Wagering has been here since the dawn of time. People just like to play and bet their money on a certain game outcome, be it on a single roll of a dice or a horse race. Nowadays, gambling looks a bit different, look at the irish bookmakers not on gamstop. Just a couple of decades ago, if you wanted to wager money, you needed to visit your local gambling establishment, but these days you can do it from the comfort of your own couch. This is due to the rise of a particular niche of gambling called online casinos. Online casinos also evolved over the recent years as the Internet grew and developed. Here’s a short history of online casinos and how they’ve changed over the years.
The Humble Beginnings
Online casinos have gained popularity in the last decade, although the first one was launched in 1994. It was developed by Microgaming, a business that has since become a household name. Online casinos didn’t take off instantly – one of the reasons was that the available hardware didn’t support 3D graphics and spectacular visuals.
The popularity of online gaming sites was further hampered by a number of other obstacles. Online casinos need an internet connection, and while it was accessible in the 90s’, it wasn’t until a decade later that wi-fi became widely available, fast, and reliable. Rather than a lack of interest, it was a lack of infrastructure that kept the first online casino from quickly gaining traction.
Licensing Developments
Today, it’s normal to gamble at licensed and regulated casinos. Antigua and Barbuda, a Caribbean nation, ratified the Free Trade Agreement in 1994 and began issuing internet gaming licences. In order to ensure the legitimacy of online casinos at the time, this measure was necessary.
More and more nations, including Canada, Australia, and the U.K., began to approve licenses after seeing the success that this legislation provided. New Jersey became the first state in the United States to legalize online gaming.
Payment Options
Everyone was ecstatic when the first online casinos began to appear. However, during the beginning of the Internet, people were hesitant to provide their credit card details and bank account information when depositing cash.
However, as soon as gamers realised that many casinos were authentic, licensed, and controlled by their respective nations, this fear waned. All of today’s reputable and well-known online casinos accept a wide variety of payment options, including credit and debit cards, e-wallets, crypto, as well as checks and bank transfers.
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Mobile Online Casinos
When online casinos first started gaining traction, people could only play from their computers. Mobile phones weren’t as advanced and didn’t support the internet connection, let alone have the amazing graphics we associate with mobile casinos in this day and age. As cell phones became essentially smaller versions of computers, online casino operators saw the opportunity of developing games that could be played on the go.
The Improvement of Graphics
Online casinos are now expected to deliver high-Definition (HD) images and sound effects. Internet casino developers are always adapting to new technology in order to provide their clients with the most exciting experience.
The first online casinos relied on Flash technology to animate pictures and bring sound effects to players. With the death of Flash being announced a couple of years ago, game providers had to find a new way to bring the best possible graphics to life. This is where HTML5 technology emerged which is commonly used nowadays.
The Future of Casinos
It’s hard to imagine the world without gambling. This industry is ever-changing with technological advancements. The newest development was the introduction of live-play casinos once streaming became widespread. When it comes to future developments, some are suggesting that VR casinos will become the industry standard in the next couple of years. Who knows? Whatever happens, we can now expect that the graphics will only get better and payment methods more reliable.
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