Since their inception in 17th century Venice, casinos have swept across the world, taking on various shapes and sizes. Although popular gambling games like blackjack existed well before the oldest casino worldwide opened in 1638, these establishments provided the perfect foundation for casino entertainment to take off. Nowadays, places like Las Vegas or Macau are known for vast and extraordinarily decadent real-life casinos, but these gambling establishments aren’t available everywhere.
In fact, there are more countries in the world that don’t allow for physical real-life casinos than those that do, and so for players, online casinos are the only way to get our gambling fix. Not that this is much of a problem, as the quality of online casino games these days is incredible. Regardless of whether you are playing at a real-life casino or online, there are things you need to know about how the experience differs around the world. Keep reading for a lowdown!
Legal Brick & Mortar Casinos
Legal real-life casinos are widely available worldwide nowadays, but this wasn’t always the case. Indeed, before the 20th century, legal casinos were consigned to a handful of countries. Even here, disputes involving affluent casino-owning families like the Blancs in the 1800s often resulted in the authorities clamping down on legal casino gambling. As a result, the prevalence of casinos older than the mid-1900s is very low.
By and large, gambling laws have relaxed a lot more over the past several decades, which has resulted in far more brick-and-mortar casinos springing up globally. These places are similar wherever you are, although it’s always critical to do your research and make sure you’re playing at a safe and genuine establishment. There are still numerous countries where legal real-life casinos aren’t permitted, and in these places, players must look for other alternatives.
Gambling in Less Open Countries
Fortunately, gambling in less open countries doesn’t have to be much harder than in places where brick-and-mortar casinos are widespread. Although you won’t be able to experience the glitz and glamor of traditional casinos, there are far more ways to play games like slots and table games.
For example, traditional real-life gambling in the Middle East can be tricky as the authorities generally frown upon it. Countries like Saudi Arabia don’t have any traditional land-based casinos, but online gambling is possible with an array of online casino platforms available. Players in the Middle East can enjoy everything from online slots to live casino options at the best online casinos in Saudi Arabia. On top of the wide variety of online games available, these popular casino sites also offer a fantastic array of lucrative bonus promotions and deposit options. Alternatively, Middle Eastern countries like Egypt have a handful of brick-and-mortar casinos open to tourists, but not to residents.
Tips to Win at Online Casinos
Whether you end up gambling at online casinos or brick-and-mortar establishments, you’re going to need some tips to win more than you lose. Gambling is ultimately all down to chance, but there are numerous strategies you can employ to keep your odds of winning as high as possible. Here are a few of the most important to remember:
- Choose high RTP slots: RTP stands for Return To Player, a percentage value given to slots that indicates the odds of winning. 96% RTP is generally seen as the average, which means you’ll win £96 on average from every £100 spent. Try and play games with at least 97% RTP to increase your chances of winning.
- Stay away from American roulette: Due to the extra zero pocket on an American roulette wheel, the house edge is twice that of a European roulette wheel. As a result, most gambling professionals stay away from the American version of the game where they can. The key to gambling success is keeping the house edge down, so you can see why.
- Establish a clear betting strategy: A huge part of successful online casino playing revolves around taking care of your bankroll, and having a clear betting strategy is the easiest way to achieve this. Although it takes extensive research and revision, using probability in games like blackjack through statistical analysis to calculate your next move is a great way to swing the house edge as far in your favor as possible.
There are far more methods to increase your online casino success, such as strategic online baccarat tips, so we always recommend doing your own research as well.