From casinos to clicks: The 3 eras that changed gambling forever
Our SiGMA series, “The Online Gambling Industry: Tales from the Past,” continues the journey through the industry’s defining moments, tracing how gambling evolved from the age of physical casinos to the digital-first market we know today. This time, industry veteran Ian Sherrington revisits the forces that reshaped the sector, from shifting player behaviour and regulatory change to the technologies that turned gambling into a global, always-on business.
The article traces the evolution of gambling through three distinct historical phases, showing how accessibility and technology transformed a niche activity into a global digital industry. It begins with the “Destination Era,” emerging after the legalisation of gambling in Nevada in 1931. The second phase, the “Distributed Era,” took shape in the 1960s and 1970s as governments began to legalise and regulate gambling more broadly.
The third phase, the “Digital Era,” emerged in the 1990s with the advent of the internet.
Furthermore, the article attempts to explain the boom in gambling with some straightforward economic theory. The article also zooms in on the practical forces behind each shift, not just the broad timeline. In the Destination Era, gambling was still tied to a handful of places that people had to travel to, which meant access was limited and the experience was built around the trip as much as the game. The Distributed Era changed that by bringing betting into towns and cities, making it far easier for ordinary people to participate without needing to visit a major resort or track. Then the Digital Era removed geography from the equation altogether, allowing gambling to move into homes, phones and global markets.
What makes the piece especially useful is the way it connects that historical shift to simple economic logic. As gambling became easier to access, more people took part, and as more people took part, the industry became more valuable and more competitive. That feedback loop helps explain why gambling moved from a niche activity to a mass-market business.
Click here for the full article.
Missed an instalment? Catch up below:
PART ONE: The online gambling industry’s tales from the past
PART TWO: The first online wager
PART THREE: Exploring the origins of online gambling jurisdictions
PART FOUR: How the law reacted to the rise of online gambling
PART FIVE: How online gambling used emerging web technologies
PART SIX: The shared high of love and gambling
PART SEVEN: Why it took traditional bookmakers years to go online
PART EIGHT: Interview: Casinomeister founder Bryan Bailey gets candid
PART NINE: Intertops’ pioneering US marketing and the origins of social betting models
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