Good odds on a bright future for online blackjack? The popularity of online blackjack is booming. In December 2008, Market Watch reported that online video viewers numbered more 119 million people just in the US, a 33% increase from January. It’s a global phenomenon. The worldwide aspect of online gambling can only continue in our global economy as money is tight everywhere and people look for ways to pick up some easy earnings. These are bolstered by reports such as a large progressive blackjack win during the Christmas period at a Canadian online casino. Films like last year’s 21 with Kevin Spacey, based on true events around six university students from MIT who trained as card counters and won millions of dollars off Las Vegas casinos, highlight the lure of a quick buck. Plus, gambling simply looks and feels glamorous.

The renaissance of James Bond in Casino Royale helps push that image as well. In hard times, a bit of glamour and money looks ever more attractive. And if your tuxedo is at the cleaners, how easy it is to play blackjack from home! The volatility of gas prices also helps makes online gambling a sure bet. Online casinos are tempting punters with huge jackpots, bonuses and sign-up specials. In the meantime, high-tech operators like Hop-on, promise to make the online experience more and more like being there for example with real-time viewing of dealers shuffling the cards. This makes the outlook bleak for traditional casinos in 2009. Rick Alm, writing in the Kansas City Star, says that “The triple whammy of recession, deteriorating credit markets and withering consumer spending is pushing some U.S. casino operators toward debt default or worse”. On a cautionary note, Alm predicts that Congress will look into measuring the potential effects of legalizing and taxing online gambling in the US. On the other side of the Atlantic, a favourable environment currently exists. European legislation allows EU resident online gamblers to win tax-free anywhere in the EU. The French have attempted to limit this, but GamblingCompliance.org reports that some doubt exists about the viability of their new regulations. So what does the future hold for online gambling, especially blackjack? Get out your dinner jacket and cummerbund… and wager a bet on a bright future for now.

By stickystebee
Good odds on a bright future for online blackjack? The popularity of online blackjack is booming. In December 2008, Market Watch reported that online video viewers numbered more 119 million people just in the US, a 33% increase from January. It’s a global phenomenon.