Online gambling has been around since 1994 and in that time it has become almost as popular as traditional casino gambling. There are a lot of factors that go into online gambling’s success, including the popularity of the casino games that online casinos feature. With thousands of online casinos featuring tens-of-thousands of games, it’s small wonder that playing online is quickly becoming many gamblers favorite way to play casino games.

When online gambling first began, there were very few casinos and only a handful of casino games. Since then, developers and designers have been hard at work creating new and exciting online casinos and casino games. Some of the more popular games, like the slot Mega Moolah, are featured on thousands of online casinos as progressive networks. Click here to learn more about progressive online slots.

Since online gambling’s inception, it’s been the games that drive the industry. Very few online casinos develop their own in-house games because it’s more expensive and time consuming than licensing outside games for use. Top developers like Microgaming have been providing online casinos their games since the beginning, and in those years they’ve learned exactly what players want.

It mostly comes down to features. New releases, much like the video game industry, are more engaging and dynamic than previous releases, and often include new user features. Right now the industry is moving to mobile connectivity. Let’s face it, it’s a mobile world now any online business who wants to stay market current needs to be mobile compatible. Mobile gambling revenue has steadily climbed over the past few years and is predicted to grow by 5% annually in the coming years.

From its humble beginnings to the global powerhouse it has become today, online gambling is one of the internet’s most  profitable industries. Beyond mobile, there’s more in store from online casinos. Virtual and Augmented Reality are shaping up to become major interrupters for any online industry, and online casinos are answering the challenge.

There are already a few fully virtual casinos online and more to come soon. Some online casinos are even offering virtual versions of certain games. If mobile was an indicator that players wanted something new and fresh, then VR and AR should likely follow the same trajectory within the industry. As we see VR/AR come more fully into its own, and more platforms find their way into homes, we’re sure to see more online casinos stepping up to answer the demand for VR/AR games.

If 23 years has gotten the online casino industry this far, it’s hard to imagine what’s in store for the next 23 years!