Online vs Land Based Casinos: Which are Better?
9 Mar 24Chloe
Finding the Best Place to Gamble
There are hundreds of online casinos for players in the UK to choose from, each boasting their own special features or perks that promise to give you an experience you won't forget.
This ranges from some casinos offering the lowest minimum deposits to others offering the largest selection of live casino games compared to their competitors, but every casino has some selling point.
However, as a gambler, you have another decision to make – do you actually want to gamble online?
Online casinos haven't eradicated land-based casinos, which means these brick-and-mortar options still exist, promising you yet another unique experience.
So how do you decide whether an online or a land based casino is the better choice for you?
Let's compare the two, looking at ten of the most important factors.
Top Online Casinos
18+. Opt in. Selected UK/IRE players only. Not available in conjunction with other welcome offers. Min. cash wagering of £/€10 (cumulative). 48 hrs to wager, 24 hrs to play, 168 hrs to play with Bonus (BNS). Max. redeemable £/€500 from BNS. 40x wagering on BNS. Cash balance used until bonus wagering req. complete. Once per player. Game, game weighting, player restrictions apply. Expiry date applies. Account, payment restrictions & T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org.
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18+. New Players Only. £10 minimum deposit. 100% up to a maximum of £200. The welcome offer can be activated only once. 30 calendar days to activate. 35x wagering. 60 calendar days from activation to complete wagering. The 100% bonus up to £200 will be paid out in 10% increments to your Main Account balance. Bonus balance is not payable. Any remaining bonus balance will be forfeited upon withdrawal. T&Cs Apply. BeGambleAware.org
Payouts
We'll start with the big one – payouts.
There are a number of important aspects that make up an online casino, but payouts are the one that players often care about most.
On this front, online casinos come out ahead.
The RTP (Return to Player) of slots and casino games will always be equal to or higher at an online casino than it will be in a brick and mortar casino.
If you want the best possible chance of winning, you need to choose the game with the highest payouts, which means choosing an online casino – where slots are available with RTP values up to 99%.
Scores so far:
- Online Casinos – 1
- Land Based Casinos – 0
Convenience
When it comes to convenience, an online casino is unmatched.
Thanks to the rise of the internet and smartphones, more or less everyone has the ability to access an online casino anywhere, anytime.
This means that you can enjoy your favourite slots on your morning commute, while you wait for your friend in a coffee shop at the weekend, or on the sofa under a blanket on a cold winters night when you otherwise wouldn't want to go out.
Conversely, a land based casino offers an exciting experience, but it does involve getting ready, leaving the house, travelling to the casino and travelling back home, which makes it much less convenient.
This isn't even considering that you may not have a brick-and-mortar casino in your area, so you may have to travel quite a distance, and even then you may only have access to one or two.
Scores so far:
- Online Casinos – 2
- Land Based Casinos – 0
Online Casinos Offers Players Convenience – Like Playing Their Favourite Games in Their Local Coffee Shop
Winning Potential
When we talk about winning potential, we mostly talk about the times bet value that players can win.
If we were to discuss simply the cash we could win, a land based casino may be discussed more, since they offer higher limits on table game bets.
Just looking at the times bet value, an online casino comes out ahead.
Online casinos offer lucrative progressive jackpots much like many brick-and-mortar casinos do, but they also offer slots with incredible winning potential that often exceeds 100,000 times your stake, and can even climb as high as 300,000 times your bet.
Scores so far:
- Online Casinos – 3
- Land Based Casinos – 0
Social Interaction
It's time for land based casinos to get on the board – they definitely win on social interaction.
Don't get us wrong, online casinos are starting to pay more attention to the social aspects of gambling through features like live chats with other players, live dealer interaction and competitions, tournament and leaderboards.
However at its core gambling on an online casino is a solitary activity, where it's just you and your device.
Streamers like us bridge this gap a little, and you can watch the Hideous Slots YouTube channel where we play slots and have fun multiple times per week, but you'll definitely get more social interaction at a brick-and-mortar casino.
Scores so far:
- Online Casinos – 3
- Land Based Casinos – 1
Budgeting
Budgeting is one of the more difficult categories to compare.
On the one hand, online casinos offer a variety of responsible gambling tools, allowing users to set deposit limits, spend limits, time limits and even take breaks and impose self exclusions.
On the other, it's been proven by numerous studies that we're less likely to spend as much if we use actual cash, which we do in a land-based casino.
Additionally, the lack of convenience means players will be in a land-based casino less, but this could also mean that when they do travel there, they're setting aside larger sums of money to make it worth the trip; whereas a player can deposit minimal amounts at an online casino without a larger commitment.
