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The invention of the internet and online technology over the 1990s and early 2000s changed the world. So much so that it’s largely considered one of the most important technological landmarks in recent history, together with computers, coming just before, and mobile technology, just after.
The NZ casino online industry, in turn, has moved in direct parallel with the evolution of recent technology, flourishing, transforming and evolving along with it.
The Beginning
In 1994, the island nation of Antigua and Barbuda passed the historic Free Trade & Processing Act. For the first time, licenses could be granted to casino software companies and organisations to produce the world’s first publicly accessible sites like the NZ casino online ones we have today.
Microgaming was quick to respond, establishing Gaming Club online casino that same year. CryptoLogic swiftly followed, launching InterCasino. This marked the beginning of an immense surge of growth and interest in online casinos, and over the following three years, the number of online casinos grew from two to 200+.
Growing Pains
The years leading up to the turn of the century and into the 2000s were a tumultuous one for NZ casinos online and their counterparts worldwide. Alongside their success there was also widespread restriction in places around the world.
After the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Quebec, Canada, joined Antigua and Barbuda in granting online casino licenses in 1996, however, other nations around the world began to follow suit.
Another factor at this point was that, while online and computer technology was constantly improving, it was also changing at a rate that was a challenge to keep up with. With fierce competition, and continuous battles with laws and restrictions, many online casinos and companies, such as Microgaming, flourished in this period. But many were not so fortunate.
The next major milestone in the evolution and growth of the NZ casino online market and the one worldwide occurred in the mid 2000s, with the introduction of the smartphone and mobile technology. In 2005, Playtech launched the first mobile-based online casino, around the same time that smartphones were becoming more mainstream.
In 2007, Apple revolutionised mobile technology further with the iPhone, followed by competitors debuting Android phones, and then tablets and other smart devices.
Since then, laws and restrictions around the world have gradually relaxed in regard to online gambling and its success is unprecedented.
In 2019, the worldwide online gambling sector was, according to some estimates, worth a staggering $265billion. And sites offering premium player experiences like Gaming Club will enjoy the kind of growth they very much deserve.