What was the first-ever real money online casino?
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What was the first-ever real money online casino?
Online casinos came a long way and today players can enjoy some of the finest games from the comfort of their homes. You can even spin the reels of slots, play table games against real dealers, and try video poker on handheld devices. Seeing how far the industry has come in less than three decades, it can be a little difficult to imagine how it all started in the mid-90s. Several casinos can brag about a long and distinguished track record, but what was the first real money operator?
Microgaming paved the way for online casino entertainment
The celebrated software developer continues to appeal to millions of players from all over the world with exciting games covering all popular genres. It was also the driving force behind the first casino ever created in 1994.The Gaming Club casino was their creation and looking back at its humble beginnings, it is easy to find this operator a bit underwhelming. It only had a few games available, and it needed another year to properly open shop and cater to an international audience.
Since the first online casino became fully functional in 1995 — “it took a while for players to make a deposit and play the games with real money” according to JeffBet casino. At that time, free online games were also a rarity, so Microgaming set an important milestone with this innovative casino. The Internet was still a luxury that not many people could afford, and the quality of the connection was unreliable, to say the least. Having said this, The Gaming Club has the merit of being the first online casino for real money gambling.
Cryptologic and InterCasino rise to the challenge
Cryptologic is no longer the dominant online software developer it used to be, but it remains an important operator in the history of Internet gambling. In 1995, it opened shop with InterCasino, an iconic online casino that is still operational today. This is a huge accomplishment, and no other gambling operator can brag about such an achievement. Over the years, the casino has expanded its offer and today it continues to appeal to modern punters with high expectations.
Cryptologic came out with a competitive product right from the start, something that Microgaming was unable to achieve. The software developers struggled to expand their collection of games quickly but were still able to deliver a convincing package to prospective players. There were only a few payment methods available, but deposits were safe, and players were able to fund their accounts without taking any chances.
Nearly 3 decades have passed since these casinos came along and the debate is still raging about the first real-money online casino. Today modern online casino games are far more exciting and technologically advanced with the ability to play using your smartphone or tablet. The bottom line is that Cryptologic and Microgaming made a huge contribution to this industry which today provides entertainment to millions of people worldwide.
This article was written in cooperation with James Todd
