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Close your eyes and picture a casino. No doubt you imagined a ritzy, opulent gaming floor dripping in diamonds and full of well-dressed high rollers winning big on roulette, blackjack and craps. Popular media has always portrayed casinos as the home of spies and billionaires, socialising in lavish surroundings.
This excitement and adrenaline combined with glamour and risk is one of many reasons why the casino remains so popular – whether you are on the Las Vegas strip or in luscious Monte Carlo. Casinos have been a part of human culture before time really began – there are records of betting going back to ancient Mesopotamia – and with the advent of online casino, it has never been easier to be a part of the action.
A Brief History of Casinos
The earliest record of what we would consider a casino in Europe was in Venice, Italy in 1638, designed to provide controlled gaming action during carnival times.
Settlers in the US brought the casino with them, establishing saloons in New Orleans, Chicago, San Francisco, and St. Louis where travellers and cowboys could meet up, socialise, drink, and bet on the turn of a card.
By the early 20th Century, betting was all but illegal, outlawed according to State legislature, until Nevada legalised casino gaming in 1931. Now considered the heartland of the casino, the Las Vegas strip is probably the first place your imagination went when you considered what a casino might look like.
What Do We Get from Casinos?
So, casinos are glitzy and glamorous. They are exciting places where you can live by your nerves, making decisions and potentially winning big. There are obvious reasons why they are used as backdrops for movies where someone needs a big break and is wagering their life savings on a throw of the dice – because it is exciting, because we love the underdog, and because we know we all have the potential to be able to win a fortune if we go ourselves.
They provide a break from reality, a place to go for excitement and socialising, the opportunity to see successful, rich, and beautiful people playing games for cash and winning (or losing) in spectacular fashion. We go to the casino for a special occasion, for a night out, or as part of a celebration.
We also go to the casino for the opportunity to win money – and win big. We put our chips on red, we go all in on black, we hope to get that blackjack hand that will pay big. The adrenaline and the fun of the games are all part of the urge to win that jackpot.
This excitement, then, is what we get from a casino – and that is what the growth in online gaming is cashing in on.
Are Online Casinos Like the Real Thing?
Online gaming operators are sometimes the well-known casino companies in the US, and other times they are sports book companies or betting companies around the globe.
Online games are automated versions of the games you can play in a land-based, offline casino – produced using state of the art graphics and animations, with bright colours and a random number generating algorithm to ensure fairness.
With online casinos you can spend all night playing blackjack or choose your favourite type of Jackpotjoy bingo slots to spin for hours. There is no opening or closing times, no need to leave your home – so you can play according to your schedule (and even in your pyjamas, if you like). For new players, bonuses like free spins and deposit matching will help encourage more play – and more fun.
For some people, the lack of social interaction can be a benefit. You do not have to play with others, communicate with others, or have anything to do with the millions of other people on the platform, unless you want to. Of course, some online casinos have chat functions that can be used to get to know fellow players, share successes, or commiserate losses.
Using an online casino means taking advantage of modern cybersecurity options like SSL encryption and Two-Factor Authorisation (2FA) to protect your money. There are options for user controls like setting limits, and options for choosing where to fund your player pot, including online sources as well as your bank account or credit card.
Extra Freedom with Mobile
Smartphones, 5G and app development innovations has meant that online casinos have been able to produce native casino apps for Android and iOS, providing an immersive experience in the palm of your hand.
You can now take the functionality, design, and fun of the online casino with you wherever you are, really opening the possibilities that come with a truly mobile lifestyle.
Mobile access to games means you can chat with your friends as you spin the roulette wheel while waiting for a bus or spend your lunchbreak playing video poker with players around the world. You can spin those slots from your bedroom or from the park – with seamless integration between the computer and your phone.
Is Online Gaming the Future?
Casinos are part of an industry that is worth billions of dollars globally. While some commentators believe that by 2025 the online casino will have the largest market share of the industry, it is hard to imagine the Las Vegas strip or Monte Carlo without opulent casinos and rich patrons.
If you choose the right online casino, you can get the adrenaline, the fun, and the opportunity to win alongside the immediate access that the internet (and mobile apps) can give you.
