In China, gambling houses and betting on fighting animals have existed for over 2000 years, and in the 10th century lottery games and dominoes emerged in the country. The world’s first known brick-and-mortar casino opened in the 1630s in Venice, Italy. Since then, gambling has become commonplace in places all over the world, but it is particularly gambling at online casinos that have attracted the most attention globally.
The first online casino opened as early as 1994 when the internet and computers were still unusual concepts. By 1996, there were fifteen different gambling sites and a shocking increase was expected. The following year there were as many as 200 gambling sites online.
By 2001, it was estimated that 8 million people had tried online gambling already and the trend continued to grow. The turnover of the global gambling market in 2008 was around $21 billion. By 2016, it had increased to $46 billion, and in 2018 it was around $56 billion.
The train is not expected to stop. In 2026, the entire global market is expected to reach $876 billion.
If any digital phenomenon has been world-changing, it is the gambling industry and online casinos in particular. But what has contributed to this massive worldwide popularity?
The internet and digital technologies have been crucial
Gambling in general and other types of online gaming could never have become so popular without the generous access to the internet and technology that exists today in most parts of the world. Thanks to an increased internet speed, smartphones, and laptops, humans can connect from most places where they are.
The charm of visiting a brick-and-mortar casino, cheering on your team during a football game, or playing poker with friends at home in your living room has not disappeared. However, the internet’s convenience has meant that more and more people are choosing to gamble directly through their mobile phones, tablets, or computers, where they can find a huge amount of online entertainment.
Today, those who do not want to go out and meet people can be entertained online with just a few taps on a screen. Entertainment is available 24 hours a day, virtually anywhere, as long as an internet connection is available.
We will continue to see an accelerating growth
The casino industry to date has seen incredible development in just 20 years, something that most agree can be expected to continue at the same rate. Thanks to the internet and digital technologies, the gambling market is predicted to develop significantly.
Even though it feels like the industry for online casinos has reached its very peak, it certainly has not. Over the years we will see new innovations and cool development within online casino gaming, but what, how, and when this will happen, only time will tell. If you want to be a part of this trend you can find more fun games online where the newest trends will appear.
With the development of AI and other solutions to the problems that exist today with a lack of human social interaction within games, the boundaries between reality and the virtual are expected to become even more blurred. Just look at the Metaverse, which is likely to be the next big thing.
