ONLINE GAMBLING AND CASINO GUIDE

Gambling - From the Las Vegas Strip to the Internet

Gambling has entertained people since the dawn of time. When the first caveman found two stones shaped like a cubes a couple of thousands years ago or so, I bet he gathered his friends and started the world's first primitive craps game. This is obviously just speculations, but maybe that's how it went down.

However, casino gaming has evolved since this possible pre-historic craps game - on riverboats, saloons, card rooms and casinos, particularly in Las Vegas, the gaming capital of the world. And since the mid 90s, more and more casino gaming takes place in online casino environments. But let's not go forward too fast.

If I was to choose one event that has had the most impact on the world of gambling, it has to be when Nevada legalized gambling in 1931. It entirely changed the landscape of casino games, and if it wasn't for this, maybe you wouldn't sit there reading about the evolution of online casinos.

History of Las Vegas - Bugsy Siegel until Today

In 1937, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, a New York mobster of some repute, was sent out to California both to extend mob interests, give him something to do and get him away from the heat he generated on the east coast.

Siegel flourished in California, and in 1945, became a minority owner of the El Cortez Hotel in Las Vegas. While visiting, he noted the El Rancho Vegas casino on what is now the Las Vegas strip, and decided that he wanted one of his own.

Moving the Strip to Vegas

He became partners with Billy Wilkerson, who dreamed of recreating Los Angeles' Sunset Strip in Las Vegas. Wilkerson didn't want partners, but he ran out of money, so he was forced to take on Siegel and become a minority owner of his own hotel. 

Siegel named the hotel the Flamingo after his girlfriend Virginia Hill, who had acquired the nickname from admiring Mexican casino dealers.

Unfortunately, Siegel knew little about building or running a hotel. The cost overruns for the Flamingo were outrageous and the hotel opened too early, resulting in not enough rooms being available and the gamblers picking up and leaving.

However, the presence of the Flamingo was already drawing other investors to the area looking to participate in the anticipated new gambling Mecca. The Flamingo itself would bounce back after Siegel's death and still exists today.

The Sands Brings Cool to Vegas

The Sands Hotel went up in 1952, the seventh casino hotel resort to appear on the Las Vegas Strip. Its biggest claim to fame was assembling the fabled "Rat Pack" of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy David Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford.

With the Sands, Vegas already began to cement its reputation as the place to go for gambling, fun and the premier entertainment offerings in the world.

Modern Vegas (The Bellagio)

The Bellagio opened in 1998 to much fanfare, as it reportedly cost $1.6 billion to build. Built to mimic the Bellagio resort in Italy, The Bellagio represented the association of Las Vegas with opulence. Gamblers came to marvel at the sights almost as much as for the gambling and shows.

Today, the strip is lined with hotels that offer spot on replicas of other famous resorts and tourist attractions, ones that offer shows and rides, many on the outside of the hotel where passersby can view them, and even hotels that connect easily to other nearby hotels.

Some casinos are designed to cater to families, while others have a strictly grown-up flavor. From an unknown little spot in the desert, Las Vegas has grown to the point where it has something for every type of player, as well as their families.

All Games Fit into Your Computer

Today, players all over the world can enjoy all games offered in Las Vegas on their computers. The evolution of online gambling has made it possible to play blackjack, slots, video poker, craps and every possible game right from their home.

In many ways, the Internet casino games is superior the ones you find in brick-and-mortar casinos.

Availability: You don't have to travel to a casino to play the games, which can be quite a long trip, especially if you're citizen of a state not allowing gambling, or even worse, lives in a country that bans gambling altogether.

House Edge: A brick-and-mortar casino has quite a few expenses: dealers, locals, waitresses, floor managers, and so on. In an online casino, on the other hand, most of these things are done digitally. Thanks to this, the house affords to offer players better conditions. In some games the edge is virtually zero.

No waiting: In regular casinos you sometimes need to wait for a seat at a blackjack table for instance. In Internet casinos, this is never an issue. You can even play a game of craps and sit at a poker table at the same time - something that is quite hard in outside the Net.

Bonuses: One of the biggest advantages with Internet gaming is that you can earn quite sizable bonuses when signing up. In brick-and-mortar gambling establishments you might get free drinks and a discount on your hotel room, but online you'll get real money to play with - often hundreds of dollars. Follow the casino news on this site to find out the biggest and best bonuses offered at the moment. 

Conclusion

Nothing really beats Las Vegas when it comes to gambling entertainment. If you just want to play a couple of blackjack hands, online casinos serve an amazing opportunity.

Here at Casino Guide, you'll find the best promotions in the biggest online casino rooms and we guide you to the best games in cyber space.