What is the difference between an online casino and a land-based casino?

A land-based casino sells a social and luxurious experience, while an online casino offers immediate accessibility without leaving your home. But is that the only difference? In this article, we analyse the diversity of games, the player experience and, above all, the profitability of each type of casino.

The transition from the felt-covered green baize to screens has revolutionised gambling. Two radically different experiences have been created for consumers. 

While physical casinos welcome players into luxurious establishments where they can interact directly with croupiers, floor staff and other players, online casinos offer 24-hour access without leaving home and a better RTP. 

The clash of business models: RTP and overheads

One of the major differences between a physical establishment and a gaming site is not the visual aspect, but the purely accounting aspect. And this has a direct impact on players’ chances of winning.

A physical casino or gaming hall incurs higher operating costs than an online casino, such as property costs, security staff, croupiers, machine maintenance, electricity and bars. To remain profitable, these costs are passed on to the RTP (Return to Player).

For a physical casino, the return rate on a slot machine is often set between 85% and 92%.

At online casinos, the RTP is generally much higher, ranging between 94% and 98%. Some can even go higher, as we mentioned in our top 3 games with the highest RTP in Belgium.

In the long term, players lose their capital less quickly online, so they can play for longer.

User experience: immersion vs speed

But playing for longer is not always what players are looking for. Sometimes it’s the atmosphere that attracts them. This is where the gap widens.

A physical casino is a destination for all-round entertainment. The sound of chips, the lights, the social interaction with other players and the prestige of the venue create a sensory adrenaline rush that is difficult to replicate digitally. It is an outing, a social event.

In contrast, online casinos prioritise efficiency and speed:

• Speed of play: An automated online roulette wheel does not require time for payments or chip placement by other players. Rounds can be played in quick succession in a matter of seconds.
• The ‘Live Casino’ hybrid: To make up for this lack of soul, the industry has developed Live Casinos. Filmed from studios (often in Riga or Malta), real croupiers host the games in real time. It’s the technological answer for those who want human fairness without leaving their sofa.

What about the range of games on offer?

The difference in what is on offer is dictated by the space available. The largest casino in Las Vegas or Macau will always have a physical limit in terms of square metres. A floor manager must choose which machines are the most profitable and remove the least popular ones.

Online casinos are free from this constraint. A server can host 3,000 to 5,000 games simultaneously. It can therefore offer a very wide variety of games, as well as niche variants of classic games such as Blackjack Surrender, Pontoon, etc., which would never exist in a provincial casino due to insufficient demand.

Player protection

As surprising as it may seem, online casinos offer better protection against addiction. Responsible gaming tools are integrated into the software: deposit limits, temporary self-exclusion and loss history are accessible at the click of a button. 

In physical casinos, although casino bans exist, real-time monitoring of a player’s behaviour is much more difficult for staff.

Physical casino or online casino?

The choice depends on the player’s objective. For an evening of entertainment with friends, the physical casino remains unbeatable. For the methodical player looking to maximise their playing time and mathematical probabilities, online casinos are by far the most rational option.

If you want to try an online casino for the first time, feel free to consult our guide to the best legal online casinos in Belgium.