Today’s online casinos have come a long way since the year 2000. The games are better, casinos easier to use, and the bonuses are even bigger.
👉 Thanks to engaging features and designs, popular games like poker and Sweet Bonanza have captivated global audiences. In particular, Australia's gaming industry continues its strong growth, with 2025 projected as a peak year for expansion.
How did this industry emerge in Australia and around the world? To understand its roots, we must explore poker's origins—a game that shaped the rise of online gambling worldwide.
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Rise of online gambling
To understand the casino boom today, we must travel back to the start of the online journey.
Land-based casinos have been around for centuries, but online gaming took off in the mid-1990s with faster internet, bringing games like blackjack, roulette, and slots to the web.
However, online poker was the true pioneer of this revolution in online gambling.
Its rise wasn’t just a tech success—online poker also reshaped the gaming community and changed how people experience this classic card game.
Origin of online poker
Online poker kicked off in 1998 with the launch of Planet Poker, the first-ever virtual card room.
- Planet Poker was a game-changer for online gambling, allowing players to wager real money against live dealers. Though its graphics were simple and gameplay slow by today's standards, it was revolutionary for its time and paved the way for modern gaming.
- Poker has existed for centuries, but Texas Hold 'em, which originated in early 20th-century America, only gained international fame in the 1980s and 90s.
- A major factor in its global rise was the World Series of Poker (WSOP), an annual TV event watched by millions. In 2003, Chris Moneymaker made headlines by qualifying through an online satellite tournament and winning the main event as an amateur.
- Moneymaker's victory was transformative. His feat demonstrated that anyone, no matter their background or experience level, could succeed in poker.
This success solidified Texas Hold 'em as the top choice for online casinos and tournaments, giving millions of players access to real-money poker.
Online poker and the poker boom
Following Moneymaker's 2003 WSOP victory, many refer to what came next as “Poker Boom.”
Driven by TV broadcasts, celebrity endorsements, and platforms like PokerStars’ World Championship of Online Poker with huge prize pools, online poker boomed. Its convenience, accessibility, and potential for big winnings made it hugely appealing, all from the comfort of home!
👉 The surge was fuelled by the rise of poker strategy books, instructional videos, and forums where players could share tips and insights. TwoPlusTwo became a key online community for developing poker strategy and refining techniques.
Regulation and challenges
However, online poker's rapid expansion was not without regulatory challenges.
In 2006, the U.S. passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which banned financial institutions from processing online gambling transactions. This caused many major poker sites to leave the U.S. market.
While the law slowed growth in the U.S., online poker continued to thrive in other parts of the world.
New technologies and poker
Over time, online poker has also evolved with major tech advancements, including live dealer options, immersive graphics, and mobile platforms—all key themes you’ll find on the best online casinos.
👾 Live-streaming platforms like Twitch have further boosted poker’s visibility, creating a global community and attracting millions of new players, making poker more accessible and mainstream than ever.
Social media is also a big part of poker’s boom, as professional and amateur poker players share their strategies and game play via Instagram Reels or TikTok videos.
Final thoughts
From its modest beginnings in the late 1990s to its worldwide reach now, online poker has been instrumental in promoting both online casino expansion and internet gaming development.
And who knows. Maybe there are more changes and poker booms to come in the next few decades.
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