How far have online casinos come?
The world of online gaming has changed a lot over the years. In the beginning, online casinos were simple things with just a few crude games. Today, there’s practically no point in paying for a trip to Vegas as online casinos offer more variety, better slots, and a far simpler playing experience. Let’s take a look at how it all began…
Hello, World Wide Web. Let’s play!
Online gambling is one of the oldest e-businesses. When the internet was introduced to the world in the early 1990s, it didn’t take long for a few tech-savvy people to create ways for people to play from home. These very primitive casinos were also very illegal and it wasn’t long before they got shut down for good.
Then, a real opportunity emerged when both Antigua and Barbuda, and the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, passed laws permitting the sale of online gambling licenses. That’s when Microgaming stormed onto the online gaming scene. They obtained their first license and opened Gaming Club in late 1995. The first true online casino was born.
A modern boom industry
Once players realized that trustworthy online casinos did exist, they started playing – hard. And the online casino world could barely keep up! What started with just one casino in 1995 turned into an $830 million industry with hundreds of casinos to choose from in 1997.
Bonuses! Get your bonuses here!
Competition was fierce, and choosing an online casino started to become much more difficult for players. So, casinos began enticing players with bonuses and promotions. But, as soon as one casino would offer something, another would start offering something better.
The hunt for the best slots
By the mid-2000s, leading figures in the industry started developing new ways to deliver an enjoyable gaming experience.
Slots became the main focus, and game developers began the race to bring out fresh, innovative ideas. Microgaming launched Mega Moolah and set the bar for online progressives with a $1 million seed for its top jackpot. They also released Tomb Raider™ and Hitman™, some of the first-ever branded online slots. Even today, the quest for the best slots continues.
Bringing the blackjack table to you
With faster internet connections, casino developers saw an opportunity for a whole new gaming experience: live table games. So, they built casino studios, hired some dealers, and opened their doors.
The emergence of live dealer games was a real milestone for the industry. The advanced technology required to make these games work was unheard of even just a few years prior.
Is that a casino in your pocket?
It’s easy to forget that all casinos used to be standalone programs. Most were available on PCs only and often took a long time to download.
That all changed forever when HTML5 was launched in October 2014. This new web coding technology made it possible for any website to contain high-quality games with no downloads or special programs required. The best part? Many games are now playable on smartphones and tablets. Going forward, Microgaming and other leading casino studios will make sure that every new game can be played on any device.
An impressively short history
It’s hard to believe just how much progress has been made in just 20 years. Who could have predicted that, in 2015, you could win a progressive jackpot on your phone? It’s been an exciting journey so far, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Glen Garner is writer for AskGamblers.com one of the leading casino news and review sites.
