Sports Betting Vs. Online Casino Games
Both sports betting and casino games are gaining lots of ground in the United States. There are more sports bettors and casino gamblers in the country than we’ve ever seen, which is a testament to the growth and popularity of both industries over the years.
However, some Americans find it difficult to choose between sports betting and online casinos. Which of the two pays more, offers more life-changing opportunities, and is the more interesting to play? Let’s explore the key differences between these two forms of betting and their profitability.
How the odds work
Although the two types of betting have many striking similarities, they differ significantly in how players place wagers or calculate profits.
Online casino games have a “house edge,” or “casino edge,” which is the casino’s mathematical advantage over bettors in the long run. In other words, there is a long-term profit made on bets, which you shouldn’t be mad at, as the online casino is, first of all, a business before an entertainment platform.
Every online casino is designed to win more than its players to make enough profit and stay afloat. Without these profits, the casino would end up bankrupt and out of business.
Of course, the house edge doesn’t mean players can’t win on their bets or earn substantial rewards. It only ensures that this doesn’t happen all the time. So, for the most part, online casino games are chance-based. The higher the house edge, the lower your chances of winning.
Sportsbooks, however, take a different approach to calculating odds on wagers. Oddsmakers set odds based on the probability of an event occurring in the game. Provision is made for unpredictable events like a team winning a game or a player scoring a point. Also, if the match ends in a draw or a boxer wins by a unanimous decision.
Of course, sportsbooks are also business-oriented in handing out wins. They keep a percentage of all betting proceeds from the losing side of a bet.
While online casinos need some element of luck to win, in sports betting, you require strategy and knowledge of the game you want to bet on. Therefore, making informed decisions before placing enough wagers is crucial for a great shot at earning huge rewards. However, it’s also important to note that neither online casino games nor sports betting can guarantee you wins 100% of the time.
Playing Time
Both forms of betting are also different when it comes to their availability. You can only earn rewards after the game you bet on has been played or after the season is over (if you bet on a team or player winning the title). The availability of betting options is based on luck, and as a result, sports betting is limited in this regard.
On the other hand, online casino games are available 24/7, and you can play as many games as you desire. So whether you’re waking up from a good night’s sleep or feeling bored at work, you can always pick up on where you left off in your online live casino game or play its traditional variant.
This means more opportunities to bet and win on online casinos than on Sportsbooks. Plus, the outcome of every betting session is immediately available for your analysis, unlike sports betting, where you have to wait till the end of the game.
Fortunately, some Sportsbooks allow Americans to stake on sports that are not so popular in the States. This gives players the opportunity to bet and win during the NFL, NBA, MLS, NHL, and MLB off-season. Also, tennis is played all year round, so bettors can continue to place bets as often as they can. Yet, the availability of sports betting still pales compared to online casino games.
Betting options
It’s difficult to say which offers more betting options. Online casino games, especially slots, come in many varieties that you can swap anytime. There’s hardly such a thing as getting bored playing at online casinos, as there are just too many games available to play!
You can switch seamlessly from a wide variety of table games, like blackjack, baccarat, craps, and roulette, to machine games like slots. Not to mention scratch games and lotteries.
The same can be said about sports betting too. There are many sports to bet on, each with unique betting options. If you’re tired of betting on the NFL (which is hard to think of), you can place bets on team sports like soccer, basketball, hockey, and baseball, contact sports like boxing and mixed martial arts, individual sports like tennis, swimming, track and field events, or gymnastics.
You can also place over/under bets, point spreads, props, and live bets on almost every sports game.
Strategy
Sports betting requires strategy. You need to know the sport you’re playing and stay up-to-date with the latest news, reports, and player or team forms to stand a good chance of winning. Unless, of course, you happen to be the man with all the luck in the world.
If you’re not so into sports but want to place wagers, we recommend starting with less complicated sports, like tennis or racing. Team sports like football, baseball, basketball, or soccer require more strategy, and you’ll need to know the rules and scope of these sports to increase your winning odds.
In contrast, most online casino games are chance-based, which means you don’t need to know and learn much before placing a bet. For example, slots require you to simply place your wager on a symbol or sets of symbols on the payline, spin the wheels, and hope it’s your lucky day. However, there are also a few casino games, like blackjack and poker, that require you to understand its rules and learn a few strategies to stand a shot at earning rewards.
Overall, sports betting is the more strategic of the two.
Thrill and Excitement
It depends on what side of the coin you’re on. If you detest the idea of strategy in gambling, then you won’t find sports betting exciting. But if you love to do lots of research and analysis, you’ll definitely find sports betting interesting. In other words, sports nerds are more likely to find sports betting thrilling than regular recreational gamblers.
For some bettors, gambling goes beyond earning huge rewards. These players prioritize entertainment as much as winning and will find casino games more interesting than sports betting. As you’d expect, online casinos work overtime to ensure that recreational gamblers get the fun experience they crave by churning out thrilling features, like motion graphics, quality soundtracks, movie themes, chatrooms, and many more.
Which Is Easier to Start?
Both forms of gambling are pretty easy to start. Placing wagers has become relatively easy today, thanks to modern digitization. You can bet on your favorite sport or play a casino game from your mobile phone so long as there’s an internet connection.
All you need to do is log on to a sportsbook or casino online, set up an account, make a deposit, claim freebies (if any), and start betting.
Setting up an account is quick and straightforward. In fact, the process doesn’t take more than 20 minutes to complete. You’ll simply be required to fill in your details, like name, phone number, and contact information, and select a payment option.
Disclaimer: Only sign up to reputable online casinos and sportsbooks that are already licensed to operate in your location, like FanDuel.
Summary
Your choice depends on the type of bettor you are and what you seek to achieve from gambling. Are you willing to wait to learn some rules and strategies, or are you riding the ‘just-for-fun’ wave?
If you don’t know which of the two betting forms you prefer, you can try your hands at both. You just might end up becoming a fan of both.
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