Online vs. Offline Gambling - Which Is Better?
Depending on where you live in Canada, you may have multiple ways in which you can spend your gambling dollar. Both online and offline casinos have their pros and cons, and which is best for you might just depend on the type of player you are.
Designporn.ca has weighed the pros and cons of online vs. offline gambling in several different categories to help you decide which is best for you.
Convenience
Online - Perhaps the biggest draw to online casinos for most players is convenience. Not everyone has the luxury of living near a land casino, and even if you do you may not want to have to deal with driving, finding a place (and possibly paying) to park, or with obnoxious gamblers. As online casino technology gets better, so does the experience of gambling online from the comfort of your own home.
Offline - Gambling offline in live casinos can make for a fun night out with friends from time to time, sure. But if you are a serious gambler interested in winning money efficiently, going through the hassle of getting ready and driving to a casino whenever you want to play a few hands just doesn't make sense.
Advantage: Online
Game Selection
Online - This is really no contest. Regardless of if you fancy yourself as a slots or table game player, whatever your favorite unique game variation and betting limit is, an online casino somewhere is bound to have it. Another great advantage is that online casinos allow you to easily experiment with playing new types of games, and many even let you play for free to get the feel of things first. Many online casinos also offer the option of playing on mobile devices.
Offline - If you like anything beyond just the basic 'big' games (basic slots, blackjack, roulette) or happen to live near a major casino, you might have a tough time finding that favorite variation of your favorite game. And if you did want to expand your horizons and experiment with a new game, you have no options but to either watch other players first or risk losing your money fast while you figure things out as you go along.
Advantage: Online
Security
Online - While back in the day the security of your money and information with an online casino could be considered a legitimate concern, that is not the case in present day-Canada. As online gambling becomes more socially acceptable and federally regulated around the world, online casinos have too much at stake to offer anything less than the most stringent encryption security. If you choose an online casino that has a certificate of approval from eCOGRA or another online gambling quality-assurance company you should have nothing to worry about. Find out more in our guide to online gambling security.
Offline - Land casinos (hopefully) should offer great security in the form of guards, attentive pit bosses, and cameras, but those can only control the safety of you and your money so much. A quick Google News search of 'casino robbery' will reveal many recent results from around the world all-year-long. While the odds of this happening to you are unlikely, they seem to be better than something similar happening online.
Advantage: Online
Payment
Online - Depending on which payment method you choose, it can take hours up to a few days to receive your winnings from an online casino once you decide to check out. If you are using a payment method such as wire transfer or echeck, it can take even longer.
Offline - A big plus of brick and mortar casinos is the satisfaction of cashing in your chips right there in the casino. Walking out of the casino with a fat wad of cash in your pocket is a feeling that even online casinos haven't figured out how to replicate (yet).
Advantage: Offline
Bonuses
Online - This one is easy. It's standard for online casinos to offer sign-up bonuses, reload bonuses, all other sorts of deposit bonuses, as well as unique monthly promotions and rewards based on your activity level.
Offline - Some land casinos might have a VIP rewards program for their most active players, but other than that coming across bonuses (especially related to deposits) is a rarity.
Advantage: Online
Overall
Unless what you value most about gambling is the social aspect, or being able to receive your winnings instantly, gambling online is an obvious choice anyway you look at it. Check out our reviews of the top Canadian online casinos to find one that is a great fit for you.
