Evolution Gaming is one of the leader company which offers wide variety of Live Casino products. The company offers the most popular online live casino games worldwide. The success of the company in Europe is especially indisputable. Almost all European casino players consider Evolution Gaming as the best European Live Casino provider. History and Evolution of Live Online Casinos. Live dealer casino games have been with us for a relatively short space of time. However, since the inception of online casino gaming around 20 years ago, live play has grown to become one of the most popular gambling activities in the world.
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- Evolution Of Online Casinos
In 1994 a little-known company in South Africa called Microgaming developed what they claim to be the first online casino software in the world. Later, Microgaming released the first ever online casino, from which the online gambling industry was born. Since its humble beginnings, the industry has grown exponentially, and online casino technology has evolved with it.
The dawn of an industry
While other companies besides Microgaming might claim to have been the first to create an online casino game, none of them would have been able to without the Free Trade and Processing Act, which allowed licensing for online gambling sites. The bill was passed in Antigua and Barbuda in 1994, and later that same year The Gaming Club was released — the first true online gambling website (if you believe Microgaming was indeed first). Microgaming had the first foot in the door, but InterCasino were quick to follow with a website of their own, which launched in 1996.
By 1998 the online casino industry had already started becoming quite crowded, and online casino game developers around the world were releasing new content at a frenzied rate. Microgaming stepped it up again, leaving their competitors behind, and hit on another industry first – the progressive jackpot. Maybe they knew, maybe they didn’t, but the release of their online slot game Cash Splash, would change the new-found industry forever.
Their progressive jackpot meant that a portion of every spin would be pooled together to form the jackpot, which would grow as more spins were played on the online slot game. The jackpot could only be triggered if a specific combination of symbols was scored on the game. Having started the industry all those years ago, Microgaming is still one of the biggest companies in online casino software development.
While there were many online games being developed at this time, development of new online casino sites was slow because of the relatively simple nature of the internet in the 90s. Back then, it was still uncommon to have the internet in your home.
Still, some companies recognized the potential growth and popularity of online gambling and couldn’t wait to get on the bandwagon. Intertops was one of the earliest to strike – as a sports betting company that had taken bets over the phone since 1983, they were now poised to adapt to the fast-growing phenomenon that was the internet.
While online casino games like slots were the first form of real money gambling, the game that would properly bring the online gambling industry to the masses, was online poker.
Poker puts the spotlight on online gambling
By 1998 online casinos were starting to gain more popularity, and the industry was blown open by yet another newcomer to the scene – a little online poker site called Planet Poker.
For almost a year after Planet Poker went up, it was the only game in town. But their success and exclusivity were short-lived, as they had only spurred on all of their competition. By 1999 other poker sites like Party Poker, Paradise Poker and PokerStars started cropping up, all aiming to cash in on Planet Poker’s innovation. Party Poker would go on to become one of the most popular online gambling sites in the world.
By the turn of the century the popularity of online gambling sites had skyrocketed. As the internet became a staple in people’s households, more players were joining the world-wide community of online gamblers.
In 2005, the USA became acutely aware of the popularity of online casinos and sought to prohibit US citizens from playing on gambling sites from abroad. The law was not successfully passed, but the attempt at localizing their citizen’s online gambling did leave an impression on foreign casino owners, who began to close their sites to American players – this scare soon passed.
Modern Online Gambling
In the years following the initial boom in the popularity of online casinos, massive numbers of new online casinos and games were released. As online casino game developers refined their designs and brought out more and more exciting games, technology moved forward at an alarming rate.
There were now hundreds of online casinos with new, beautifully designed games on offer. Whether you wanted to play online poker, blackjack, slots, or even baccarat, you were sure to find what you wanted.
As their popularity grew, the classic casino games were evolving and being retrofitted for this new online environment. Free spins, bonus games, and many more enhancements were made possible by the progress in technology and the developer’s ability to implement it.
These days 3D and video slots have all but sidelined their classic ancestors, and the introduction of virtual and augmented reality to online poker and blackjack have done the same. New games and software are being released constantly, and big gambling software companies are always trying to outdo each other.
The online gambling industry is constantly evolving and transforming to remain as relevant as possible – to the point of fitting in players’ pockets.
Online goes mobile
By the early 2000’s, new innovations such as smartphones and tablets were starting to change the way we lived our lives and, indeed, the way we wanted to play our online casino games. Mobile gaming had entered the scene, and the online gambling industry was about to realize its true potential.
