Online vs Land-Based Roulette: Key Differences

Differences between online Roulette and land-based Roulette.

These days millions of Roulette fans around the world have plenty of opportunities to enjoy their favorite casino game. They can either head to a local casino, take a trip to Las Vegas or another popular gambling destination, or alternatively play a virtual game at one of hundreds of gaming websites accepting players from their country of residence. Each of these options has its own benefits and drawbacks, and eventually it all comes down to an individual’s personal preference.

Benefits of Land-Based Roulette

The feeling of walking into a land-based casino is, so far, impossible to faithfully replicate online (though some game developers have done great work in trying to do so). The buzz, the crowd, opportunity to socialize while playing, the shared anticipation as the wheel slows down and ball comes to a stop… For some players this is an integral part of the Roulette experience and they’d enjoy the game far less sitting in front of a computer screen instead.

A visit to a land-based casino can also be a great learning opportunity. One can stroll around and spend time next to different tables, observing a number of gamers and learn from the way they play – either how to do it, or how not to. You don’t necessarily need to take a seat and invest money in order to increase your knowledge base and gain insight. At an online casino, you’ll be exposed to other players’ gameplay only if participating in a live dealer game – which, as you know, can normally only be done with real cash.

If you’re a high-rolling Roulette player, you might be favoring land-based casinos because they generally offer higher betting limits, the kind an online casino will find difficult to match. This is largely due to casino insurance. What it means is that a casino has to make sure they can pay the winnings without going broke. A physical casino is able to limit the number of players at any point simply by having a limited number of seats, and therefore they can easily manage potential large payouts resulting from high bets. A gaming site could theoretically receive dozens, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of high-rollers simultaneously, many of which could, again theoretically, get extremely lucky and demand huge amounts to be paid out at the same time. You may or may not know, but their operating licenses stipulate that “a licensee is obligated to have adequate financing available to pay all current and estimated obligations at all times”, and failing to do so would cost them their license.

Benefits of Online Roulette

Online Roulette has quite a few benefits of its own – convenience, for one. You can play literary whenever you want, no matter what time day or night. There’s no need to dress up, fix your hair and make-up. Once you arrive, you know there will be a table you can play at, which is by no means guaranteed in a brick-and-mortar establishment. There are no additional costs such as those related to travelling to a land-based venue, and potentially paying for accommodation, meals, etc.

Online gaming world offers far more choice, both in terms of game variations and in betting limits. You may have noticed that, while both physical and virtual casinos offer the same game with different table limits, minimum limits are as a rule higher in land-based venues.  There are a few reasons for this, the main one being fixed costs. Physical casinos, unlike gaming sites, need to finance a location, meaning they’ll have to pay rent or purchase the land and the building, fix it up and populate with tables and other equipment. They’ll have to employ dealers and croupier, waiters and cleaners, paying wages for a number of people an online casino can live without. In short, brick-and-mortar venues have far higher fixed costs which need to be financed from the profits they generate.

Talking about money: you don’t actually need any in order to play at an online casino. Majority of them offer play-for-fun option which may not earn you cash, but will allow you to enjoy a game of Roulette even if you’re broke. Try doing that in a physical casino and you’ll probably get asked to leave in no time.

Playing on a computer usually means one can play at a pace they’re comfortable with. You won’t have limited time to decide how much to stake and which area of the table to bet on. If you’re new to the game, you can pause and search through numerous resources available on the internet to find advice and guidance.

Another important benefit of online casinos is their accessibility via mobile devices. “Whenever and wherever” has become more true than ever since casino games first became available on smartphones and tablets. Taking a long ride home, while not behind the wheel of a car? Feel free to stand next to a wheel of a Roulette table! Waiting for an appointment at the dentist’s? Calm your nerves by placing a few bets on Red or Black, Odd or Even!

The fact that playing at home gives you a chance to get rid of all distractions is yet another benefit of online gaming. Your environment is completely under your control, and having muted the TV and the phone, one can fully focus on their gameplay.