The History of Casinos: How Gambling Evolved

How casinos have evolved

Gambling has been in existence since time immemorial. The first gambling activity was witnessed in the use of tiles to place stakes in 2300 BC in China. Nevertheless, there was an earlier episode of throwing dice in Egypt in 1500 BC.

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What followed these basic gambles were meetings in small private rooms where money bets would take place. These rooms were later named casinos which is an Italian word interpreted as “a small house”.

In these casinos, food and drinks would be served alongside sweet music. The casino players would then wager their stakes until they made wins.

What Were the First Casinos Like?

The first casinos were not like the sophisticated ones we see today. They were mere dens and rooms where players would gather to play cards. Whilst they acted as the central place where players met, the first casinos were not the best, especially to novice players.

Of course with time better casinos that resembled palaces were set up. Now the players would feel more confident walking in and out of these casinos. As the casinos evolved, the slot games and poker were not left behind. New games like roulette, blackjack, poker, video slots, and money bets were now common.

The present-day casinos feature beaming lights that attract the players to try out their luck. They have continued to grow in size and magnificence. Compared to the first casinos, modern casinos have undergone a major transformation.

First Online Casino and its History

In 1996, the island country of Barbuda and Antigua passed the Free Trade and Processing Act bill thus legalizing online casinos. What followed was the establishment of the first online casino in 1996. The online casino’s name was InterCasino and it would later change the state of online gambling. It was the first online casino to accept real money wagers. This casino started on a high note and fans of gambling can attest to this. It’s still in existence and still offers grandiose online gambling services. InterCasino has ever since grown its coverage to the rest of the world. To facilitate safe and secure transactions, InterCasino integrated Cryptologic which financial service software. In fact, it has so far issued a total of $3 billion payouts. This first online casino opened doors to other players in the industry. For instance, online casinos had increased from 15 in 1996 to over 200. The first online casino was surely one which hit the ground running hence setting the pace for the rest.

The State of Online Casino Industry as of 2020

The online casino industry is shining in 2020. Technological advancement and internet penetration are some of the factors that have led to the booming of this industry. Here are some of the trends in online casinos as of 2020;

Today, more female players will be spotted at online casinos than ever before. They will be trying their luck accompanied by their fellows, the men.

Online casinos will now be facilitated by the cashless mode of payment. As technology advances, more methods of payment are effected to facilitate faster transactions.

The online casino industry has adopted software and state of the art technology to streamline your gaming experience. You don’t need to visit land-based casinos to enjoy to the fullest. You can have fun in the comfort of your mobile device.

The remarkable growth of the online casino industry is worth noting. Statistics show that the industry is projected to have a market value of $46 billion now and $94 billion by 2024. This shows that the industry is experiencing lightning growth over the years same as it closest competitor—sports betting—with its most reputable site.

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Mark Meets
Mark Meets
MarkMeets Media is British-based online news magazine covering showbiz, music, tv and movies

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