Online gambling is any type of betting conducted via the internet. This includes casinos, online poker and sports betting among many others. The first online gambling site opened for the public, was lottery ticketing for the infamous Liechtenstein International Poker tournament in October 1994. In the years that followed, this trend increased as the internet became more accessible and secure.
Online gambling has come a long way from the early days of playing at a counter in a bar or a friend’s house. Today you can go to an online casino or poker room in a matter of minutes with the click of your mouse. For those who are unfamiliar with online gambling, the basic concept is fairly simple. For instance, if someone places a bet on a casino game that they have selected, the person who wins simply deposits that amount into their account. With that simple setup, it would be easy to conclude that online gambling is not much different than playing in a traditional brick and mortar casino.
However, there are a few key differences between online gambling and playing in licensed and land-based casinos. First, online casinos typically offer a variety of features that are not available at land-based casinos. Online casinos also typically allow their players to change the odds as well as the deposit amounts and the payouts for their games. Also, many online casinos offer bonuses as incentives to players, including those who participate in promotional offers such as drawings and contests.