Online Betting V Online Casinos: The Positives And Negatives Of Each

There are two main ways you can choose to bet online at present, both of which mirror the same options available to the punter in the real world. You can opt to put your money on any one of a number of markets available from a bookmaker, or you can head to the casino and try your hand at one of the many different types of games they have available for users to play.

The question is, which one of these options offers you the best chance of reward for your money, which one offers the most enjoyment and which of these options will make you feel that you actually got value for the cash you spent?

In this article, we’ll take a look at both betting with an online bookmaker as well as wagering your cash in an online casino on a variety of different games and markets in an effort to try and make up our mind as to which one offers the best options for a variety of different people seeking to gamble. Greg Raymer and Chris Moneymaker won the world online texas holdem championships in 2004 and 2003 and their fame and that of this form of poker have grown enormously ever since.

The Online Casino

Variety

You certainly do have a wealth of options when you join an online casino. You can play a large number of games, ranging from card games like baccarat, poker, video poker and blackjack, to slot machines (some linked together so that they combine to create huge progressive jackpots) right through to random number games like bingo, keno, roulette and dice games, such as sic bo and craps.

Interaction

Casino games offer the user a huge amount of interaction so that they really feel that they are in control of their wager. This can range from games where a clear degree of skill, experience and a well-defined strategy can help increase your odds of success, such as in poker or blackjack, to games where the only interaction is the press of a button, such as in online slots.

What is important is that the user feels engaged in the games and enjoys playing them. Without this simple fact, online casino games would not have the same appeal.

Is prior knowledge/experience beneficial?

It very much depends on the types of games you play in an online casino whether any prior knowledge or skills you may have is beneficial. In games like poker and blackjack, this is vital if you are to become a strong player who wins more often. In other games, such as online slots, keno or bingo, it does not matter how often you have played or how much experience you have, it is purely down to the whims of fate as to whether you win or not.

Chances of winning?

Some casino games offer markedly better chances of winning than others as their house edge, ie, the more likely the house is to win, is markedly less than other games. For example blackjack and baccarat are two games where the house edge is very low indeed, in some cases below 1%. However, on some other casino games, such as keno and slot machines, the house edge can be as much as 25%, which drastically reduces the players chance of success.

The Online Bookmaker

Variety

The sheer number of different markets you can bet on at any one time is remarkable. Most bookmakers offer not only sports markets to their customers, but also a variety of other markets based on events on the stock exchange and even on television programs. Most betting however tends to be based around the sports markets and with thousands of markets available every day, punters certainly have choice, though some may argue that there is too much choice at times!

Interaction

In truth, making a bet with a bookmaker is not a particularly interactive way to gamble and this is why many people prefer casinos. Once a bet is made a punter is then powerless until the market they have made the bet on is decided. This can mean watching a football game, or waiting for the golf tournament to finish, or even watching a television programme to see if the person you bet on has been voted out. The level of interaction with the market is minimal, though having a bet on the market does make watching more interesting for many.

Is prior knowledge/experience beneficial?

In truth, many serious punters would argue that to bet properly and intelligently on any market, then an excellent background knowledge is essential if you are to maximise your chance of success. It is hard to make a bet on a market you know nothing about with any degree of certainty, so the more you know, then the more accurate and successful your bet is likely to be.

Chances of winning?

The chances of winning any bet are always given by a bookmaker before you make a bet. This can range from a bet that has an excellent chance of success, in which case the bookmaker may quote you odds of even money or less (for example, in a recent Wimbledon match, Novak Djokovic was 1/100 to win the match, meaning you had to wager £100, in order to win just £1).

For bets with less chance of success the odds should get considerably higher. In horse racing for example, prices of 3-1 to 10-1 are common, and some races have horses at odds ten or a hundred times those amounts.

So what should I do with my money?

In truth, it depends very much on how you want to spend your cash as to which option is best suited to you. If you want to have a lot of fun, play games and enjoy a great time while you spend your cash, then a casino is the best bet. If you have good knowledge about a certain market and feel that you can get good odds from a bookmaker and make a profit, then an online bookmaker may be the best option for you.

Just remember, both online casinos and bookmakers need to make a profit, and that profit only comes from users like you betting on the wrong markets, so take your time and whatever decision you make, be prepared to expect a loss, but happily welcome any win!