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What we've compiled below is a brief, yet instructive, chronology of the growth of the online gambling industry. Over the past 2-3 years the industry has experience a HUGE upsurge in popularity so events during this time are a bit harder to identify and remark upon - too numerous to adequately list and explain!! Events have been occurring INCREDIBLY fast!.
Nonetheless, the timeline below should provide you with an idea of how the industry began and how it evolved to what it is today.
1994
- The Free Trade and Processing Zone Act, 1994 is passed by gov't of Antigua Barbuda. Many online casinos and sports books today operate under licenses granted pursuant to this legislation and Antigua Barbuda remains one of the online gambling industries most popular licensing jurisdictions.- Microgaming, one of the internet casino industry's first and largest software developers and suppliers, is founded.1995
- CryptoLogic is founded with the goal of developing a series a software package that can securely and effectively process transactions.1996
- Boss Specialtidningar AB, Boss Media's parent company, begins to develop a system for casino operations on the Internet.- Microgaming sells off existing casino operations and concentrates on developing of internet casino technologies.- Cryptologic begins developing the first E-cash and gaming application- InterCasino goes online in October 1996, claiming to be the first internet casino to accept a real money wager online.1997
- Boss Casinos system development work is transferred to Boss Media AB. The game server system is located in Antigua & Barbuda, in the West Indies, one of the few countries in the world willing to sanction Internet gaming operations at that time.1998
- Microgaming launches Cash Splash, the Internet's first progressive jackpot slot.- Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), the US Congress' primary opponent to online gambling introduces the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, designed to make it illegal for any company to offer an online gambling product to US citizens. The bill eventually fails to pass. - Frost and Sullivan report that online gambling industry generated $834.5 million in revenue in 1998.- The first progressive jackpot slot machine arrives online in the form of "Cash Splash."
- Boss Media signs its first license agreement with an external customer.
1999
- Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), reintroduces a revised Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, designed to make it illegal for any company to offer an online gambling product to US citizens. The revised bill also fails to pass.- Microgaming forms a deal with a big five auditing firm (PriceWaterhouseCoopers) to review and report on casino payout percentages.- The first Australian Government licensed internet casino, Lasseter's, goes online. Lasseter's operates under license from the Northern Territory Government, which moved quickly to legislate for and offer licenses to online casinos. .- As of September 1999, Christian Capital Advisors estimated that there were approximately 700 casinos taking money bets over the Internet - Boss Media takes the online gambling world by storm with the release of its new gaming software platform with multi-player functionality, allowing multiple players to play the same game at once, and chat to each other while at the virual gaming table.2000
- The Australian Federal Government passes its Interactive Gambling Moratorium Act, making it illegal for any Australian Based online casino or sports book operators not already licensed and operating prior to May 2000, from operating. Lasseters Online is the only Australian based Internet casino able to operate under the new legislation.- Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) introduces a new Internet Gambling Prohibition Act to the US House of Representatives. The bill fails to attract the required two thirds majority vote to pass- Cryptologic's annual report claims that the number of customers who have used its electronic payment system for online betting has climbed to 680,000 since operations began in 1996.- The UK sovereign territories of Gibraltar and the Isle of Man offer online sports betting licenses. - Cryptologic lists on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol CRYP.2001
- Results of a survey published in PRNewswire (22 March 2001) claims that around 8 million people had already gambled with real money online at that time. - The Nevada legislature passes a bill opening the way for licensed online casinos to operate out of Nevada. It is estimated that it will still be a year or two before the drafting of license regulations and agreement from the US Department of Justice will allow the granting of the first licenses.- An online casino player wins $414,119 playing a slot game at The Sands of the Caribbean online casino. This is the largest internet progressive jackpot win to date.- Alderney (British Channel Islands) passes legislation for Interactive Gambling, and the Alderney Commission is now in a position to accept license applications.- The Gambling Review Report is released in the UK. Subject to rounds of negotiations before its recommendations become law, the review encourages legalizing all forms of online gambling, which would make Britain one of the few OECD countries to allow it.2002
- A bill sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va that would update a 40-year-old law banning telephone wagers (the Wire Act) to cover Internet betting, and online casinos in particular, was passed unanimously by the U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee on crime. The bill now moves to the full Judiciary Committee for consideration, and if passed there, on to the House and then the Senate for final approval.- Online gambling expenditures reach $4.5 billion, more than quadrupling the total from only three years prior ($845 million).
-The first ever $1 million+ online casino jackpot was won on 30 May. A lucky player playing the Microgaming progressive slot game Major Millions at Captain Cooks Casino wins a massive $1,594,649.
2003
- eCOGRA (eCommerce and Online Gambling Regulation and Assurance) is established to set standards and make online gambling safer marking, arguably, one of the first moves towards regulation as member sites must follow strict safety and security guidelines.
