The online slot industry has enjoyed an incredibly successful existence since its initial inception right at the beginning of the 21st century, so much so that online slots are now unarguably the most popular gambling game in the world. It is crazy really, because it seems as though online slots have gone from nought to a hundred in not a very long time at all. In fact, in less than two decades they have ended up conquering the gambling market! Check out Thunderstruck Slot today!
It is crazy, but when you think about how good the games that are coming out from developers such as NetEnt, Microgaming and Big Time Gaming there should be no surprise really either. But ultimately the dominance of the online slot industry isn’t just down to these hardworking developers, as there have been other milestones in the history of online slots that have affected the industry. Keep reading to find them out!
Turn of the century: The first online slots
For those that don’t know, online slots first appeared right at the turn of the century, with developers such as NetEnt, Microgaming and Eyecon leading the charge. In fact, it was Eyecon that are commonly cited as being the developer to release the world’s first online slot, with a game called Temple Of Isis.
Whilst the first online slots to be released attracted a lot of attention pretty much instantaneously, they were also pretty inferior to the slot games we all enjoy playing today. Due to the lack of technology the graphics were pretty pixelated, and gameplay wasn’t particularly smooth, however they were still great fun.
Importance of The Gambling Act 2004
One thing that many people forget about the online slot industry, in the UK especially, is how much it was helped by a UK government bill called The Gambling Act 2004. When this was first introduced gamblers were scared that it would infringe on their freedoms, however in actuality it proved to do the exact opposite.
The Gambling Act 2004 called for much stricter regulation on the online gambling industry, however in exchange for this there was a lot more potential for advertising. It also resulted in things like RTP and slot variance being mandatory to be disclosed by online slot developers and online casino sites.
Introduction of mobile slots
Mobile slots are so common these days that it can be tempting to think that they have been around since the very start of the industry, however they were actually only introduced about a decade ago. Since then they have quickly become the most played variety of online slot, which is testimony to their rapid success.
And when you think about it there should be no surprise, because mobile slots can be played from pretty much anywhere you find yourself.
Modern online slot industry and what’s next
The modern online slot industry is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon, and gambling experts expect it to keep growing for a while yet.
