Most casino games that are played today have existed for several centuries. The playing cards that many rely on are even older and can be traced back more than 1,000 years to the Chinese Tang Dynasty.
Despite their age, casino games were given a new lease of life in the late 1990s when a couple of factors came together to create the conditions that allowed for the birth of the iGaming industry.
iGaming is the term given to businesses that operate online casinos, poker rooms, bookmakers, bingo games, and lotteries. These companies combine classic games, the tradition of wagering, and modern technology together to create a new experience for players.
Take away technology from this equation though, and the iGaming industry wouldn’t exist. It was the development of the World Wide Web that enabled its conception. Since then, iGaming companies have continued to innovate, embracing new technological developments to offer an ever-improving experience to their customers.
Early Days
Operating online casinos was not legally possible until the 1994 passing of the Free Trade and Processing Zone Act in Antigua and Barbuda. The law made it possible for commercial businesses to operate from its territory and trade with the rest of the world.
A couple of months later, Microsoft launched Windows 95, one of its most-hyped operating systems, and the first that many people used in their homes. The company sold one million copies in the first four days and 40 million in the first year.
Within a year of this, the first iGaming sites had also launched, serving the tens of millions of people that were connecting to the internet for the first time. However, it wouldn’t be until the late 1990s and early 2000s that some of the most well-known brands began trading.
Mobile Revolution
While Microsoft helped to usher in the first online casinos, its rival Apple helped spark the next revolution. 12 years after the launch of Windows 95, Steve Jobs released the first iPhone. These new smartphones would later allow users to download apps and browser a mobile-friendly version of the web.
Almost immediately, iGaming companies sprang into action, developing versions of their games that would work on the go. Throughout the last decade, these mobile casinos and bookmakers have become the preferred way to play for a large proportion of customers.
Live Casinos
Innovation didn’t stop there though. In the last decade, video streaming technology has come on leaps and bounds thanks to increased internet speeds, better compression standards, and improved camera technology. Apple also helped to normalize video chatting with its FaceTime service.
Online casinos were quick to recognize this trend and began incorporating it into their offering. The result was “live dealer games”, which are versions of traditional casino games that use a human dealer, a physical gaming table, and a video feed that lets players see the action take place in real-time.
You can find live casino versions of most table games, including blackjack, three-card poker, and baccarat. However, roulette is often the most popular option thanks to its simplicity and fast pace. Most online casinos also offer multiple versions too, including ones with high and low limits, a double ball variant, and a football-themed option. Regardless of which one you choose, they all follow the same premise, using a roulette wheel that contains 37 pockets and a felt table with corresponding numbers and colors.
Live casino games offer one of the most immersive playing experiences available to online players by using real-world cards, wheels, and tables, and by allowing dealers to chat with players.
Future Developments
Understanding the importance of technology in the industry, iGaming companies are continually looking for new ways to offer greater convenience or a more immersive experience for their products.
Recently, this has seen them experiment with virtual reality and augmented reality games. A few VR options have found their way onto the market, but AR is probably a couple of years away still. There are likely plenty of other ideas being worked on in the research and development departments of the world’s biggest iGaming companies, though they’ll be playing their cards close to their chest with these.
What is for certain though is that the iGaming industry understands the importance that technology has played in its success. And for that reason, it will continue to search for ways to exploit new innovations in the future.
