Casino Journal Online - by Gamblers Lodge

In order to truly see just where and how the online casino gambling industry is heading, it is needed to examine its history, as brief as that may be. An exciting and interesting one to say the least, the history of online gambling begins on a tiny little island in the Caribbean called Antigua Barbuda.

In 1994, Antigua’s ruling government passed a little known law called the Free Trade and Processing Zone Act. It is also interesting to note that the U.S. signed an agreement through the World Trade Organization with Antigua to guarantee free trade. This particular law was quite conducive for awarding licenses to gaming companies, especially online casinos, which were just an idea at the time. Later that same year, Microgaming Software was formed, which today is one of the largest hi-tech developers in operation.

Following the formation of Microgaming, two brothers, Mark and Andrew Rivkin, begin developing technology designed to encrypt online transactions with unprecedented security protocols. They form the company CryptoLogic. At around the same time, seeing the potential of the industry, another company was formed, - Starnet Communications. Plans are being made to provide online gaming technology and websites to potential online casinos and sportsbooks. Based in Canada, the company was forced to open offshore accounts for funding the development of eCommerce, and for handling licensing protocols.

By 1996, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission is formed in Canada. It’s sole mission is to create standards for regulating online casinos in its jurisdiction, and for insuring that those standards were being met by newly forming licensed online casino sites. It is at this time that the once-illustrious Boss Media ancestor, Boss Specialtidningar AB jumps on board and begins to map out blueprints of online casino operations.

Both Microgaming and CryptoLogic continue developing online technologies, with CrytoLogic becoming the first to develop a successful gaming platform equipped to handle financial transactions. Before the end of the year, the software company finishes developing the very first line of online casino gambling software, completely licensed by their subsidiary company, Wager Logic. Then, in October of 1996, one of the first online casinos, InterCasino begins taking real money wagers from players.