Online casinos have become increasingly popular in recent years thanks to the rise of the internet and the advancement in software and hardware technologies. It is no surprise, then, that one of the most popular games in the casino – blackjack – is at the forefront of this wave of popularity, its simplicity to understand and low house edge making it the game of choice for amateurs and pros alike. But how does playing blackjack online compare to playing in a real, live bricks and mortar casino? Here we look at the pros and cons of each.

Convenience

Okay, if you happen to live in a suite in one of the top hotels on the Strip in Vegas, you might find taking a lift down to the gaming floor quite easy. But given that most of us don’t have that luxury, it has to be said that playing blackjack on your laptop or, increasingly, even your cell phone is a heck of lot more convenient than having to travel to a bricks and mortar establishment, especially if you happen to live in a state that has no real casinos! One nil to online blackjack.

Value for money

Tied into the fact that many people have to travel sometimes very long distances to get some blackjack action in a real casino, you can end up being out of pocket before a card has even been dealt if you are not careful. Again with online blackjack you have no such expenses, you can just load up the game whenever and wherever you happen to be. Another plus for Team Online!

House edge

Assuming the same rule variants are applied, the house edge of blackjack will be no different whether you play online or at a real casino. However, the massive bonuses that are often offered to new players by online casinos mean that the already small house edge can sometimes be trimmed to almost nothing. Only the really high rollers get big discounts or meaningful perks in bricks and mortar casinos (see our article about Don Johnson), so it looks like it’s three nil to the online variety of this great game.

Social interaction

Okay, this is where the casino-based blackjack fights back. There really is no beating the atmosphere in a top Vegas casino, as you live out your James Bond fantasies and, hopefully, impress the crowd by winning a big stack. You don’t get quite the same adoration when you play online, even when there is an attached chat room. Having said that, the increasing standard and availability of “live dealer casinos” online means that you can certainly get a slice of the atmosphere whilst playing from your own home, so while the bricks and mortar blackjack takes this one, it’s not by much.

So at three-one to online blackjack, why not give it a go before booking your next flights to Vegas?

Blackjack is a hugely popular casino game and part of the reason it is so loved is because the casino has very little advantage over the player. The house edge under the most liberal blackjack rules around is just 0.28% but a better guide is around 0.5% as that covers a variety of the most commonly found rule variants.

However, that still means the casino has an advantage over the player and that in the long-term the casino will win, whilst of course in the short and medium term the player maintains an excellent chance of making some money. So, is the answer a straight “no” to the question of our title, “Can You Make a Profit From Online Blackjack?”, if we are thinking long term?

Well, in fact, the answer is yes, you can make, and expect to make, a positive return from playing online blackjack assuming you take advantage of the lowest available house edge, the best online casino bonuses and strictly adhere to basic strategy, the optimum method of playing any given blackjack hand. Throw in extras like comp points, loyalty schemes and extra promotions too and you can certainly leave the (online) casino with a few extra bucks in your pocket.

In years gone by there were excellent profits to be had by using the low house edge and generous bonuses but as some players began to cash in, the casinos tightened up, introducing rollover requirements on their bonuses that were more and more restrictive. Some even ban blackjack entirely, or at the very least make it contribute only a very small (sometimes as low as 1%) percentage towards the necessary wagering.

How to Profit

Assuming you find an online casino that allows blackjack – and some do exist – and has a 100% bonus worth $1,000, with a rollover requirement of 25 times the bonus plus deposit, that would mean in order to withdraw the bonus you would need to wager $50,000 at blackjack.

Now, if we assume a house edge of just 0.5%, one would expect to lose around $250 during that wagering, leaving a very healthy profit of $750. You’d have to play a lot of blackjack – 5,000 hands at $10 a time or even more hands if you want to minimise your risk – but even so, for those with time, the inclination and who enjoy playing online blackjack, this does prove that yes, you can indeed profit.