Can you imagine life without the Internet? The World Wide Web has become an integral part of everyday life, and whether we like it or not, we are largely dependent on it. The web changed the way many industries work and spawned countless new ones. One of the fields that was greatly affected was gaming – we’re talking about casino games, sports betting, poker and lotteries.
Today, literally thousands of online casinos and bookmakers exist and the gambling industry has become a billion-dollar business. In this article you will find a brief history of gambling.
The Popularization Of Casino Sites
Soon after the launch of the first online casinos, many more providers appeared and the field became extremely competitive. By the end of 1998, there were more than 700 real money casinos on the Internet and in addition to the casino portals, the first poker rooms were also opened. Each operator strove to be the biggest and the best and to attract many new customers through various means. One of these methods is still used today – we are talking about the welcome bonus, of course.
Due to the strong competition among online gambling providers, the quality of games and software also started to increase continuously. More and more new features were added. Progressive jackpots, themed slots and multiplayer games were just some of the things that really added to the appeal of online casinos. Online slots have emerged as the most popular casino game. You can find out more about the history of slots here.
Contemporary Developments
The latest craze in the field are the live dealer games, which initiate the best entertainment and where you can gamble against real croupiers in real time. This way, an authentic casino experience is provided. It is not for nothing that live casino games are preferred over RNG variants by most players today.
The mobile market is developing rapidly and casino optimization for all mobile devices is even going from trend to must. As a result, every renowned online casino has optimized its offer for mobile use as well. This way, players can also enjoy their favorite games anywhere and anytime.
Origins Of Sports Betting
Online betting has several advantages over traditional betting shopsShortly after the popularization of casino sites, the first betting portal appeared on the market. In 1996, Intertops became the first bookmaker in the world to take the first online bet. With the beginning of the new millennium, more and more sports betting providers appeared. Similar to casinos, the field of online sports betting was very competitive. Online betting became the new hobbyhorse and bookmakers started attracting new customers with new customer bonuses, free betting coupons and especially high odds. Never before had it been so easy to place your bets.
In 2002, several online bookmakers even introduced live betting to their betting programs. This allowed sports betting fans to place their bets even after the game had started. In order to provide sports bettors with a more comprehensive betting experience, the biggest betting portals now offer live streams. Through these live broadcasts, one can follow various sports events in real time anytime and anywhere.