It is quite difficult to say when online gambling first began. But, it is believed that online casinos came into existence in 1996. This is more than twenty years ago, but still, the concept of gambling online is growing with people engaging more than ever.
That means, people can today gamble online, be it poker sites or sports booking. Online gambling is a multibillion-dollar industry, and everything you see in this area will get better and more popular in the years to come. Online casinos have improved and are continually evolving.
Because of the competitive nature of the gambling world, continuous improvements and innovations are keeping it alive. The role of technology is going to be a crucial factor in the near future of online gambling. In this article, you can get an insight into the history of online gaming and what you can expect in the years to come.
A brief history of how online casinos started:
If the inception of online casinos is connected to a single big event, it is the Free Trade and Processing Act’ by the authorities of Antigua and Barbuda. The law was passed in the early 90s, which gave the Caribbean nation the right to grant licenses to companies who want to start online gambling casinos.
Coincidence, you may call it, but in the same year, about 4000 miles away from this small place, a software company named Microgaming came into existence. Back then, the company was tiny in terms of budget and employees. Yet, it didn’t prevent them from becoming one of the world’s first functional online casinos.
Back then, the online casino was named The Gaming Club’ s, and it took the world by storm when it gave players the chance to play the casino games online. What’s more interesting is that people were able to play games on computers in a period where people were yet to grasp the World Wide Web (www).
How The Gaming Club Website Looked in January 1998:
In later years, many companies made similar claims and tried to establish their name. But, the hard work and dedication of the team at Microgaming were outstanding. The constant endeavor on their part led the company to achieve effective results. This way, Microgaming became a true symbol of innovation and emerged as the world leader in the gaming industry.
It was however in the year 1995 that another player made its entry. CryptoLogic, a company that specializes in money transactions within the internet, was on the verge of creating an online casino with real money transactions. They launched InterCasino in 1996, which was the first online casino and it still functions today, where players get chances to bet real cash.
How the Intercasino website looked in January 1997:
This company revolutionized the way of money transactions over the internet, making the experience safe and fast for the gamblers. CryptoLogic shares a special place in the history of online gambling casinos alongside Microgaming.
The popularization of online casino sites:
Soon investors began to realize the potentiality of online casinos after the successful launch of the first ones. In a very short time, online casinos became popular among people because the games provided exciting ways to enjoy gambling from your home. Within a few months, many companies took inspiration from InterCasino and started to launch online casinos.
Numerous casinos popped up, and the market became competitive. Each of them strove to become the best by providing a variety of games. Gambling companies came up with different schemes to attract more consumers than their competitors. That was the rise of welcome bonuses.
Because of heavy competition, the quality of software and games skyrocketed. More features were introduced, and soon the online casinos became a massive hit. Innovative features like progressive jackpots and themed slots were implemented.
The rise of live dealer games:
As technologies evolved from time to time, players were experiencing the games better. Software flaws became rare, sound effects were far more realistic, and the graphics were mesmerizing. But, a major percentage of hardcore gamblers still preferred the old method of a brick-and-mortar casino.
However, a change was beginning to develop with the launching of live dealer games. With the advent of modern technologies, players were able to watch live streams of the games while playing. These days, live dealer games are chosen by many gamblers when playing table games.
Introduction of mobile casinos:
Online casinos had to reach another milestone when smartphones became popular. The emergence of mobile devices compelled online casinos to adapt to this new technology. Tablets and smartphones are devices with endless capabilities.
Even the most budget smartphone today provide more computing power than the laptops or desktops of 15 years ago. Because of this, reputed casinos have invested lots of effort, time, and money into making their sites mobile-friendly.
Today the casino games are optimized to run on the recent tablet or smartphone like they run on modern-day computers. If you have never played on the go or a seasoned player, you may try playing casino games on your mobile devices. With exclusive bonus features and amazing quality, these games have come a long way..
Beginning of online sports betting:
After the online gaming casinos became popularized, online sports betting was next to follow their footsteps. Intertops was the first site that provided the service way back in 1996. Almost every existing bookmaker began to create their websites, and new companies emerged on the market.
Similar to online casinos, the area of sports betting was competitive. To attract more players, operators began to provide free bets, bonuses, enhanced odds, and other features. Since 2002, many online bookmakers launched live betting on their sites. This way, players were allowed to place bets while the sports event was going on.
This approach became popular with the gamblers and improved the popularity of the betting sites. The online betting sites became superior to the conventional, land-based bookmakers. Although the later exists and does a good job, the online is preferred by most players around the world.
What about online poker?
These days, you’ll find that online poker is popular. In 1998, the whole thing began with the introduction of Poker Planet, which was the first site to provide its players with online poker. Although slow speed internet and specific technical issues led the website to perform decently, that didn’t stop the gamblers from getting hooked to it.
As time went by, better websites emerged, and the demand rose higher. Online poker sites could suddenly challenge the land-based tournaments in terms of the quality of the games and the variety of games available. A website called Paradise Poker was introduced to the gamblers in 1999, and it worked wonders for them.
Most importantly, the website featured different poker versions such as Seven-Card Stud, Five-Card Draw, 2-7 Triple Draw, Omaha, and Texas Hold’Em. The website became successful and adored by players. On top of that, the online poker landscape changed when Chris Moneymaker, a gambler, won the 2003 Poker World Series.
He won astonishing prize money of $2.5 million. By playing a online tournament of $40 at PokerStars, he qualified for the final tournament. After Chris won the tournament with an awesome reward, many gamblers started dreaming about achieving this feat. This led to a sudden boom in demand for online poker.
