The History of the First Online Casinos

While there has been gambling since the Roman Empire, it first became popular when cowboys began playing poker, blackjack, and roulette at the first American casinos. Today, gambling is enjoyed all around the world on all sorts of devices.

Genesis and the Early Days of Online Casinos

The first online gaming enterprises emerged in the 1990s. It was at a period when the commercial usage of the internet was just beginning, allowing many physical markets to go online. One of the first to take advantage of this was the gaming market.

Although there is no concrete information on the internet about which casino this was or whether it still exists today, it is believed that the first online casino was created in 1994. We do know that Cryptologic and Microgaming, two major players in the online gambling market, collaborated in the establishment of the first-ever gambling website. It was the year when Antigua & Barbuda, one of the first offshore licensing countries, established the Free Trade & Processing Act, enabling online gambling websites to apply for licenses and establish offices there. 

From 1996 to 1997, there were just 15 internet gaming sites. By 1998, there were 200. They were undoubtedly less regulated than they are now when about a dozen organizations and third-party auditors are tasked with maintaining the standards. It is understandable why the first internet casinos have never survived to the present day.

The first poker websites appeared in 1998. Then, in 1999, the first multiplayer casino games were released, allowing for greater player interaction and setting the stage for the current MMORPG trend, a $1 billion market that shows no signs of slowing down.

Current State of the Online Casino Market

Since then, there have been a lot of websites that have had an impact on the market. Some of them progressed, while others regressed and are now referred to as the bad apples of the business. Today there are many ways to enjoy iGaming, through pc programs, websites, mobile applications, and even mobile browser games, which, thanks to modern technology, don’t lack content or smooth gameplay.

The market immediately became extremely competitive. In the 2000s, when new online casinos began to operate, everything changed, bonuses increased, the games became better, and loyalty programs were established. The features of online casinos were continually being improved.

Big progressive jackpots, multiplayer games, themed slots, and live casinos became commonplace, and everyone was becoming more and more involved in online gambling. Today’s mobile casinos are undoubtedly the icing on the cake. Since the release of the first iPhone, hard-core gamers have been dreaming of being able to wager online on their smartphone or tablet wherever they went.

The ability to qualify for entry into the World Series of Poker tournaments by winning regional events at the top online poker networks makes poker players may be the most delighted clients. Blackjack players are also very lucky, as many versions of blackjack are available in Michigan and other states that regulate online table games.

Despite the fact that the internet gambling market earns billions of dollars yearly, several nations still refuse to regulate it, mostly due to the politicians’ tight links to the land-based casino market, but there are sometimes other reasons for that.

SWAGGER Staff

Collaborative content by SWAGGER's in-house editorial team.