The first-ever casino opened in Venice in 1638 and was called Il Ridotto. Italy has quite the influence on the casino’s existence. The word “casino” means “a small house” in Italian. This is because even before Il Ridotto opened, people would hold gambling activities in private houses where people were entertained with dancing and music.
Even in the early days, casinos are seen as something glamorous. Before Il Ridotto, when people attended gambling parties, they are told to dress in certain ways. People behaved in ways that the host would ask and the attendees have to order specific dishes from the menu. This is why even today when attending casinos, dress codes are to be followed, and usually, popular casinos have that classy and glamorous reputation.
People who would go to casino hotspots like Las Vegas and Macau would have quite a pleasant experience. However, it’s also undeniable that visiting such places can be expensive, and so it’s not ideal for people who enjoy casino gaming who don’t want to spend much on their outfits, food, and accommodations. Thankfully, anyone can now enjoy playing online casino games with real money without spending so much.
The Rise of Online Casinos
Casinos went online in the 90s and the first company that was able to develop the first fully functioning online casino site was Microgaming in 1994. The site was called The Gaming Club and it was something that gamblers found interesting even if during this time, the internet was also quite new to many.
Eventually, many casino sites went online like InterCasino which was developed by CryptoLogic. They didn’t use cryptocurrencies at that time yet, but CryptoLogic somehow started to make transactions work online so that the payment process between them and their customers was fast and safe. This is eventually something that every casino adapted to and this is why there is a bit of confusion as to which is the first-ever online casino between the two.
Either way, these two online casinos were the pioneers of the online gambling industry which has come such a long way. Today, the online casino market is estimated to be valued at over 72.3 billion USD. It is also projected to continue to grow in the next few years.
Online casinos back then look so much different compared to how they look now. Think of your old-school solitaire games with bit animation or graphics. Today, online casinos are also all about pleasing their customers with great audio and graphics. The games back then are also direct and didn’t have story-telling features. This is so much different from how casino games are today.
Even online slots now can be adventure games. In short, technology just really enhanced the casino gaming experience and any player would have a hard time getting easily bored from any online casino sites these days.
Significant growth in the casino industry was noted in the last two years or when the pandemic began. Since many people around the world had to stay home due to lockdowns, they had to find ways to entertain themselves with physical distancing. Many resorted to online gaming, including playing real money games.
Some of the most popular gambling sites today are 10CRIC, 888Casino, Betway, Bet365, Red Dog Casino, and Café Casino. On these sites, people can play their favorite casino games like slots, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, keno, and more. Some of these sites also offer other gambling activities like sports betting, esports betting, and virtual sports betting.
What the Future Looks Like
The global online gambling market is expected to reach a value of over 131.4 billion USD by 2027 with a CAGR of 9.96% from 2022-2027. This means that more people are likely to gamble online even post-pandemic. While online casinos have proven to be a great alternative when land casinos temporarily shut their operations down during lockdowns, it’s just mainly convenient to play casino games online.
It’s generally cheaper to play online because there’s no need to travel to casinos and even dress up. Anyone can play real money games on the go and it is likely the future of the online gambling industry. Many gambling companies are now starting to shift their focus to the mobile market.
Almost all casino sites today are mobile-friendly and to make mobile gambling a better experience, companies are also releasing apps that people can download on their smartphones or tablets. With that, we can expect that more casinos will eventually go mobile with an app.