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  During the first seven days, God created the Heavens and the Earth. Not a lot happened after that. Sure there were wars, more then a few questionable fashion decisions, and a handful of unusually short people who tried to take over Europe. In the grand scheme of things though, this stuff was small potatoes. Then the Internet was invented and everything changed. For the first few years it seemed as if the only people who populated the cyber community were those who worshipped Captain Kirk, considered sex with invertebrates a good thing, or were selling Viagra at half price. At some point though, somebody thought, Hey, we can play poker on this thing. An industry had been born.


  Figuring out who started online gaming is not as difficult as trying to figure out who invented the internet. Everyone is fairly certain that Al Gore was responsible for neither. Working forwards from the available information though, the picture of the pioneers of internet gambling does become a bit clearer.


  The story of online casinos started in 1994, in a rather unlikely place. The Government of Antigua, Bermuda passed the free trade and Processing Zone Act. This opened the door for many online casinos and sports books to operate under licenses granted to this legislation. Antigua Bermuda remains the online gambling industries most popular licensing jurisdiction to this very day. It was also during this time that Microgaming was found.


  Microgaming, as the online-casino industrys largest software developers, became the Microsoft of the online gaming world. The software was soon followed by other necessary applications. In 1995 the Rivkin brothers, Mark and Andrew, started CryptoLogic. Their primary aim was to develop a communication protocol that would enable transactions to be settled safely and securely. In 1996 Boss Specialtidningar AB, developed a system for casino operations on the internet. At this same time Microgaming sold off its existing casino operations and concentrated on developing more advanced online casino technologies.


  Cryptologic were the originators of the very first ECash and gaming application. Later that same year they completed their first gaming software. The stage was now set for real gaming over the internet. In October of 1996 InterCasino goes online and claims to be the first online casino to accept a real money wager over the internet. Like ants lured by the scent of a picnic lunch, others jumped on the bandwagon of online gaming. By 1999 there were approximately 700 online casinos. A March 2001 survey reported that around 8 million people had gambled with real money online. It was just about a year later, on 30 May 2002, an online casino produced its first millionaire. The lucky player won a massive $1,594,649.


  Poker is a staple of the casino industry, and the online version was no exception. Online poker exploded in popularity along with the entire industry. Chris Moneymaker solidified the legitimacy of internet poker when this peoples champion took home a WSOP gold bracelet.