Gambling has been with us since ancient times. Gambling online is a relatively new phenomenon and one that appears to be growing in popularity on a daily basis. Take a look-at these facts:

The very first online gambling site was launched in August 1995. It really is currently estimated that you can find around 2,000 Internet gambling Web sites offering various wagering options, including sports betting, casino games, lotteries and bingo.

Internet gambling revenue in 2005 was estimated at $11.9 billion and is projected to double by 2010, according to Christiansen Capital Advisors (CCA).

So what is it about the online casino phenomenon that has so enticed gamblers? Perhaps it’s the virtue of it simply being online. There are actually so many attractions to not having to attend a casino to gamble. The most prominent of these is the intimidation. Online gambling opens up a whole host of games to players who previously never had the courage or interest in observing tables in a land based casino.

Then it is the choice of games. The number of games and their varieties online are astounding. Poker, blackjack, roulette or sports gambling, online casinos offer all of them. Lets take a look at a couple of of them:

Online poker has been partly answerable for a dramatic increase in the range of poker players worldwide. For the year of 2005, revenues from online poker were estimated at US$200 million each month.

Blackjack, often known as twenty-one or Pontoon, is one of the most common casino card games on the planet. Much of blackjack’s popularity is because of the blend of chance with elements of skill, and the publicity that surrounds card counting The slot machine typically pays off determined by patterns of symbols visible on the front of the machine when it stops. Modern computer technology has resulted in many variations on the slot machine concept.

The freedom of money and time are added attractions. The Click On this site-line casinos are relatively low-cost to operate with regard to staff being paid, so they may be able to offer players free games. Entering a blackjack room within an online casino is extremely different to approaching a blackjack table in a land based casino. The speed and intimidation can be high when playing in a ritzy casino. Crucial decisions are made quickly and on the spot. At home, the player is able to slow down and play only when they are ready.

Sadly, with such a growth in popularity has come many online gambling hoaxes. Illegitimate and cheating web pages are present on the net and may be deceiving. The most significant things to remember when gambling online will be the three elements of consideration, prize and chance. All three should be present.

The problem with online gambling is that it’s far harder to control. The area which has to protect itself from the risks of compulsive gamblers. Within the virtual world, this is tough to enforce. A customer is able to sit in their own family room, in whatever state they choose to be in and at what ever age and gamble just as much as they desire.

Caution seems to be the only key. Gambling has always been a controversial subject; gambling via the internet is simply an extension of this controversy.