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History Of Online Casinos

Photo by Adi Coco on Unsplash

Gone are the days when internet casinos and people saw gambling sites as a massive rip-off. With the advancement in internet speed and security with each passing day, it would be very unfortunate or foolish to still end up at a shady online gambling site nowadays. With just a little investigation, you can find a reputable online gambling site that is registered with the regulatory authorities that oversee the industry today. There are countless places with games like poker, blackjack, slots, and many others. Now let’s discuss some of the most important aspects of the history of online casinos, of which many other interesting details can be found at gamblingdom.com. And this will serve to understand why they are such a huge phenomenon right now.

A troublesome past

Due to a lack of an independent organization monitoring online transactions and operational integrity of a particular site, the online gambling business reached a stage of uncontrolled expansion sometime in the mid-'90s. That in turn gave birth to a multitude of scams that were associated with this sector. The following is a quick overview of how the internet gambling industry is rapidly displacing traditional gambling techniques in today's fast-paced world.  

The year 1994 was the start of it all. Due to sluggish internet rates, the initial few online gambling sites only gave play money to participants, and gaming was scarcely engaging. Money passing hands via the internet may have been the buzz of the town at the time, but owing to security issues, conducting financial transactions was almost impossible at the time. The internet is quickly being accepted as the way of the future. A slew of new ISPs (Internet Service Providers) began to pop up in every part of the nation, resulting in heated rivalry among service providers.

Where it all started

As a result, rivals were able to keep up with fast advancements in technology and service. By 1996, the technology had matured to the point where it could handle safe online financial transactions through this new means of communication. Cryptologic created the first secure online transaction software for the online gaming business, and since then, technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, boosting customer trust. Intercasino was the first to make a real-money transaction in 1996.  

A new sector arose, and for these entrepreneurial gambling-oriented businesses, business was flourishing as usual. Although by 1997, stories of internet gambling frauds, especially sports betting, had become commonplace. Transactions were not secure, and most online gambling sites were always physically located in little-known countries like Antigua Barbuda, a small Caribbean island that began to issue licenses to online gambling sites (mostly based in the United States). All online gambling sites moved south of the border to register as legitimate, certified, and secure online gambling sites.  

With the "Internet Gambling Prohibition Act," the United States attempted to establish laws to prohibit internet gambling, but the measure failed to pass. By 1998, the internet gambling sector had generated $834.5 million in revenue. It was now apparent that this tendency would continue indefinitely.  

By 1998, the internet gambling sector had generated $834.5 million in revenue, and this number was just beginning to grow tremendously. The business was still in its infancy and on the verge of exploding, and only the appropriate set of procedures could help it establish itself as a new industry on the horizon. Intercasino made the first real money transaction in 1996, and it set the gaming industry on fire from there. Antigua and Barbuda were some of the first nations to issue online gambling licenses in 1997. It has been a hotspot for online gambling licenses for enterprises all over the globe, notably in the United States for sports betting, for many years.  

As the online gambling business continued to develop at a rapid pace, additional nations wanted a piece of the action and began issuing licenses to online gambling companies from all over the world with enticing tax incentives. Lasseter's Online was the first online casino in Australia, launching in the early part of 1999, and was the first online gaming business to provide an interactive gaming experience with a multiplayer live chat option.

The current days

With the emergence of high-speed Internet in the early years of the twenty-first century, interactive online casinos and sports betting began to take form. The convenience of not needing to dress up to go to the casino or a sports bar appealed to the majority of gamblers. In the year 1999, Australia became the first developed country to give licenses for online gambling and betting with safe online transactions, establishing a worldwide trend.  

Arriving licensees were imposed on according to the parameters set by the charter produced by Australian government officials, and Australia was overwhelmed with license requests from across the world to operate their business through Australian regulations imposed on incoming licensees. Most banks still have reservations about internet financial transactions, so they had to become involved. As the internet became increasingly capable of managing real-time communication, several types of online gambling began to arise.  

It should be noted that many other countries hand out licenses regularly, such as:

  • Malta;
  • Cyprus;
  • Curaçao;
  • and many others.

Today's online casino industry is a difficult and competitive one, with major players pouring millions of dollars into marketing and research to provide the finest and safest user experience possible. Wild and insane casino games like the Book of Dead provide a unique and intuitive gaming experience that is, in many respects, much more exciting than visiting a local casino.  

Since the first online casino opened its doors in 1996, the online gambling business has developed rapidly and now accounts for a considerable share of global gaming activity. There are hundreds of high-quality online casinos available today, as well as online poker portals, sports betting websites, and much more. Online gambling has evolved to be a multibillion-dollar business that will only continue to expand in the coming years. Allow us to offer you a quick overview of the history of the online casino business.