In India and, indeed, across the rest of the world, there has been massive growth in what is termed the iGaming industry. Broadly speaking, the iGaming industry covers activities like online casino, poker, bingo, lotteries, virtual games and sports betting – basically any form of digital gambling.
Casino and sports betting are undeniably the biggest draws, and that also shines through with the statistics, with both pillars of the industry representing a significant amount of the global revenue predicted to reach $652 billion by 2022.
But which of the two is better for players? Which is better entertainment? And, which gives the best chance of success? That’s a complicated question. And, the short answer might be neither; as, for most people, gambling will invariably lead to losing rather than winning money. Still, it’s incredibly popular, and a lot of people believe they can beat the house or the online bookie.
Below we compare and contrast online casino and sports betting, looking at five different areas to see if we can come up with an answer as to which is better:
Payout Potential
We do see sports betting stories making the news headlines due to massive payouts. Two that spring to mind are the time Leicester City won the Premier League with odds of 5,000/1 in 2016, and jockey Frankie Dettori’s seven consecutive Ascot winners in 1996. While both events awarded punters 1000s of times their stake, the fact they are remembered over the course of 25 years suggests how rare these events come around.
At online casinos, such odds are topped every day. Moreover, many of the progressive jackpot games that you can find here at www.casino.com/in/casino-games/ will often pay millions of times the initial stake. The world record prize online stands at over $20 million, equivalent to over 1.5 billion rupees. That prize was paid out by the Mega Moolah slot from Microgaming, but several others have come close in the past, and we expect the record to be beaten soon. Winner: Online Casinos
Excitement
This is another tough one to call, as it is almost wholly subjective. If, for example, you have a bet on your favourite IPL team, then you can appreciate that your fandom and any wagering would combine for extra excitement. Of course, there is a caveat; namely, the fact that it can be difficult to be objective when betting on a team or athlete for whom you have some affection. You might believe that the Chennai Super Kings will beat the Rajasthan Royals because you want them to do so, and that can be problematic for a betting strategy.
As for casino games, there is such a broad range of genres that there is inevitably going to be varying levels of excitement. For instance, the sudden strike of a big win on a slot machine is different from the grind of a blackjack session. Both are exciting for players who enjoy those games, but it’s not easy to determine which is more thrilling.
Winner: Tie
Fairness
This is an interesting one as the concept of being “fair” is perhaps misunderstood. In sports betting, there has been plenty of stereotyping of bookmakers down the years, portraying them as hardnosed and, at times, unscrupulous. Online, though, their image is much softer, and most people will agree that the odds are offered are a fair reflection of an event’s likelihood of occurring. Moreover, shopping around for different odds, and the competition among different bookmakers, means that generous prices can be found for popular sports events.
The good news for online casino fans is that we know that the games are fair when played at the site of a licensed operator. We know this because they will be rigorously tested to ensure that the payouts are as advertised. The games will have their RNGs (random number generators) continuously monitored, and the casino itself will have no control over the result of a game. Of course, being termed fair does not mean the casino’s advantage is eliminated.
Winner: Sports Betting (marginally)
Promotions
Almost anyone who bets online will be aware that it is possible to get some very good promotions. Free bets are notably desirable for punters, but there are also promotions like odds boosts and bet insurance that can help increase your winnings or mitigate any losses. But often you have to spend first to avail of these promotions, and things like price boosts (inflating the odds for a particular market) might draw you towards making a bet you might otherwise have avoided.
At the online casino, players tend to receive a lot more promotions on a regular basis. Things like free spins are welcome for sure, but there are also often boosts to deposits that give you a larger bankroll to play the games. Some bonuses are mired in terms and conditions, however, and it can lead to agitation when a player hasn’t fully understood those terms.
Winner: Online Casino
Strategy
Fans of either sports betting and casino games will claim that a strategy can be applied to, at the very least, increase your chances of winning overall. For sports betting, it’s almost always about statistics, and the evidence does point to the fact that you can have better success when using an analytical approach. Again, though, this does not mean that your success will be guaranteed – far from it.
As for online casino, the advent of live dealer games means that you can use strategy for playing games like blackjack, and succeed by doing it. Playing against software with games like slots is another story, and strategy does not really impact the outcome. Still, learning about the games and the rules can mean better choices when selecting games, so it’s wrong to say that no strategy should be applied.
Winner: Sports Betting
Conclusion
As we said at the beginning of this piece, the odds are against you with both sports betting and online casino. However, some people have become adept at winning and have even made careers out of it. Nevertheless, the perception of which is better really comes down to personal choice. And, we could argue until the end of days as to whether it’s easier to win a hand of blackjack compared to a football bet. The truth is that there is no right answer.
