For over a century, poker tables in casinos all over the world have witnessed great games. Poker is inarguably the most popular game all over the globe and has drawn huge crowds for decades. However, who would have thought that this traditional game would become a popular online game, and individuals would be playing it remotely while sitting in their homes?
This article will briefly look at how online poker evolved and became a widely popular activity for people from all parts of the world.
How online poker developed
While poker has traditionally been around for over a hundred years, online poker is a comparatively new phenomenon.
The 90’s
The humble beginnings of the game initially originated in 1994 when the first recorded poker games were carried out using IRC (internet relay chat). After that, the games, for the most part, were text-based.
The foundation for contemporary online poker was laid around 23 years ago, in 1998, when Planet poker launched its poker site. Although the site started pretty small with a limited number of tables, games, and features, it continued to evolve and grow.
However, in 1999, Paradise poker entered the 카지노커뮤니티 poker industry and overshadowed Planet Poker through its superior performance and graphics. The entrance of these businesses paved the way for more businesses, and it wasn’t much later when other players entered the market and took the lead with their much advanced and superior business models.
The early 2000s
As new sites entered the market, they developed new products, came up with revolutionary marketing strategies and, continued to increase their market share. Some of the well-known poker sites included Poker Stars, Poker Spots, Party Poker, etc.
Party Poker maintained its dominance in the market from the early 2000s till 2006. It maintained its position through its aggressive advertising campaign and also introduced a million-dollar tournament in 2002. In addition, Poker Stars also introduced a satellite tournament in 2003.
By the middle of the 2000s till 2006, the poker industry was still widely unregulated as new sites entered the market, drew thousands of new players, and became widely popular.
The UIGEA in 2006
In 2006 the USA poker industry was massively impacted when UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) was enforced. While the elements of UIGEA were ambiguous, it implied that it was illicit for banks and financial institutions to process any payments related to illegal internet gambling. After enforcement of the law, many popular gaming sites, including Poker Stars, chose to leave the US while some decided to stay.
The present
Despite the UIGEA, the poker industry continued to grow. Swarms of players entered, and sites continued to introduce cutting-edge technologies and various products. However, the industry faced setbacks due to many scandals and scams, the most prominent of which was the Black Friday scandal. In 2011, three big players were indicted by the department of justice as the money earned through them was deemed illegal. As a result, their domain names were seized, and they stopped offering real money to players. However, Poker Stars reached an agreement and paid a hefty fine, and continued to operate.
Over the years, the online poker industry has continued to evolve and grow as gaming sites have become compliant and sensitive to customer data privacy. The industry has emerged as a strong and successful industry amidst the Covid crisis. The industry has good prospects and is forecasted to grow exponentially in the coming years.