As a sport, gambling has long been associated with negative qualities. Even after having been around since time immemorial, the game has not been able to wash its hands off the negative connotations attached to it. Cultures across the world have frowned upon gambling, at one point of time or the other. While some have cited religious reasons for maintaining distance from the sport, others have done so on moral grounds. However, the game has witnessed a change in fortunes recently, at least in a few European countries as well as in the USA.

As the capital of gambling, Las Vegas needs no introduction. From classic table games to their modern interpretations and much, much more, this city has done gambling a huge favour in getting it accepted in the society. In the UK too, there is now widespread acceptance for gambling of all forms, especially UK bingo. As the most popular means of entertainment in the country, bingo has managed to open doors for all forms of gambling to enter the lives of the people. While till some time back it was just hall-based bingo that had Britain grooving to it, the advent of online UK bingo has tilted the scales to its favour.

Though the exact reason for this shift in opinions cannot be pin-pointed, the realisation that gambling has more to offer than what popular belief would have us think could be a major reason. It has been observed that gambling, when legalised as well as monitored, can prove to be very beneficial not only for players but for the entire country. Though the fears about gambling might not be unfounded, there lies a huge difference between the illegal sort of gambling and the legal variant. In other words, though illegal gambling is a bane, its legal variant has proven to be just the opposite. Many countries have woken up to this fact and are taking rapid strides into the world of online gambling. Though countries like the UK and USA have established their dominance on the game, many Asian countries too are warming up to the idea, thus helping online gaming spread its wings more.

Asian countries like Macau and Singapore have opened their arms wide for hall-based gambling. So much so that today, casinos in these countries enjoy a higher turnout than the casinos in Las Vegas do. Experts, however, believe that the trend of casino based gambling is not likely to give way to internet gambling anytime soon in these countries as the as World Wide Web still remains largely unregulated in these countries. Also, in many countries where internet connectivity faces disruptions on a regular basis, it is difficult for online gaming operators to find a dedicated audience. The failure of online gambling has not been a dampener or halted land-based gambling from thriving in the Asian countries. While Macau, also known as the Monte Carlo of the East, has always been exceptional with regards to gambling, countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines have emerged as strong new candidates that threaten to dislodge Macau from the throne.

With many countries softening their stand on gambling as a sport and particularly on online gambling, the future for this game promises to be brighter than its past has been.