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The World Of Online GamblingSteven Bednarek
The world of online gambling is rapidly expanding. Does that sentence fill you with grief or wonder? While online gambling has existed for some time, and gambling since time immemorial, there has been phenomenal growth since the explosion of interest in Texas Hold-Em Poker. No matter what time you turn on the TV these days, it seems like you can find a poker game on at least one channel. Professionals, celebrities, average Joes - everyone is playing, and many of them are on television. Among them, a good majority hone their skills online.
Capitalism knows its markets, and how to create them. Since online poker has reaped millions in profit for the owners of the various sites, it was only a matter of time until blackjack tried for a slice of the pie.
Blackjack, of course, is a classic casino game. It can be played for millions on the Riviera, or for pennies in your friend's basement. It is incredibly simple, two cards, maybe more, closest to twenty-one wins. A hand, and thus a bet, is over in seconds. The game translates perfectly online. So online it has gone. A quick Google search will yield scores of websites where you can play online blackjack. Perhaps it has not yet reached the popularity of poker, but for certain there is a huge following. Better said, there is huge participation. And with huge participation comes huge winnings. The question, however, is who receives them. The easy answer is the owners of the various sites. Gambling appeals to our base instincts to make a quick buck. Unlike poker, though, it is hardly innocent - blackjack plays right into their hands. Poker requires time and thought. Blackjack, on the other hand is a fast game. As we have learned with our attention spans, the faster the stimulus, the quicker the addiction. Perhaps online blackjack is still too new to have generated scientific studies to prove this.
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