Anyone visiting a modern online casino in this day (for example Stay Casino) and age can hardly imagine how far the road has been. In this article, we trace the development of casinos and take a look at the possibilities offered by a fully equipped internet casino.
1638: The first casino opens its doors
According to official historiography, the first casino opened its doors in 1638. The world’s first gambling house was established in Palazzo Dandolo in Venice. A few years later, there were already over 100 casinos, which were preferably operated by private individuals. Then, as now, a license was required to run a casino. The operators of illegal casinos were usually quickly put out of business.
It took until 1720 before the first German casino was opened in Germany – in Bad Ems to be precise. In Spa, the “Redoute” was opened in 1763. This establishment developed into a real crowd puller. In the course of the French Revolution, all casinos were closed for the time being. Thus, the German casinos, especially those in Baden-Baden and Aachen, became a Mecca for gamblers.
The rise of Las Vegas as a gambling metropolis
The legalization of US gambling in the 1930s turned the desert city of Las Vegas into a tourist center of international importance. While simple casinos initially dominated the streetscape, a few decades later it was dominated by huge casino complexes. The gambling houses often have their own hotels with a variety of leisure activities.
Las Vegas stands like no other city for sophisticated casinos, where a sparkling atmosphere prevails. Many online casinos try to emulate this feeling by recreating the striking interior architecture in their studios. Anyone who has ever played in a live dealer casino knows what we’re talking about here.
The decline of Las Vegas was largely caused by the influence of the mafia, which increasingly took control of the lucrative casino business. In the last 20 years, the situation in the city has changed for the better. City leaders are making efforts to upgrade the southern “Strip” and make it attractive to visitors again.
The 2000s: Online casinos conquer the scene
Online casinos have been around since the mid-1990s. But it wasn’t until the advent of fast broadband connections that the technical prerequisites were in place to offer users an impressive gaming experience. The first web casinos primarily offered slot machines (“slots”). Licenses were not required at the time, which led to numerous cases of fraud.
Today’s iGaming world presents itself quite differently. Those who cannot show a license have a hard time finding members.Gambling authorities such as the Malta Gambling Authority (MGA) and the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) ensure that certain minimum standards are met in terms of player safety.
The range of games in today’s online casinos is so diverse that users will be busy trying out the numerous offerings for years to come. Among the most popular games are the table games, which are offered with and without live dealers. The biggest part of the assortment is formed by the slot machines in almost all online casinos. There are websites where more than 4,000 online slots can be found. In many cases, the slot machines are offered as play money and real money versions. This allows users to familiarize themselves with the rules of the game before placing their first bets.
Full-service providers: Casino games, sports betting and more
In addition to casino games and games with instant winnings (e.g. bingo or keno), so-called full-service providers also offer sports betting. Until a few years ago, these were the domain of traditional bookmakers. In the meantime, sports bets can also be placed in conventional casinos. This has the advantage for the user that he can stay on the website and switch back and forth between the two categories.
Another advantage is that the user can claim not one, but two welcome bonuses. As a rule, a separate bonus is provided for sports tipsters. This has a smaller size than the casino bonus, but the turnover requirements are lower. In many casinos, it is sufficient to convert the sports betting bonus five or six times. The minimum odds are often set at 1.70 or 1.80.
