Online Sportsbooks Vs Land-Based Sportsbooks

Sports gambling has always been around, but lately, it has taken the world by storm. More and more states are putting legal gambling on their ballots every year. Every commercial break you are likely to see an advertisement for a new betting app. Professional leagues like the NFL and MLB have official betting partners. Heck, you can even watch special broadcasts of some games that have all the betting information and odds displayed in real time. There is no secret as to why sports gambling has become mainstream: Money. It brings in millions - if not billions - a year. Putting money on a game turns an ordinary game into one of excitement. And it all takes place at the sportsbook. With the online casino boom happening, more and more online casinos are realizing that by adding a sportsbook they can attract more players. And then we of course have the land based sportsbooks, the ones you see in the casinos of Las Vegas - there are even entire hotels designed around sports betting now!

Today, we're going to take a closer look at both online sportsbooks and land based sportsbooks, from what they have to offer, how they are alike and how they are different. So let's get right into it!

Advantages of Land Based Sportsbooks

This is where it all started. Las Vegas always saw the potential of sports betting so every casino has built and designed beautiful sportsbooks. If you have ever been to a Las Vegas casino you have most likely walked by - or visited - one of these sportsbooks. The first thing you are likely to notice are the massive screens they have. These screens are the life line to a land based sportsbook. Not only are they showing multiple games from various sporting events, they also have live and updated betting lines and odds for pretty much any game you want.

Let's take a typical NFL Sunday for example. You won't have to worry about flipping back and forth to two separate games to keep track of your bets. Land Based casinos will show every game at once! This is ideal for any bettor who has money on more than one game - either in the same sport or different sports.

Another perk of land based sportsbooks is the design. They all have comfortable seats, chairs, tables, all set up in a stadium style arrangement to make sure no one's view is obstructed. There's always food and drinks to go around and the entire presentation is top notch.

And that brings us to maybe the biggest perk of land based sportsbooks: The atmosphere. A packed sportsbook, all with players that have money on games is an experience like none other. That's what makes table games great. Playing with your fellow players. The same goes for sportsbooks. You and your fellow players are living and diving with each pass, touchdown, dunk and homerun. There's a sense of community that land based sportsbooks offer that really can't be matched.

Disadvantages of Land Based Sportsbooks

Land based sportsbooks sound terrific, but a lot of what makes them great can also be a hassle at times. Now, while they'll have every American and many European major professional leagues available to gamble on, their offerings might stop after that. For some players the major sports are enough. But other players like to gamble on more obscure or smaller sports and they might be disappointed to find they won't be offered by a land based sportsbook.

As much as being in a land based sportsbook with your fellow players, cheering on your teams, wallowing in defeat, can be fun, it can also be a disadvantage. These sportsbooks are the places to be - especially for Sunday NFL games and other big events. That means they are PACKED. If you're not there early enough you're likely to miss out on a seat, might have to wait in long lines to place a bet and otherwise have to deal with crowds. For some players, that's enough to turn them away.

Advantages of Online Sportsbooks

A lot of online casinos are seeing the benefits of offering sports betting - it attracts more players which means more money for the casinos! One of - if not the - biggest advantage of online sportsbooks is that you can place your bets from the comfort of your own home. You won't have to wait in lines to place your bets like you would in a land based casino. Everything is laid out on your computer screen - odds, spreads, games - making it as easy as can be.

Another advantage of online sportsbooks is found in what they offer players in terms of games. Online sportsbooks seemingly have everything available. Ping pong? eSports? Cricket? Check, check and check. Even games from smaller leagues you've never heard of are available to bet on at online sportsbooks.

A lot of online sportsbooks also offer specials like bonus funds to use on bets after depositing a certain amount into the casino. These are great ways to place bets basically risk free but still have the chance to hit big!

Disadvantages of Online Sportsbooks

Unless you're having fellow players to your house, you won't find the same kind of atmosphere with online sportsbooks as you do with land based ones. For some players that's fine enough, but there's something about celebrating with others and being in the action that gives land based casinos the edge here.

Online sportsbooks also don't stream games. So if you place a bet on multiple games you'll have to have multiple TVs in your house in order to be able to keep track of them all. Most people don't have that so they'll be left having to find other ways of updating the scores of their games.

Conclusion

So there we have it. Our look at online sportsbooks and land based sportsbooks. As we can see, they each have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. At the end of the day, it really comes down to what you prefer as a player. The most important thing is that both of these options give players the opportunity to get in on all the exciting, real money action of sports gambling!