How the Online Gambling Market Has Changed in the 21st Century
Gambling is a practice as old as the human race. Since the earliest civilizations, people have rolled dice or placed bets on competitions. However, since the late 20th century, the gambling industry has changed considerably. In the 1990s, people could visit websites and play poker from their own home. However, even online gambling has had a rather rapid development. In this article, we would like to explore how the iGaming industry has changed in the past 20 years.
More Games
When online gambling first started, poker was the only available game. Poker sites enjoyed massive success, with many people flocking to these games. By the early 2000s, online poker had already become widely acceptable in the mainstream, both by the population at large, and by poker tournaments.
The early 2000s were also the era of innovation in iGaming. New games hit the online casino market. Slots, blackjack, roulette, and all of your favorite casino games became widely available. Soon, online casinos became a huge success. Now, a decade-or-so later, online casinos feature a wide variety of original content as well. Games like Frank’s Farm are growing a lot more popular and numerous. Fishing games, mini games, and more, are all available at various online casinos.
Better Games
Not only are there more games, but there are also better games. The technology behind online casinos has come a long way, making the industry a lot more fun. Slots online are now a lot more complex than simply pressing buttons. There are live options for blackjack and roulette. And the original games have become a lot more intricate as well. In other words, there is no better time to be an iGaming fan than 2023.
More Payment Options
Back in the 90s and early 2000s, your only option for online casinos were credit cards. And today, cards, especially from VISA and MasterCard remain popular options. However, thanks to the development of technology, there are a ton of other options to choose from as well. Some of the most popular transaction options in 2023 include:
- E-wallets
- Cryptocurrency
- Debit Cards
- Direct Wire Transfers
- E-check payments
Among these, cryptocurrency is especially popular. So much so, that there are plenty of online casinos that have completely forgone other payment options. These crypto casinos have gotten a lot of traction in recent years, and have formed their own little “sub-industry” within iGaming.
Safety Has Improved
Since the 90s, the iGaming industry has become a lot more mainstream. Naturally, the rise in popularity has led to most countries becoming interested in and legalizing the phenomenon. Now that these websites are mostly legal, they are also a lot safer as well.
By legalizing online casinos, many countries have made certain that these websites will function under regulation. The way to make sure that you are playing at a safe website, is to ensure that the casino is licensed by a reputable authority. If you are playing at offshore casinos, some of the best licenses are the following:
- Curacao (Caribbean countries in general take iGaming very seriously)
- Malta
- Gibraltar
- The United Kingdom (EU-affiliated countries in general take iGaming quite seriously)
- Cyprus
So, if you notice that an online casino is licensed and regulated by any of the aforementioned countries, then you are likely playing at a safe website. Of course, there are other safe and reliable licenses. The best way to ensure your casino of choice is safe is to read some of the reviews by users, former users, and professional critics.