It almost goes without saying that the entire Internet gambling industry is one big mass of innovation and I am continually amazed by what the "techies" can do. I'll never forget having the opportunity to play at the very first, very simple - almost crude - Microgaming-powered casino when it was in beta mode as I was doing an article for Rolling Good Times. That was probably in April or May of 1995 and I recall being utterly fascinated by the whole thing. I was allowed to wager only in play-money mode, but it was still a "Buck Rogers" type of feeling for me, having played only at brick-and-mortar casinos since the early '70s. At a rate which applies, it seems, only to the Internet, the industry grew to what we have today: well over 1400 sites where one may bet on all types of casino games, not to mention sports and sporting events.

While the innovation may have hit a plateau for a brief time, all around me I see new ideas cropping up, which is always a sign of a healthy industry. Sure, Internet gambling has had its growing pains, its scandals and has attracted more than one rip-off "artist", but the industry itself is a survivor. I suspect that if it were dying, no one would be willing to invest a dime in new ideas, but I can quickly name several very significant events that happened recently that demonstrate this industry's vitality:

Bethedealer.com
Tradesports.com
The U.K.'s determination to legalize Internet casinos

The first two are very interesting "variations on a theme" that I find very exciting. Bethedealer.com allows players to "bank" games against other players, thus becoming the house. You get to pay a 1.5% "rake" for the privilege, but now what will those who constantly yell, "cheat" be able to shout? I suppose they'll just figure the casino cheats on both sides of the transaction. The other site, tradesports.com is going to put a lot of "regular" bookies out of business. Remember, you heard it here first.

The British are a lot smarter than those of us who are living in the U.S.A., because they recognize this industry cannot be legislated out of existence, so they're taking the next step by regulating it. The world will beat a path to their door.

I'll tell you about another cool innovation that isn't perhaps as grand as some of those above, but it's a technological leap forward, nonetheless. As you may know, we co-sponsor a Blackjack tournament with Global Player Casino each month where a player meets me head-to-head in a playoff that takes place at the same table, in real time and can be watched by anyone who has the Global Player Casino software. What they're working on now is having 3 or 4 more players join the match, so you might see me playing against a full table soon! To me, it's very exciting. Maybe one day we'll have a gigantic tournament with 200 players competing on a table-by-table basis for a $20,000 prize, just like is done in brick-and-mortar casinos. It would literally be the "World Series of Blackjack".

So, what does the future hold for this industry? As bandwidth increases, so will the appeal of highly interactive casino gaming. Good regulation, fair games and quick payouts will all follow. But, as usual, those companies that recognize the customer is King will prosper and the others will fall by the wayside. That's how it should be and I hope GameMaster OnLine will be a part of it, because here, the reader is King. Thanks for being a reader.