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Why and how the land-based casinos are slowly disappearing in the 21st century.
Gambling is just as old as humanity itself, it's in our nature to play and to take risks. We're not here to analyze, how this is an inevitable part of evolution, so let's just skip a few hundred thousand years!
In the 19th-century gambling establishments, where "pleasurable activities took place" started to get around and casinos quickly became the most important places for the elites to socialize.
The 20th century saw casinos getting bigger and bigger, and global gambling hubs like Las Vegas or Macau [3] were created. It's safe to say the last fifty years saw more people gambling than ever before in history.
Casino in the 19th century
However, the 21st century brought us an even more subtle option, online casinos. Thanks to the development of technology, it's now easier than ever to avoid all the disadvantages and inconveniences, you have to face when gambling in a live environment.
If you don't want to leave your room, if you prefer enjoying the thrill of blackjack or roulette from the comfort of your home, you're free to do so, as you only need an internet connection and a device to gamble it up in an online casino.
Unlike the big land-based institutions, when playing online you don't have to struggle with —sometimes not so friendly — fellow gamblers next to you at your tables, you don't have to dress up or travel long.
Even though you can find a wide variety of games in live casinos [4], with the likes of roulette, slots, blackjack, baccarat or poker, online casinos offer drastically more options and much more exciting games. They change their slots offerings and promotions regularly, which is much more complicated for their land-based competitors.
Contrary to popular belief it's easy to realize, how online gambling is much safer than playing live. You cannot get robbed in the parking lot if you hit the jackpot online!
However, it's important to pick your online gambling site carefully and only play at casinos, with licenses issued by a gambling commission.
It's easy to detect whether an online casino is safe. You simply need to do some Google-research and see what others' experiences are like with a certain operator.
There are plenty to choose from, so if you just start out, you should stick to the biggest and most recognized operators. Some sites have more than 20 years of experience, belong to large public companies, and are listed on the London Stock Exchange or similar, which is clearly a good sign.
All online casinos like offer countless casino games, slot races or even live games, where you can interact with the dealers and see how they spin the wheel or deal with the cards.
Make sure to check out for hot promotions like welcome bonuses, free spins, so you can taste the tables before making any deposit. Don’t forget to visit jackpots games, if you're lucky you can book a live-changing score even if you only have a few minutes to play.
That's another pro for playing online. Sites like 888 online casino [5] allow you to gamble while taking a coffee at work [6], taking a five-minute break or even on the way of the office.
Most online casinos are available from smartphones or tablets as well, meaning unlimited access to their games.
While you usually have to carry a large amount of cash in live casinos —which can be dangerous and risky —, you can always store your money in your online casino accounts.
Online casinos offer lots of deposits and withdrawal methods, with the likes of Visa and Master Card debit- and credit-cards, ecoPayz, NETELLER, MuchBetter, PayPal, Skrill, Apple Pay [7] or PaySafeCard amongst others.
The payments are fast and safe, you can play minutes after you make a deposit, while the withdrawals typically also arrive in a day.
Now that you've found the best place to gamble, there is only one more important note, but it's also the most important: thing while gambling is to only risk an amount, which you can afford to lose and enjoy the ride! Good luck gamblers!