Gambling dates back to the 2300bc in China. In the Chinese ‘Book of Songs,’ there is a reference to “the drawing of wood” that indicates the tiles may have been used for some sort of lottery. The history of the casino was perhaps earliest established in Venice in 1638 when the first controlled betting environment was created. The Las Vegas Strip in the US would later be born from the ashes of the Depression Era, and the rest as we say is history.
The First Online Casino
Things escalated so first since the invention of the internet in 1991, one of them being online gambling. Microgaming, a pioneer in online casino game development, was the first software provider to venture into the online space in 1994. At that time, the industry was only worth $5 million with growth prospects. As competition heated up and casinos started coming up in the UK, strategies to give 10 free spins without deposit for UK users made people register for accounts. InterCasino, the first online casino, was established in 1996, and from that others followed suit. It’s also expected to be where the first winnings in the online gambling space took place. Free spins no deposit strategies became a popular way of getting new players to register at casinos even as countries grappled with what was seen to be dangerous territory.
Regulatory bodies that had already been set up to license land-based casinos were reconfigured to regulate online entries. Malta and The UK Gambling Commission are some of the best-known controlling bodies.
The Most Popular Game in Online Casinos
The most popular games at online casinos are Blackjack and Roulette. Though they are both games of chance, players get ahead by using set strategies, making them both feel a little like games of skill. Speaking of roulette, it was once nicknamed the Devil’s game because the numbers on the wheel add up to 666, which has for long been associated with the devil.
As time goes by, slots are slowly overtaking the two above as the internet’s biggest sensation as far as online gaming goes. Since they are easy to play and can be done exclusively through the internet – phone even – slots are becoming a real hit. They are known for free spins and numerous bonuses that help players win even bigger. Add the small sizes of bets to that list and you will discover why most players would rather go to the slots tables even online.
The Country with the Highest Number of Online Gamblers
The United Kingdom has the biggest number of active gamblers when measured on a weekly basis. Though that doesn’t put it on the top of the list, the gamblers here are more active than anywhere else in the world. Generally, gambling in the UK is only allowed for people over 21 years, but some casinos seem to admit younger players according to data available on players. China leads with the amounts spent the most per person, followed by the US and Japan.
Over the years, countries have realized they cannot do much to prevent their citizens from gambling online at offshore casinos. There is strict regulation in most parts of the world – such as Japan – as governments try and work out how to capture revenue from gambling without leading to the moral decay of their citizens.
The Future has more Interesting Things about Casino Industry
The origin of gambling is always fascinating, but even more intriguing is the future. We are now seeing the emergence of cryptocurrency casinos as players seek more discreet methods of payment. Live gaming is now a little overshadowed by Virtual Reality (VR) gaming, and mobile gaming is all the rage.
