The History of No Deposit Casinos
Did you know that bookmaking is the second oldest profession in the world? Gambling has been a part of history and has now become a multi-billion-dollar industry despite several geo-legal limitations across the globe. The online gambling market is booming with new operators coming up every other day. But how did it all start? Let us take a look at the time line of online gambling and how the no deposit casino become the defacto bonus casino for most players.
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This is where the ball gets rolling. Antigua and Barbuda becomes the first nation which starts to legally issue licenses to online gambling and online casino operators. Soon after, an online game developer called Microgaming release the first ever online gambling software.
Encryption technology is developed and revolutionizes the way we communicate over the internet. Even if the data is breached or compromised, the data will be encrypted and indecipherable without the private key. For online casinos this means there is added, fool proof security in terms of online, real money deposits, withdrawals and enhanced privacy and anonymity for the online punter. Secure financial transactions are a big boost to the online casino industry which now really starts to boom.
Intercasino, an online casino that features 18 games and the National Indian Lottery, register the first ever real money bet on an online casino game. It marks the start of a new era. Furthermore, 1996 also sees the birth of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. As the name suggests, this is a regulatory body which issues licenses, regulates and even audits online casinos.
The industry and the market continue to grow almost exponentially. The first ever fully online poker room is introduced and at the end of the year, there are nearly 700 online casino games where you can play for real money.
The industry is thriving now and reports a revenue generation of a staggering $2.2 billion dollars annually. Nearly 75% of this revenue is reported to be generated by American players.
More regulatory bodies such as Isle of Man, Alderney and Gibraltar start to issue licenses to online casinos and more online casinos start to pop up everywhere. Statistics suggest that there are around 8 million registered online casino players around the globe.
The UK Gambling commission is formed and quickly gains reputation as one of the most revered online casino licensing and regulatory bodies across Europe.
The industry takes a hit with the passing of the infamous Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. By virtue of this law, it is illegal for financial institutions to approve transactions which are related to online casinos and online gambling. This is when several online casino operators stop accepting players from the United States.
Despite the passage of the unlawful gambling act, the industry continues to grow in other jurisdictions across the globe. It is estimated that worldwide online gambling revenue is close to $21 Billion and there are now in excess of 865 online casinos across the globe.
In April, the US government continues to thwart the industry and forced close some of the biggest online poker rooms such as PokerStars and Full Tilt poker. Online gambling in the US is now seriously handicapped considering since UIGEA 2006 and then the shutting down of several operators by the government. The US takes a back seat as most of the rest of the world continues to indulge in online gambling. Also, in 2011, the biggest every win is recorded, a Norwegian student bags €11.7 million on a progressive jackpot slot named Mega Fortune which is developed by NetEnt. The win is reported on the online casino - Betsson.com
Online casino operators start rolling out mobile support in terms of mobile friendly casino websites and dedicated online casino apps for Android, iOS and other mobile operating systems. You can now gamble on the go. It is estimated that bets worth $10 billion were made exclusively through mobile devices from around the world. 2013 also witnesses the birth and growth of social gambling.
A lucky online player wins a record £13,213,838.68 on an online progressive jackpot from Microgaming.
At present there are in excess of 85 countries across the globe where online gambling in some form or the other has been legalized and regulated. This has resulted in an online casino industry worth $35 billion. Even countries that were hesitant on legalization soon realize the potential in terms of taxable revenue generated and they have started to consider legalization as well.
The future of online gambling
As per statisticians, the industry is forecasted to reach a net worth of a mind boggling $1 trillion by the year 2021. Furthermore, desktops and laptop computers are starting to take the back seat as mobile devices such as the smart phone and tablets are starting to become the preferred device not just in general, but also specifically in relation to online gambling.
In terms of trends, Flash based games are being replaced by HTML5 games which are instant play. You can load and play the games in the browser itself in a matter of seconds. This means there is no download required. Same applies to mobile casinos as well. Most online casinos are browser agnostic at this point.
As per a report published in 2017, the sum of wagers placed at a casino in the year 2016 alone amounted to a staggering $550 billion, this essentially means that rate of growth may double over the next 5 - 6 years.
Like it or not, the online gambling industry will persist, the demand is simply too great. In fact, it will not be long before it takes over from land - based casinos given that it is much more convenient. The industry will not just survive but will continue to thrive. Reports suggest that the online casino industry is the fastest growing market globally.
No Deposit Casinos
Being that the online casino market is very competitive, online casino operators are always outdoing each other in terms of the bonuses and promos they offer in order to attract new players and capitalize on the market. The most popular types of bonuses are welcome bonuses wherein a player needs to register and when they make their first deposit, the casino usually gives the player a certain percentage of the first deposit or first few deposits as an added bonus for the player to gamble with.
However, in more recent times, casinos have gone the extra mile and are offering no deposit bonuses where players are getting bonuses just for signing up or registering with an account, even if they have not made a real money deposit at all. Usually, as a no deposit bonus, online casino offers free spins when a user registers an account and the user can then go on to play slots and other games using these free spins without actually spending a penny of his or her own money.
In case the player makes winnings using the no deposit free spins or just the no deposit bonus added to his or her account, the player can then keep the winnings and even withdraw them subjected to some terms and conditions which may be casino-specific.
Why do casinos offer no deposit bonuses?
It did not take much for online casino operators to understand their users' apprehension when it comes to actually depositing real, hard earned money with an online casino with which they have just signed up. Online casino operators have then come to realize that if they offered a way for their users to play and get used to the casino and its games without having to put any money on the line, they can then gain the trust of their players who will eventually not be hesitant to put some real money on the line once they are familiar with the casino and its games having played with free spins.
No deposit bonuses are usually not as large as other bonuses
In terms of dollar amounts, a no deposit bonus is generally limited when compared to other bonuses such as a first deposit bonus. The reason being, that this bonus is simply meant as a tester which you can use to try out the online casino without any risk. It is not meant as a bonus which you can play with for an extended period of time. It is simply a way for you to "try before you buy".
No deposit bonuses are here to stay and are highly popular amongst online casino players. Going forward, as an online casino player, you are going to be seeing more and more online casino operators incorporate this bonus into their welcome package. If you are a new player who is looking for an online casino to sign up with, we highly recommend choosing one which offers a no deposit bonus.
