An avid cyber punter would want to know the world of online casinos inside out. The facts shared here will help refine a casino lover’s knowledge and make him or her an ace who understands online casinos even beyond tips, tricks, and tactics.
* The Caribbean Connect
The Caribbean nation of Barbuda and Antigua was the first to legalise online gambling by adopting the Free Trade and Processing Act. Under the Act, companies who wished to offer casino services online were granted permissions. Now you know why gambling is intrinsic to the Caribbean culture.
* World’s first online casino
InterCasino, established in 1996, is the world’s first online casino – it continues to attract a large number of players. It used Cryptologic, a software developed to ensure the safety of financial transactions. Owned by the InterCasino Group, it is regulated by the Lotteries & Gaming Authority of Malta.
* Virtual Poker turned 21 in 2019
Poker is centuries old, but the online version was introduced in 1998. The first known online game was known as Planet Poke. Created by Poker pro, author, and legend, Mike “Mad Genius” Caro, Planet Poke is still in existence, though it does not take real money bets anymore.
* $24 million- biggest online casino win ever
On January 30, 2013, a Finnish man in his 40s placed a 25-cent bet on the Mega Fortune progressive jackpot game on online slot machines at Scandinavian betting company PAF. He won a massive €17,861,800 (around $24 million).
* Gender-‘Wise’
There have been several types of research that indicate that men are more likely to enjoy casino games, and a 2017 study by the UK Gambling Commission confirmed this fact. On a similar note, a 2012-report titled ‘An empirical study of gender differences in online gambling’ by the Gambling Research Exchange in Ontario revealed some interesting facts. According to the study, “male gamblers were considerably more likely to play skill-based games including betting and Poker, while female gamblers were more likely to play Bingo and Slot machines. As compared to men, women are more to start playing online casino at an early age (i.e., 24 years old or younger), yet men were more likely to have spent five years or longer in online betting.”
* Microgaming taking macro leaps
Microgaming has been the mover and shaker of the online casino space. The company had launched the first-ever online casino gaming site called the Gaming club. The site did not have too many games, but it was a hit which encouraged many online casinos to venture into the field. Microgaming also launched the first-ever mobile casino in 2004.
* Google Play banned hosting online casinos in 2010
Taking a not so well justified moral high ground, Google disqualified casino applications from the range of its offerings. Surprising! Isn’t it? How come a tech giant like Google stayed away from providing online casino platforms? Well! That is how it was. It was only in 2017 that the Google Play Store started hosting online applications that involve real-world money. These applications are only allowed from licensed online casino service providers and only if they meet specific criteria mentioned in the updated terms and conditions. For now, these gaming applications are restricted to these countries—the UK, Ireland, France, and Turkey.
* Crocodiles have been the subject of research in gambling
Some may find it funny and astonishing, others may find it disgusting, and some others may find it difficult to digest; but, a crocodile has been the subject of research in casinos. In 2010, a paper titled ‘Never Smile at a Crocodile: Betting on Electronic Gaming Machines is Intensified by Reptile-Induced Arousal’ was published in the Journal of Gambling Studies. In 2017, research examining the effects of holding a live crocodile on a Slot-machine won the infamous Ig Nobel prize.
* Towards a brighter future
While traditional casinos are gradually losing the sheen, the online casino industry has bright prospects to look forward. A report released by GINAR, a Hong Kong-based Blockchain Technology company states that Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe are the dominant areas when it comes to online casino games. Another report from Technavio pegged the growth of online casinos market at USD 60 billion by 2020. A market research report by Adroit too estimates that the global online casino market is expected to surpass $80.65 billion by 2025.
Like every other industry, there are many fascinating stories and facts about the online casino industry. We have captured only a few of them, and if we have missed out on anything funny or interesting, do share them in the comments below.