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

The first online gambling site was launched in August 1995. It is currently estimated that you’ll find more than 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, based on Christiansen Capital Advisors (CCA).

So what is it about the online casino phenomenon which has so enticed gamblers? Perhaps it really is the virtue of it simply being online. There are 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 range 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 few of them:

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

Blackjack, better known as twenty-one or Pontoon, is just one of the most common casino card games on earth. Much of blackjack’s popularity is because of the mixture of chance with aspects of skill, as well as 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 technologies have resulted in lots of variations on the slot machine concept.

The freedom of money and time are added attractions. The online casinos are relatively affordable to use with regards to staff being paid, so they’re able to offer players free games. Entering a blackjack room within an online casino is very different to approaching a blackjack table in a land based casino. The speed and intimidation may be high when playing in a ritzy casino. Crucial decisions are made quickly as well as 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 good online slot gambling gambling hoaxes. Illegitimate and cheating websites are present on the net and can be deceiving. The most critical things to remember when gambling online are the three elements of consideration, prize and chance. All three should be present.

The problem with online gambling is that it really is far harder to control. The industry which has to protect itself from the risks of compulsive gamblers. In the virtual world, this is difficult to enforce. A customer is able to sit within their own family room, in what ever state they decide to be in and at what ever age and gamble as much as they desire.

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