Logo

Where Did They Come From? History of Online Casinos!

The Internet has been a big part of our everyday lives for a long time now, as well as the innovations it brought to us. Online Casinos are just one of them, having emerged with the development of internet resources over the years. In the beginning, the industry was obviously very small. However, it grew so much more within the 20 years that have passed since the first Online Casino was opened, largely thanks to the unlimited opportunities it provided to its clients. It has become accessible through different means, such as smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. Online Casinos have started to provide customer support on their websites, which attracted more and more gamblers.

Let’s take it back a little

The first appearance of gambling websites was around the mid-1990s. In 1994, the Caribbean Islands of Antigua and Barbuda passed a law that enabled Casino gaming companies to get licenses to maintain their businesses. Microgaming, a company that now supplies Online Casino gaming software programs, and gaming content, together with the world’s most trusted provider, developed the very first online gambling software platform. Now, VIP-IBC is the best platform for an optimized betting experience.

It was in the year 2001 when the Online Gaming industry took off for real and went into the mainstream. It was especially popular among US players, who contributed to the $2 billion the industry generated at the time. Some UK territories as Alderney and Isle of Man, among others, issued Online Casinos licenses and governed them.

The UK passed the “UK Gambling Act” in 2005 which became known as the most liberal online gambling set of laws in Europe. However, the situation in the US was getting worse with every passing day. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) came into force, and it declared any financial institutions related to online gambling illegal. Therefore, several companies previously operating in the USA continued their work outside of it. In spite of all the restrictions, there were still over 2500 Online Casinos and websites around the world in 2006. The international online gambling company’s worth was about $21 billion in 2008 – the year in which the best betting agent in the world BET-IBC began providing its services to bettors all over the world regardless of where they came from.

Naturally, online sportsbooks started to open their own casino platforms. Was InterTops who had been the first in 1996, and brought some innovations to the industry. Other top bookmakers followed their success and created their platforms one by one as well. You can check out the best bookmaker bonuses, and start today!