UNITED STATES—As with everything around us, gambling, too, has improved greatly ever since the emergence of the Internet. People today can play on-line games, betting on-line coins or real money. It is thought that the easy accessibility lures people into the on-line gaming industry.

The fact that the gaming industry uses Internet to promote itself is by no means an unknown fact, because it is precisely via the Internet that the gaming industry can reach most people and advertise its products. It is estimated that millions of new gamblers emerge every day, and it is all thanks to on-line advertising and on-line gambling opportunities.

But on-line gaming is also attractive for those who already love gambling, as it makes the trip to the nearest casino unnecessary. If you are like me and you like all those flashy gambling games on your mobile phones, check out these amusing facts about gambling.

1. The world’s first on-line casino was named Gaming Club and was launched in 1994. The casino started with just a few table games and on-line slot machines. Ever since then, on-line casino market has evolved greatly, and players can now indulge in gambling at various on-line casino sites such as Monster Casino, Plush Casino, Jackpot Mobile Casino, and many more.

Despite the fact that it was the first on-line gambling site, Gaming Club was far from the best. This lead to the emergence of more than 200 other on-line casinos by 1998, and everyone was trying to improve the on-line gambling model. Today, you can indulge with all sorts of gaming sites and even play high-roller live casino games hosted by professional dealers and streamed from real casinos.

2. World’s first laws and regulations concerned with on-line casinos were passed in 2003 under the US Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. That was a huge hit for on-line gambling sites, but they survived it and today they even prosper.

3. Successful casinos do not spend money on advertising their mobile app games. Instead, it is all done by means of already existing applications.

4. In 2010, the global mobile games industry was worth $33 billion, whereas in 2015 it jumped to $54 billion, an overall growth of 163% in the course of five years.

5. According to data, women aged between 35 and 44 are the main mobile app games consumers, representing more than 50 percent of the whole on-line gaming industry.

6. The first on-line poker app using real money was released in 2007.

7. 80 percent of all sales from app stores are influenced by games.

8. Social casino players shift from desktop to mobile and tablet, and this leads to an interesting trend: the average tablet player spends nearly twice as much time playing as a desktop player. On top of that, 74 percent of all social casino players access their favourite games through their phones.

9. It was estimated that the United Stated housed roughly 164.9 million on-line gamblers in 2015. The number is predicted to rise to 213 million by 2020.

​10. Even though it was not difficult to create on-line real money casino games for desktop computers, the industry found it incredibly troublesome to integrate those in mobile devices. Allegedly, the first on-line game with real money was released in March 2007. It was a Baccarat game launched by Spin3.

Soon after Spin3’s first launch, the company started to release other real money games like 3 Card Brag Poker, as well as various on-line slot machines and in just a few years they created a complete monopoly over the market.

11. Gambling is all about winning or losing and this is related to the brain’s rewards function. Thus, whereas losing can make you feel like really bad, winning usually makes you feel like you are flying. Wonder why? Because you are high on dopamine!

Dopamine is the molecule responsible for feelings of pleasure and reward. In the brain’s mesolimbing pathway, dopamine drives motivation. Thus, whenever you enjoy success—like when you make a big win—you brain is rewarded with a dose of the molecule, making you feel as if you are on top of the world. And it is precisely chasing that feeling that can lead you towards a gambling addiction.

12. Apparently, operating an on-line casino site in the UK could be quite prosperous. Not surprisingly, the on-line gambling industry is worth a lot of money, but can you guess just how much? Well, UK on-line gambling sites operators earn a total of £2.5 billion. This is   2016 data and, considering how quickly the industry grows, we expect it to be worth a lot more this year. The 2016 figures show that real money remote gambling in the UK accounts for a third of the total UK gambling revenues.

13. Some players come to on-line gambling as a way of relaxing after a long day at work. For others, however, on-line gambling is a means to an end and they would do anything for the progressive jackpot. Progressive jackpots come in several varieties: in-game, local, and network-wide, but which variety is the best? It is estimated that by far the most promising variety of progressive jackpots is the network-wide variety. These jackpots are often linked between hundreds of games at casinos, making jackpots accumulate quickly.

14. It turns out that actually putting your money in an on-line real money casino is a lot better than investing your money in a bank. Practically, banks are free to spend and invest your money in whatever way they decide. What is more, should the bank go bankrupt, you will never see your money again.

On the other hand, licenses and regulations require on-line real money casinos to ensure that your money is used only to play. That is not all on-line gaming sites are even obliged to ensure that your money will be returned if the casino falls into bankruptcy, too. Naturally, if you play with your money and you waste it all, it will be your fault.