Many of us are familiar with brick-and-mortar casinos, even if we’ve never been to one. We also know about betting on things like horse races. But what about online gambling? Is there are reason to do one or the other, besides the obvious factor of whether or not you feel like going to a “real” casino, or are they pretty much identical besides the physical difference?

Gambling is gambling, of course: you risk money, you win money, and (quite often) you lose money. Gambling has been with us in one form or another for as longer than we’ve been recording history. Over that time, it has taken many forms. Casino gambling and online gambling are two such forms, and they certainly have plenty in common. With that said, though, there are a few differences.

Gamble anywhere

The first difference is the obvious one: online casinos allow you to gamble virtually anywhere (provided you’re in a state or country in which online gambling is legal), while traditional brick-and-mortar casinos require you to be there in person (some brick-and-mortar casinos now offer online gambling, which blurs the line a bit, but we can still simply say that gambling in person is different from gambling online from the perspective of the gambler). So an in-person gambler may enjoy the ambience of a brick-and-mortar casino; an online gambler may enjoy the convenience of online gambling.

Online advantages

But there are more differences beyond this obvious one. After all, residents of states like New Jersey can easily stop by local casinos; yet online casinos do well in New Jersey. Even for locals, there’s something about online gambling that makes it different enough to retain its own appeal, beyond mere convenience.

One difference is that online casinos often allow smaller minimum bets. With overhead costs lower, online casinos can afford to give a spot at their virtual table to small-stakes gamblers. You can expect lower minimum bets from online casinos. Plus, of course, you don’t have to tip your computer or smartphone the way that you have to (or at least should) tip a human dealer at a brick-and-mortar casino!

Finally, it’s worth noting that online casinos offer some forms of gambling that brick-and-mortar casinos struggle to match. Daily fantasy sports certainly fit this category, which includes any large online or multi-day gambling setup.

“Real” casino advantages

Brick-and-mortar casinos have their inherent advantages, too. They are frequently beautiful and paired with resort-like attractions in vacation-worthy destinations. And there are plenty of brick-and-mortar casinos that offer online gambling and online games on-site and over the web, hoping to offer all kinds of gamblers the best of both worlds. In the end, it’s clear that gambling online and in person offer difference experiences–but it’s equally clear that both forms of gaming are here to stay.