Online Casinos vs Brick and Mortar Casinos

When we bring up “gambling” the first thought that always comes to mind is a dazzling Las Vegas casino. However, that is just one way you can gamble among many options. A few other popular venues include playing at online casinos, gambling at church or charity functions, or playing poker with a few buddies at home. This article will go over the two most common options, online casinos and live casinos, and weigh each of their advantages and disadvantages.

Brick and Mortar Casinos

This is the typical, traditional form of playing casino games. You get dressed up, head to Vegas or Atlantic City, and spend a night or even a weekend at one of the major casinos on the strip. Although we’re primarily an online casino site, we still love live casinos for a bunch of reasons.

First of all, the experience of being at a live casino can never be replicated, period. If you’ve never been inside of a casino, it really is quite a scene, with mountains of money moving around, and dazzling lights everywhere. Plus, you’ll actually be staying at the casino hotel most likely, and quite often these can be four or five star hotels. I’ve spent a few nights at a four star casino hotel, and it was by far the most luxurious experience I’ve ever had. Room service at all hours, anything you want is sent to your room, etc etc.

When you’re actually gambling in the casino it is really nice to be able to socialize with other people and actually see the games you’re gambling on. Although it is still a great feeling to hit your number in online Roulette, it is even more exciting when you can actually watch the ball land on your number in real life. One of my favorite things about live casinos is actually handling your chips. When you hit your number on Roulette, and a huge stack of chips slides your way, it is an amazing feeling to carry them up to the rack.

Ok, even though live casinos sound awesome, let’s look at a few drawbacks. The first, and most problematic issue, is the fact that the only major casinos in the United States are located in either Las Vegas or Atlantic City, so if you don’t live near those venues it is going to be quite a trip to do some gambling. If you’re just looking to play a few hands of Blackjack after dinner, obviously an online casino is the way to go, because you just log on. Mentioning that, let’s get into the online casino advantages.

Online Casinos

The best part about online casinos is the fact that you can play from anywhere, wearing anything, at any time of the day. I’ve literally played online poker in just a pair of boxers from my bedroom on my laptop. Obviously I couldn’t show up to a casino like that, so it is nice to gamble right from the comfort of your home. Also, all of the bonuses and VIP rewards programs that online casinos offer are usually a better deal for the casual player, because casual players don’t get comped in Vegas.

Another great thing about online casinos, and something that is often overlooked, is since they don’t have the overhead costs of brick and mortar casinos they are able to have higher payout percentages and still make a profit. Some of the best online casinos have upwards of a 98% payout rate, and this is something you’ll never see at a Vegas style casino. On average, you’ll be at less of a disadvantage at an online casino, and that is obviously awesome.

If online casinos sound like something you’d possibly like, make sure to check out my online casino reviews to learn about the best online casinos, and also which ones have the highest payout percentages. If you decide to play online, or if you play at a live casino, make sure to be responsible, and enjoy!

When we bring up “gambling” the first thought that always comes to mind is a dazzling Las... 

Golden Casino Offers Mac Friendly Software

Tons of computer users are turning to Mac software lately. We all know the problems with Windows - viruses, poor performance, and a flawed operating system. Also, with all of the creative applications that Mac offers there are a lot of people who are looking to try it out, especially that you can now get Microsoft Office on a Mac computer. However, this leads to one small problem when it comes to online gambling.

Since Windows is still the dominant operating system, most casinos only cater to Windows users, and forget about the Mac people who want to play some online casino games. A few of the best online casinos however are coming around, and developing either no-download software, or Mac friendly software that Mac users can safely gamble on and have a great experience. We took a look at a few online casinos that are Mac friendly, and decided on one that was really a great site.

Golden Casino offers Mac players service in the form of No-download software. This means that you play a Flash game instead of having to download the online casino, and since there’s no download involved it means that any operating system can run the program as long as you have a Flash player, which is available for free all over the Internet (and anyways, your computer 99% already has one).

The reason we liked Golden Casino over the other no-download online casinos is the fact that Golden Casino offers tons of games over their flash client, and many of the other sites only offer a small portion of their simpler games when it comes to the no-download client. You can find all of the best casino games such as Blackjack, Roulette, Keno, and over 20 slot variations including monster progressive jackpot slots.

If you’re a Mac player you should hurry over to Golden Casino, because they’re currently running a 100% up to $550 bonus for all new depositing Mac players who sign up via this exclusive link. Have fun with it!

Tons of computer users are turning to Mac software lately. We all know the problems with Windows - viruses,... 

New Online Casinos Bring the Competition

Although major online casinos like Rushmore Casino and Bodog Casino have been around forever, they’re starting to lose some market share to upstarts like PKR Casino and Jackpot City. We’re going to take a look at a few reasons why newer sites are gaining ground, and why the older sites held the entire market by the throat for so long.

When the online casino industry started there were tons of companies to jump in and start their own sites. However, the market was only so big, and within a few months about 10 of the online casinos rose to the top, and the rest realized they couldn’t be profitable so they fell behind, or closed up shop. The reason this happened was because the new online casinos with the most start-up funding were able to offer great bonuses, better customer service, and a better overall product because they had more money for marketing and software development. The sites that only had moderate funding couldn’t compete, and once they were branded as a “B-list” casino it was all over for them.

This precedent continued for a while, but nowadays things are changing. Companies have realized that they can compete with the right marketing plan, and more importantly, the right budget. New sites launching are now able to offer bonuses, VIP programs, and software that are as good, if not better than the major online casinos.

Now, why does this matter to you, the player? Well, you might actually want to try out one of these newer online casinos, for a few reasons. First of all, they’re going to offer you a big bonus because they know they have to really entice you to try their site. And secondly, since they don’t have many customers, even if you’re only a casual player you’ll still be very respected by the site, and receive first rate service. This is something you can’t expect from the bigger sites who only cater to their whales.

