The History of Online Gambling

                                                                                      
The internet cannot be overemphasized when we look at the number of ways it has influenced the world. One of those ways in which the internet has exerted its influence is in Online Casinos. The moment the opportunity to float casinos on the internet surfaced, a lot of casino operators tried to create a seat for themselves at the table which brought about different online casinos, sports bookmakers, and poker sites. This development has however, not been without its own challenges.
The middle of the 1990s brought about the very first sets of online casinos and this was around the time the Free Trade and Processing Act was passed by Antigua and Barbuda. This act made it possible for casino operators get the required licenses in starting an online casino.
When this act was passed, a technology company named Microgaming sprang up. This company was the first company to create a really functioning online gaming software. The company is standing up till today and is regarded on of the most trusted software providers in the internet gaming industry.
In Canada, another big leap was taken and this is the opening of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, a Mohawk Indian Tribal commission established to issue licenses to online gaming operators.
In 1996, he first casino opened online but there is an argument about which website was first and when it opened. Some sources claim it was InterCasino while some think it is GamingClub (created by Microgaming) and that it opened in late 1995. For the rest of the 1990s, online gaming became increasingly popular and irrespective of who was believed to be the first to come aboard, before the end of 1996, several others had come on board so it was no longer about who came first, it became about who got patronized more. Within a year the number of online casinos had reached 200 and by 1998, revenues from the industry had reached a staggering $830 million.
With the strong foothold online casino had gotten, sports betting came into play. InterTops came to be in 1996 and with the success they had, several others were willing to take advantage of this goldmine. Ideally there were offline sports betting businesses but they all started going online to expand their operations. These websites started with giving huge bonuses and free bets to attract new customers but then the variety and number of promotions increased and included things like cash back offers, contests that gave mouth-watering prizes, special odds. Over time, the sports betting industry matured and the promotions reduced but then some sites still offer them.
Around the year 2000, BetFair was launched. This site allowed players make bets between themselves and on whatever the players wagered, BetFair took a commission. In the year 2002, live betting was introduced. With live betting, players could place bets while the sporting event was actually going on. Live betting proved to be an exciting sports betting innovation and today, there are numerous events available in the live betting option. Now, players can place bets anywhere and any device now including mobile phones, tablets and any other mobile devices.

There may be a history to online gambling, but it has been recognized in Europe that internet gambling is the right of any legal adult and everyone can do as they wish.


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