When online betting started in the 1990s, the websites were basic, with barely any features. In-play wagering, cash-out, and prop bets didn’t exist, and withdrawals sometimes took days, which was quite frustrating to users.
If you hop on to any online casino today, you can find hundreds of games and virtually anything you can legally bet on. Most sportsbooks also allow you to stream and bet on the same screen, bet with cryptocurrency, and even access gaming sections like 1Xbet casino.
To get where we are, the industry has evolved over time, and today, we enjoy advanced features and great experiences.
Mobile Betting Apps and User-Friendly Interface
Modern betting platforms come with sleek, user-friendly interfaces. They are designed to make it easy for beginners to get started while featuring advanced features to suit experienced bettors.
They offer quick odds updates and allow you to wager with just a few taps. For example, you can go from the 1xbet login page to winning a casino game in less than a minute.
You would also be hard-pressed to find a single gaming platform that doesn’t offer a mobile app. You can now enjoy your favorite casino games on the train to work or during your lunch break.
Live Betting and Streaming
In-play or live betting has changed how we engage with sports, allowing us to wager on a team as odds shift in real-time. It enables you to get a better sense of a match-up before betting.
To take advantage of the popularity of live betting, many platforms now offer live streaming, enabling you to watch the matches directly on the betting site as you wager.
Streaming has also changed how we enjoy casino games. Today, many platforms offer live casino games, allowing you to interact with real dealers in games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat.
Advanced Betting Markets
When online betting started, player and team proposition bets were limited to major sports events like the Super Bowl. You can now find them in virtually every match in every sport. And the list of markets includes anything you can think of, from the number of corner kicks, shots on target, and VAR interventions in a game.
Online casinos haven’t been left behind, either. Many offer over a hundred games, including slots, poker, and roulette.
Promotions and Loyalty Programs
In the Philippines alone, the online gambling market is projected to reach US$865.60m by 2029. This has led to an increase in the number of sportsbooks in the country, many of which offer promotions and loyalty programs to attract and retain users.
Today, betting companies across the globe offer welcome bonuses, free bets, cashback offers, and odds boosts. With some platforms, you also get points that you can redeem for prizes or free bets.
Secure Payment Options
One of the biggest challenges early online betting platforms faced was a lack of trust among potential betters. Many were skeptical about giving their financial information to online betting platforms. The introduction of secure payment gateways has helped establish trust.
If you want to protect your privacy further, most platforms now support cryptocurrency, allowing you to wager anonymously. On top of that, ISPs like Globe are also cracking down on illegal gambling sites to protect users from potential scams. This has significantly improved trust in online betting.
Responsible Gambling Tools
It’s easy to get swept up in the fun of casino games and lose track of how much you’ve spent in online casinos. As a result, most reputable sportsbooks and online casinos now offer responsible gambling tools to protect their users. These include deposit limits, loss limits, time limits, and self-exclusion programs, and they have helped keep betting an enjoyable pastime and not a problematic activity.
