History of Real Money Online Casinos in the US

Can you mention a better technological advancement than the internet? Not many! The internet was first launched in 1983 and has revolutionized how we do many things. For example, playing slots and table games at real money online casino sites is just a screen tap away. No need to make long-distance drives to traditional casinos to gamble! 

In this article, we want to reverse the hands of time to discuss where it all started and what the future holds. We’ll also discuss a few pointers regarding the legality of real-money online gambling in the US.

Tracing the Roots of Online Gambling

The birth of the first online gambling site is a mixed bag, with InterCasino and Microgaming claiming the bragging rights. But according to Wikipedia, the first online gambling venue was launched in 1994 by Microgaming. By 1996, the number had soared to 15 gambling websites, increasing to 200+ sites in the following year. The first online poker site and multiplayer online gaming were introduced in 1998 and 1999, respectively.

Another milestone that coincided with the launch of the first online casinos was the formation of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in 1996. This body issues gaming licenses to casinos and oddsmakers in Canada. Over in the UK, the Gambling Commission was established in 2007 after enacting the Gambling Act 2005. This famous body regulates the UK gambling market by issuing licenses, proposing new gambling laws, and mediating disputes.

Online Casino Legality in the US

Things haven’t been so rosy for online casino fans in the US. The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act was tabled in the Senate in 1999. Fortunately, the bill flopped. Had it passed, no gambling company would have offered online gambling services in the US. The US Supreme Court also threw the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) into the dustbin in 2018. The ruling allowed individual states to legalize or criminalize gambling within their borders.

As it stands now, legal online betting is spreading quickly in North America. You can bet on sports in 20+ states, with many others considering legalizing this activity. On the other hand, online casino gambling remains a largely untouched subject. Only West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Michigan, and Delaware players can play online casino games. But this number will undoubtedly change soon.

So, why can’t US players just join any online casino and catch all the action? In 2006, the US legislature passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enactment Act (UIGEA). This law criminalized transactions with any online casino. Think it’s a joke? The government instructed payment companies not to process funds for US players. As if that’s not enough, the government shut down many online poker sites in 2011.

But I’m not insinuating that online casinos worldwide don’t accept US players. Many offshore gambling sites accept US bettors without any restrictions. However, it’s your job to find a reliable international online casino to play at. We recommend playing at a licensed and regulated casino with an excellent reputation among players. Ensure also that the software providers are reputable names like Microgaming, NetEnt, Evolution, and RealTime Gaming.

Rise of Real Money Online Casinos

Many factors have led to the quick rise of online casinos worldwide. To begin with, most countries are embracing the idea of legal gambling. The US is a good example, where tens of states have legalized gambling within 4 years or so. Some countries, especially Islamic countries, remain non-committal due to religious or cultural reasons. But it won’t be long before legal gambling becomes a universal practice. After All, the gambling revenue for governments is too good to ignore.

Another reason why online gambling is trendy is mobile phone technology. Playtech launched the first mobile-based casino service in 2005. Coincidentally, this is the same time iOS and Android operating systems were released. These devices changed mobile phone technology for good. The best smartphones can match or even beat most desktops performance-wise.

Still, on mobile phone gameplay, the recently launched 5G technology promises to make things faster and smoother. Consider this; 5G gives you maximum download speeds of 20 GB per second compared to 4G’s 1GB per second. That’s not all. The fifth-generation network boasts low latency speeds of less than 5 milliseconds. And as we speak, the commercial rollout for 6G will be ready by 2030.

What the Future Looks Like

The future of real money online casinos looks good, to say the least. Look at it this way; when Covid-19 was at its peak in 2020, most businesses, including casinos, closed down. But thanks to online casinos, players have never missed a chance to play their favorite games. This is even made better with the realistic experience of live casino games. And with legal gambling spreading everywhere these days, the future is luminous.