History of Online Gambling

Nowadays, the world is virtually unimaginable without the Internet. Although it’s a relatively new invention, lots of people still remember the life before it. But the younger generations can’t even think what it’s like not to have everyday access to the Web. They do lots of things on it — communicate, watch videos, play games, and much, much more. And, of course, many people use the Internet for gambling.

The online casino industry is literally sprouting all over the world. Gambling websites exist in the majority of countries. In addition to online casinos and betting sites, there are plenty of informational platforms that contain articles and reviews about casinos and their games.

The history of gambling itself is very long and dates back to Ancient Rome. But the real popularity came during the time of the Wild West. Then, casinos started to appear in America, and cowboys played various games at them. In modern times, you don’t even need to go to a casino to gamble — you can do it without leaving your home at all. Everything you need to do is to open an online gambling website, register there, and find a game that you would like to play. It’s that simple!

Now then, let us delve into the details of the online gambling history.

The beginning: 1990s

The era of Internet gambling started as long ago as in the 1990s. Back then, lots of enterprises in that sphere began their work during this period. It was the beginning of Internet commerce, and many companies started operating online. Virtual casinos were among the first of them.

1. Allegedly, the year of the very first Internet casino opening was 1994, but it’s unknown which exact casino it was and whether it has survived until now. However, we know that it was launched by Microgaming and Cryptologic. Also, in the same year, Antigua and Barbuda passed an act that permitted Internet casinos to register there. Nowadays, gambling platforms with the license of this tropical island country are usually thought to be unreliable and shady.
2. During the period from 1996 to 1997, internet casinos were appearing in large numbers. Before then, they were only 15, but afterward, their number increased to 200. Since then, it has been growing continuously till the present day.
3. In those times, online casino games (like any computer games)  were rather primitive compared to modern ones. But by the standards of that era, they were really advanced. Also, the standard regulations were not so strict as nowadays — lots of independent organizations and auditors necessary for them were not required. So, it’s not surprising at all that the first Internet casino probably didn’t manage to keep on functioning. The most “ancient” online gambling platforms were founded in 1996-1997, and they are extremely few.
4. Then, 1998 came and brought along the first websites dedicated to online poker. Even at this time, the whole Internet gambling industry cost a whopping 830 mln dollars. But of course, it was just the beginning. In 1999, casino games with multiple players appeared, which created brand new possibilities for gamblers’ to interact with each other. Some people think that it led to the birth of a super popular and extremely profitable MMORPG genre.

The current situation 

Many years have passed since the times of the first online casino’s inception. Lots of online casinos have appeared and developed. Some of them have been truly influential, and some were only little known. Some did their best to improve themselves, while others’ level was extremely low. 

Let us see what changes have occurred since the beginning of the online gambling epoch.

• Now, the best online casinos use the most advanced technology to provide their players with a safe and comfortable gambling experience not only on PCs but also on mobile gadgets from smartphones to tablets. There are platforms that have their own apps and platforms with only mobile versions of their main website, which is often very well-optimized, so it’s no worse than any app. 

• We’ve already mentioned that the earliest online casino games were rather simple and even primitive by today’s standards. Nowadays, some people might dislike them for being too crude, having poor quality graphics, and really few options. But at the beginning of the online gambling era, the mere fact that you can play casino games for cash while not leaving your home seemed amazing and unbelievable. Now, it has become a completely ordinary thing — you’ve got the possibility to do it anywhere and at any time.

• With the growth of casino sites’ numbers and the competition between them, they started to become better and better. They offer more attractive bonuses, more interesting games, and various VIP programs for their loyal players. During the 2000s, it was not enough just to exist for those sites anymore — it was necessary to improve.

• Then, such a notable invention as the progressive jackpot appeared. Also, people could now play at live dealer online casinos or choose a slot with a theme that they like the most. Slots’ design wasn’t simple anymore. Now it was the trend for many various themes — interesting, fascinating, exotic. Pirates, myths and legends from all over the world, adventures, holidays, wild nature… there was something for every gambler, even the pickiest one. Nowadays, this tendency is still growing, and the majority of slot machines have at least one amazing theme. Sometimes, themes are combined (for example, holidays and animals or adventures and myths).

• Another thing is mobile versions of online casinos. When Apple started producing iPhones, lots of gamblers began to need their favorite websites to be opened on those devices. And soon, such a function really appeared. It created a completely new possibility — now, you could play internet casino games not only at home but anywhere you wanted — at work, in your car during a traffic jam, in a large and a slow-moving queue… The only thing that you needed was a stable, well-working Internet connection.

But the best option is given to poker fans. They have a truly unique possibility to attend international poker tournaments. For it, they need to win a special satellite competition first.

For Gamblers to Note

The Internet casino industry is enormously successful. Its overall profits can be measured in billions of dollars. Nevertheless, not all countries are ready to accept it. In some of them, gambling in all (or almost all) possible forms is simply banned, but in others, lawmakers have tight connections with regular casinos and don’t want any extra competition for them. 

A good example of such a country is the United States. But even Americans tried to legalize Internet gambling, which is not surprising at all — with its immense popularity and profitability, this business sector is incredibly attractive!