When I was a young woman growing up in England, if I wanted to place a bet or play a game of poker, I would have to wait until a window in my schedule presented itself, take the bus into town for forty minutes, push my way through the middle-aged men and gambling addicts and hand over my hard-earned cash to someone that looked as if they really did not want to be there. The whole round trip would take me over two hours and I used to feel a pang of shame as I pushed open the door of the betting shop, or casino, in case any of my friends, or my mother saw me.

Then by 1961, my trip to satiate my thirst became a lot less inconvenient. This was the year in the UK that betting shops were finally allowed to open, and the first time that they had graced our high streets since the 1800s. It was also the year that casinos were finally allowed to open, as long as they were members only clubs. Over the years, things have moved on and now you can play popular casino games online at sites such as All Jackpots Casino!

Legalisation of gambling

The first casinos, bingo halls, and betting shops to open were dingy dens of iniquity, thick with cigarette smoke and regret- a million miles away from what they have become today. Whilst land casinos are still popular and people still rake in big prizes, a shift has occurred, including sites like idnpoker online.. For over 100 years, the British public had been deprived of the opportunity to place bets legally, or play a game of poker in return for the pot. Due to its years of prohibition, even when it became legal, the stigma and taboo of this, still remained.

Fast forward to 2017 though and something extraordinary has happened. As we have begun to live our lives more and more through our smartphones, as well as relying on being connected to the internet 24/7, online betting and casinos have undergone something of a revolution. What was once done with the alacrity of a celebrity leaving a brothel, has now become something people openly enjoy and do in their downtime. ‘You can place bets and play casino games on your lunch break, on the train, or after work when you are sitting at home waiting for dinner.

iGaming and the future

Finally, after nearly 60 years, the taboo that was once associated with gambling, is decreasing and it is becoming one of the fastest growing, and of course “coolest” industries in the world. Rebranded as iGaming, punters can now access any form of gambling, wherever they are and whatever they are doing. With millions logging on every day to try their luck, it is fast becoming one of the most lucrative and fast-moving sectors in the digital world.

If you haven’t already experienced this phenomenon for yourself, I suggest you do. The past, present, and future of gambling is continuing and there are lots of great sites out there, and you are sure to find one that suits you!

  betting, gambling legalization, legalisation