Growth of Gambling:

With the explosive growth of the World Wide Web in the mid 90’s came the birth of online gambling. As was and is so often the case when it comes to everyday pursuits and the internet, it was now possible to indulge in one of your favourite past-times without having to leave your home. It was a company called Microgaming that laid claim to introducing the first online casino back in 1994, when the internet was still relatively young. Yet as the web grew, so did the online gaming industry, and other companies realised that they simply could not afford not to have a slice of multi-billion dollar pie. So while Microgaming is still the engine behind many of the casinos online these days, there are hundreds of different companies operating on the web.

Generally there are three types of casinos on the net: those where you play on the site itself, those which require you to download their software, and those, fewer in number but becoming increasingly common, which give you access to a real casino where you can interact with real tables and live croupiers. The games offered by these online casinos are very similar to the ones you would find if you walked through the doors of the Bellagio in Las Vegas; on offer is typically Blackjack, slots, poker, craps, Baccarat, and roulette, together with various hybrids, variations and site-specific games. Sites will typically offer user some form of signup bonus �" often claiming to match the amount the user pays into his or her account up to a certain amount. Some critics condemn online casinos for, well, being online. These are the ones who enjoy looking the dealer in the eye, cracking jokes with others at the table, and flipping chips in between their fingers. Maybe they just like the free drinks. Sufficient or not, most companies publish gaming guidelines on their sites, as well as links to gambleaware.co.uk �" from a legislative point of view, most authorities seem generally satisfied with this and though regulated, online gambling is for the most part legal and continues to thrive.