What can you expect from future developments in online casino gaming?
We talked to OnlineCasinos.net they have been reviewing the best online casinos since 2001, about what they think the future trends will be for online casinos:
Online casinos have been around for over twenty years after its launch in 1996. Since then, there has been remarkable progress in this industry. It has come a long way and has become a 50 billion USD industry.
But, it can be hard for the casino sites to keep the players on the same site because there are many casinos to choose from. The industry’s continuous improvements, innovations, and competitive nature are keeping them ahead in their businesses.
Using different kinds of technology, online gambling casinos and bookies cater to their valuable users’ needs. The online gaming business represents a quick-rising sector bestowed with regular progress and innovations. The recent developments in technology have helped them design intuitive games for gaming enthusiasts.
As you know, the first company that made online gambling a reality was Microgaming. At that time, not many people had the privilege of owning a computer and a stable internet connection. As the gaming industry continues to evolve over time, you can have some predictions rolling. Based on recent achievements, here are some advancements that can play crucial roles in shaping this industry.
Technological improvements:
Technology tends to improve over time, and it has brought regular changes in every sphere of life. After observing incredible profits in the betting industry, new software enterprises are beginning to enter the market. Technology is improving the entire industry.
You may have seen the emergence of mobile games in recent times that captured the attention of many online gamblers. Along with mobile gaming, you can hear terms such as augmented reality and virtual reality.
What is augmented reality?
One of the futuristic developments for every online casino should be augmented reality. This technology allows live games to be more appealing and enthralling. With this fantastic thing, you can meet real and new people while enjoying the game in a virtual environment. Players get to interact with the live dealers and manage to place bets without even leaving their homes.
The augmented reality, which has taken over the world by storm, is a fast-growing technological advancement that has introduced 360-degree experience. Online gamblers are now able to have an understanding of the situation on other tables around and make consistent decisions. The chances could be compared with the results as derived from the land-based casinos.
Have fun with virtual reality without leaving home:
Virtual reality has been around in the video gaming industry for a long time. However, the casino industry has accepted this technology, and they have started incorporating virtual reality casino games for gamblers to play from anywhere. It is expected that there would be a flow of such games in the near future as more and more people get to lay their hands on this device.
While using this modern invention, gamers are allowed to enter into the universe of virtual surroundings to feel an amazing atmosphere. The first company to introduce virtual reality technology was SlotsMillion Casino in 2015. After that, the casino industry encountered progress when it allowed players to enjoy modern virtual reality slots.
Some casino experts believe that the new technology brings in two types of improvements, limitless gaming, and gameplay improvement. Because of this innovative technology, players can access a range of real-time graphics and overall engagement. You don’t have to leave your home to enjoy this intuitive technology.
Blockchain, the newest technology in the gaming industry:
Blockchain is the latest technology, without which certain developments in the gambling industry aren’t possible. The technology helps to speed up and simplify the monetary transactions carried out daily. The process is quite interesting because intermediaries aren’t involved during the transaction, and players can receive the winning money with less trouble.
Blockchain has brought many advantages to the gambling world. Some of the cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin allows the players to make a secure and fast transaction. Casino owners profit from this form of currency because third parties don’t take a share, and the transactions are transparent. Cryptocurrency works like digital currencies.
They are not issued or regulated by any government. With the rise of cryptocurrency providers such as Bitcoin, Ripple, Dash, Ethereum, and many more, casino owners started to accept these payment methods at large.You don’t have to give your bank or personal details when you use this kind of digital transaction.
Blockchain technology is all about transparency. When people gamble, transparency is important because it is all about money. Blockchain makes the transaction much easy for players and casino operators.
However, there are also cons, to cryptocurrency, they are still very large fluctuations on the value of the coins. Problem with marked manipulation, and legal issues.
Wearable technology:
Because online gambling also targets the youth market, casinos should be smartphone compatible. Those companies who are developing the recent smartphone app technology, have chances to stay at top. That’s because the majority of people have shifted from using traditional computers to mobile phones.
Following this trend, the next smart device that people tend to wear more would be wearable technology like the smartwatch. With this new technology, you can place bets on the go through your smartwatch. Whether you are at the gym, work, or somewhere else, placing bets would be easier.
Improved communication with casino apps:
Over the past few years, there has been a fall in the number of land-based casinos worldwide because online gambling has taken over the traditional method of playing games. Companies who don’t want to be left out in the open, need to improve on their games by creating virtual casinos with the help of intuitive apps.
The technology of the future, IoT:
IoT, or the Internet of Things’ is a technology that is going to revolutionize many things in our day-to-day life, and online gambling is no different. This technology has the potential to cast a major impact on the virtual slot play. Simply put, the IoT technology makes it possible to communicate from one machine to another.
The future tech allows you to connect devices that normally don’t go through an online network. For instance, your refrigerator can order more milk if it senses that you are low in amount. There is zero human involvement during the transaction.
This breathtaking technology may help to personalize slot play by knowing your personal preferences, such as how you play and what you like. A personalized experience is one of the many things that attract gamblers to an online casino.
Online gambling is all about enjoying the convenience and comfort of games mixed with personalized and exciting experiences. IoT may help to attain this experience by using sensors and cameras in your phone to get the data and analyze them.
The Conclusion:
The number of online casino users mostly lies between the age group 18 and 35 years. And, people of this age are the main users of smartphones. With modern technology, the gambling industry is about to reach new heights in the near future.
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