- Yet another Anti-gambling bill is passed by the US House of Representatives. This Bill makes it illegal for payment processing companies (credit card, bank wire etc) to facilitate online gambling transactions.
- Chris Moneymaker shocks the poker world and takes home $2.5 million as the winner in the 2003 World Series of Poker after having practiced and played exclusively online beforehand.
- Playtech launches `Live Gaming` a real-time videostreamed gaming concept featuring real-life live dealers with whom players can play and chat 1-on-1.
2004
- The World Trade Organization sides FOR the Caribbean state of Antigua and Barbuda in its WTO case against the US, ruling that US laws concerning online gaming are unlawful.- Microgaming games portfolio exceeds 250!- Poker craze takes hold as a result of the online craze and its popularity continues its semi-surprising ascent through the emergence of several TV programs and prominently advertised tournaments featuring celebrities and amateurs.
- In spite of relentless controversy concerning the legality of online gambling within its borders, the United States leads the world in the number of online players, represent more than half of the overall market. According to Christiansen Capital Advisors LLC, 51% of the $8.5 billion in online gambling revenues are generated from within the United States.
2005
- Microgaming progressive jackpot total exceeds $160,000,000 and has over 5,000 winners.- Playtech launches the new major version upgrade for its gaming platform, codenamed `NG`, including new games, improved functionality and first-to-market features such as multiple game play. The enhanced technology platform takes advantage of the latest web standards and technologies that are widely used in advanced web based systems and have proved their reliability. - PartyGaming (owner of biggest online casino site - PartyPoker.com) floats on the London Stock Exchange and represents biggest flotation in the City in over 4 years. The move eventually propels PartyGaming into the FTSE 100.
- A Florida resident wins $1,966,000 while playing the Gold Rally slot at Carnival Casino establishing a new record for the highest paid progressive online jackpot.
2006
- Estimates place the number of active online gambling sites at around 2,300 - an impressive figure illustrative of the amazing growth of the industry.
- PartyGaming moves to acquire EmpirePoker.com from Empire Online. UltimateBet's parent company also listed on the London Stock Exchange and other poker rooms such as PokerStars & Poker.com are rumored to be exploring initial public offerings.
- Playtech's shares are successfully admitted to the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange, valuing the company at approximately A?548 million. Trading under the ticker symbol PTEC.L, the placing raised approximately A?265.2 million gross through a placing of 103,142,466 ordinary shares. Such shares have been placed with a broad range of international institutional investors, including those from both the US and the UK, a clear endorsement of the company's offering, business model and prospects.
- The United States House of Representatives backs legislation with the potential to effectively prohibit online gambling in the US. The Republican-sponsored bill, which passed by a vote of 317-93, would make it illegal for U.S. banks and credit card companies to make payments to online gaming sites. Before becoming law, the bill must successfully pass through the Senate which, at the moment, appears increasingly unlikely.
- In July, United States federal agents, citing the US Wire Act, arrest BetOnSports CEO David Carruthers in Dallas, Texas while he was changing planes. Carruthers and his company are suspected/charged with tax evasion as well as several other offences. BetOnSports is prohibited from taking bets from US Customers (the source of 80% of their revenues) and Carruthers arrest, at least intially, creates fear and concern in the online gambling community.
- In September, the Senate passes the Internet Gambling Enforcement Act 2006 (H.R. 4411) after the bill is attached to unrelated legislation (Safe Ports Act) on a Friday night just before the Congress breaks for its recess. As a result of the legislation, which has exemptions for horse racing, state-run lotteries, and fantasy sports, American financial institutions are banned from processing any transaction with an online gambling operator. Big, publicly-traded companies like Partygaming and 888.com close their operations to American players and the industry's revenues take a major hit. President Bush signs the bill into law on October 13th.

The Daily Racing Form, LLC (DRF) is a broadsheet newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of race horses as a statistical service for bettors on horse racing in the United States.
In cooperation with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and the National Turf Writers Association, the Daily Racing Form selects the winners of the annual Eclipse Awards.
In 1922, the Daily Racing Form publishing company was sold to Triangle Publications, Inc. which would eventually be owned by Walter Annenberg. The Daily Racing Form is presently owned by the media conglomerate, The Wicks Group of Companies, L.L.C. [1], and is based at 100 Broadway in New York City.
The DRF's publisher is Steven Crist, a former editor of the Harvard Lampoon and a reporter and columnist for the New York Times. Some of the paper's notable employees include cartoonist Pierre Bellocq (aka: Peb), and columnist, Joe Hirsch. The Daily Racing Form currently puts out 30 editions daily.
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