The ability to play Backgammon online isn’t all that new, but the popularity of its existence has certainly grown to new heights over the last year or so. Online backgammon is a great way to play the game that so many of us have come to love and respect.

Dating back 5,000 years, backgammon is one of the oldest registered games still in existence today. The conventional backgammon game has an incredibly rich history, but the evolution of its online counterpart is still being recorded in the record books. At this point, there are pros and cons to each version of the game, online and offline.

Online Backgammon vs. Conventional Backgammon

There’s just something about the game of backgammon that has attracted so many enthusiasts over the years. As technological advancement bring about online backgammon capabilities, one is left to question which might be better – a traditional game of backgammon, seated at a table, face to face with your opponent, or an online backgammon game where you can instantly compete with players from all over the world, 24/7/365?

Well, I think we just about covered most of the differences between online and offline backgammon in our question, but we’ll go a bit further into detail.

Conventional, face-to-face backgammon games give skilled players an edge over their opponents, using intimidation tactics via behavior, facial expressions and emotional displays (or a lack there of). Some consider a live backgammon game to be more intense. Unfortunately, you can’t always play backgammon anytime the urge strikes you.

Online backgammon solves this dilemma, presenting the ability to play against a live opponent anytime of the day or night. An American could wake up at 4am with the desire to play backgammon, and sure enough, there’s someone on the other side of the world – Germany, Australia, Russia, wherever – that is ready and willing to strike up a game.

With today’s technology, online backgammon is lightning fast and experiences very little disconnection issues. Whether you simply want to play for fun and bragging rights, or for real-money, online backgammon certainly has its advantages.

Special Advantages of Online Backgammon

We’ve compared the common denominators, but what about special exceptions that can only be found in the online version of the game? Most notably, we’re speaking of backgammon welcome bonuses. Like most online gaming sites where players are able to wager real money, online backgammon players will often find generous welcome bonuses awaiting them.

A typical backgammon welcome bonus is offered to a new member of an online backgammon site when they make their very first deposit. They may receive a welcome bonus matching their deposit 40-100% up to $100, $200 or more. Some online backgammon sites don’t even require a deposit, granting a small free-play bonus just for signing up.