Online Gambling – Then and Now
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by: stickystebee
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Word Count: 450
During the mid 90s, computer programmers began developing software to implement online gaming. Programmers were also working on software that would allow financial transactions to take place in a secure environment. Both of these developments were necessary before online gaming could become a reality. During this time, Antigua Barbuda passed legislation that opened the door for businesses to acquire licensing, which would be needed to operate online casinos. At the end of the end of 1996, the first Casino went online. It did not take long for U.S. politicians to begin their fight to pass legislation to make gambling at online casinos illegal in the United States. By 1998, over $800 million was reported to have been generated by online gambling. New software was developed in 1998, which would allow multiplayer action, opening up a completely new avenue for online casinos. Well over eight million people had gambled online using real money by 2001, even though politicians continued their fight to pass legislation to stop online gambling in the United States. By 2002, online gambling expenditures had quadrupled. In 2003, strict regulations were established to help insure the security of the online transactions taking place on casino websites. By 2006, there were well over 2,000 gambling sites operating online. Although legislation passed in the U.S., which made it harder for Americans to gamble at online casinos, it was reported that over half of the players gambling at online casinos are from the United States.
Over the past two years, the online casino business has exploded. With new software constantly being developed, new games, with better graphics, allow substantial improvements to be made, making the experience of online gambling very comparable to the experience of visiting an offline casino. Online casinos offer the opportunity for people to participate in and experience the environment of a true casino without leaving the comfort of their own home. The technology that has been developed makes online transactions very secure. The graphics have become extremely detailed, and the implementation of interactive chat certainly gives the player the same social interaction they would have at an offline casino. Kentucky has recently won a court order to seize the web addresses of several online casino sites. Since Kentucky boasts one of the largest sports betting events every year, the Kentucky Derby, they certainly cannot quote a moral issue concerning their recent actions. Although many U.S. politicians feel the need to protect Americans from online gambling, with so many Americans participating in online gambling, it is apparent that the citizens don’t agree that they need protecting, and will most certainly continue to frequent the exciting world of online casinos, just as they will offline casinos.
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