How software developers created the first online casino as technology continues to be the driving force behind new developments in online gambling.
The online casino industry as we know it is huge, successful, and capable of meeting the expectations of even the most demanding players. It came a long way since its humble beginnings and looking back, it is difficult to remember which was the first online casino ever. Things are complicated by the fact that several operators claim that they were the first to launch and operate a fully functional casino. We know for a fact that the story of online casinos started in the mid-90s, with Microgaming and Cryptologic.
Microgaming opens its first casino in 1994
Slots fans in general and those who love progressive jackpot games in particular note that Microgaming is one of the most prolific developers. The company grew a lot since the mid-90s and it is the main supplier of slots for some of the leading online casinos. Today, the group focuses exclusively on game development, but back in the day, it was the driving force behind the first online casino. In 1994, it was ready to launch the first online casino, although the operator became fully functional at the beginning of 1995.
The Gaming Club casino was quite a basic casino and not like popular mobile casinos today like JeffBet.com, with only a few games and payment methods. However, in the mid-90s, it was an incredible achievement for the software developer to launch such a polished product. Slots were the first games to be played on the platform, with punters being treated to a handful of cool games with basic mechanics. The goal was to re-create the thrills of brick-and-mortar casinos while providing a convenient alternative. Since the Internet was still in its early days, only a few players were able to enjoy the games and there was also a great deal of mistrust.
Cryptologic and InterCasino Challenge the Leader
Microgaming might’ve been the first to open a functional casino, but several others were working on a very similar project. Soon after The Gaming Club was created, Cryptologic and InterCasino stepped into the spotlight. The software developer had its idea of what an online casino should look like and in the first months of 1995 it launched the first fully functional commercial casino. InterCasino has the merit of being the oldest online gambling operator and it is still going strong 27 years later.
The software developers behind these two amazing projects are still debating who was the first to open an online casino. There were just a few months between the official release of The Gaming Club and InterCasino, so the debate is partially justified. The former had the advantage of opening its doors to any international audience first, but it wasn’t a fully-fledged casino. By comparison, InterCasino was ready to supply players with quality games, reliable payment methods, and an intuitive gaming platform.
At the end of the day, both have the merit of paving the way for modern gambling and contributing to the successful online casino industry of the day.
