Before the mid-1990s, gambling was popular, but because of the restricted environments where customers could bet, gambling was for the few rather than for the many. The invention of the internet changed all this – check out Starburst slot.
For the first time, people could access a huge range of services and entertainment in their homes. All that was needed was a computer and a reliable internet connection and gambling brands were also keen to get in on the new online action.
Gambling Moves Online
It didn’t take long for the gambling industry to develop software that could enable the public to gamble in the comfort of their own homes through the internet. Microgaming has been credited with developing the first online casino platform software back in 1994. It then went live in 1996 when the first online virtual casino opened its doors to customers. Early online casinos only offered traditional table games, but this did not last long as slot machines were about to be given a virtual video slot makeover.
The Rise of Online Slot Games
Early online video slot releases may seem primitive by today’s standards, but these games proved huge hits with the gaming public. Slots attracted millions of new gamblers from across the globe and many had never gambled before. These new customers came from all walks of life and were attracted by the high entertainment and unpredictable nature of these games. Online gambling swept through the UK and Europe and wherever gambling was and still is legal, these countries have seen the number of gamblers soar.
Gambling in New Zealand
Like most countries before the digital revolution, New Zealanders had limited capacity to gamble because of the few places that offered this form of entertainment. Unlike other parts of the world, there are few land-based casinos in New Zealand. Therefore, online gambling has been a godsend to kiwis, and gambling on the internet has proved very popular with many New Zealanders. The pattern is a familiar one, because even here, online slots have introduced many more people to gambling and kiwis prefer playing slots in the privacy and comfort of their own homes. It appeals to females as well and more women than ever are now gambling in New Zealand.
The increase in the number of people gambling means that revenue has increased as well, but a percentage of this is returned to society in the form of funding for community projects. New Zealanders enjoy playing the progressive jackpot slots as well as others those that have become universal hits such as Book of Dead.
Gambling Addiction
There has been an increase in the number of citizens who have become addicted to gambling but not to the extent of other nations such as the UK and Australia. New Zealand authorities updated their gambling act in 2003 to suit the brave new world of online slot gambling. They have also seen it fit to amend certain aspects of their gambling laws on two occasions since then.
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