Modern iGaming offerings are accessible from most devices, from anywhere with an internet connection.
The iGaming industry, like the e-commerce industry, is barely 25 years old, having sprung up after the rapid adoption of the internet by consumers in the mid-1990s and the huge investments made during the dot-com boom. Also, like e-commerce, iGaming is a modern version of an industry almost as old as human history. Just as we have always bought and sold goods to sustain our lives and find enjoyment, every civilization in recorded history has in some way been involved in wagering. Historians have found recorded evidence of wagering taking place in Ancient Rome and Greece, Tudor-era England and Napoleon’s France.
The use of playing cards in games goes back the Tang dynasty before 1000 A.D., although the cards of that era would be alien to the poker players of the 21st century. Playing cards did not make their way to Europe until the 14th century, and the first casino followed a few hundred years later. Although the cards were specifically for playing games, those we know today, such as blackjack and poker, have only existed for around 300 to 400 years.
Casino Cities
Legislative changes in early 20th-century America were the perfect conditions for the creation of a destination city for those looking to play games like Texas Hold ‘em and roulette. The state of Nevada legalized gambling in 1931, and New Jersey followed suit in 1976, and quickly casino resorts opened, each competing to become bigger and more luxurious than the last. Throughout the mid to late-20th century, Las Vegas and Atlantic City boomed, becoming ingrained in the U.S. and global culture, with the former being a point of pilgrimage for fans of casino games from all over the world.
The Birth of iGaming
Just as the legalization of casinos brought poker, blackjack, slots and roulette closer to people, legal changes in the mid-1990s meant these games became even more accessible. The passing of the Free Trade and Processing Zone Act 1994 in Antigua and Barbuda allowed for the issuance of licenses to operate online casinos. From here, the iGaming industry was born. By October 1995, the race to open the world’s iGaming service went to an international lottery based in Luxembourg. Just two years later, over 200 iGaming services, including online casinos and poker rooms, launched.
Rather quickly, players no longer needed to travel across the country, or even further afield, to play poker, slots or roulette. Instead, all they needed was a computer and an internet connection to be able to play with options available for those wanting to only play for fun or seeking to wager.
Advancements in Technology
As computers became more powerful and internet connections became faster, iGaming companies improved their content, adding 3D graphics, animations and stereo sound. Game formats also revised with new versions of traditional card games such as Snap poker and many branded and themed slot games. These refinements helped to make the games more interesting and exciting, speeding up gameplay and helping to differentiate from other iGaming companies.
Social Elements
The first online casinos and poker rooms did not allow for much communication with fellow players. That was a significant loss, as a trip to a land-based casino would be as much a social experience as an opportunity to play poker. But as technology advanced further, live chat and even voice and video communication added by some iGaming companies allowed players to interact with each other, restoring some elements of the social experience.
Going Mobile
Mobile gaming allowed casual players to take advantage of the iGaming offering whenever they have a few minutes to spare.
As mobile technologies such as Wi-Fi and 3G/4G became available to the public, iGaming companies were able to free their players from the tethers of a desktop computer. In the home, Wi-Fi-enabled laptops would mean players could sit on a sofa, in bed or practically anywhere in their home while enjoying a slots game or a few rounds of Texas Hold ‘em.
Meanwhile, smartphones and tablets, which came into the mainstream by the launch of Apple’s iPhone and iPad, allowed iGaming companies to develop apps that would allow players the freedom to play games from almost anywhere in the world. Now, commuters could play poker with anyone else in the world on their way to work, and people could fill ad breaks of TV shows with a few quick spins on a slots app. This development also attracted new players to the industry, especially those looking for a more casual offering.
What about the future?
The traditional gaming industry, and more recently, the iGaming industry, have always been innovating, taking advantage of developments in technology and changing legislation to offer new services to players. In the last few years, this can be seen in the development of live casinos and the use of virtual reality technology. Combining these two poker companies have begun to create fully immersive experiences that replicate closer than ever before to the experience of visiting a land-based casino.
While we do not yet know what technologies will develop in the future, it is safe to assume that whatever developments do take place, the iGaming industry will quickly act to innovate their offering. As can be seen from the entire history of the iGaming industry, new technologies help to bring these types of games to customers that may not have previously been able to access casino games. The first online casinos brought the games into the home, and mobile applications allowed even the most casual players to take advantage of short moments of free time to play games.
