Download or No Download - Which is for You?

Playing online is fun and as you visit the casinos you'll find that most of them will offer you two different ways you can play their games. Which one you choose is up to you and in this section we'll explain the differences between them so that you can make the best choice for you.

The Download Option

By far the most popular of the two ways you can play online casino games, the download option has a number of advantages. But how does it operate?

Well basically if you choose the download route to playing you'll essentially be installing a software package supplied by the casino onto your computer. Once installed this software communicates over the internet with the server site (casino) for all transactions.

Downloading is not something you should fear. It's pretty straightforward nowadays and most casinos will have a 'Getting Started' section at their site which will explain how to go about it in detail. In the unlikely event you do encounter a hiccup, contact the casino support team who are always on hand to assist.

One of the main advantages to playing the download version of a casino is the fact that in almost all cases you will get a far bigger range and choice of games to play and more features.

For instance, Microgaming Software, which is an industry leader also has what is called 'Viper'.

This is basically an enhancement to their standard software which gives you more control over how you play and you can read all about Viper in our Viper Casino Software Guide.

In conclusion, downloading is as we've said the most popular of the two methods. It's easy to set up and there's always plenty of support on hand to help you should you need it. You'll also enjoy stunning graphics too, and you can get more control over how you play.

The No Download Option

The main differences between the two options are speed, graphics quality and game options. So let's deal with each of the them.

Speed of set up: Taking the no download route works like this. At the casino site you'll usually see a button or link to click which will activate this option. On clicking it you will quickly be connected to the game server, then, choose your game, wait a few moments while it loads and off you go. Simple as that.

If you're playing for fun a simple registration is all that is usually required. To play for real cash you'll still need to register, open an account and make a deposit, but then it's the same for both methods.

Graphics Quality: Now don't get us wrong. The graphics used in most no download version is pretty good and getting better with the advent of Flash and Shockwave. (methods used to generate the graphics)

In fact in our opinion the gap is pretty narrowand you'll get the same game types e.g. Blackjack, Roulette, Video Poker etc.

Game Options: In almost all cases the number of games you'll get access to in the no download version will be less than in the download option. However you will find the most popular casino games included and when new games come out these are normally added to your choices.

For example a casino may offer over 100 games in the download version but only 70 or so in the no download version.

Where the no download option really scores is the fact that you can play the games from anywhere, there's no software to install on your PC and you don't have to be at your home PC to play. Once your account is opened you can play from anywhere.

In Summary

Whichever method you use to play at a casino is purely a matter of personal choice and circumstances. They're both pretty good nowadays. But If you're still a little bit apprehensive we suggest you might like to try the no download route first just to get started and get the feel of how things work. As we've said, there's nothing to install on your PC and it's simple, quick and easy.

Both methods will give you some very enjoyable gaming but for us, and it's purely our personal opinion, we prefer the download route. You get more games, more options and if you want to move onto another casino you can easily uninstall the software anytime you like.

So which should you choose, should it be download or no download? We say sample them both and weigh up the differences on a personal basis, for at the end of the day, it's the one that suits you that counts. If you'd like a good casino to start at, try our featured casino above. They have both options and they are easy to use.

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