10 Interesting Facts About Online Casinos

We are all here because we enjoy gambling, whether it is in a brick-and-mortar establishment or just a few spins on an online slot machine. Here are 10 things you might not have known about casinos. British people have enjoyed casino games for decades, and now more than ever, you can get in on the action with a few spins of the reels or hands of poker at your convenience.

But how much do we really know about how casinos got their start? Some interesting information about one of our favourite activities is provided here.

The first casinos appeared in Italy 

Beautiful casinos may be found in many different cities across the globe, including Macao, London, and Las Vegas, of course. Everyone will say they have the finest service, but who was the first to do it?

The word "casino" really has its roots in Italian. The word "casa" originally meant "house," but over time the concept expanded to include other buildings like summer cottages and community centres. Moreover, in 1638, in Venice, we find evidence of organised gambling. Even if other countries have picked up the torch with gusto, it is apparent that we owe a tremendous amount to the pioneering Italians.

London's gambling establishments saw a boom during World War II. 

While the development of London's gambling establishments is hardly the most shocking item on this list, it is nonetheless fascinating to observe. After surpassing Bath as the gambling capital of the United Kingdom, other establishments catering specifically to gamblers sprung up.

White's, now a global icon, started off as a chocolate factory. Gentlemen's clubs spawned further establishments, and London's thriving casino industry was formed.

The largest payout from a slot machine was $39.7 million. 

Unsurprisingly, Las Vegas is home to the world's largest slot machine jackpot. It was won by an unidentified Los Angeles software developer who gambled $100.00 on Megabucks at the Excalibur Casino.

Megabucks paid out a massive $39.7 million, living up to its moniker. It will be difficult to break the record, which has stood since 2003, but we should keep an eye on Las Vegas in case it happens. Approximately 200,000 slot machines may be found here, making it the epicentre of slot gaming.

The Virtual Slot Machine A new high of 17.8M Euros has been set.

While online slot jackpots have not hit the same record-breaking levels, they have nonetheless produced some impressive six-figure payouts. As of 2013, the record was set at an astounding 17,861,800 Euros.

The Finnish winner of the Mega Fortune jackpot received payment in Euros. At the current currency rate (August 2019), that is around £16.5 million.

The current record for British players is held by Jonathan Heywood, who earned £13.2 million playing Mega Moolah with a mere 25 pence. Check out our detailed explanation of how progressive jackpot slots function.

At least 70% payout is required for slot machines. 

The initials RTP may appear on several online slot machines. RTP indicates the percentage of stakes that will be returned to players as a return on those stakes. The UK Gambling Commission has mandated that all online casinos pay out at least 70% of all wagers placed, or £1.00 on average.

That is the standard number, but remember that it is just an average. The average return to player (RTP) across our slot machines is 96.23%, with the exception of our most popular slot machine, Koi Princess, which has an RTP of 96.14%. Our slot machines often have a return to player percentage of 97%, much above the industry standard of 70%.

Sixth, poker is a good way to make money on the side. 

When their playing days are done, what do athletes do? Though many choices exist, only a chosen handful have made it to the poker tables. Teddy Sheringham, a former Tottenham, Manchester United, and England forward, is just one of several athletes who has made a fortune at the poker tables (almost £330,000).

Careers on the Tours may be extremely profitable, and not only for athletes. Victoria Coren Mitchell, writer and broadcaster, is a well-known player who has recently resumed playing after a hiatus. Coren Mitchell, in only her second year as a professional poker player, made history by becoming the first player to win the European Poker Tour twice.

In 1887, slot machines made their debut.

While the genesis of many popular card and dice games is up for debate, we can be sure that the first slot machine appeared in 1887. Charles Fell created the Liberty Bell and unveiled the finished model in 1891.

Although simple in design, the initial slot machine was a game-changer that paved the way for the massive expansion of slot machines that followed. Here you may learn more about slot machine strategies.

An eight-year poker game was the longest ever played. 

We all know that patience and perseverance are just as important as ability and luck if you want to win in poker. While modern tournaments might go on for days or even weeks, the current world record in poker endurance pales in comparison.

The reported eight-year, five-month, three-day game took place in the basement of an Arizona theatre in the year 1881. Sure, they had pauses to sleep and use the loo, but the game was supposedly played nonstop for 24 hours straight.

While there may be a lack of concrete proof in this tale, it can be confirmed that a remarkable marathon occurred at that theatre, with a reported sum of $10,000,000 changing hands.

Robert Maxwell is ninth on the list of the world's worst gamblers. 

We continue Robert Maxwell's story as it moves from the cardroom to the roulette wheel. The media magnate enjoyed little more than a few rounds of roulette in the 1980s, when he was known and controversial.

While playing three tables at once at Mayfair's Les Ambassadeurs Club, Maxwell dropped £1.5 million in just three minutes. It was a massive and unprecedented loss, but one that the billionaire businessman could probably afford.

A Man Gambled His Entire Life Away on One Roulette Spin

Double or Nothing was a British television programme that aired in 2004. English professional gambler Ashley Revell planned to liquidate his whole life's savings in order to place a single bet on the outcome of a roulette game.

At the end of it all, Revell had raised £135,300 through a succession of garage sales and auctions, and he was down to nothing but the clothes on his back. He then proceeded to the roulette wheel at the Plaza Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where he placed a bet on red and won a tidy sum of £270,600—much to the delight of Revell and the majority of his television viewers.

It was a dramatic scene worthy of prime time television, so why not go back and watch the raw footage on one of the many online video sharing sites? 

Two additional notes concerning casinos

The United States' largest casino is 600,000 square feet in size.

Las Vegas may be home to the biggest concentration of casinos in the United States, but we will have to travel elsewhere to discover the largest one. Thackerville, Oklahoma is home to a casino known as WinStar World Casino, which is roughly an hour's drive from Oklahoma City.

Although it first opened in 2003, the WinStar has undergone extensive renovations and extension in the intervening years, increasing its footprint to a whopping 600,000 square feet. The Chickasaw Nation owns this huge casino, which features hundreds of slot machines, card tables, and roulette wheels in addition to a wide variety of other gaming options.

There are 12 restaurants and a hotel in the WinStar World Casino. It is a monstrosity, to be sure, but it pales in comparison to the record holder. Located in Macao, the Venetian covers an incredible 10,500,000 square feet.