The online gambling market has seen consistent growth since the early days when online casinos offered little more than portals to place fairly basic bets. The first online casino came into being in 1996 and gave players the chance to play 18 games. Since those days, the industry has expanded rapidly and there are now thousands of reputable places where you can play casino games online like webxcon for example.
The rise of smartphones and the flexibility they offer, both to consumers and the casinos that develop them, has resulted in the industry pulling in almost $46 billion per year, as of 2016. This means the industry has almost doubled in size since 2009, which is when smartphones really started to build up some steam.
While most associate online casinos with gambling for real money, there is also a sub-section of gaming websites where you can get the look and feel of a playing for real, except you don’t spend a single penny of your own money.
Here we will be looking at both types of casinos and a few of the pros and cons that are associated with each one.
Fun Casinos
There’s no getting away from the fact that a lot of casino games offer a thrill that can’t be replicated anywhere else. The tension of watching the ball on the roulette wheel, hoping for it to drop where you want it, or the buzz of playing a hand of poker against other people to find out if you can beat them is what draws many to casinos in the first place.
Fun casinos offer you the chance to play these games without any money on the line, so here are a few pros and cons of using them.
Pros
Learning How to Play
Before you can start playing for real money, you need to understand the rules of the games you play. In times gone by, the only real way to do this was to head to a traditional casino to learn as you play, which often resulted in losses along the way. Now, players have the option of learning without facing the very real risk of losing all of their money.
No Money Risked
The thrill of casino games is often accompanied by the agony of loss, which is where many people start to lose their interest in them. Fun casinos simulate these thrills without placing you in any sort of financial risk, so you can play for as long as you want without having to keep an eye on your budget.
Cons
No Money Won
Of course, the counterpoint to no money being bet is the fact that you don’t win anything should the bet pay off. The thrill of playing casino games can be tempered somewhat by the knowledge that you won’t actually be receiving anything in return for taking advantage of your little slice of luck.
A Potential Gateway
Fun casinos generally offer fairly free access, with little in the way of age restrictions. Even those that have them in place aren’t too difficult to get into. This means that they may contribute to younger people developing knowledge of gambling before they are ready. Stats on Psych Central, which has been covering psychiatric conditions since 1995, suggest that around 2% of teenagers are already addicted to gambling and some may see free sites as a way for then to familiarize themselves with gaming before they move up to playing for money.
Real Money Casinos
These types of casinos are essentially the online version of what you will find in Las Vegas and there are thousands of them dotted around the web. You will be playing for real money, which means the potential for winning is there but so too is the potential for placing yourself into financial trouble.
There are a number of pros and cons to playing at real money casinos.
Pros
You Can Win Big
The potential for winning large sums of money exists when playing online. For example, in 2013 a UK-based fisherman walked away with winnings of £5.4 million ($6.75 million) playing an online slot machine. Similar jackpots have been hit by other players too.
Convenience
Being able to play from the comfort of your own home is a big draw for online casinos. You don’t need to spend money on traveling or accommodation, which means you have more to spend on your playing.
The Offers
Given the depth of competition in the online gaming market, most real money casinos will have offers in place that you can take advantage of. They may increase the odds of winning at certain games or give new players a certain amount to spend. Savvy players can take advantage of this to rack up good winnings quickly.
Cons
You Can Lose Big
As with any form of gambling, playing online for real money opens up the potential of losing big if you aren’t careful. The best way to avoid this is to know the maximum you are able to spend and to stop when you hit that point.
Security
Online gambling falls into a little bit of a legal gray area and you need to be aware of the laws of your state or country before playing. Beyond this, there is fairly little regulation in place, which means the potential for fraud is there. The best way to avoid this is to conduct research before using any site to find out what fellow players are saying and to discover as much about the company as possible.
Cashing Out
Players in the United States, in particular, need to be aware that cashing out is generally not going to be an instant process. In some cases, it can take 24 hours or more to get your hands on your winnings. This isn’t a problem in most cases, but if you are relying on the cash you win it may pose problems.
The Final Word
In short, playing in fun casinos presents you with less risk while still offering many of the benefits of playing for real money. You get the thrill of the games, the convenience of playing online, and you can learn more about how each game is played. However, big winners in fun casinos receive exactly what big losers get: nothing.
By contrast, playing in real money casinos gives you the chance to take home big cash prizes, with the obvious risk coming in the amount of money you spend in them. There are also security issues to keep in mind and the process of getting your hands on your winnings can take some time.
Wherever you choose to play, you will have convenience and access to practically any game you could play in a traditional casino, in addition to games that are unique to online casinos. Just be aware of the type you’re playing at before placing your first bet.
