Online Gambling -- The Golden Age of the Industry

You look up and see a guy fall out of a second story window and land on the roof of the hotel restaurant. He climbs down the drain pipe, brushes himself off and sidles up to the bar for another drink. The bar is packed to standing room only like cocktail hour at the United Nations. Americans and Canadians, Brits, Czechs, Norwegians and Swiss, Latinos from every corner of Central and South America. Lively conversation, jokes and debates abound all around you, creating a humming buzz of camaraderie. Everywhere beautiful Latinas in bikinis are wandering around calling all the guys "Papi".

You're pool side at the Omni Hotel on Margarita Island and the year is 1999.

Back in those days no one was trying to get listed on the stock exchange and conquer the world. The college marketing graduates and corporate suits hadn't infiltrated the management of the books yet. The bookies were happy just to slice out their little piece of paradise, take the bets and collect their money. These were what you might call the golden years of offshore gambling. Anyone who was there in those days can consider themself a true veteran of the industry, innovators who have made it what it is today.

They lived like Kings, everyone walking around with great wads of Dollars and Bolivars falling out of their pocket, living in beach front condos guarded by guys with shotguns. Every night eating steak and fresh seafood in the finest restaurants washed down with bottles of fine wine from Chile or Argentina. Afterwards heading out to the crowded discos and rubbing elbows with the European tourists and dancing the night away with Venezuelan party girls. Rock stars living in a wild west playground.

The only rule was to make it to work the next day, whatever your condition, and take the money from the millions of people around the world clamoring to bet on Sports and Casino games from the comfort and privacy of their own home. The internet was exploding and gambling was in high demand.

In an unregulated business they conducted themselves according to the age old code of honor for bookies, never welch on a bet. This system worked because in the beginning most of the guys who started the offshore business had already been booking for years somewhere else. It wasn't even a question for them, they thought of themselves as an extension of Las Vegas.

13 years later and online gambling is stronger than it?s ever been. There is one constant in this business and that is change, those who have been adaptable and kept pace with technology like Pinnacle and The Greek are still around today. Many solid new books like EZStreetSports are emerging staffed with veteran employees who have been in the industry for years and understand what players want and how to succeed.

The industry today has matured, it doesn't "party" as much anymore. It's older and wiser, conscientious of its public image and it treats its customers and runs its day to day business in a more professional manner. All these things make for great customer experience in a solid industry but it's still fun to look back and remember the good old days. Never forget where you came from.

Online Gambling -- The Golden Age of the Industry