June 22, 2023 by

The Art of Wagering

Slots Play Casinos is mainly a watchdog of the online casino market. We have reviewed many online casinos and have published guides for casino games, banking, and how best to win money at a casino.

Winning money involves wagering so the first question many gamers ask is: What does wagering mean?

Wagering is the Art of Placing Bets on Undetermined Outcomes

Wagering and betting are the same activity. Wagering has the connotation of clear and deliberate thought before making the wager while betting has the connotation of quick betting without giving the activity a lot of thought.

Placing bets in hopes of winning money, has excited people for as long as history has recorded. Placing a bet is a major form of entertainment for gamers and gamblers alike. Here at Slots Play Casinos, we try to keep the gaming side of online casino wagering prominent while at land-based casinos, the emphasis is often on gambling.

How is Wagering an Art?

There is a right way and a wrong way to bet on undetermined outcomes. In Art, we say that there is no truly right way or wrong way but since wagering involves money and risk, we say that handling the financial side and the risk factor involved in wagering makes it an art form.

A Lot of Everyday Things are an Art

Maybe you never thought of it that way but here is a short list of everyday things that are an art form:

  1. Driving.
  2. Playing with kids under 10 years of age.
  3. Washing your car.
  4. Cooking.
  5. Baking.
  6. Cleaning the house.
  7. Folding laundry.
  8. Putting together a collage.
  9. Pruning bushes and trees.
  10. Tuning a musical instrument.

What is the Importance of Undetermined Outcomes?

Actually, this is at the core of what wagering is all about. The rise and fall of corporations involves undetermined outcomes and thus support of a corporation or small company is a form of wagering. As 2016 taught us all, political contests involve undetermined outcomes. So, supporting a candidate for political office is a form of wagering.

In his monumental work, Basic Economics, Thomas Sowell defined economics as the art of finding the best use for resources given that they all have alternative uses. Here we have very loosely paraphrased Mr. Sowell’s insight.

There are Pros and Cons to Wagering

Let’s take a look at some of these pros and cons. One of the most important aspects of wagering is that it is remarkably exciting. The risk involved makes many people even more excited.

Here we have arrived at mirror images that speak to a major confluence of the pros and cons of wagering.

Wagering involves putting money on the undetermined outcome of a game, sporting event, election, ad infinitum. Putting money that you cannot afford to lose is the dangerous side of wagering.

Slots Play Casinos has long advocated for sound time and money management as a major part of happy wagering. We claim that a part of healthy wagering is budgeting for short sessions. This contrasts with what happens at land-based casinos.

Boredom Should Never be a Factor in Wagering

Let us look back on that short list of everyday art forms. One thing that stands out is every one of those activities can be very boring! Sound wagering requires that players overcome or eliminate boredom from the wagering activity. Here is a list of wagering requirements that fit nicely into this discussion:

  1. Wager only money that you can afford to lose.
  2. See wagering as a form of entertainment which makes all losses a cost of entertainment.
  3. Wager for the excitement of taking a risk rather than as a chance to get rich quick.
  4. See online casino wagering as one of many fun activities you do every day, every few days, or once in a while.
  5. Combine wagering with a clear understanding of the game.

Wagering Can be a Good Thing

If a gamer takes into account all of the effects of placing a wager, he or she can enjoy the many happy effects of wagering.

Thrills and Entertainment

As Carly Simon said: anticipation is a big part of life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NwP3wes4M8&ab_channel=CarlySimon

In online casino gaming, the thrill of anticipation and the adrenaline rush it creates add a lot of excitement and entertainment to the experience. The unpredictability of outcomes keeps players engaged and invested in the game.

Here at Slots Play Casinos, we look for balance in gaming. That is why we advocate for online casino gaming which is a milieu that can be easily controlled.

Land-based casinos know that their players come once in a very long while if they return at all so they try to get the players to spend as much time and money on the casino floor as possible. The free buffet meals and the free alcohol are designed to elicit more wagering from players.

The Possible Downside of Wagering:

As with anything we do, there is a possible downside to wagering whether it is at a casino or in a financial market. Professional sporting events are now practically out of the financial reach of many families. Some people can’t go to the supermarket without spending a lot more than the shopping list expected to spend.

So, there is financial risk in casino wagering. That is why we say to our readers that they should play online. An online casino is available on a 24/7 basis with no travelling involved, except that long trek from the kitchen to the sofa with a cuppa in hand.

Online Casinos vs. Land-Based Casinos

The advent of online gambling platforms has revolutionized the wagering landscape, offering a convenient alternative to traditional land-based casinos. We also believe that online casino wagering is better and safer than land-based casino gambling. Here are a few reasons why we feel this way:

  1. Online casinos are perfect conduits for short yet frequent sessions while land-based casinos are designed for marathon sessions on the casino floor once in a very long while.
  2. Online casinos are light years more convenient than land-based casinos. Ask anyone who has flown anywhere in the last few years.
  3. Online casinos are a lot more comfortable than land-based casinos. Gamers can play on their laptop or mobile device all curled up on the sofa, sometimes with Mr. or Mrs. Right. Land-based gamblers cleave to a single terminal even when the demands of nature make their presence undeniable!
  4. Online casino gamers can play many games with a simple swipe of click while land-based casino gamblers cleave themselves to a terminal as we said above.
  5. Online casinos offer a broad range of games. Online casinos can offer many variations of blackjack because ever “table” in cyberspace takes up very little actual space while blackjack tables at land-based casinos take up a lot of space.
  6. Online casinos offer free play so gamers can learn a new game at no risk.
  7. Online casinos offer very large deposit bonuses that start with big Welcome Packages.

Land-based Casinos Do Have Some Benefits

The main benefits of land-based casino gaming are the atmosphere and sociability of being at a casino. The atmosphere at a land-based casino includes bright lights, bells and whistles, big crowds, and live games.

We cannot deny that craps and roulette are more fun at land-based casinos. Blackjack is also exciting in a live setting until a player blames you for their loss even though you played strictly according to the dictates of best blackjack strategy.

Wagering is Exciting and Challenging

We hope that you have gained some insight into the nature of wagering and into the existential differences between online casino gaming and land-based casino gaming.

As always, Slots Play Casinos strives to give gamers the best advice in clear and careful wording so gamers can make sound decisions that fit their individual lifestyles.

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Laurie Renfield has been part of the casino scene for both print and virtual media outlets for over two decades. Renfield's research focuses on both land-based casino entertainment and online casino gambling. She is dedicated to making sure that, regardless of where a player decides to compete, they'll achieve the best gambling experience and the most satisfying rewards.

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