Online casinos are specialized websites on the Internet that host virtual gambling. Naturally, the advent of gambling resources became possible only with the advancement of the Internet.
So, in 1994, when the number of users of the global network was only a few million people, the first online casinos appeared. The company Microgaming became a pioneer in this field, developing the first gaming platform. In the same period, appeared the products of CryptoLogic Inc (now renamed Amaya), International Game Technology, Playtech and Realtime Gaming.
The emergence of the very possibility of creating an online casino, we owe to Antigua and Barbuda. In 1994 it adopted the “Law on Free Trade and Information Processing”. This document described the procedure for issuing licenses for a virtual gambling business. It was this very document that conceived a new industry.
Stages of online casino development
- 1994. The beginning of the issuance of the world’s first licenses for online casinos. The emergence of the first online game development – CryptoLogic and Microgaming.
- 1996. Establishment in the United States of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission for the regulation of virtual gambling organizations. The work of 15 official online casinos is recorded.
- 1997. Officially, 200 online casinos are operatting.
- 1998. The official profit of gambling sites according to the report of Frost & Sullivan was $ 830 million. There emerged the first online poker rooms. It was in this year that there was a boom of virtual gambling resources. Which is connected with the appearance of the first games with a progressive jackpot.
- 1999. The emergence of the first multiplayer online gambling games with the ability to communicate in the chat.
- 2001. The number of people who have tried to play in an online casino has reached 8 million. The year was a record due to the increase in the number of players. The expansion of the range of games and their functionality.
- 2007. Appearance of the first games with a live dealer.
- 2008. Official revenues of online casinos according to the report of H2 Gambling Capital amounted to $ 21 billion.
- 2011. The first in the world online jackpot was won. It exceeded $ 10 million and got to the Guinness Book of Records.
- 2015. The emergence of mobile games with a live dealer.
- 2016. According to Statista, the official revenues of online casinos amounted to almost $ 46 billion. And the forecast for 2018 is $ 56 billion.
- 2017. The appearance of the first games with a live dealer, connected to the progressive jackpot system.
What has changed in the online casino?
At first, online casinos offered the same slots one could have found in land based institutions. In fact, the same developers who created slots, adapted their software products for Internet sites. That is, it all started with simplified card games and 5-reel slots.
Gradually, the assortment of gambling products grew and today, online casinos offer a wide range of entertainment:
- Slot machines with 3 and 5 reels;
- Roulette;
- Dice;
- Poker;
- Bingo;
- Keno;
- Baccarat;
- Black Jack;
- Sik-bo;
- Wheel of Fortune.
In addition, with the listed gaming genres, the best gambling sites develop a sports betting system offering tens of thousands of events. In addition, in the bookmaker section of the online casino, you can see the forecasts, which increase the chances of winning.
Perfection of the interface and gambling platform
Regular visitors of online casinos can easily distinguish games of different years, even by their appearance and musical accompaniment. It all started with 8-bit games with the simplest angular graphics and 8-bit music.
With the development of computer graphics, the design of virtual casino games has become as complex and realistic like in computer games and the best science fiction films. For each machine there are unique screensavers and videos, which appear as needed during the game process.
Music is written specifically for each individual game. Professional composers are involved in this process. Furthermore, some soft developers have resident composers. So, during the game, you are accompanied by pleasant music, in the level corresponding to the music from the movies.
Interface and game functions are continuously improving. Starting to play in an online casino now, you get much more opportunities than even a couple of years ago. More process settings, more plot twists, more interesting stuff for players.
It is noteworthy that with the release of each novelty, developers report on the improvement of the gaming platform and the addition of certain functions.
Different ways to play online casinos
- Browser Online games:
Online games in the browser, also known as flash games – are games that you can play in an online casino through a browser. You do not need to install the software on your computer. Games run in the browser thanks to Macromedia Flash, Macromedia Shockwave or Java. For normal operation requires a high-speed Internet. The advantage of such online games is the ability to play from any device connected to the Internet.
- Downloadable Online Games
Part of online gambling requires pre-installation of software on your computer. After installing the software, the online casino connects to the service provider and processes requests without browser support. Such games usually work faster than online games in the browser, because graphics and sound programs are cached by the software client, and not downloaded from the Internet. On the other hand, the initial download and installation takes time, and you can only play from the computer you have it installed on.
- Live Online Casinos:
In the game with a live dealer, the casino gaming table is broadcasted, which can be seen using streaming video on the air. Players can place bets through the console on the computer screen. And have the opportunity to communicate with the dealer using the text chat function. This allows the player to interact with the dealer at the same level as in a real casino.
The results of a physical actions of a dealer, like the spin of the roulette wheel or passing the cards, with the help of optical recognitions software, are transfered to the players’ info screen, which allows them to play as if they were there.
These games are more costly for the developers as they require putting more capital in technology and staff.
Usually, delivering such service needs at least 3 separate rooms: live studio, server, and analytics rooms. Furthermore, the design, building scheme vary from one developer to another.
Big overhead costs for the live dealers is the reason online casinos offer such finite content. At the moment, the biggest game assortment offers Evolution Gaming. Each and every live game of theirs you may find in online casino Shangri La. Online casino is still a very young industry, which is in constant motion. We have a unique opportunity to monitor its progress and take part in it directly.
