the thrill of the imminent revelation

Nowadays, if you’re the kind of man or woman who enjoys the occasional game of chance, you don’t have to look too far to find somewhere where you can satisfy your gambling needs. From street hustlers to friendly bets, there’s hardly anyone who hasn’t at one point or another fancied trying their hand and testing their luck. Whether the outcome is good or bad, there’s something alluring about literally putting one’s money where one’s mouth is. Add to that the anticipation of the outcome, the thrill of the imminent revelation, and you get the ingredients for the mild (or explosive, depending on the bet) adrenaline rush that has been responsible for the rise and downfall of many a men and women throughout the ages. This is also the root of the vice that keeps people coming back for more, to the eternal “what if”. Somewhere along the way, someone became wise to this and decided to build a monument to attract the gambling masses. Care to guess the common name of these monuments? That’s right: the casino.

cleverly facing the new challenges

Although designed to be secretive and mysterious, pretty much anyone knows about casinos, what they are and what they stand for, and even their goings-on regardless if one ever set foot inside such an establishment. Casinos have been around for some time and it seems they’ve been busy upgrading their services and overall doing a pretty good job at keeping up with the times. Despite all the social controversy they have spawned and legal battles they have fought, it appears casinos are seamlessly adapting and evolving, cleverly facing the new challenges of an economically-depressed, yet ever-growing technological society. If the rules of supply and demand still apply in such a society, then one could safely say that casinos are here to stay. Or are they? First of all, where do casinos come from and why are they here? The very first known venue similar to a casino was the Ridotto in Europe, more precisely in Venice (Italy). It dates back to 1638 and, even though it wasn’t called a casino back then, it fit nicely in that category since it provided gambling services as well as entertainment and dancing.Back then, only nobles and blue bloods could actually afford to enjoy the pleasures it provided given its high stakes and rigorous dress code – yes, you guessed it, no mining boots or oil-stained shirts allowed.

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mobile gaming in online casinos

A long time has passed since the gambling days of yore. Today, casinos are a landmark in many major cities around the world and in some places they’re even listed as main tourist attractions – places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City (United States), San Jose (Costa Rica), Macau (China), and of course the refined, exquisite, illustrious district of Monte Carlo (Monaco). Does that sound like an exciting and adventurous list? Does it make you want to pack a suitcase with your finest silk shirts and head off on high stake thrills around the world? Before you start salivating at the prospect of a life of international high rolling risk, fame and glory, you might be interested in knowing that you needn’t bother with the hassles of jet lag and slow baggage belts since, nowadays, you’re able to enjoy the pleasures of the casino life from the comfort of your own home. A lot has changed in the gambling world. Continuing our international time-trek through the life of the casino, we arrive at the exotic regions of the Caribbean Sea. It’s 1994 and the government of the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, responsible for licensing Internet gambling entities, is about to pass the Free Trade & Processing act, which will allow the granting of licenses to any organization applying to open online casinos. Jump forward a few years, and you’ll see the effects of that single event beginning to be felt as online gambling becomes more and more popular. The number of gambling websites increases from a total of fifteen in 1996 to two hundred in 1997, and annual revenues approaching the $900,000,000 USD mark in 1998 alone. Then, in 1999, a remarkable change takes place. The multiplayer gambling feature is introduced, allowing gamblers to interact and chat with one another, thusfulfilling the simulated experience of the gambling environment. Online gambling has been on the rise ever since at an impressive and overall steady rate. In November 2013, for example, after online casinos were legalized in New Jersey, the resulting revenue reached $1,000,000 USD after a single week and, last year, in 2014, the number grew closer to $10,000,000 USD per month.

taking a shot at general online gambling

Keeping these figures in mind, it seems it’s safe to say that the industry was in no dire need of help to grow and capitalize. It’s still garnering more and more clients every day due to its immense variety of games and offers, as well as the fact that it’s spreading to all current types of computer, including tablets and smartphones. So if you’re considering taking a shot at general online gambling, you’ll find there won’t be any shortage of offers to satisfy your curiosity. Mobile casinos, on the other hand, are a breed of their own, boasting impressive amounts of games and a variety of themes within the same genre. With repertoires that usually include both classic as well as new games, such as blackjack, roulette, poker, scratch cards, pachinko, baccarat, classic slot, vegas slots, video slots, and even movie- and sports-themed slots, it seems like the amount of challenges you’re offered is limited only by the imagination. And – you know what? - indeed it is! All you have to do is relax, sit on our favorite couch, put your feet comfortably up, take your pick and let loose on chance-world. But can technology actually replace experience in the real world? We’ll have to wait and see.

on your smartphone screen…

Any online casino live today will have an awareness section where it advises users about responsible gaming. In this section, it’s common to find tips on how to gamble safely: do it for entertainment purposes only, stick to a time limit, set a budget, accept loss, avoid credit cards, keep an active social life, don’t treat it as a coping mechanism… The list goes on. Let’s face it, though, “the house” is there to win and it didn’t invest so much in ways to make you want to keep coming back to then make a genuine effort in the opposite direction. On the other hand, there’s little effort needed to seduce anyone to try a thrilling new challenge under the guise of little risk. And now the challenge is right there, always at arm’s reach, blinking away on your smartphone screen… In conclusion, if the last hundred years have taught us anything is that we, humans, love technology especially when it comes in small, light packaging. We want to be unrestrained, mobile, and still have the entire world at our fingertips and take risks. So, we will continue our efforts to become a technology oriented global society. Furthermore, one doesn’t need to interpret divine intentions to perceive that the evolution of human entertainment will walk hand in hand with technological progress.