the subject is raised.

Online gambling (in my opinion) is a better financial proposition for

most gamblers than land based casino gambling.

My reasons for making this claim for online gambling are -

· online casinos have substantially higher payout percentages

than land based casinos (usually about 8% or slightly more) with the

margin for slot machine players providing the greatest difference
· When gambling online, skilled poker and blackjack players can

play at multiple tables simultaneously thus allowing them to play many

more hands per hour than what they can play in a land based casino thus

increasing their average winning rate per hour
· for skilled blackjack players using a basic strategy, it is a

way to avoid or at least limit the unwanted attention one usually

receives when identified as a highly skilled player in land based

casinos. One prominent investigation company provides services to

casinos to assist them to identify known card counters.
· the ability to play when you choose and for as long or as short

a time as you choose in the comfort of your own home
· the skilled player is not restricted to only playing at busy

times to reduce the risk of gaining unwanted attention as often happens

in land based casinos
· no expenses are incurred in getting to or from the casino
· when gambling online, no time is wasted traveling to or from a

casino
· no time is spent getting dressed to go out
· you do not run the risk of being mugged for your winnings on

your way home
· the online player has the ability to play regularly at many

different and geographically dispersed online casinos - doing the same

at land based casinos would incur major travel expenses and for most of

us, time and budget constraints would make this an impossible dream.

This also allows the skilled player to keep a lower profile by having

accounts at multiple casinos and playing only a limited number of times

per month at each casino
· almost all online casinos give players the option to register

and play for free so that they can familiarize themselves with the

software and hone their gaming skills before they start playing for

real. When they feel comfortable with the software, they can, if they

choose, make a deposit and play for real
· some online casinos will give you ten dollars and a few will

give you up to twenty dollars so you can play for real without making

an initial deposit . There are published accounts of people who have

won very substantial amounts of money with their free ten dollars.
· A few online casinos offer bets as low as one cent. This allows

novices to play for real and learn to play the games properly without

risking any serious amount of money. At times when play money is short,

one can while away a few hours for the outlay of a small amount of

money, even when Lady Luck is frowning upon you! It also allows the

experienced player to test new gaming strategies without risking

serious money - no land based casino can afford to offer such low bets

because of their higher overheads
· Large new player cash bonuses (for registering as a new player

at an online casino) on first deposits, gives the player a substantial

advantage over the casino when playing with their combined initial

deposit and cash bonus.
· both multi player poker and online bingo players have access to

live chat which provides a social atmosphere which at times also

prevails in land based casinos

Of course you cannot order a meal or a drink at an online casino but

adding up all the pluses makes a pretty compelling argument in favor of

the online casino for most occasions.

On those occasions when you wish to dress up and go out with friends

for a nice meal and a few drinks in a pleasant social atmosphere, the

land based casino wins hands down. On those occasions if you plan to

have more than just a couple of drinks with your meal, don't gamble or

it may turn out to be a very expensive meal.

Enjoy!