With our technology steadily progressing each year, we are here to witness some of the best innovations in the gambling industry. Today, we have dozens of online casinos that offer us our favorite games and bets to be placed and we just need to choose one and enjoy. However, have you ever wondered how online casinos actually work? If you have, here are some answers for you.
A Brief History
During the 1980s and 1990s, more and more desktop computers started to appear in our homes. And with the internet coming along, it connected people all over the world like never before. And what do people do when they are connected - they play games with each other. This is exactly what the gambling industry saw potential in and decided to take advantage of it and unite us through gambling games on their sites.
In 1994, the beginning of online casinos really took off, when the government of Antigua and Barbuda passed the Free Trade and Processing Act. This allowed casinos to get the licenses to open their online casinos outside Antigua and Barbuda. The very next step was creating gambling software and that is when Microgaming stepped into the spotlight with their first functioning gambling software.
The year 1996 was a crucial year for online casinos and this is when InterCasino claimed the first real money wager online. Also, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission was established this year in Canada, which remained one of the most important bodies for regulating online casino licenses.
Even though the beginnings were humble when it comes to a number of games, software, and online casinos, today the things have changed. Today, the online gambling industry is set to be worth $85 billion by 2025, and every day we have new online casinos emerging and making their way through the industry with success.
Licensing and Regulation
Just like with any other industry that involves money exchange, regulations need to exist in order to avoid exploitation by either or both pirates against the state. As a result, the online gambling industry has extensive and thorough regulations that apply differently in different countries.
If you are wondering if online gambling is legal in the country you live in, you should confirm that before signing up to any casino site. For example, in the US, each state has its own online gambling laws. What is more, in countries where it is legal, there is a licensing body that will regulate and hand out licenses to online casinos.
So, to be sure, you should always investigate the licensing of a casino you’ve chosen, before you sign up. If you don’t and if the casino is not fully licensed or is by an unknown body, you could lose all your winnings.
How to Start Gambling Online
Once you have done thorough research on legality and licensing on an online casino in your country or city, the next thing to do is choosing the casino. You only want a legally formed, licensed, and the best online casino, in order to be sure you can win and that your information is safe and secure. There are even great sites that offer reviews of online casinos that can provide you with much-needed information on everything. And once you’ve found your casino it is time to set up an account. There are a few steps here:
Creating an account
Loading your bankroll
Selecting a game
Wagering money on the outcome of the game
When creating your account, you will probably be asked to provide identification documents, proof of your address, and banking details. It is of utmost importance to check if your personal information is encrypted by the casino so it won’t be available to third parties. And once your account is set up, you can load your money and start playing games.
It’s that simple, but some research needs to be done for your own safety. So, pick games, do the research and good luck!