Gambling has shaped industries, legal systems, and cultures across the world for centuries. This hub covers the history of online gambling from its earliest days to the present, the stories behind the operators and figures who built the industry, and the cultural forces that have made gambling one of the most complex and contested forms of entertainment on the planet.
The History of Online Gambling
These posts trace how the online gambling industry emerged, evolved, and collided with regulators, banks, and governments along the way.
- A short history of online gambling in the USA
- The early days of anywhere gambling
- The Bodog story: online gambling before regulation
- How New Jersey became the iGaming blueprint
- How Italy cleaned up online gambling without shutting it down
- How financial reform reshaped Panama’s gambling industry
- The evolution of state lotteries as public revenue tools
- The history of slot machines: from bars to mobile phones
Gambling Around the World
How gambling is perceived, practised, and regulated varies enormously from one culture to the next. These posts explore the global picture.
- How gambling culture differs around the world
- Why Japan has pachinko but no online casinos
- How South Africa legalised casinos but blocked online play
- Why Niue never became a gambling hub
- How Vanuatu experimented with online gambling, briefly
- What really happened to Cook Islands casinos?
- Why some Pacific nations have limited gambling laws
Gamblers, Characters & Notorious Stories
Behind the industry are the players, operators, and characters who defined it. These posts cover the personalities and stories that have become part of gambling folklore.