Back to The 1996 - Microgaming

Sodax77

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Well, i dig out MG's History
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And what i found (Dec 21, 1996 ): The Gaming Club Casino
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Screenshots (1996 - Not so "viper" yet):
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Review:
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I don't like this "Belle Rock Entertainment" nowadays
(Their Support sucks, sorry)
But nice to see some screenshots, articles, etc from 1996 ;)
 
From their "How the Casino Works" page:

WE REGRET THAT THE CASINO IS CURRENTLY ONLY FOR THE USE OF SOUTH AFRICANS. PLANS ARE WELL ADVANCED TO INTRODUCE THIS SERVICE WORLD-WIDE. THE CASINO WILL KEEP YOU FULLY INFORMED, VIA E-MAIL, ON SUCH DEVELOPMENTS.

and

Our operators are standing by from 09h00 to 18h00. You can only open an account between these times. You can, of course, play 24 hours a day!

Heh. :D
 
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:
"Macintosh Software

Sorry, this is still under construction. We will keep you informed of our progress." :)

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:

"Casino Deluxe
This is for those serious about their entertainment. It is the complete package and includes the Casino Lite software together with the Poker, Slots and Keno Additions. Go for it! (3871k)"

To take a random Viper casino, Platinum Play occupies 383MB on my hard drive.
 
Sodax77 said:
So, is The Gaming Club Casino [the] first MG Casino?

I've always believed it to be but i'm sure Jetset, Spear or the Meister could confirm.
 
Sodax77 said:
Thanks for "The", lol

Sorry my poor english ;)

LOL. No worries - not a criticism in any way. In actual fact your English is better than many English people Sodax :D
 
Gaming Club is the original MG casino - and also lays claim to being the first on the Net, though that would be debatable since others have also made this claim and I have never investigated this.

John Steed? :)
 
The Gaming Club since '95...

***

Spearmaster

Gaming Club is the original MG casino - and also lays claim to being the first on the Net, though that would be debatable since others have also made this claim and I have never investigated this.

John Steed? :)


At your service M'Lord...


The oldest that still exist today would go to...



The Gaming Club


- 1995 ("claiming to be" the very 1st online casino)



Intertops Casino & Sportsbook


- 1995 ("claiming to be" the web's first sportsbook)



and in no specific order...


InterCasino


- 1996



FirstWebCasino


- 1996 (why call yourself something you're not?)



CASINO-ON-NET (a.k.a. 888.com)


- 1996 (I always assumed that they were the 1st w/"The Gaming Club")



GOldEN PALACE


- 1997



Starluck Casino


- 1997



OMNI


- 1997



RiverBELLE


- 1997


***


That's the best I could do prior to '98. Hope this helps. ;)


Steed


***
 
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Mary wrote an excellent history of online gambling a while back, and here's a reference that may be useful. I don't know who was the first to be honest but Microgaming was certainly right up there with the first pioneers like the Rifkins of Cryptologic and the Israelis who founded C.O.N.

https://www.casinomeister.com/forums/search

Edit: I can recall interviewing a guy for a Support job back in '97 (there were around a hundred or so online casinos then) and one of his qualifications was previous experience as a support rep for Riverbelle - operating from a small flat!

The industry sure has grown fast since then LOL.
 
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No more "Where's Superman?"....

now it's "Where's John Steed?" You are a star... LOL...

I'm trying to remember which casinos have laid claim in the past to preceding Gaming Club... but certainly, Gaming Club is the oldest of those still online. I think defunct places like Grand Caribbean and Galaxiworld have previously laid claim to being the first online, as well as Casino Royale.
 
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More info...

***

Thanks guys!! :D


Golly Spearmaster, "Superman" is MY hero!!! :notworthy


Took some notes while I was searching.


- MicroGaming actually dates back to '94, where they had completed the development of their casino software.


- "Belle Rock" forms in 1995.


- In October of '95, MG launches their 1st (and apparently THE 1st) online casino, which as we know, would be "The Gaming Club". Which has thus far paid over $50,000,000.00 to winners since its birth (I'm thinking that's kinda' low actually, for being around for over 10-years now :what: ).


- Cryptologic releases its first casino, InterCasino in Nov. '96.


- Swedish company "Boss Media", releases their software in '97.


I went to a good number of websites, and it was a good read (although varying years on the casinos origins). I'm assuming, that from the casinos that I glossed-over from the years '98-99, that a lot of casinos switched software providers in '99 (around the time RTG had been developed) and again when relatively (but not really) new PlayTech software entered the fray.


***

Also, I enjoyed that thread/via link you provided Jetset, and Mary's details on the history of online gaming. :)


***
 
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I remember when about the only slots offered on MG sites were:

Double Magic
Fantastic 7
Cool Cat
Fruit Slots
Jackpot Express

Things sure have changed since then. Plus most bonuses were 100% at 5xD+B (no excluded games).
 
spearmaster said:
Galaxiworld have previously laid claim to being the first online, as well as Casino Royale.

From my understanding Galaxiworld spend three years developing their software. Maybe time spent doing this was included in their circa.

Don't mean to derail the topic, but Galaxiworld and iVegas.com are operated through the same company.

Also noted, Galaxiworld (GLC Limited owned by Jack Banks - who incidently was convicted of insider trading in New York and fined $100K [though I'm sure I've read it was $1mil] and was barred from entering the US for two years).

Some other interesting reading about Jack Banks and the Ontario Securities Commission. Old / Expired Link

Esther Banks (Jack's daughter) is now the chairman of these concerns, along with heading up a marketing firm in Toronto Canada. Esther Banks (now Williams) is in my opinion Jacks puppet.

More info can be found over at winnersonline, information gathered and written by "The Original Mary".
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(thuogh this info is 5 - 6 years old).
 
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