Ladies and Gentlemen. In this corner, in gold trunks, weighing in at about 300 billion a year we have the heavy-weight champion of the gambling world … Las Vegas! And in the opposite corner, in the virtual trunks, weighing in at under 5 billion a year we have our contender, the World Wide Web! It’s our feature bout tonight, Ladies and Gentleman, an eight round contest.
Atmosphere:
Vegas. From the old-school feel of Ceasar’s Palace to the grandeur of the MGM, the kitchy canals at the Venetian to the get-stabbed-in-washroom feel of the seedier downtown spots. You name it, Vegas is the smorgasbord of atmosphere.
Web. Aside from the basic sound and graphics of the casino games — which, admittedly can be pretty good — the rest is up to you. Feel like redecorating?
Gaming experience:
Vegas. Great! If you’re a player who loves to watch your dealer or the other players, Vegas has your thing in spades. Hope you don’t mind cigarette smoke and spilled drinks though.
Web. You’re sitting at home so what you do and how you do it is your business. Use the strategy tables, count the cards, whatever. No one is going to say boo! And with the latest multi-player games we’re starting to get pretty close to that up-close-and-personal feeling online too.
Hang-ups and hassles:
Vegas. Lineups, spilled drinks, and no seats in the bar are about as bad as it gets. Until you head for the buffet that is and then it’s every punter for themselves.
Web. The casino is always open, no lineups, no hassles from the other folks at the table (generally speaking) and what happens at your “bar” is your business. Just be sure you follow the cash-out rules to the letter or payments can get seriously bogged down.
Entertainment value:
Vegas. Woo hoo! Glitz and glamor, some great food, beautiful Keluaran Sgppeople and awesome drop-in firing ranges. Vegas has got it all! Ever fired a Thompson? You should.
Web. Well the graphics on this latest release looks pretty good…
Payouts:
Vegas. Cashing out couldn’t be simpler: you walk over to the cash cage, wait for the nice lady to hand you a stack of bills and you head for the bar to celebrate. Voila!
Web. Cashing out online is a little different. If you request a check it’ll usually arrive in 1-4 weeks depending on the casino. Or a wire will make it through in a few days if you’re willing to pay the surcharge.
Odds:
Vegas. Good to bloody awful depending on your game, but things are fairly standardized and that makes it easy to research your game, know your odds and head out to play.
Web. Often better than Vegas, but Web games are not even close to being consistent between casinos. On the Web the smart player keeps a close watch on their game for rule and/or payout changes.
Registration:
Vegas. What registration? Maybe for the comps but that’s about it. Vegas is all about gambling anonymously.
Web. Registration is mandatory, no way around it. And to cash out you may have to fork over your driver’s licence, bank info, whatever. It’s no fun but that’s just the way it is online.
Perks:
Vegas. Free drinks are just the beginning. Comps for meals, rooms, entertainment and even travel can really make that trip to Vegas worthwhile. Be warned though: there’s a lot of other punters out there asking for the same goodies you are.
Web. The sign-up bonuses are as good as it gets, much better than Vegas. Some casinos reward their high-rollers through their VIP programs but it’s not very common.
