While online gambling through online casinos is growing more popular than ever before, very few of the players know even the basics of the history of online gambling. With that said, it’s actually a quite interesting history that only stretches a few decades back and is worth knowing for anyone who has an interest in online casinos – even if they just enjoy playing the games.
Very simply put, online gambling is gambling that takes place online. It’s a way of replicating the real-life casinos that people were playing at, and still enjoy to this day – but simultaneously offer people to enjoy the entertainment and thrill that gaming represents, from the comfort of their own homes. If you want to know more about online gambling today, you can read more at suomalaiset nettikasinot or parhaat casinot.
There are strict rules when it comes to gaming, regardless of whether it happens online or in actual casinos that people can visit. Most countries have these rules in place to protect the players, because the human mind is not necessarily fully equipped to handle to rush of winning, or the devastation of losing, that inevitably is and will always be a huge part of gaming – therefore posing a constant risk for the players.
Online gambling has therefore been faced with rules and regulations from its very beginning and overcoming them to make it legal in certain ways, was a huge victory.
The very first online casinos
While online casinos are everywhere today, they haven’t always been, and there are still strict rules and regulations in place, making the game safer for the players. And while some countries and regions still ban online gaming completely, the United States, most of the European Union and Canada, allow online gaming under certain regulations.
The very first online gaming venue was opened to the general public back in 1994, where it was ticketed for the Liechtenstein International Lottery in October that year. It’s a far cry from the industry we have today, where a roaring $40 billion on a global basis is what the market is now worth. From the very beginning, it’s been important for the countries and regions where online gambling arose, to make sure that only legitimate sites were able to offer the service.
A struggle for authenticity
Online casinos offer several risks to players. One is the risk of addiction because our brains are not capable of necessarily handle the wins and losses that are a part of online gambling. The other risk is fraud. And the risk of fraud is one that the countries allowing online gambling has been concerned with controlling. Because of this, most online casinos must acquire an official license to be able to offer the services.
The license makes it harder for casinos to be fraudulent and gives players the security that the site is legitimate. When you are playing with the amounts of money that people typically bring to the table in online casinos, it’s extremely important that safety measure is taken against fraud, and the licenses have therefore played an important role in making online casinos a trusted and safe way to play casino games online.