Online casino gaming’s popularity is on the rise. Since the first online casino businesses began to appear in the 90s, they’ve experienced steady growth, and while they haven’t quite overtaken their physical counterparts completely, the writing is certainly on the wall. As you might expect, online casino gaming’s popularity surged massively last year, likely owing to many people finding themselves housebound and in need of a new hobby to help take their minds off current events.
In many places around the world, the pandemic shows signs of receding, but in others, it’s accelerating, making the global situation uncertain. With that in mind, we think that online casino gaming will continue to be an excellent hobby to pursue for the rest of 2021. Whether you’re looking at an online South African casino, a UK-based operation, or a US gambling platform, you can’t go wrong with casino gaming. Here are 8 reasons why online casino gaming is the perfect hobby for 2021.
1. It’s always available
Currently, in many places around the world, it’s possible to visit friends and family, as well as to go shopping. Physical casinos are also open in many places, but this could change on a whim, as the pandemic is unpredictable. Online casino gaming, however, is unfettered by these restrictions and can continue even in the harshest lockdown conditions. No matter when you want to fire up your favourite casino games, you’ll always be able to do so if you’re playing online.
2. It’s convenient
When you want to travel to a casino, you’ll likely either have to drive or take public transport, both of which incur costs or risks you may be unwilling to accept. However, when you play a casino online, you don’t need to worry about that. You can play roulette, blackjack, and other favourites without leaving the comfort of your living room. Simply reach for your tablet, your laptop, or any other internet-enabled device, and you can be rolling dice with the pros in seconds.
3. The choice is huge
Physical casinos are, by definition, constrained by what they’re able to fit in the premises. You may not find more obscure or lesser-known casino games at physical casinos, simply because they want to cater to as broad an audience as possible. This is another downside that simply doesn’t exist at online casinos. If you want to check out some of the more esoteric casino offerings, you’ll almost certainly be able to find them online if you spend a little time looking, see Betcrazy for suggestions.
4. Security is excellent
In recent years, online casinos have stepped up their security protocols in response to unfair perceptions that they’re unscrupulous or shady. This means that on the most prominent and reputable online casino platforms, your money and your credentials are as safe as they can possibly be. When you win big at a physical casino, there’s always the risk of being accosted when leaving the premises, but this risk is nonexistent when you’re playing online.
5. You can play wherever you are
Some countries around the world have somewhat restrictive gambling laws. Usually, these laws mean that operators are forbidden from starting casino businesses in those territories, but they don’t prohibit citizens from engaging in gambling activity. This is where online casinos shine, because if you want to play a casino game and there aren’t any options in your native country, you can simply seek out an overseas platform and play there instead.
6. There are lots of withdrawal options
Very often, physical casinos will only let you withdraw your winnings in local currency. This doesn’t happen with online casinos. If you want your winnings paid to a PayPal account, for example, most online casinos will be happy to accommodate this wish. Some platforms are even starting to deal in cryptocurrency, so if you’re at the forefront of that particular technological innovation, you’re well-served by the online casino industry.
7. The social element is strong
Most online casino platforms have social tools that allow you to chat with other players. This means that if you want to enjoy a casino game alongside your friends, you can, and if you want to use casino gaming as a means to meet new people, this is possible as well. You’ll often find that online casino gaming is a decidedly more social experience than its physical counterpart. If you’re playing poker, for example, you don’t need to watch for opponent tells, so the game is altogether much friendlier than it might otherwise be.
8. Stopping is easier
While online casinos do, of course, want to retain your business, you always have control over whether or not you stop. Leaving a physical casino might be harder if you want to stop gambling because the staff can sometimes be insistent that you stay and keep handing over your cash. On an online platform, however, you simply need to close your browser window and you’re done. Of course, it’s not always as simple as that, but in principle, it’s much easier to stop when you’re simply casino gaming through a browser window.
These are our reasons why we think online casino gaming will be the perfect hobby for the rest of 2021 (and even into 2022 and beyond!). What do you think? Are you thinking of taking up online casino gaming? What’s your favourite casino game?