Online gambling is so prevalent today that it wouldn't be strange for many of us to forget that its history isn't very long. The internet itself is only 30 years old! Many of us were children even before the internet became a reality.
Then, even though the history of online gambling is short, many things have happened since its inception. That's why we wanted to take a closer look at how online gambling came about, how it developed despite the many obstacles and how it became so prevalent today.
The early days were fraught with difficulties, so it will be fun to take a look at how something we take for granted today has become what it is. Let's take a closer look.
The early 90s
Internet to the public appeared in the early 90s and it didn't take long for bookmakers to create the first website that runs people's bets. The benefits of online gambling were understood immediately, and here is why the first gambling website
gambling went online in 1996. Nobody knows exactly which website was the first ever, as many websites were created around the same time.
Many believe that the first gambling website was Intertops. com. The first transaction and first bet was placed on a football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Hereford United. And yes, the player was lucky because they made a small win on the bet.
Very soon, Intertops.com got its first major competitor in the form of an Australian betting website called centrebet.com.
The first Bookmakers and Online Casinos
It's easy to think that this all happened easily, but the reality is that early bookmakers had a hard time making online transactions possible. Let us remember that at that time there was no such software as PayPal that could make it possible. Even worse, the technology of online transactions itself had not yet been developed.
Nonetheless, with the advent of the first gambling websites, many more soon followed and more and more games were added to the sites. They were also born the first online casinos and in 1998 there were about 700 in the world. Additionally, online gambling revenue exceeded $ 830 million in the same year.
Flourishing years
Beginning in 1998, the years of exponential growth for online gambling began. More and more nations have begun to reap the benefits of online gaming, so they have begun to regulate the market. This allowed for more options and greater security for both gamers and websites, further facilitating their spread. Betting just got a lot easier, completely safe and really fun.
All this has made the industry and the market grow considerably. The technology has been constantly improved and new types of games have been made. Websites such as casinoit.org with hints and tips on how to play e tricks to win at roulette and other casino games.
Of course, it wasn't all that easy and it certainly didn't go smoothly for everyone. For example, many countries had problems understanding the new sector and did not know how to regulate it. The first country to successfully facilitate online gambling was Antigua and Barbuda in 1994. The Caribbean nation has allowed online gaming companies to run their businesses within their borders.
The 2000s
In the early 2000s, the first large countries with profitable gambling markets developed their first regulations. The most important countries were the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. As you already know, some countries, such as the United States, have been slow to follow and have largely ignored the new market. For example, the first US state to legalize online gambling was New Jersey, and it did so in 2010!
The latest developments
In recent years, the world of online gambling has come a long way since its inception. Technology continues to improve and gaming websites are improving to entertain players and turn them into loyal customers.
You can now play a wide variety of slot games, including classic, multiline and progressive slots. More importantly, you can bet on sporting events while they are still in progress, which is why live betting and live casino games have become hugely popular in recent years.Plus online gambling is now fully functional on a wide range of devices, something almost unimaginable just a couple of years ago. You can play on your phone, tablet and more, not just your desktop computer.
What the future will bring
The future looks very bright for online gambling. We can already see that a couple of exciting technologies they are preparing to join the world of online gambling. In particular, virtual reality is likely to enter the market soon and offer unprecedented levels of interactivity to gamers.
Of course, the world of mobile gambling is set to grow even more in the years to come and it is likely that smartphones will become the primary devices people use to gamble online.
Online payments are now an everyday thing and many websites use a lot of different payment methods, including bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The years to come are likely to introduce cryptocurrency to most online casinos and other gambling sites.
Additionally, with the speed of the Internet increasing, we are likely to see further developments in gambling such as player versus player events and the advent of Virtual Reality gambling.
All in all, the future of online gambling is definitely fantastic!
