Betting is a fun form of entertainment for millions of people around the world. This multi-billion industry has surpassed many other leisure industries such as music and cinema in size already some years ago and the growth does not seem to stop.
Maximizing Online Gambling: Higher Payouts, Better Odds
Such big booming business means that there are many companies fighting to get a piece of the pie. With fierce competition your position as the customer becomes stronger and stronger. Especially when we are looking at online gambling where the competitor is just a mouse click away casinos and bookmakers do everything they can to get and to keep you as a customer. So how can we take advantage of this?
First of all let’s point out that online gambling already has the largest benefit built into its core: higher payouts and better chances of winning. The reason behind this is that it is a lot cheaper to operate an online business than an offline business. If you create a new slot machine for example, both graphics and game mechanics have to be designed anyway, but as soon as the slot is ready, building a second physical one is a lot more expensive than pressing Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V to copy the digital one.
Saving money like this allows for a direct increase in the payout; online casinos typically have normal RTPs of more than 95%, while brick and mortar casinos usually maintain around 80%.
For sports betting similar examples can be given, think only of the paper bet slip versus a digital one, but also digital transactions are a lot cheaper and faster than cash transactions. All the money a bookie saves, he’ll use to try to give you better odds than the competitor.
Where do you play?
Maybe the first question you should ask yourself is if you want to play at a certain brand for other reasons than the little extra chance of winning. Of course you only play at brands that have a valid license from a trusted legal authority to assure you can play safely and securely, but there are other factors to consider.
Maybe you’ve got friends that play at a particular bookmaker or casino and you want to chat with them during your games, or maybe you want to pick the most sustainable casino as listed on Better World Casinos? What about other player’s experiences with regards to things like customer support and smooth and fast transactions?
Choosing a place where you feel comfortable and at home is also something to value, as we are playing for the entire experience, not just the result of the games themselves.
Use Bonuses but Read the Fine Print
Bonuses are the icing on the gambling cake, it makes it just that bit better because getting something for free feels like winning, and let’s be honest, that’s why we play, that exciting feeling.
The important thing with bonuses is to see them for what they are; an incentive to play more. Although bonuses offer genuinely free money or free games, the fine print usually imposes strict conditions for when players can actually withdraw winnings. Generally, there are ‘wagering requirements’ that mandate the bonus amount to played or wagered a specific number of times. This means you get to enjoy the game longer, but also that you are less likely to financially profit.
So if you are more focused on the winnings, bonuses without or with a lower wagering requirement are generally better than bonuses that have a higher initial value.
Also pay attention that more often than not, bonuses cannot be combined. Accepting a new bonus almost always means that you are forfeiting or canceling any other active bonus. This would be a shame if you’d almost have completed your wagering requirement and are at the verge of cashing out.
Loyalty Programs
Loyalty programs come in all shapes and sizes and can offer some great prices and extras. The difference with bonuses is they are based on how much you have wagered in total. In general you earn some kind of tokens, gems or coins which can then be spent in a special VIP shop. Whether you like vouchers for cash or free spins, branded merchandise or even vehicles or holidays, the offerings are generally huge.
The advantage is that these are not prices you win, but that you earn. You can calculate how much money you need to wager in order to collect enough points, but then you’ll be sure to get that ‘prize’. Keep an eye on specials, as brands often offer temporary increases in points for games they want to promote.
Like with bonuses, properly check the terms and conditions; not all games will offer you the same amount of points per dollar wagered, slots with their high RTP will give you less than Live Roulette for example.
So although the extras are not a way to ensure that you end your gaming session with a profit, it can make your time more enjoyable or last a bit longer. Let’s not forget that that’s what playing responsibly is about.
