Casinos have been in existence for a long time. Originally called gambling houses, the first official casino was set up in Italy in 1648. The Ridotto, as it was called, established a controlled gambling environment and similar establishments were set up over continental Europe throughout the following centuries. Prior to the establishment of casinos, gambling had still taken place and playing cards are first recorded as being used in China as early as the 9th Century. The settlers from Europe to the USA introduced games like Pontoon and Roulette. Even steamboats on the Mississippi River became gambling venues. Meanwhile in Australia, it was sports betting that became established, and by the 1850s every capital city had an established turf club. By 1930, betting was permitted at race clubs. Casinos, however, took longer to establish. The first legal casino did not open until 1973 in Tasmania, and it took until 1995 to see Sydney get a casino.
Technology has always been an integral part of the casino machinery. The first gambling machines were invented by Sittman and Pitt in New York and the very first video slots machine came into existence in 1976. This was the precursor to the online video slots that we are familiar with today.
An Isle of Man company called Microgaming was the first to produce secure and fully functional software. This software was the engine that made the 1994 Antigua and Barbuda processing act (creating the first licenses for online casinos) a reality. Safe transactions were now a reality, and the first online casinos came into being.
A big breakthrough in the reputation of online gaming was brought about by the founding of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in 1996 to issue worldwide licenses for online casino and poker rooms and regulate gaming activity. Kahnawake remains a trusted and reputable licensor to this day and, alongside The Malta Gaming Authority is one of the reputable license issuers on sites for online gambling in Australia and throughout the world. All reputable online sites must display their license number which can be verified through the licensor’s website. Technology has not only had a major part in shaping the fun and enjoyment of the online gambling experience but also the functionality of the games and the security of the player.
In 2003, the first live dealer bricks and mortar casino simulation was created by Playtech which brought the casino experience to life without having to go leave the house. This alongside the introduction of multiplayer online casinos in 1999 meant that online gambling was very much part of the online entertainment world. These technological improvements mean that a whole new generation of players has become involved in online gambling. Initially, this was accessed from desktop computers, but current trends indicate that internet users prefer to access the sites on handheld devices in a mobile environment. The big providers have recognized this and there are many casino, slot, and sports betting apps now available for Apple and Android devices. Online gaming and gambling like Norsk casino are now also accessible through social media platforms and have become an integral part of some games and sites. The phenomena of social casinos have also introduced a whole new demographic to the exhilaration of casino gambling. As with social media sites, the thrill is the recognition and virtual wins and position on a leader board.
It is expected that the next big technological advance will be in the use of cryptocurrencies in casinos. Using cryptocurrencies for gambling can become quite popular. One of the reasons for this is that it allows the user to gamble anonymously with almost instantaneous deposit and withdrawal times. Developments in crypto gambling are likely to grow exponentially in the near future with developers offering new opportunities. It will be interesting to see if regulations can keep pace with the rapid developments in a blockchain-based gambling future.
