The evolution of online casinos and the development of Sportsbook
Not so long ago, the internet wasn't even around! Remember that time? Let alone gambling sites. The internet was initially meant for education, research, and government use. It was solely funded by the government and any commercial use of it was prohibited. In November 1992, the commercial internet option was started but it involved many restrictions. The government lifted its restrictions in May 1995 thus putting the internet in the hands of commercial providers like MSN and AOL. The history of online gambling sites can, therefore, be traced from this moment. The modern-day casinos are way too different from those that existed a century ago. One key change is the evolution of online casinos and sportsbooks.
The evolution of online casinos and Sportsbook continued...
Before 1995, there existed many free to play casino games. One of the very first casino site's to go online was casino.co.za. This site came onto the market to serve a limited number of African players. It, however, remains debatable whether or not real money play took place on this site. This is because deposits and withdrawals were all done in cash. In order to understand the strides that have been made in online casino gaming, let us take a deeper look at where it all started. One of the very first and oldest casino games was reportedly invented in 1657 and was known as roulette. Its invention has been credited to Blaise Pascal, a French scientist. His original intention was to create a machine that would spin continuously using its own energy. Although his efforts failed, it eventually led to the invention of the roulette wheel.
​
The front-runner of the modern day roulette game is known as "roly-poly", a game invented around 1720. The original game had the number 0 twice on the wheel. In 1848, the game was taken to Germany by the French Blanc brothers having been banned in France. This was the time a single 0 was successfully implemented in the game. When the game was banned in Germany, the brothers returned to Monaco to set up the popular Monte Carlo casino. The game was introduced in America by the traveling immigrants from France. The double 0 was reintroduced alongside the original roulette wheel. The first casino building The first casino building was known as Ridotto and it dates back to the year 1638. Ridotto was owned by the government and was a wing within Venice Palazzo Dandolo building in Italy. The original intention was to ban gambling since illegal gambling had become rampant. They, however, changed mind and decided to centralize gambling in Ridotto. This four-storey building had gambling halls on its upper floors. The two main games played here were Biribi and Basetta. Basetta game was a mix of Gin Rummy, Poker & Blackjack and it was the most popular game in this place. It was mostly the rich who could afford to come and play these games because of the large sum of money required to place a bet. A reformist known Giorgio Pisani spearheaded the closing of Ridotto doors in 1774.
The growth of casino popularity:
The popularity of casinos in America grew quickly. This was catalyzed by the arrival of saloons. A typical western saloon has swinging doors and an inside bar with a few tables. It was originally designed to take care of weary travelers. They could sleep, eat and drink before continuing with their journies. They quickly turned into gambling spots where people could gather and play cards for money. This practice continued until gambling was outlawed in America except for the state of Nevada. Most big casinos started sprouting up in Nevada as a result of this move. Later on more states started legalizing gambling. Today, America has the most casinos in the world. Over 900 casinos are found in the country with Las Vegas hosting a good number of these casinos. The city has well over 100 casinos where billions of dollars exchange hand every year. The first casino opened in 1906 at the current Golden Gate Hotel & Casino building.
The development of table games
The most known table games are roulette, blackjack, and baccarat. The blackjack game is believed to have originated from France as a mix of other table games. When this game was introduced in the US early 19th century, most people didn't receive it enthusiastically. They changed some rules to increase the winning odds and make it more attractive. This was the games turning point as it grew more popular. The baccarat is believed to have originated from Italy. People used to play with tarot cards before playing cards were introduced. Today these games can be played online via a live casino feed.
The development of slot machines and video slots Slot machines are big noisy devices found at the casinos. They have a side handle which can be pulled to let the rolls spin around. The poker machine, a fruit symbol machine, was first introduced in 1880. The 'one-armed bandit' is considered the first slot machine and it was Charles Fey who invented it. Later on, video slots emerged with the help of the internet. Video Slots are now found everywhere and new versions get launched on a weekly basis. Video slots are now played on a computer screen, laptop or even a mobile device. Features like wilds, free spins, and bonus games are now available to casino players.
The online casino revolution
Nowadays, you can participate in an online blackjack, roulette or baccarat casino game via a video feed. The Kroon Casino was the frontrunner of this live casino revolution. Most casinos are offering this option at the moment. You can now have a real live contact and chat with the croupier and other players. The live casinos never sleep and are available 24/7/365. With your computer and internet, you can play classic table games or newer games like Dream Catcher.
The development of sportsbook
A sportsbook is a gambling place where one can wage on various sporting competitions. They include golf, basketball, football, baseball, soccer, hockey, boxing, horse racing and mixed martial arts. The method of betting may vary depending on the game and the winning bets are paid immediately after the game. Sportsbook.com is one of the most known gambling sites in the US. When the internet had just been commercialized, you could see lots of sportsbook advertisements on sites like ESPN and Yahoo Sports. Most of the US sportsbooks are found in Nevada. It began way back in 1949 when bookmakers were allowed by the state of Nevada to accept bets on professional sports and horse racing.
Turf clubs were the first sportsbooks in Nevada and operated independently from the casinos. Frank Rosenthal of Stardust Casino convinced legislators in 1975 to allow sportsbooks in the casinos. This led to the end of the turf clubs as casinos took over that business. Today, a casino sportsbook features a betting window, an interactive betting station, big screen TV, computerized odd boards, papers with the day's odds and sitting places to watch the games.
I hope this information is helpful with regards to the evolution of online casinos and the development of sportsbook!
