At the moment, the global statistics regarding the use of mobile devices in online gambling are surprisingly high. For example, in the UK, around 58% of all online gambling is done via mobile devices, so the likelihood that you’re going to encounter your favorite online casino on your mobile phone is a pretty sure-fire bet. That being said, it’s important to know that there are mainly two types of casino experiences that you’re going to encounter when shopping around for your ideal online casino. We’re referring to real money and social casinos specifically.
Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to tell the difference between these two forms of casino, and you’ll be able to figure out the pros and cons of each with relative ease.
Social Casinos
Let’s start with social casinos as it’s definitely a unique term that could require some explaining. A social casino is basically a casino where you do not have to spend real money to enjoy any of the games available. These casinos tend to work by utilizing a form of ‘in-game’ credit that the users can enjoy without any cost whatsoever.
In most cases, the casino provides this option for users to get an understanding of how the games work and what the user experience is like when engaging with the casino. It’s basically a free trial that allows you to have fun without any risk.
A lot of casinos tend to do this as a form of marketing and to help build trust with their users. This is especially true for newcomers who simply want to get a feel for how the casino works and how their games are balanced.
While the idea of a social casino might sound silly to a serious, money-spending player, in truth they’re an effective way to get a ‘lay of the land’ for each casino, how they work, and more specifically how the games themselves work. While a seasoned pro might not feel it’s necessary to waste time playing games without the benefit of being able to potentially win real cash, beginners will find this feature particularly helpful. Ultimately, there’s no risk, so there’s nothing to lose. No harm in that.
Real Money Casinos
This one is clearly a little more self-explanatory. As the name implies, real money casinos like those featured on a list of websites at sportslens.com/th utilize real funds in order to play the various games hosted on the platform. In most cases, the casino will require you to deposit cash through a number of different payment mechanisms in order to reflect the deposited amount in your online account. Popular examples of this are:
- Debit card transaction(s)
- Credit card transaction(s)
- Neteller
- Skrill
- PayPal
- Mobile banking transaction(s)
- Cryptocurrency
It’s important to remember that most casinos have a variety of different rules and regulations, and it’s important to read the T&Cs before making any deposits.
In some cases, online casinos will have minimum deposit amounts, stipulating the smallest amount that you are allowed to credit your account with. Alternatively, some online casinos also utilize a minimum withdrawal amount – meaning you can only take out money from a certain amount upwards.
That’s why it’s vital to set yourself a realistic budget before playing. In other words, if the minimum withdrawal limit is $20 (which is often the average for most online casinos) and you invest $20, spend $2 and then change your mind about the casino and hope to withdraw the rest of your money – you’ll be out of luck and the withdrawal amount ($18 in this case) will not be credited back to your bank account or e-wallet.
So it’s important to make sure that you’re ready to invest the amount that you are and in general we’d advise that you invest well over the minimum withdrawal amount. This way, you can always withdraw all of your funds if you change your mind after a few spins.
Real money casinos also often offer the option to bet on your favorite football teams, golf players, or other real-world sporting events. Social casinos tend to be about the casino games only.
Different Locations, Different Legislations
So, it’s important to note that different countries and states have different rules regarding online gambling on any platform. For instance, in Europe, the EU provides the most protection for the customers of online casinos. They hold online casinos to very high standards and scrutinize every detail of their business to ensure that they meet regulations regarding their operations.
Surprisingly, the USA is even stricter when it comes to online gambling, with states like Florida and California outright banning the platforms entirely. However, the rest of the country takes a slightly more liberal stance with regard to online gambling and has made amendments to laws at the state and federal level to allow certain forms of online gambling to take place without any real issue.
Asian countries provide a lot of protection to customers of online casinos as well. They hold online casinos accountable for every transaction made in their business and ensure that customers are guaranteed fair play. In countries like Korea, residents are largely banned from entering casinos, and they’re only made available to tourists.
In general, social casinos are regulated much less than real money casinos, as these platforms don’t require a licence to operate. In many cases, social casinos are a easier to access in most regions than real money casinos.
Conclusion
Social casinos are a good way to get some practice in the world of online casinos. They’re risk-free and offer just as much fun as the real games, without affecting your pocket at all. Real money casinos are the ‘real McCoy’ when it comes to online gambling. The wins and excitement are very real, but so is the risk of losing your stake. When it comes to something as serious as gambling, remember that there’s no shame in trying out a few practice rounds first.