me.

No Travel Expenses

Also, my out of pocket travel expenses that are associated with going to a brick and mortar casino can be better used at the online gambling table.

With online gaming, there are a wider range of gaming options than if I walked into a single casino building.

One online gaming site will have hundreds of games that can be played at this specific location.

The furthest traveling you will have to do is clicking one game or another.

Anonymity

I have wondered about the anonymity of gambling and whether that is actually a concern. I would perhaps have less chance of a friend seeing me gamble if its online versus seeing others at the casino.

But… if I am worried about being seen gambling, I may be having deeper issues. I believe that this is a deeply personal matter that each of us can look at on an individual basis.

Speed

If it is speed, I am looking for, online gambling allows me to play many more hands of poker for real money than at a brick and mortar casino.

I do find tremendous pleasure in the anticipation and strategy created by a slower game, though, but it may also depend on how much time I have.

Money and Payouts

Let’s look at another key factor – money and payouts.

I know that online casino’s payouts are much higher than a brick and mortar casino since all of the additional costs involved in such a business.

The overhead for meals, rooms, lounge areas, comped stays and many others that come with operating a brick and mortar establishment affect the payouts.

Payouts are higher because of online gaming’s higher volume based on turnover and speed. People are logging into games from all over the world at all times, so it seems natural that the customer base is significantly higher.

You Can Use Cryptocurrencies Online

Did you know casinos accept cryptocurrencies as a deposit method?

Perhaps it might be one of the reasons crypto currency is becoming more established as a valued currency.

Pease know that some online casinos do not take crypto, and it is currently not accepted in US regulated markets.

Personal information is always a concern for me when buying any online item or service and if I am using Bitcoin, I have better anonymity/security by not using my credit card. I tend to always be cautious these days with any purchase online with regards to an underlying security concern.

Security

Security is not something that usually concerns me when gambling at an online casino as opposed to a brick and mortar establishment.

The only person that will know of my expenditures would be me and, on occasion, the banking employee that I have to ask to let me go over my daily withdrawal limit during a challenging night.

What about the Legalities of Gambling Online?

As I have always heard, “ignorance of the law is no excuse”, and in society today it is important that I know the laws plus their associated punishments. In short, there is no federal law that prohibits online gambling.

State regulations, though, are muddied waters.

There are 13 states where online gambling is explicitly legal, however, two of these do not allow online gambling to another unlicensed state.

Of the remaining states, there is no law against online gambling in five states (therefore not illegal), 6 states where it is illegal (but jail is not a punishment), 26 where its illegal (and jail possible but no registered cases of prosecution), and two where it’s is a felony (with jail possible but no prosecutions).

Whew, now you can see why I say its muddied. Based on this information, my belief that I will somehow be the first one prosecuted is small.

However, I do need to know the risks and it is a good idea for me to keep up to date with the related state and federal policies.

One thing that is illegal, which I hope you already know, is me running my own game online whether it be a raffle or something more sophisticated.

Conclusion

I believe the few things I have covered sum up pros and cons to online gambling pretty well but, if you want to know more about your specific states online gambling laws, there are plenty of google searches that will give you direct information about your state.

Let’s summarize the pros to online gambling:

  • The speed and high turnover in games allow better payouts for online gambling
  • Online gambling has greater anonymity because my peers will only know if I tell them I am playing online
  • Online gambling gives bonus monies on my initial deposits up to 100% but have limits
  • Freedom to play is excessively higher because I can play wherever I have internet service
  • There are more games I can play at one gaming site location
  • Cost of travel to play are non-existent versus to travelling to a casino, getting a room, paying for food, and other expenses related to travel
  • I can play with a credit card (this can be a pro and a con based on security)
  • Some online casinos accept cryptocurrencies and based on currencies fluctuations I can make additional money off of the currency exchange rates
  • Online gambling is not something new and has been tried and tested for 20 years
  • I get to play more hands as the games are much faster (this is a pro and con)

Let’s look at some of the cons, too:

  • I really miss the dynamics of seeing who I am play with and against – whether it be making new friends or visualizing a tell
  • Prosecution is so far non-existent, but it is illegal in many states with associated fines and jail sentences possible (keep up to date with this subject)
  • I will need to use some form of electric payment versus cash is all I need at the casino
  • If I am using my credit card, my financial information has now been shared, so make sure I am selecting a well rated site before playing
  • Additionally, I can be lazy and not research a site before playing therefore giving over my financial info by letting my excitement get the better of me
  • Security on my end of the internet needs to be maintained to prevent hacking and my identity getting stolen (do not play at open Wi-Fi networks)
  • I will have to play more hands at an online casino as the games are much faster (pro and con)

When looking at online gambling, you can see that I have listed many more pros than cons and most people agree with this. However, I encourage you to get an understanding of these and find comfort with yourself before playing online.

You will always play better and win more when other subliminal factors are not weighing down on your cognitive capabilities and gut instincts. Real money online gambling is a great way to keep my mind working and enjoy specific times that I have set aside to gamble.

