The internet has made many activities easier including gambling. Online casinos have been around for over two decades now and long-time gamblers can surely attest that it has gotten a lot better. Today, you can play any casino game that you’d like anywhere you are and anytime you want.
And so, 2021 is finally here and it promises to be a better year for everybody. For gamblers, there are many things to look forward to. However, if you haven’t played any real money games before, you should start giving it a try. It doesn’t matter where you are, you can easily access Online Casinos in India, the UK, Ireland, or anywhere in the world. All you need is your mobile device and the internet.
A Brief History of Online Gambling
It was in the 90s when online gambling started. There are speculations that the first online casino site was born in 1994, but there are no solid pieces of evidence that can prove this. What’s proven is that two online casinos set the trend and these are InterCasino and Casino.co.za.
Since these two casinos went live, the growth of the online gambling sector started. By 1997, there were already around 200 online casino sites that were launched. Fast-forward to today when there are already thousands of online casinos that you can choose from.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) has reported in 2018 that there were already over 2,800 active casino sites. This number has surely grown since then and we can only expect that more casinos will open this year.
Why People Prefer to Gamble Online
The popularity of online casinos has risen in the last few years. Many gamblers switched to online casino gaming for a few great reasons. However, if there is a common answer you’ll hear if you ask them why they choose to play online, you’ll probably hear the word convenient a lot.
It is convenient to gamble online because making a transaction is fast and easy. There are now plenty of payment options that you can choose from. Shopping for an online casino is also bearable because it only takes a few clicks to access one site and another. This means that you can easily shop for promos and bonuses. If you are aiming to wager on sports, you can also easily shop for the best odds out there.
It’s also generally safe to gamble online nowadays. Cybersecurity has gotten a lot better since online gambling existed. Casino sites take pride in their security systems. As a player, there are also many things that you can do to protect yourself online like using a VPN and secure payment options like the use of cryptocurrencies and digital wallets.
Trends in 2021 to Look Forwards To
The online gambling sector is poised to get bigger this year. The world is still dealing with a pandemic as people are still cautious about outdoor activities. While land casinos are already back to business, there are still some of them that are closed till further notice. This just makes the demand for online gambling bigger. Here are some trends that we may see more of this year.
- Mobile Gambling Apps
The mobile market has become so huge that the majority of businesses are now giving it a lot of focus. Gambling companies are now releasing their native apps to better serve the mobile market. With this, you may see more gambling apps that you can download on your smartphones and tablets this year.
- Cryptocurrency Gambling
Aside from the online gambling sector, cryptocurrencies have also gained more following last year. This is mainly because of the rise of Bitcoin’s value. Today, its value is now over 31,000 USD. It’s simply making a lot of noise that more people and businesses are likely to adopt its use this year. With that, more online gambling sites will start transacting with cryptocurrency users.
- Esports Betting
2020 has also been a good year for the esports industry. While many professional sports events last year have been postponed and canceled, people appear to have gained interest in other live events like esports tournaments. This industry is also set to continue to grow in the next few years and sportsbooks are now more willing to offer odds on gaming tournaments like Counter-Strike: Global Offense.
Conclusion
Overall, 2021 is already a promising year for the gambling industry. If you haven’t tried playing casino online games before, this is already a good time to start. It’s convenient and safe. The pandemic is not yet over and while waiting for everything to go back to normal, you can sit comfortably at home and play real money games.