Get to Know the History of Online Casinos

As the internet nears its 30th birthday, we have looked at how the online gaming industry has flourished in the short time since its inception. In the early years of the World Wide Web, there was no software or technology in place to accept online transfers, and this took a few years to become usable for mass-market transactions. Although the delay in having suitable software available for gaming companies slowed progress in the early years, the industry soon caught up and expanded at a rapid speed.

The Beginning of Online Gambling
The internet started in the early nineties, and it wasn’t until 1996 that any bookmakers had a website that was capable of taking wagers. There is some contention around which was the first website to make a betting transaction, and many believe it to be Intertops . The first betting transaction that took place was placed on the result of a Tottenham Hotspur v Hereford United football game with the lucky punter making a small profit. There were a few other gambling websites created around the same time. Centrebet was the main competitor and was released in Australia. Many other gambling websites were created over the following two years, and the gaming industry online started to grow in popularity as more people began to use the internet instead of traditional casinos and betting shops. According to Wikipedia, a report compiled by Frost & Sullivan stated that “online gambling revenues had exceeded $830 million in 1998 alone”, and this has continued to grow every year.

Rising Popularity of Online Gambling 
There were over 700 online money casinos located around the world by 1998, and the industry has continued to flourish since those early days. With many countries now seeing the benefits in having a regulated online gaming industry, it has made placing a bet easier, safer, and much more fun. As online casinos continued to grow in popularity, so did the technology and software that the websites use to offer an ever-increasing number of available games. Users can get a guide to the wide variety of games available at CasinoTopsOnline to help decide which online casinos to use, and what bonuses are on offer. There has been rapid development of mobile technology in recent years, allowing gamers to access great casino games through their smartphones and tablet devices. Most major land-based casinos now have an online presence to cater to their customer’s needs.

Regulation of Online Casinos 
In the early years of the internet, many countries struggled to understand how best to regulate the online gaming industry. In 1994 Antigua and Barbuda were quick to allow online gambling companies to operate from their shores. Many of the lucrative markets such as the UK, Australia, Canada implemented regulations in the 2000s which further helped to expand the market. The introduction of regulations protected the consumer and quickly eliminated the number of thefts by out-of-country operated websites. In November 2010 New Jersey became the first US state to allow online gambling, giving players the chance to wager online with state-based gaming companies. Most countries that have a gaming industry now have regulations in place and many countries where gaming is illegal players are still able to use websites based elsewhere.

Continued Development of Online Casinos
As technology keeps improving and competition becomes fiercer, gaming companies are continuing to develop new games to keep their customers loyal and entertained. Players can now play a variety of slot games, including multi-line slots, progressive slots, and classic slots. Online casinos will often have most of the major sporting events on offer, allowing users to place a bet and watch the event through the casino. Recently live play has become exceedingly popular, allowing gamers to play classic casino games against each other in real-time. Additionally, with the increasing prevalence of virtual reality in gaming, you can expect advancements in interactivity in this area as well. Using mobile devices to play games has become increasingly popular, and we have seen many improvements on playability as well as the variety of games available through these personal devices.

The Future of Online Gaming
The future of online gaming will continue to focus on the expanding mobile market as this is where tremendous growth is expected. Naturally, game developers will continue to produce new games that players can enjoy on both desktop computers and mobile devices. When it comes to payments, many of the large gaming companies have already started to accept virtual currency such as Bitcoin, and we will see many more websites follow suit. Gaming against other users will continue to be popular as these games have become some of the most played online, and as internet speeds improve, we will see more players enjoy live games, along with new and completely immersive experiences through the use of virtual reality. From where we’re standing, the future of online casinos and gaming is a bright one indeed.