The nature of betting was changed forever when the internet got up and running by the mid-nineties. With betting already a firm part of sport’s enjoyment in Europe, America, Australia and more, it was only a matter of time before punters put down the phone or stopped going into high-street bookmakers and took to their computers. Indeed, in Australia, in 2012 online betting is up 23% as bookmakers make placing a bet all the easier amid an increasingly consumer-advantageous field of competition when it comes to odds.

As technology has accelerated over the past 10 years, so it is that the nature of online betting has altered drastically. Heavy promotional pushes from betting companies reveal that most of these see betting online as their main source of business. Online betting allows the punter greater opportunity to weigh up odds, form, history and so forth as well as a degree of anonymity, valued by many.

So over the past decade, just what have been the key developments in the evolution of online betting?

The Antigua saga

Back in the early 90s, it was the small Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda that led the way in online betting and gambling. That country passed the Free Trade & Processing act, allowing them to set up the first online betting sites, available to international customers.

The US eventually banned such betting to its citizens, but a landmark law ruling of 2003 changed all that. Antigua filed a complaint with the World Trade Organisation, claiming that the US ban violated their rights as WTO members. The organisation agreed, opening up online sports betting to a US audience. The ruling has been upheld on multiple occasions since.

Live betting legislation

Live betting is perhaps the most contentious issue in Australian betting at present – one of the busiest betting markets in the world. At present, it is not legal for Australian betting agencies to provide live betting to punters online. However, offshore bookmakers can, which Australians certainly take advantage of, safe in the knowledge it is the agency and not the individual who will be in breach of the law.

Variety

Wacky bets have been around for years. But the advent of online betting has brought even more variety to the type of bet you can place. The hairstyles of footballers, the temperature at kick-off, the decibels of tennis players’ grunts: if you can think of something to bet on it is more than likely you can place a bet on it.

Regulations

One of the problems with the proliferation of online betting over the course of the past 10 years is regulation. That is, ensuring betting is done only by those over 18, that those with a gambling problem are given as much advice and support as possible, and of course preventing any possibility of fixing.

What next?

It seems likely that increased controls on who gambles will be introduced in many countries in the coming years. In Australia, however, the government seems set to relax laws on live betting. This is likely to mean a small revolution, particularly among sports for which live betting becomes most riveting, such as tennis, cricket and boxing.

Author Bio:
This is a guest post by Sara Rosemont from www.whatishealthandsafety.co.uk.

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