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...gamblingman - whats it all about?
Gambling Man's Pro's and Cons
of Online Gambling
The pros and cons of gambling
online...
The Pros...
Concentration factor...
This is one for the serious gamblers out there. Traditional
casinos are loud, bright and busy, with constant distractions
to all of your senses. This is great if your there for the
novelty of the casino environment, but no so good if you want
to play seriously and concentrate on your chosen game strategy.
One of the benefits of playing online, is that you dictate
what environment you want to play in. You can concentrate
in the total quiet of you study if concentration is important
to your gambling style.
Built in information resource...
Don't know the basic strategy of a certain game? Or not sure
which casino games return the most to the player when played
optimally? Playing online means that all of this information
is at your fingertips as you play. The Internet is without
doubt the largest information resource in the world, and there
are some great gambling information resources out there (your
looking at one now!). This Pro is especially relevant to sports
betting. Before you place a bet you can:
1. check the best odds available online at an online
odds comparison service,
2. check past results and team form at any one of thousands
of sports almanac sites,
3. check expert tipsters opinions at any one of thousands
of handicapping sites...
Convenience...
Probably the most obvious pro. I mean if we could all click
our fingers and be at Vegas when we felt like having a punt
we would, but this is just not possible. The costs (both time
and money) and hassles associated with getting to a terrestrial
casino are significant, even if you live reasonably close
to one.
Privacy...
Online casinos allow you to play your chosen game in private,
without the distractions of a busy gaming room. And you never
face the annoyance of not being able to play because the tables
offering a minimum bet acceptable to you are full. Of course
should you want to interact with others, you can do this provided
you play at a multi-play casino, but otherwise it is just
you and the dealer.
Transaction record...
When you play online, your account balance, and therefore
your net win or loss at any given point of time is clearly
displayed to you. You know exactly how much you have won or
lost, and (at a good casino) how you have won or lost it,
as play history reports are readily available. By comparison,
the typical terrestrial casino experience is less controlled
and transparent.
You control speed of play...
Playing online allows you to completely control the speed
of game play. You will never feel rushed by impatient gamblers,
and can think long and hard about your next move before making
it. I used to play online blackjack with a basic
strategy
matrix sitting in front of me, taking my time to select
the correct play for each deal so that I played faultless
basic strategy.
Range of options available...
Anyone who ever says that online casinos or sportsbooks are
not as comprehensive as their land based counterparts has
not played online. While it is true that there is a wide divergence
in the offering of online operators, the more comprehensive
casinos and sportsbooks offer everything the largest terrestrial
casino or bet shop would offer and more. Some online sportsbooks
offer hundreds of bet lines daily, while some casinos offer
over 70 different games.
Practice for free...
Almost all online casinos offer unlimited free play of their
games. This gives you a great opportunity to either learn
how to play a particular game, or to familiarise yourself
with the casinos game software. Few traditional casinos offer
customers a free play option.
Great graphics...
If you haven't played at an online casino you will be amazed
at the realistic 3D graphics and smooth simulated games that
are offered. This applies especially to casinos which license
software from the industries leading casino software developers
such as Cryptologic, Microgaming, and Boss Media.
Bonuses...
One of the most powerful attributes of the internet is its
ability to present users with many easily accessible options
in a given area of enquiry. This promotes strong competition
between web businesses competing for new customers, and as
a consequence, great deals for those customers. The online
casino industry is no exception, with almost 2000 casinos
competing fiercely for their share of the online gambling
market by offering great sign up bonuses. It is not unusual
for internet casinos to offer 100% sign up bonuses...ie deposit
$100 and you get given $100 free. Casinos offering over $100
in initial deposit bonuses, include:
Fortune
Room
Royal
Vegas
Lucky
Nugget
Orbital
Casino
Audited returns...
One for the skeptics out there. Many online casinos now have
their return to player rates audited by big 5 accounting firms
(most notably PriceWaterhouseCoopers). You can therefore see
how much players were returned in prior months at these casinos.
Returns are generally verified in the range 96% to 99% at
these casinos, proving that the returns offered by these casinos
are every bit as good, if not better, than those offered at
any terrestrial casino.
The Cons...
Can you trust the operator...
The online casino industry is largely self regulated and with
so many operators out there, many people are justifiably concerned
with the trustworthiness of the various casinos. Combine this
uncertainty with the fact that you have no realistic and practical
avenue of recourse in the event that an internet casino does
cheat you some how. If, for example, a casino based in the
Vanuatu was to refuse to pay out your $1000 account, then
even if there was some way that you could legally enforce
your rights ( which is unlikely), it would not be worth the
cost and effort to do so. And its not like you can damage
the reputation of some of these casinos by bringing their
unscrupulous operating practices to public attention because
quite simply they do not have a reputation that can be damaged.
The moral of the story here is yes, some online casinos should
not be touched. It should also be said though, that this con
does not apply to all online casinos. The majority of online
casinos do have reputations that they are proud of and that
they are very careful to keep in tact. Casinos that I have
played at for some time, without complaint, are listed
here.
Payout speed...
Unfortunately an online casino will never be able to pay you
real cash on the spot when you win. The great thing about
a gambling windfall at a terrestrial casino is that you walk
away with real cash. One of the things I dislike most about
online casinos is the time taken to receive your winning check.
As I don't live in North America, I have to wait between 1
and 2 weeks before receiving my winnings in the mail. Presumably
payout time for US residents would be 2 to 4 days, which isn't
bad, but certainly doesn't compare with cash in your pocket
straight away. It should be said that a many casinos offer
instant payment to your credit card account but only to the
value of your initial deposit. You'll still have to wait for
your winnings I'm afraid. A handful of casinos also offer
payment by wire transfer directly into your bank account...but
this generally costs you a small fee.
Atmosphere...
If you love the excitement of the casino gaming room and interaction
with other players, then online casinos might fail to win
you over. As much as they try to replicate the online gambling
experience with casino sounds, multi-play tables and flashy
graphics, they will never truly replicate the real life casino
gaming room.
Technical problems...
This is one that I haven't experienced a great deal, but I'm
sure it could give rise to some frustration. Delays in getting
set up for those of you with slow connections could also be
frustrating. All quality operators have 24/7 customer support
who are very quick to respond to problems. On the odd occasion
that I do experience delays, (eg long download) I cheer myself
up by imagining having to drive to the casino and find a parking
spot!
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