If you like the above idea, you should check out PKR Casino. They are a new site, don’t have many players right now, and run Playtech software, so you know that their site has awesome graphics and software. We’ll have a full review coming for PKR Casino in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled.

Although major online casinos like Rushmore Casino and Bodog Casino have been around forever, they’re... 

Playtech Casino Software is Rated as #1

Here at PickCasinos.com we’re always looking to provide full reviews of online casinos so you can choose the best casino for your playing style and preferences. However, something that often gets overlooked is the fact that online casinos are really all just running one of about five major casino software providers. Although they all offer different bonuses and support teams, it really all boils down to what software they’re running, because that is a huge limiting factor on the online casino. Let’s talk about a few casino software providers, and decide who’s best.

The first casino software provider we’ll discuss is Playtech. As you can tell by the title of this article, we rate their software as tops in the industry. Their strong points include the amazing graphics they provide, as well as really recreating the Vegas experience in every game they offer.

One of the best Playtech software casinos is PKR Casino, and if you sign up through this link you’ll get a special 100% up to $200 bonus if you decide to deposit. Make sure you realize though that at this time, all Playtech Casinos aren’t allowed to accept USA players, so if you’re from the USA, read on.

For USA players your best option is definitely going to be Real Time Gaming (RTG) software. RTG is the oldest casino software provider, and their strong points are their experience in the market, as well as their smooth running and reliable software. Although their graphics don’t quite stack up to Playtech, they blow the other USA casino software providers out of the water.

If you want to try out RTG software you should look at Bodog Casino. Plus, they’re currently running a special unlimited 10% deposit bonus for players who sign up through this link. Like I mentioned before they accept all players from the USA, or from anywhere else in the world.

The third best software option is Microgaming. Like RTG, they have reliable and smooth gameplay, but their software is just behind RTG’s. We still gave them a great score though, and if you are set on playing at a Microgaming casino that is definitely not a bad choice. One Microgaming casino we really like is Ladbrokes Casino. Check this link out for a $200 special bonus at Ladbrokes.

Here at PickCasinos.com we’re always looking to provide full reviews of online casinos so you can... 

World’s Biggest Casino High Rollers (Whales)

We’ve all heard about them and the casinos absolutely love them. High Rollers otherwise known as casino whales are part of an exclusive, heavily private and unbelievably luxurious world that goes on behind the silk curtains of casino VIP rooms around the world. This elite group of players comprises only a small portion of casino players worldwide, but their massive multi-million dollar bankrolls and credit lines can easily amount to the losses of 100’s if not 1000’s of regular patrons. In this article, we take a look at some of the biggest casino ballers on the planet and show you where the creme de la creme get their gamble on.

The Rollers

#5. Charles Barkley - As one of the most respected, skilled and high paid NBA players Charles Barkley has some change to throw around, and what better place to do so than Las Vegas. The former NBA pro has frequented Vegas on and off for decades and is known to be one of the most public high rollers in the game. Most recently, Barkley can be seen on the Blackjack tables at the Wynn Las Vegas playing close to $30,000 per hand and chatting it up with the dealers and pit bosses. The self-admitted far to frequent gambler has claimed close to $10 Million dollars in loses over the past decade.

#4. Adnan Khashoggi - This highly publicized Saudi Arms dealer is a known worldwide casino whale who plays both Blackjack and Baccarat and is said to have lost millions of pounds to London based casinos. While he is one of the more unknown high rollers, his bankroll is estimated in the billions. He is also said to be responsible for a 19% drop in Hilton International’s profits one quarter due to a very large winning streak.

#3. Larry Flynt - The porn industry mogul behind Hustler, Larry Flynt is no stranger to the VIP casino rooms of the world and is an avid Black Jack player risking up to $30,000 per hand. His rumoured losses mostly were sustained at the Las Vegas Hilton and reached around $3.2 Million dollars. Although his losses are considerable, he is also noted as going on very long winning streaks which have included a $1 Million dollar profit in one sitting.

#2. Kamel Nacif - A very wealthy business man from Mexico, Kamel Nacif is a Las Vegas regular hitting Sin City approximately 6-10 times per year with a bankroll between $1 and $5 Million dollars each trip. The savvy entrepreneur is said to have taken Vegas casinos for between $18 and $22 Million throughout his gambling career and hasn’t let up yet. Nacif is a Baccarat player and is rumoured to be very easily agitated while at the tables, no surprise considering his average bet per hand is in the $160,000 range.
#1. Kerry Packer - Australian billionaire Kerry Packer takes the cake as the worlds biggest casino high roller by a very long shot. Although Kerry is no longer with us, he will be remembered as the legendary high roller at many of the world’s top casinos. This mega casino baller was not only known for his $450,000 per hand play at Blackjack, but also for his extreme generosity towards casino employees which have included several $1 Million dollar tips to waitresses working the tables. Yes, it’s true. Packer also particularly enjoyed intimidating the casinos and regularly tried to extend the Vegas maximum bets to $1 Million dollars, something even the casinos wouldn’t risk. This behemoth of a whale can literally bring a casino to its knees, but his action is something that was and is in high demand. Common complimentary gifts to Packer for his loyal play include $100,000 travel reimbursements on arrival and 10% + cash back on any losses he sustains at the tables. This ladies and gentlemen, is one high roller that seriously rocked the tables of all the casinos he ever played at.

There you have it, the biggest casino whales in the world who risk small fortunes on every single hand shaking the foundations of some of the world’s largest casinos. These guys gamble big and gamble hard, but you know the saying…..go big or go home!

We’ve all heard about them and the casinos absolutely love them. High Rollers otherwise known as... 

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