Are Domestic Online Casinos Always the Better Option?

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Setting out to find some online casino action? Be prepared to be well and truly spoilt for choice!

Which is all well and good, but knowing where to start can actually be quite tricky. You go online, you hammer in a search term and you’re presented with (literally) thousands of different options to choose from. Each and every one of them claiming to be the biggest and best casino out there, which doesn’t exactly make things easier.

Criteria for selecting a quality casino are pretty constant. Above all else, you should be prioritising the following for your own safety and enjoyment:

Responsibility and reputation

Variety of games available

Feedback and recommendations

Welcome bonus offers

Fair deposit/withdrawal policies

…and so on and so forth.

But what about the argument voiced by some that sticking with domestic online casinos is the way to go? Is there really anything to gain by doing business exclusively (or primarily) with casinos based within your own immediate jurisdiction?

A Global Market to Make the Most of

Technically speaking, there’s nothing wrong with playing the field. Just as long as you do your homework and choose a quality casino you can count on, it doesn’t really matter where it’s based.

You could be based in the UK, but capitalise on Canadian Online Casino Expertise to find something exciting overseas. Just as you could be based in Canada and find your ideal online casino is actually based in Portugal.

Still, there are arguments both in favour and against the idea of sticking with domestic online casinos, which we’ll now be taking a look at in a little more detail.

Arguments in Favour of Playing Close to Home

Starting with those who recommend playing close to home, the potential benefits of doing business with domestic casinos include the following:

Licensing and Regulation

First up, you can pretty much rest assured that any online casino that’s licensed and regulated by your own domestic authorities is a casino you can trust. It’s worth remembering that just because a casino is licensed to operate in your jurisdiction doesn’t mean it was licensed by your jurisdiction. Licensing and regulatory requirements vary from one authority to the next – some territories like the UK taking things to extremes.

Getting in Touch

It’s also worth bearing in mind that if you ever need to get in touch with your chosen online casino, it can be far easier to do so if they are based in the same country as you. When it comes to things like time differences and phone-call costs, having a customer service team based closer to home can sometimes be advantageous.

Market Knowledge and Understanding

Then there’s the benefit of doing business with a casino that knows and understands its local market. The further afield you set your sights, the less likely it is that the casino in question will know your specific market inside out.  For obvious reasons, Canadian casinos know and appreciate the preferences of Canadian players to a greater extent than Dutch casinos, for example.

Local Currencies

Last up, there’s a potential benefit to sticking with local casinos that operate primarily in your own local currency. This is because where online casinos convert international currencies into their own preferred currency, they don’t always give you the best possible exchange rate. In some instances, exchange rates are used as an excuse to profit at the expense of players.

Why Branching Out is Sometimes Better

On the flipside of the coin, there are also plenty of arguments in favour of branching out and seeing what’s available elsewhere. A few examples of which include the following:

More Choice

By casting your net as widely as possible, you gain access to a significantly larger online casino market than the one that exists within the confines of your country. You could therefore argue that this also means a better chance of finding your perfect online casino, as having more choice is rarely a bad thing.

Bigger and Better Bonuses

Speaking of which, branching out also means being able to compare and contrast as many welcome bonuses and promotional offers as possible.  Irrespective of where you’re based, there’s every chance the biggest and best bonus offers available will be up for grabs from overseas operators. If you’re wanting to stretch your bankroll as far as possible, it simply makes sense to ensure you get the best possible deal.

Try Something New

In addition, international online casinos often provide access to all manner of weird and wonderful games you may otherwise never have come across. From variants of existing casino classics to completely new and exclusive titles you won’t find anywhere else, half the fun of online casino gaming is trying something new. It’s not that you’ll be short on options within your own jurisdiction, but there’s literally a world of new and exciting games to explore out there.

The Bottom Line…

Truth is, there’s no right or wrong argument – there’s logic on both sides of the coin.

Irrespective of whether you prefer to play close to home or play the field, getting the job done right means bearing a few important things in mind:

Before getting started, it’s essential to ensure that the casino you’re looking at accepts players from your jurisdiction. Always check the terms and conditions before getting started.

Even if players from your country are accepted, you may be excluded from certain privileges such as bonus offers and promotions. Again, check those terms and conditions carefully ahead of time.

Make sure that the casino you’re looking at is adequately licensed and regulated, avoiding any casino that isn’t licensed to operate in your jurisdiction at all costs.

If currency conversion is required, don’t even think about going ahead before first checking the casino’s exchange rate at the time.

If opting for an overseas casino, check how easy (or otherwise) it is to get in touch with their customer support team, just in case you encounter any issues at a later date.

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