Before we explore online casino history it’s important to understand that online gambling is classified as any kind of gambling on the internet. This includes all kinds of table games such as poker, blackjack, casinos and sports betting.
The first online gambling was technically established back in October 1994 in the form of ticketing for the ‘Liechtenstein International Lottery’. Although this different from what we today consider as online gambling today, it was first.
Online casino history timeline
Online casinos and software companies tend to be based in tax havens so a lot of them tend to have main offices in places like Malta and Gibraltar. Before the onset of legal online casinos, Microgaming was the first software-based company. Based in the Isle of Man they created software which allowed for safe transactions.
1994
Legislation was passed by Antigua and Barbuda to allow licenses for online casinos.
1996
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission was establisheded to regulate the industry and ensure a standard of practice for online gaming companies.
Intercasino was the first online casino established and was an instant success. To date, it has paid out over $3 billion in prize money. The same year a Swedish company called Netent entered the market and with state of the art graphics (for the time) and gameplay their comprehensive range of games also proved very popular. Still one of the largest companies today their titles included video slots and progressive jackpots as well as live dealer games and table games.
Sports betting was also taking off. InterTops became the first company to offer a platform for sports fans. They were then followed by some more household names such as William Hill and Ladbrokes.
1997
The phenomenon of online gambling had really taken off with an increase in sites from just 15 the previous year to an astonishing 200.
1998
Revenues for online gambling were reaching figures of around $830 million. In 1999 multi-player games began to take off with the arrival of the company PlanetPoker who introduced the first online ‘Texas Hold’em’ game. This allowed players to interact and chat while playing. Due to the limitations of technology at that time and the prevalence of dial-up internet they didn’t succeed in their aims however a number of other companies followed in their wake such as Paradise Poker and PokerStars who have risen to fame as a result of their massive online tournaments.
With so many companies quickly appearing and vying for a share in the market saw an explosion in innovation as companies tried to differentiate themselves from each other and offer something new and different. Whilst the graphics were ever-improving new features such as bonuses were becoming commonplace in order to attract and retain customers. Betfair entered the market in 2000 with a completely unique platform which offered the chance for gamers to bet between themselves via peer to peer betting. Live sports betting has also become very popular allowing the player to make bets as the action happens.
1999
The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act bill was submitted to the US senate. It did not pass however meaning that US citizens were still able to have access to online gambling sites.
2000
The Australian government did however successfully pass a law banning all casino operators not licensed and operating before May 2000. In a strange twist, this also meant the only casino able to operate legally in Australia (Lasseter’s Online) is not allowed to be played by Australians.
2001
the UK legalised online gambling and Alderney began to hand out online gambling licenses. eCOGRA was then established in 2003 and the UK Gambling Act passed in 2005.
2006
The US finally managed to ban all online gambling services via the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. This did nothing to dent the increasing success of online gambling.
2008
Jackpots for progressive slots reaching $20085.5 million mark. With the formation of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (back in 1996), it also meant that neighbouring Canada was able to take full advantage of these events.
Another significant milestone in the evolution of online casinos was the ability to play on mobile devices. With today’s phones and tablets being capable of incredible computing power that desktop users could only have dreamt of only a few years before. For that reason, the sheer scope of games available on your phone is now mind-blowing and all companies are focusing their energies on creating games for you to play on the move.
With technology continually progressing forward it is difficult to know what the online casino industry will surprise us with next. Virtual reality is obviously another potential avenue for ambitious companies.
2016
SlotsMillion launched the first Virtual Reality casino in 2016 and as others also emerge with their own versions we are sure to see it being commonplace within online the next few years.