Dazzling Las Vegas welcomes millions of visitors every year

There’s no city on earth quite like Las Vegas. With its 24/7 excitement from the world’s most famous casinos to some of the biggest shows and sporting events on the planet – it’s a unique city with a charm of all of its own – that few would deny.

On the other hand, most of us simply can’t get to Las Vegas as much as we’d like to, but we still crave the excitement that the desert city brings. Of course, it’s no secret that the world of online gaming has witnessed a veritable explosion in recent years with millions of players from all around the world in countries where online gambling is legal playing online blackjack, poker, slot machines, baccarat and a whole host of other traditional land-based casino games. Slots were an instant hit when Charles Fey first manufactured the Liberty Bell slot in 1887, and they’ve been popular ever since then. Today, online gaming sites like 32 Red, Skyvegas, Paddy Power not only provide players with a plethora of slot gaming choice with titles like Tomb Raider – the Secret of the Sword. They also go to great lengths to provide the kind of excitement the real Las Vegas brings with table games such as roulette, poker and blackjack as well. Anyone with an internet connection can enjoy the thrill of casino gaming whenever they want.

But which of the two styles of gaming provide the biggest pay-outs and the best chances of winning?

Well first let’s deal with the question of why one would prefer online to being in Vegas itself. The sheer ease of access and availability of online gaming is a big plus – as is the speed at which gamers are able to play. Some of the best sites like the afore-mentioned and award-winning 32Red and others really do a great job of re-creating the atmosphere of a genuine Las Vegas casino given superb graphics, sound effects and an overall sense of realism that has to be seen to be believed. You simply can’t compare the convenience of playing online with the physical and financial effort involved in travelling to Vegas to sit and play the same games.

But perhaps nothing can quite compare with Las Vegas itself and its exhilarating culture. Online casinos may do all they can to create the right atmosphere but sadly, they can only virtually let you wander down the world famous Las Vegas strip. A walk along Las Vegas Boulevard is a truly unique walk along what is probably the world’s most famous strip. Many tourists begin their sightseeing at the renowned “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” neon sign before strolling on along the whole length of the Vegas Strip.

Inside Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas

Here, you’ll find some of biggest names and most-recognised casinos in Las Vegas if not the world, including the Caesar’s Palace. the MGM Grand, Circus Circus, the Luxor, Bellagio, Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino, New York – New York, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and many more.

And it’s true – there is nothing quite like the real thing … unless you simply want the ease and availability of gaming quickly wherever you happen to be and that’s where the online gaming beats the live casinos hands-down of course.

The biggest wins

But what about when it comes to biggest wins? Well theoretically, there should be no greater chance on one than another, with the exception of two factors; the double zero additional slot in Las Vegas casino’s roulette wheels which means the house has the additional edge that you won’t find in online gaming houses – and the myriad special offers and bonuses the online providers use to tempt you in and encourage you to stay loyal. And these can be quite sizeable so it’s always worth checking for the best offers and latest updates etc.

As for the biggest ever winners, factory worker, John Orchard, from Long Sutton in England enjoyed an enormous online slots win in 2012, when he bagged a whopping £5.8 million for a 30p stake.

John’s win was almost matched for cash and more than matched for the odds in 2013 when a Scottish fisherman won £5.4m playing online slots for a 20p stake.

As for land-based real-life casinos; how about the incredible story of grand-mother Patricia Demauro at America’s second city of gambling, Atlantic City craps table. Patricia rolled the dice at a craps table a world-record-breaking 154 times without throwing a seven – though neither nor the casino were forthcoming about how much she’d won.

The final victory, though, goes to the online world. In January 2013, an online gamer from Finland broke a world record winning 17,861,813 Euros playing a Mega Fortune Slot!

Overall though, deciding which is best between live and land casino play is a little like comparing chalk with cheese in that you can’t truly say one is better than the other – they’re just different, but they’re both great fun.

 photos by: prayitnophotography & Daniel Ramirez