Online casinos have been going strong since the turn of the century and with technology improving all the time, players have access to impressive gaming platforms. Game variety has increased massively, and from mobile gaming at a player’s convenience to live dealer streams that deliver a real casino experience, online casinos are packed with features.
The news from the casino world never slows down, as there are always plenty of pros and cons about sites, promotions and features to discuss. One of the major pros of online casinos is the convenience and accessibility of having a massive array of gambling options available without the need to leave the house.
However, there are always two sides to the picture, and online convenience brings the con of a lack of social interaction found in brick-and-mortar locations. Slow withdrawal times can also be a common negative at online casinos, but there are other strengths and weakness surrounding popular casino games.
Pros and cons of slots
Slots are the most popular area of online casinos that gamblers flock towards. The range of game mechanics is huge, from how bonus games are triggered, to the number of scatter symbols and paylines. Styles range from classic three-reel fruit machines to the staggering volume of payout lines in Megaways slots.
The pro is that there should be something for all players in an online casino portfolio. However, there is a lot of variance when it comes to the Return To Player (RTP) percentage. This is how much is paid out on average based on how much has gone into a slot. A 95% RTP means that for every $1 spent on the slot, an average of $0.95 will be paid out over time. Popular titles such as Monopoly Casino slots, offer diverse gaming experiences with varying RTPs, catering to different preferences and strategies among players.
Slot machines build big prize pots, storing up a cache of money and not every spin wins. Beating the house edge is difficult in a game of chance, and slot machines can drain a bankroll very quickly.
Poker
There’s a steep learning curve when it comes to poker, and being faced with on-the-fly decisions during a live dealer poker game is very different from practicing casually against a computer. Growing your poker knowledge and skills takes time and experience and it can be off-putting for new players.
While Texas Hold’em reigns supreme in terms of popularity, there are many other forms of the skilled card game played, such as Omaha and Stud. While the overwhelming popularity of Hold’em means that it’s easy to find tables, it’s a very crowded space.
Newcomers are likely to come up against better skilled players quite often and on the other side of that, Hold’em dominates so much of the space that it can be tricky to find good table environments for other variations.
Roulette
Roulette is a far more accessible online casino game than poker in terms of playability, which is a big upside. A player can join a live table and simply pick red or black, or even or odds as a very basic wager. Even the more advanced bets like columns and corners are not hard to pick up and the strategy is far less complex than poker. The house edge usually isn’t too bad on roulette at around 5% either. One of the main cons of the game is that there is no skill involved, as the game relies solely on chance.
Baccarat
The typical low house edge is a good pro for baccarat. The game itself, which is also known as punto banco, is an old casino game from Italy that has largely been popularized in Asia. At its core, it is a simple card game, which is a big positive. The players and the banker each get two cards, and the closest to the tally of nine wins. Bettors can either bet on the player’s hand, the banker’s hand or a tie, which typically pays out at 8-1 odds. In a way, it is a bit like sports betting on a 3-way NFL moneyline.
Blackjack
Right up there in popularity with poker is blackjack. On the surface, it looks like an easy enough card game — simply try to get as close to 21 as possible without going over and don’t get beaten by the dealer. The big confusion over blackjack that trips newcomers up is remembering all the scenarios of what to do and when with regards to strategy.
There are play percentage tables available to study for blackjack, such as what to do on a soft 17 and when to hit based on what the dealer’s up-card is. There’s also the relatively pointless insurance line that tempts bettors to put extra money into a hand. Despite all this, blackjack is a very approachable skilled card game.
The biggest con
The biggest pitfall of online casinos in general is nefarious, unregulated sites. Always stick with playing at regulated, reputable online casinos. All casino games have a range of pros and cons. The trick is to simply to find the most enjoyable games that appeal to your gaming preferences.
