Bigger Cash Prizes Online?

Many a player before you has pondered the million dollar question of whether bigger jackpots can be won in gambling meccas, like Las Vegas or Atlantic City, or simply at online casinos.

Speculation around this very question was sparked last year in April when a player won a cool $6 million playing blackjack at The Tropicana in Atlantic City. What's more is that for this particular player, it was not his first but third multi-million dollar casino win. Online players around the world suddenly sat up, took notice and contemplated if they were doing something wrong.

But jackpots reaching into the millions of dollars with the capacity of changing your life forever can also be found online. In fact, you don't have to look too far back in history to find one of the biggest online wins ever - a jackpot that actually eclipsed this win at The Tropicana. The traditionally held expectation that bigger prizes can be found at land based casinos has now been turned on its head.

Playtech's Beach Life progressive jackpot, which can be found at respectable online casinos like bet365, William Hill and Titan Casino, recently smashed all records after a nail bitting few months of anticipation. In February this year, it was hit by a Scottish player at an astonishing $8,211,488 after just six spins. This earth shattering sum was nearly double its previous record of $4.8 million which was hit in July 2007.

Land based casinos should be rightly nervous about the impact of online casinos and the ripple effects of wins like this. Not only are online casinos and online slots dishing out comparative, and perhaps even bigger, jackpots but also players don't have to contend with a whole heap of other expenses and inconvenience.

The freedom to play just a few spins in the middle of the night after being woken by the neighbour's dogs (as was the case with the player who hit the Beach Life jackpot!), means that online casinos are understandably a very attractive and cost effective option. Additionally, virtual casinos are a great practice venue for beginners.

On the other hand, those who love the atmosphere of a real bricks and mortar casino will say that it can never be truly replicated online. Plus, the social aspect of playing at a table surrounded by fellow players is a big draw card, recently matched by Live Dealer Games and other innovations in the online experience.

At the end of the day, however, whatever your personal preferences, it can be seen from these two big wins that both land based casinos and online casinos have enormous prizes.