What Is The Difference Between Betting and Casino Games?

“Gambling” is a collective term that covers several different types of activities: casino games, betting, poker, bingo, and lotteries, among others. The two most popular activities of these are casino games and betting: these are present, in one form or another, in every corner of the globe. While their goal is pretty much the same – winning money – the two activities couldn’t be more different. Let’s take a look at the fundamental differences between betting and casino games.

The outcome of bets can be predictable

Most people bet on sports, and in sports, the results can be pretty predictable. Based on the teams’ or athletes’ statistics, and a series of other factors, the result of a sporting event can be predicted pretty accurately – that’s what bookmakers do when setting the odds. If you have in-depth knowledge about sports, betting can be a pretty safe form of gambling.

Casino games are random

When it comes to casino games, the casinos have to make sure that they are completely random – as in “fair”. The random number generators that decide the outcome of each game don’t favor any of the parties – neither the house nor the player. In most cases, skill or strategy has no influence whatsoever on the outcome of a round.

Betting requires knowledge

To be a successful bettor, you need to know what you are betting on. You need to know the relative strength of the teams or athletes involved, you need to know about their circumstances that influence the outcome of an event, and you need to know which markets are safe enough for you to bet on successfully.

Casino games rely on luck alone

You need no skill or knowledge to win at a casino game – all you need is luck. While in the case of some games, like blackjack, you do have some influence on the results, in most cases, you don’t. Once you spin the reels of the slot machines or place your stakes on the roulette table, things are out of your hand. All you can do is wait and see if you win or lose.

You can bet on an incredible variety of markets

Take a look at the offer of your favorite bookmaker. You’ll see a wide variety of sports, each one with its own betting options: result, point spread, handicap, over/under. And this not even counting the bets that are specific to certain sports, like betting on sets in tennis or total points in basketball.

There are just a few types of casino games

Even though there are hundreds, often thousands of different casino games available, especially in online casinos, their vast majority fits into just a handful of categories: slot machines, card games like blackjack and baccarat, lottery-type games like keno and bingo, and roulette games. There are some that don’t fit into any of the categories above, but these are the exception, not the rule.

As you can see, betting and casino games are fundamentally different, often the opposite of each other. It’s knowledge vs luck, randomness vs predictability, and a very different kind of variety. Both of them are fun, though, but only when enjoyed responsibly.