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Offline vs online casino: pros and cons
Author: Jessica, journalist Playfortuna
Sometimes old school is not cool. Being a crotch goblin, we remember going to land-based casinos with our parents. Half-choked by cigarette smoke, we stared wide-eyed at the lights and wondered what all the fuss was about. To put coins into a machine, people pushed each other away with one hand. It was a wonderful time.
We miss the excitement and energy of casinos, but there is something to be said about playing in your own home, garden, or in an exotic location.
With the advent of technology, the face of gambling has changed forever. But, besides the obvious, what benefits do you get if you play online slots instead? We are glad you asked.
Sometimes the grass is not always greener. Or is it?
Overhead costs are the first thing that distinguishes online casinos from offline casinos (also known as land-based casinos). Land-based establishments have very high overhead costs, such as the cost of renting premises, buildings, water, electricity, and staff. These expenses are not covered by the casino, so it is not surprising that the payback percentage in offline casinos is lower than in online ones.
The second difference is free credits, spins, or money. These privileges are not available offline. It is as simple as choosing a machine and loading it with money.
You will find many offers for online slots, such as welcome deposit bonuses and free spins. Let's look at each of them.
Welcome bonus
Every online casino offers a welcome bonus on its home page or promotions page. This is the casino's way of saying "Thank you" for choosing them over all other competitors. We would like to say thank you for your support.
You can receive a welcome bonus in the form of free spins, money, or credit. This means you have the opportunity to win real money, while still being able to play for free for a while. All winnings you get using the welcome bonus are credited to your bankroll. Offline casinos do not offer any entertainment other than free drinks and comps for high rollers. Check out this link to find out how you can make the most of the Playfortuna welcome bonus.
Deposit bonus
After you have used your welcome bonus, it's time to make your first payment. Your online casino may offer a certain type of bonus, which is usually a percentage of your deposit amount.
For example, if you made a deposit of EUR 100 and the offer is 100%, you will be credited with EUR 100. One hundred is enough to get a hundred. Now you have 200 euros, but you only pay half the price!
However, your land-based casino will not offer anything like this.
Get free spins
These items are available online like candy. This makes financial sense, as it doesn't cost any money. However, the more spins you can make, the higher your chances of winning, so from a gambler's perspective, free spins are like gold.
As part of the welcome bonus, deposit bonus, no deposit bonus, weekly bonus, loyalty bonus, incentive bonus, and other bonuses, you will receive free spins. Your online casino will reward you with free spins for every game you play. However, offline this is not the case.
Play for free
Although this feature is not exactly the same as the one described above, it has its advantages. To play slot machines, you do not need to register or deposit money. Instead, you can freely practice any of their games for as long as you want.
You will be able to get comfortable with the games and understand how they work. Once you are ready, you can more easily transition to real play. You won't find this in offline casinos. It makes no sense for them to block machines that can generate revenue. People would just play for fun, and that would be unwise. In an online casino, this does not affect their profit.
Choice of games
Online casinos offer a larger selection of games than any others. Imagine how much space an online casino would need to store the thousands of digital games they offer.
In addition, it is very easy to use. You just need to open your browser and select a game.
Online slots are the same as playing in a casino. You can choose to play blackjack, baccarat, or poker online. Live games are conducted by real dealers and filmed on HD cameras that broadcast the content directly to your computer or mobile phone - almost as if you were right there!
Progressive jackpots
Of course, large jackpots are also offered in offline casinos, and there is nothing more exciting than hearing a siren wail and seeing lights flash while people gasp and applaud.
But... while online casinos cannot replicate this feat, they can offer you something quite impressive: Progressive jackpots. What is a progressive jackpot?
If you place the maximum bet, the jackpot is a fixed amount that you can win. Progressive jackpots are when the win amount increases every time a player places a bet and spins the reels.
The bigger the jackpot, the more people play the game. Eventually, one lucky winner will hit the jackpot, and the whole process starts over. In a casino, you see people pouring money into machines. But online slots allow you to visualize how quickly progressive jackpots grow. You can play online slots even without an internet connection. You can still win progressive jackpots!
All is fair in gambling and love, but are online slots fair?
People tend to feel frustrated or skeptical when they don't win. It is not surprising that people are quick to accuse online casinos of cheating and fraud. What is the reality? Can online casino games be trusted?
Both digital and physical slot machines use an algorithm to ensure fair play. What are these algorithms and how do they work?
Random Number Generator (RNG).
Let's move on to what worries most people - how the values or numbers on the reels are chosen. The Random Number Generator does what is written on its logo and ensures that all players have equal chances of winning. This is part of the game's architecture, which means that no one can change or manipulate the RNG results. This makes the game 100% fair.
Most likely, you have seen gambling sites and people talking about hot (paying) machines or tables. There is no such concept. RNG has no past payouts and only does what it is programmed to do. The odds of getting a huge win right after a jackpot are the same.
Return to Player (RTP)
You might have seen this indicator at some point. It will look like this: 96.1%. RTP represents the percentage that a player can expect to get back from the total amount they spent on playing the slot.
While 95% is the average, you might say, "Wow, I'll get 95% back!", but that is not accurate. This number is calculated over many spins, so how much you win depends on your luck. This percentage must be paid out, even if you do not win on every spin.
Fair games and licensing
There is a misconception that independent regulatory bodies are stricter when it comes to land-based casinos. This mythical difference is incorrect. Regardless of where the casino is located and whether it has a physical location, all casinos undergo fairness audits. All games must match the declared RTP.
Online casinos offer something that land-based casinos cannot: provably fair games. Online players have the opportunity to verify the fairness of the games. An algorithm that verifies the casino's fairness and allows players to input into the game (by pressing the "Spin" button) lets you be sure that no one has tampered with the results and that no one knows what the next step will be.
This feature is not available in all casinos or game providers, but at Playfortuna it is offered by most BGaming and SoftSwiss games. Using it is simple: when you are playing a game, click the "Provability" button in the right corner of the screen.
An online casino can be an excellent option if fairness is important to you. For more information about our provably fair games at Playfortuna, click here.
Online gambling or offline gambling? This is the most important question.
We must mention the final point of why playing online slots might be better than offline. This is betting with cryptocurrency. This cannot be done in a physical environment, but it is quite common on the Internet.
Brick-and-mortar stores offer a social and intimate atmosphere that is not always available when you are sitting at a computer. However, online slots have many advantages and reasons to play.