{"id":6081,"date":"2025-02-02T13:56:40","date_gmt":"2025-02-02T13:56:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/?page_id=6081"},"modified":"2025-02-04T11:16:26","modified_gmt":"2025-02-04T11:16:26","slug":"article-6-how-online-gambling-used-emerging-web-technologies","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/article-6-how-online-gambling-used-emerging-web-technologies\/","title":{"rendered":"Article 6 &#8211; How Online Gambling Used Emerging Web Technologies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-columns stk-block-columns stk-block stk-9f5e35e\" data-block-id=\"9f5e35e\"><div class=\"stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-9f5e35e-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-dc08006\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"dc08006\"><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-dc08006-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-dc08006-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-columns stk-block-columns stk-block stk-bfe3e0f\" data-block-id=\"bfe3e0f\"><style>.stk-bfe3e0f {margin-bottom:6px !important;}<\/style><div class=\"stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-bfe3e0f-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-5c17654\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"5c17654\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:690px){.stk-5c17654 {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(79.9% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-5c17654-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-5c17654-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-columns stk-block-columns stk-block stk-5564aca\" data-block-id=\"5564aca\"><style>.stk-5564aca {margin-bottom:81px !important;}<\/style><div class=\"stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-5564aca-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-9efe4f2\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"9efe4f2\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:690px){.stk-9efe4f2 {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(56.1% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-9efe4f2-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-9efe4f2-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-essential-blocks-advanced-image  root-eb-advanced-image-k3y3b\"><div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-advanced-image-k3y3b \"><figure class=\"eb-advanced-image-wrapper eb-advanced-image-k3y3b img-style-square caption-style-1 caption-horizontal-center caption-vertical-bottom bottom no-effect\" data-id=\"eb-advanced-image-k3y3b\"><div class=\"image-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/02\/article_6.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:19px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">The mid-90&#8217;s were when &#8216;real&#8217; started&#8230;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-556b446\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"556b446\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:690px){.stk-556b446 {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(43.9% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-556b446-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-556b446-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-1e95120\" id=\"gyneth-mc-allister-mba\" data-block-id=\"1e95120\"><style>.stk-1e95120 {margin-bottom:50px !important;}<\/style><h6 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">Article 6<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-6eaecd3\" id=\"how-online-gambling-used-emerging-web-technologies\" data-block-id=\"6eaecd3\"><style>.stk-6eaecd3 {margin-bottom:61px !important;}<\/style><h3 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">How Online Gambling Used Emerging Web Technologies<\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-d15072c\" id=\"a-meandering-look-back-at-90-s-tech-java-applets-shockwave-flash-and-asp-who-abenefited\" data-block-id=\"d15072c\"><style>.stk-d15072c {margin-bottom:50px !important;}<\/style><h6 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">A look back at 90&#8217;s tech &#8211; Java applets, Shockwave, Flash and .ASP. <br>Who benefited and how?<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-d4e0ffe\" id=\"gyneth-mc-allister-mba\" data-block-id=\"d4e0ffe\"><style>.stk-d4e0ffe {margin-bottom:25px !important;}<\/style><h5 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">by Ian Sherrington, February 2025<\/h5><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-26a500e\" id=\"as-part-of-the-series-the-online-gambling-industry\" data-block-id=\"26a500e\"><h6 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">As part of the series &#8211; The Online Gambling Industry<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-divider stk-block-divider stk-block stk-98029ce\" id=\"gyneth-mc-allister-mba\" data-block-id=\"98029ce\"><hr class=\"stk-block-divider__hr\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-columns stk-block-columns stk-block stk-969f942\" data-block-id=\"969f942\"><style>.stk-969f942 {margin-bottom:0px !important;}<\/style><div class=\"stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-969f942-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-6a8de7f\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"6a8de7f\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:690px){.stk-6a8de7f {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(39.4% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-6a8de7f-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-6a8de7f-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-essential-blocks-advanced-image  root-eb-advanced-image-438fn\"><div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-advanced-image-438fn \"><figure class=\"eb-advanced-image-wrapper eb-advanced-image-438fn img-style-square caption-style-1 caption-horizontal-center caption-vertical-bottom bottom no-effect\" data-id=\"eb-advanced-image-438fn\"><div class=\"image-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/02\/article_6_1.