Card playing

Much can be credited to the China of old. Owing to the fact that the Chinese used paper currency, it is said that they had much experience shuffling paper money in 900 A.D – a possible prelude to card shuffling. Many cultures and religions can lay claim to adding their contribution to card playing. It is not only the Chinese, Japanese, Indians, Greeks, Egyptians and Romans who were actively involved in gambling, but many other nations along the way.

Twists and Turns

Throughout history gambling has gone through periods of regulation, prohibition and close scrutiny. King Henry – an avid gambler – banned gambling; Native Americans embraced gambling; Revolutionary Americans played federal lotteries but gambling survived and always prospered. Today the USA lays claim to Nevada and Atlantic City among others and indeed the world sports many bricks and mortar casinos.

Online gambling gains traction

The e-boom of the 1990s gave rise to online gambling. By 1994 Antigua and Barbuda passed the Free Trade and Processing Act which essentially legislated to allow gambling licenses. Soon thereafter Microgaming was born – a world leader in hi-tech leading gaming software for poker rooms and casinos. As early as 1995 Microgaming’s Gaming Club opened and in 1996 InterCasino was launched as was the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Canada. The latter regulates online gaming from the Mohawk territory of Kahnawake.

The late 1990s were marked by strong revenue growth in the industry. And around the same time, Intertops became the first online sports book, licensed under the gaming laws of Antigua. Today they cater to tens of thousands of daily wagers in almost 200 countries. Of all the online gaming attractions, online Poker is tops. Party Poker, Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars and other notable brands have become household names in this big-revenue industry. Many of these companies list on leading stock exchanges where they trade as blue-chip enterprises.

Amidst ongoing moves towards regulation and the USA’s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), online gaming is still in flux. While the US market has limited participation via payment processors to outside and unregulated online casinos, the world market for e-gaming is growing at a healthy rate. eCOGRA provides for safe online gaming practice and there are moves to regulate gaming in the USA. Such measures could generate much-needed tax-revenues and greater control over the industry. Big name operators such as 888 Holdings, William Hill, Bwin and Playtech are navigating the waters and operate under European and other licensed operators. The industry is expected to generate in excess of $20 billion by 2010.

The future of online gambling is already here, with online casinos of all creeds and colors. Now you’re invited to read about the history of the games.