Are Online Casinos Better Than Bookies?

Online gambling has grown significantly more popular in recent years as many countries have loosened their regulations around the pastime, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether they offer online casino games or sports betting options, swarms of websites try to lure players in with user-friendly interfaces, irresistible bonuses, and unique features.

This healthy competition has led to a large influx of websites for gamblers to choose from. While only the best draw in the masses and are rated highly on sites like casinos.com, many others still provide a great source of entertainment. 

Despite this fun and opportunity being readily available to all players, some enjoy debating over which is better: online casinos or bookies. To settle this argument, we’ve looked at both side by side to examine which gambling option deserves the title of winner.

Online Casinos

Online casinos are prevalent in many regions worldwide. Experiencing substantial growth in countries like the USA, many operators have launched new websites offering unique ways to play. 

However, these websites typically offer only the games you would find in a physical casino. As such, you’ll find slots, video poker, table games, and live casino games that simulate a brick-and-mortar casino social experience.

Occasionally, you’ll also stumble upon a hybrid online casino. These are regular online casinos that also have a license to provide sports betting. Therefore, a large section of the site will be devoted to this form of gambling. For the purpose of comparing online casinos to bookies, we’ll disregard hybrid casinos.

Bookies (Bookmakers)

Online bookmaker websites operate exactly like their physical counterparts: They grant you the chance to bet on upcoming sporting events and win big if you can predict the outcome correctly. Many modern bookmakers also support in-game betting for a variety of sports, allowing you the opportunity to place bets while the action unfolds in front of you.

Abounding with opportunities to win and have fun, bookie websites are much more limited than online casinos in that if you’re not looking to place bets on sports, there is little else on offer. Many bookmaker sites also offer added resources like matchday predictions, sports data, and a limited form of analytics to compensate. 

Key Areas of Difference

Although both types of websites offer online gambling, they differ in their approach to this and have some marked differences. Some of these are slight and unlikely to be thought about by the average punter, while others are more pronounced and harder to ignore.

Focus

The first difference is easily the most notable and already mentioned—available gambling options. Online casinos focus (primarily exclusively) on casino-style games and replicating the choices you may find in a brick-and-mortar establishment.

Bookmakers, however, are almost never interested in these games and prefer to focus solely on the chance to place bets on upcoming events. This singular focus makes many of the best bookie sites work well, as operators are not attempting to be a jack of all trades and master of none.

Requirements to Win

There is no doubt that luck is a factor required by any gambler if they’re hoping to bag a win. However, when it comes to casino games offered by online casinos, this luck is often more relied on to win anything (with poker and blackjack being some of the only games that provide an exception to this rule).

Sports betting, on the other hand, requires significantly less luck and more skill and knowledge to make appropriate bets. This difference is because sports betting can (to a measure) be analysed and predicted due to extensive data analysis available on both teams and players. The inclusion of data sciences and AI in match predictions has also revolutionised how players bet based on skill rather than luck.

Chances of Winning

Another notable difference between casinos and bookies is that their gambling options calculate your chance of winning differently. Casino games often use factors like an RTP (return to player) percentage or volatility rating to determine payouts. These vary by game and are highly resistant to player calculation.

Sports betting, however, relies on odds determined at the time a bet is placed. These odds, like RTPs, are calculated using specific mathematical formulas that give the house an edge but also offer players a fighting chance. Because these formulas sometimes use publicly available figures to perform calculations, players have a higher chance of being able to calculate or verify odds.

Bonuses

Both online casinos and bookies are well-known for offering impressive bonuses and rewards to new and loyal players. These are used to entice new players to try out a specific platform and ensure older players keep returning for more.

While both forms of online gambling use the bonus strategy, they operate differently. Online casinos often provide bonuses in the form of deposit matches or reload bonuses but also often rely on offering free spins on specific online slots. By contrast, bookies offer deposit matches and provide things like free bets, enhanced odds, or the possibility of cashback.

Winning Enjoyment

The final key difference between bookmakers and online casinos is the enjoyment you may have when winning. Online casinos offer instant gratification, often awarding prize money as it is won and allowing you to cash out at any point.

Betting on sports, however, requires that the event you’ve bet on reaches a conclusion, and the bet is called before you can begin celebrating. While payouts may also be quick, the gratification you receive from gambling is not as fast as with online casinos. 

The Winner

Determining a winner between online casinos and bookies ultimately comes down to preference. Internationally, sports betting is the preferred method of placing wagers—something that also rings true in the UK. 

Therefore, saying that bookies are better than online casinos is not unfair, as they provide more of what the majority of gamblers are looking for. These sites do this in a focused manner that ensures punters can experience their preferred way of gambling without unnecessary distractions and can simply get on with having fun.

At the same time, it would be unfair to say that this means online casinos are inferior. Many of these websites offer more ways to be entertained, more immediate gratification, and unique features lacking in online sports betting. 

Therefore, while bookies may be better for most players, it is a narrow victory. What matters most is that you find a website you trust, enjoy gambling on, and one that will give you a decent chance of striking it lucky.