Understanding the Various Types of Online Gambling

The global gambling industry is vast – the online sector alone is expected to be worth $93 billion (US) by the year 2023. Within such a burgeoning and expansive market, there is plenty of variation. We explore some of the many facets of the world of online gambling.

Online Casinos

Digital casinos are a mainstay of the gambling landscape, with many enthusiasts making a switch from land-based establishments to their online counterparts, or at the very least adding them to their gaming practices. 888 casino UK is a recognized name and offers all the games you’d find at a traditional casino – and some that you wouldn’t.

Table Games

Roulette, blackjack, craps and baccarat are permanent fixtures at online casinos with most providers also offering exciting twists on the traditional formats. Online table games can be more attractive to players since you can dictate your own pace without the pressure of the gaze of more experienced players.

Live Casino

Live casino represents an intermediary between the online and real-world casino experience. Real dealers and croupiers host games on physical tables. Roulette is a favorite, and the action is streamed directly to players’ devices across the web.

Adrenaline levels are ramped up since the pace of the action is dictated by the dealers and not at your own leisure. Chat rooms alongside the games allow players to interact with one another as they place their bets – the dealers are also likely to refer to winners by their usernames.

Slots

Slots occupy the most floor space at casinos up and down the Las Vegas Strip and, equally, they’re a central component on the web. Traditional simplistic fruit machines have their fans, but since slots went digital, the limitations of physical mechanics were no longer a factor.

It’s not uncommon to see games with several reels, hundreds of pay lines and complex interactive bonus games that would not look out of place on your favorite console. A theme for every niche interest is catered for, from bands to movies and from anime to video game franchises.

Online Poker

Online poker is also part of the casino repertoire, and well represented, but it should be mentioned independently because of its size and the impact it continues to have on the gambling market. Recently, televised tournaments with eye-watering prize pools are often populated by players that qualified online.

The aptly named Chris Moneymaker made history back in 2003 by becoming the first winner of a World Series of Poker event by advancing from an online qualification. This incident is said to have revolutionized the sport and is sometimes referred to as the “Moneymaker effect”.

Bingo

The UK leads the way as the country most passionate about bingo, but since its online revolution in the last 20 years, the game has gained popularity around the globe. Online bingo was responsible for helping redress the balance between male and female gamers – many sites are marketed directly at women.

In such a competitive field, each casino is looking for an edge over their rivals. For this reason, the industry has always been a hotbed of innovation and new ideas.

Slingo is one such concept, developed in the 90s, that combines the popularity of slots and bingo, which is how the name is derived. Slingo sessions are more accumulative than traditional slots, which are in essence a new game with each subsequent spin. Slingo sees players ticking off numbers from their virtual cards as they are displayed on the reels so each round can comprise dozens of spins.

Sports Betting

Most bets placed on horse races fall under the pari-mutuel category. The term, French in origin, means ‘among ourselves’ and unlike other sports betting, the odds are not fixed.

The majority of sports bets are placed against the bookies or the track, so the odds you receive are what has been calculated as the likelihood of what you are betting to occur. Pari-mutuel betting is made against every other bettor involved, so the pool increases the more bets are placed.

The odds are also liable to change based on how popular a particular winner becomes. Pari-mutuel odds are referred to as probable odds at the time a bet is made and can be wildly different by the time a conclusion has been met.

Interestingly, pari-mutuel betting is popular worldwide due in part to it being legal in countries where other forms of sports betting are prohibited. Horse racing is big business, especially in the British Isles – over £100 million GBP was bet on the Grand National in 2021, one of the highlights of the racing calendar.

Sports betting is not restricted to particular sports – several bookies will accept bets on the outcome of any competitive event. All major league sports attract substantial wagers in the States, as well as the fervor surrounding college NCAA sports.

Soccer, tennis, golf and cricket also pull in their fair share of attention and one of the biggest growth markets that you’re likely to see more of over the coming years is the esports domain.

Worldwide there is an ongoing shift towards a more relaxed approach to betting laws, which is likely to see the industry grow. The size of the online gambling market makes one thing clear, and that is that people like to have a flutter wherever possible.