On this front, it's a tie.
Scores so far:
- Online Casinos – 4
- Land Based Casinos – 2
Both Online and Land Based Casinos Will Offer a Variety of Slots and Table Games
Game Variety
Players expectations are growing every year, which means we want more and more when it comes to our online gambling, particularly the variety of games.
At an online casino, players get more variety than they know what to do with – immersive storylines on online slots, sequels to their favourite releases, new mechanics and features that aren't available in a brick-and-mortar casino, and even special games that feel somewhere between a slot and a video game.
Alongside this, players get a variety of table games, live casino games and live casino game shows that replicate our favourite television games shows. Many casinos even offer sports betting.
Land based casinos certainly offer their variety – players can enjoy slots and the most popular table games in these casinos, which tempted us to score this one as a draw, but unfortunately although they compare in the variety of game type, they don't compare in the variety within each category.
The features and storylines available in a land based casino won't compare to an online casino slot selection, which is why online slots win this round.
Scores so far:
- Online Casinos – 5
- Land Based Casinos – 2
Atmosphere
Another easy win for the land based casino is atmosphere, particular when we consider land based casinos outside of the UK.
You might not feel this is as important, but the atmosphere of where you choose to gamble contributes heavily to your mood, which we know can impact the risks we're willing to take and how we gamble.
The social aspect of an online casino, along with the glitz and glamour you experience when you're there mean that you get wrapped up into this world, feeling like a form of escape for a few hours.
This is particularly important as gambling is a source of entertainment, which means we should be having fun.
Alternatively, at an online casino there isn't really any tangible experience, and if you've spent time alone playing on your mobile device you may not get the enjoyment you wanted, win or lose.
Scores so far:
- Online Casinos – 5
- Land Based Casinos – 3
Land Based Casinos, Particularly Those Outside of the UK, Will Offer an Atmosphere That an Online Casino Cannot Match
Fairness, Security and Safety
No matter where you spend your money, you want to be sure you're spending it somewhere that you're getting the best value for money.
When it comes to gambling, this means only betting or playing at locations you know are fair, safe and secure.
Thankfully, it's a draw on this one – otherwise it would be very bad news for players everywhere.
Both land based casinos and online casinos are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, and they are also audited by independent third parties like eCOGRA; so you know all of the games you're playing are fair and pay out as they should.
You also know your payments are handled in a safe way, and any details you provide are stored securely.
Scores so far:
- Online Casinos – 6
- Land Based Casinos – 4
Bonuses and Promotions
One of the best ways to get value for money is through bonuses and promotions; like how you get your tenth cup of coffee free at many coffee shops.
Online casinos offer the same kind of rewards, like giving brand new players bonus money or free spins on online slots, or offering ongoing perks and rewards like cashback and reload bonuses.
You'll see some perks at a land based casino, but these won't compare to the rewards available at an online casino – especially when you consider that you can only visit a finite number of land based casinos, with many quite a far distance from your home, whereas you can join as many online casinos as you like and reap each of their rewards.
For this reason, online casinos win on the bonuses and promotions front.
Scores so far:
- Online Casinos – 7
- Land Based Casinos – 4
Payment Options
We're rounding things off with payment options, in which online casinos come out ahead.
At a brick-and-mortar casino, you generally will have to withdraw cash to use, and then you'll be given a ticket to cash in at the end of your visit.
This can cause unnecessary hassle, with many players preferring the plethora of options they receive at an online casino.
When gambling online, players can use debit cards, e-wallets like PayPal or Skrill, bank transfer, or even Paysafecard, which allows players to buy vouchers for use online.
It might be a small thing, but having these payment methods available makes it easier to budget and track your transactions, so you can keep on top of your gambling.
Scores so far:
- Online Casinos – 8
- Land Based Casinos – 4
Online Casinos Offer a Greater Selection of Payment Methods Than a Land Based Casino Does
Online Casinos in the UK
There you have it – in our expert opinion, online casinos edge land based casinos out on a number of these factors, giving us a final score of 8-4.
We might seem biased, given that we are an online casino comparison site, but we wouldn't review and recommend the latest online casinos and slots if we didn't think they were a great source of entertainment.
Ultimately, it's up to each player whether they join an online casino or continue to visit their local brick-and-mortar casino, or arcades and bingo halls.
We feel an online casino gives a more convenient experience that offers better value for money through higher payouts and more game choices, but if you're happy with the experience you get currently, who are we to argue?
If you're tempted to join an online casino we have hundreds of casino reviews covering each of the factors above and telling you everything you need to know about the casino in question.
If you do sign up to one of our recommended casinos, please play responsibly.