For me, I find it best to have a healthy combination of in-house gambling and online gambling. I absolutely love the interaction with others face to face and the travel that goes with being in a casino. I am also able to keep my skills current plus win some cash by regularly playing online.

As always, let me leave you with a little something about life…

Today it is something said many times –

“Yesterdays history, tomorrows a mystery, today is a gift…, that’s why we call it the present.” – Bill Keane

Welcome to GamblingProsAndCons.com. We’re not here to discuss whether or not you should gamble. Responsible gaming is one of America’s favorite pastimes. From the poker game in the back room of the barber shop to the glitziest Vegas casinos, and of course, on the internet, gambling fun, usually safe and for the most part, legal.

We’re going to explore the differences between gambling online versus gambling on site, and we’ll point out the positives and negatives of both, while trying to remain neutral. We’ll leave it to you to decide in which manner you’ll most enjoy your gaming experience.

Above all else, the advent of the internet has served to bring the casino the living room, and that has allowed millions of people to enjoy the thrills, the excitement and the occasional disappointment that are all part of the casino gambling experience. Here a few of the more prominent benefits of choosing the online option over the on-site visit.

Convenience

As much as anything, the fact that the “casino” is as close as your computer screen is a strong enticement. Hundreds of legal online casino sites offer so many games it often becomes hard to slow down long enough to play one. The opportunity to choose and play these games from the comfort of home, without getting dressed up, driving across town or across state, and waiting for a seat at the table, makes online games attractive to millions.

Gambling, the “for real money” kind, by its nature costs money. There are few fifty-fifty propositions in the casino, at the poker table, or at the race track. That’s why there are odds. Even the most intelligent and savvy gamers lose more often than they win. But the enticement is, for most of us, the fun and excitement of the challenge.

So while we often don’t expect to win big, we also don’t want to spend a lot of money on extraneous items and superfluous trivia that offer nothing to enhance our overall fun. Gambling online helps avoid those added expenses that reduce our level of enjoyment by draining funds we could otherwise dedicate to building the pot when we’ve filled that inside straight.

Online Gambling Casino Real Money

Security

Having a wad of cash in your pocket and a hefty balance available at the ATM can be great feeling – until someone steals your wallet. Then the prospects become very daunting. That can happen, and often does, at land-based casinos, and the resulting loss of funds and potential for identity theft is devastating.

Won’t happen, of course, to those people who choose the online casino option. By frequenting a reliable site with the proper security software, all your funds are secure, your identity is protected, and you enjoyment will not be compromised by the less-than-admirable actions of others.

Let’s face it – sometimes it’s just better when a bunch of people don’t know what you’re doing. Not there’s anything wrong with gambling, on site or online, but some people will take what they know, or what they think they know, about you and your activities and run with it. By choosing to enjoy legal gambling online, rather than in the glare of the public eye, you alleviate the need to look over your shoulder for the office gadfly who would like nothing better than to tell everyone what you’ve been up to.

Choice

This is perhaps the best reason to make the web your first gambling stop. By logging on to a legal, well-run and inclusive gaming site, you can find all your favorite casino games, plus poker tourneys, and sports betting – many of which may not be available or even legal in the state in which you reside.

If you live in Utah, you’ll have to go to Wyoming to place a bet on a horse. If you live in Georgia, you’ll have to go to Florida or Mississippi to play craps, roulette or slots. If you have a computer, you can do it all, anytime you want, no matter where you live.

While there are obvious, and maybe not so obvious, reasons why gambling at home, online, legally, is the preferred choice of many gamers, there is something to be said for “being there”. Here are a few reasons why some may prefer the tableside experience over the keyboard version.

Cons
Interaction

Some people simply like to be around other people when enjoying the gambling experience. The sights, the sounds and the smells can’t really be duplicated at the online level, although some come very close. But if you hit it big at home, no one’s going to pound you on the back and buy you a drink.

When gambling online, you’re required to put up the money just like at the casino – but not just for one small wager. Most sites require a minimum of at least $20.00, sometimes $50.00 or more, before you can wager five bucks. And winning, and collecting, requires you to wait hours, days or even weeks for your payback.

At the casino, that big pot you just raked in at the poker table is yours as soon as you get to the cage. A two-hundred dollar spit out from your favorite slot is legal tender immediately, so you can “reinvest”, or go get that $80.00 steak dinner you’ve been salivating over all day, and do it right this minute.

Security

I know we discussed this issue as a “pro”, but there’s a “con” factor as well. Unless you’ve really done your research and verified that the site you’re visiting is safe and secure, you can’t be sure that your identity and credit card information is protected. Anytime you provide personal information online you run the risk of losing much more than money, so unless your confidence level is high, you may want to avoid the online gaming option. Keep in mind, though, that sites like ours will always warn you if there’s someplace you simply shouldn’t go.

So, there you have it – the pro’s and con’s. There is always a glass half-full/half empty discussion to be had when considering two or more ways to accomplish the same thing. Let’s assume that you enjoy legal casino gambling. Now it’s a matter of choosing your favorite game, determining the odds, and placing your bet.

You can do all of that two ways – on site, or online. To do it on site, you need to get packed. To do it online, well, how about now?