The United Kingdom took the lead in the adoption of mobile gaming into the gambling industry, when in 2003 having a 3G connection enabled you to use “The Betting Site”. Right from your phone, you could place bets with your choice of five different bookmakers. This meant that you could now indulge in your favorite online pastime while you were on the go. After the release of the iPhone in 2007, and the App Store in July of 2008, there was no looking back – the way forward was mobile casino games apps.
During the first year of the App Store’s release, Texas Hold’em was on the list of the most downloaded iPhone apps. These online casino apps took to their new mobile environment even more naturally that they did to computers or laptops. Poker, slots, sportsbooks, anything you wanted to play or bet on could now be carried with you everywhere you went. Public Wi-Fi was not so prevalent yet, but the possibility existed and, as we now know, it caught on.
Technology never waits
With the increasing popularity and availability of virtual and augmented reality, as well as other developments in gaming technology and software, online casinos are not done changing yet. You can already experience live casino games, VR poker, and VR blackjack at certain online casinos, and augmented reality games are already widely available on mobile platforms.
As technological advancements continue to shape the world around us, it will continue to shape the world of online gambling too. The most significant of the changes over the lifetime of the industry revolve around the choices available to players. More platforms, more games, more developers, and more players means more change and more development in online casinos and the games they provide.
Try your luck with BetMGM
Technology may change, but our commitment to offering you the best online gambling experience won’t. At BetMGM we feature some of the most cutting-edge and popular online casino games available. From Live poker and blackjack to hundreds of great online slots games, BetMGM delivers one of the best online gambling experiences available. Sign up with us today to put our technology to the test.
The Internet, as we know it today, has been around for less than 30 years. It has reshaped our society in many ways. The entertainment industry is just one of the many sectors that were revolutionized by the World Wide Web. All the different games we could only play in person, are now available on the web, including casino games.
Evolution Online Casino
If you look back at the history of online casinos, you’ll see that regulated gambling in the US has gone through a long and winding path to get where it is today.
News Highlights
- The road to legal online casinos has been long and complicated.
- Several US states today offer legal online gambling.
- What does the future hold for online casino betting?
The Dawn of Online Gambling
The World Wide Web opened its doors back in the early 1990s, and the world has ever been the same. Who would’ve thought that today, 30 years later, we would be able to play and bet at an online casino with a simple click on our smartphone?
The First Online Casino Site
It was a long journey before online gambling in the USA became legal and regulated. In 1996, InterCasino was the first casino site that started taking wagers online. A few others began at that time, such as the Australian Centrebet.com.
As people began using the Internet to place wagers instead of going to land-based casinos, the online betting industry became increasingly popular. By 1998 it had exceeded $830 million and counted over 700 online casinos.
Online Casino Regulation
With the number of casino sites, the number of software developers grew, and the need for regulation. In 1994, Antigua and Barbuda made the first step towards regulating online casinos. Then in the 2000s, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom followed suit. The first state in the US to regulate online betting was New Jersey, with players only able to wager with state-based companies.
The Slow and Rocky Road to Legal US Gambling Online
Although New Jersey made the first move, other states weren’t as lucky. In 2011, the US authorities busted a major offshore online wagering provider network. Later that year, the Department of Justice made a surprising announcement stating that it reinterpreted the Wire Act, implying it would officially regulate online gambling.
Several states jumped on board and pushed for the legislation. First, it was Delaware in 2012 and then Nevada in 2013. However, things did not go as smoothly as expected. iGaming bills went back and forth across the US, with lawmakers uncertain whether to open up the online betting industry in their states.
US States With Regulated Online Betting
In 2017, states formed interstate compacts, and online gaming for money saw its way in the US. The following is a list of the current states with legal online casino gaming:
A Closer Look at US States With Legal Internet Gambling
Check out the following list to learn more about when online gambling was regulated in US states.
New Jersey
Nevada
Evolution Of Online Casino Games
Delaware
Pennsylvania
West Virginia
Michigan
Evolution Of Online Chat
The Future of Online Casinos
Online gambling is evolving and expanding quickly, so it’s no surprise to see many other US states on the road to regulation. Sure, many of them have still not shown interest in doing so, but considering internet betting is one of the fastest-growing and largest industries globally, chances are they will change direction.
Evolution Of Online Casinos
Online casinos have gone through a long path to get where it is today. US players can also play at legit offshore casinos that provide significant advantages over the regulated market, like fewer restrictions and higher bonuses. Additionally, with mobile casino betting and diverse banking methods, there’s no doubt that real money virtual casinos will continue to expand.