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-9350c31\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"9350c31\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:690px){.stk-9350c31 {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(60.6% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-9350c31-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-9350c31-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-3d67f9f\" id=\"how-online-gambling-used-emerging-web-technologies\" data-block-id=\"3d67f9f\"><style>.stk-3d67f9f {margin-bottom:0px !important;}<\/style><h4 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">How Online Gambling Used Emerging Web Technologies<\/h4><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><br>In 1998, online casinos and sportsbooks were just about proving their attractiveness to players and operators alike. Their graphics, action, speed and overall reliability seemed ok, but they needed to be downloaded and installed on the user\u2019s PC to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We needed instant gratification. That could only be achieved when the browser has the ability to play secure casino games, instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Luckily, the web will develop rapidly. New web technologies will emerge and these will be taken advantage of by casino game developers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, I\u2019ll take a look at the early web technologies that took away the barriers to online gambling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I\u2019ll try not to wander off the subject too far\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-3461924 stk-block-background desktop-only\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"3461924\"><style>.stk-3461924 {background-color:#edf7ff !important;}.stk-3461924:before{background-color:#edf7ff !important;}@media screen and (min-width:690px){.stk-3461924 {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(20.099999999999994% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-3461924-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"has-text-align-center stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-3461924-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-c0bb858\" id=\"latest-articles\" data-block-id=\"c0bb858\"><h5 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">Latest Articles<\/h5><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"root-eb-post-grid-l5nkj wp-block-essential-blocks-post-grid\">\n    <div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-post-grid-l5nkj \">\n        <div class=\"eb-post-grid-l5nkj style-1 eb-post-grid-wrapper\"\n            data-id=\"eb-post-grid-l5nkj\"\n            data-querydata=\"{&quot;source&quot;:&quot;post&quot;,&quot;sourceIndex&quot;:0,&quot;rest_base&quot;:&quot;posts&quot;,&quot;rest_namespace&quot;:&quot;wp\\\/v2&quot;,&quot;author&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;taxonomies&quot;:[],&quot;per_page&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;offset&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;orderby&quot;:&quot;date&quot;,&quot;order&quot;:&quot;desc&quot;,&quot;include&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;exclude&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;exclude_current&quot;:false,&quot;ignore_sticky_posts&quot;:false,&quot;exclude_password_protected&quot;:false}\"\n            data-attributes=\"{&quot;thumbnailSize&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;loadMoreOptions&quot;:{&quot;enableMorePosts&quot;:false,&quot;loadMoreType&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;loadMoreButtonTxt&quot;:&quot;Load More&quot;,&quot;alignment&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;prevTxt&quot;:&quot;&lt;&quot;,&quot;nextTxt&quot;:&quot;&gt;&quot;,&quot;totalPosts&quot;:26},&quot;showSearch&quot;:false,&quot;showTaxonomyFilter&quot;:false,&quot;enableAjaxSearch&quot;:false,&quot;addIcon&quot;:false,&quot;iconPosition&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;icon&quot;:&quot;fas fa-chevron-right&quot;,&quot;preset&quot;:&quot;style-1&quot;,&quot;defaultFilter&quot;:&quot;all&quot;,&quot;version&quot;:&quot;v2&quot;,&quot;showBlockContent&quot;:true,&quot;showFallbackImg&quot;:false,&quot;fallbackImgUrl&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;showThumbnail&quot;:true,&quot;showTitle&quot;:true,&quot;titleLength&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;titleTag&quot;:&quot;h3&quot;,&quot;showContent&quot;:false,&quot;contentLength&quot;:20,&quot;expansionIndicator&quot;:&quot;...&quot;,&quot;showReadMore&quot;:false,&quot;readmoreText&quot;:&quot;Read More&quot;,&quot;showMeta&quot;:false,&quot;headerMeta&quot;:&quot;[{\\&quot;value\\&quot;:\\&quot;categories\\&quot;,\\&quot;label\\&quot;:\\&quot;Categories\\&quot;}]&quot;,&quot;footerMeta&quot;:&quot;[{\\&quot;value\\&quot;:\\&quot;avatar\\&quot;,\\&quot;label\\&quot;:\\&quot;Author Avatar\\&quot;},{\\&quot;value\\&quot;:\\&quot;author\\&quot;,\\&quot;label\\&quot;:\\&quot;Author Name\\&quot;},{\\&quot;value\\&quot;:\\&quot;date\\&quot;,\\&quot;label\\&quot;:\\&quot;Published Date\\&quot;}]&quot;,&quot;authorPrefix&quot;:&quot;by&quot;,&quot;datePrefix&quot;:&quot;on&quot;}\">\n\n            \n\n            <div class=\"eb-post-grid-posts-wrapper\"><article class=\"ebpg-grid-post ebpg-post-grid-column\" data-id=\"6894\"><div class=\"ebpg-grid-post-holder\"><div class=\"ebpg-entry-wrapper\"><div class=\"ebpg-entry-media\">\n                <div class=\"ebpg-entry-thumbnail\">\n                    <a class=\"ebpg-post-link-wrapper eb-sr-only\" href=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/the-industry-creates-itself\/\">The Industry Creates Itself<\/a>\n                    <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/02\/article_13_1.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div><header class=\"ebpg-entry-header\">\n            <h3 class=\"ebpg-entry-title\">\n                <a class=\"ebpg-grid-post-link\" href=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/the-industry-creates-itself\/\" title=\"theindustrycreatesitself\">The Industry Creates Itself<\/a>\n            <\/h3>\n        <\/header><\/div><\/div><\/article><article class=\"ebpg-grid-post ebpg-post-grid-column\" data-id=\"6857\"><div class=\"ebpg-grid-post-holder\"><div class=\"ebpg-entry-wrapper\"><div class=\"ebpg-entry-media\">\n                <div class=\"ebpg-entry-thumbnail\">\n                    <a class=\"ebpg-post-link-wrapper eb-sr-only\" href=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/us-marketing-survivor-and-social-betting-systems\/\">US Marketing, Survivor and Social Betting Systems<\/a>\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/02\/article_12_1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div><header class=\"ebpg-entry-header\">\n            <h3 class=\"ebpg-entry-title\">\n                <a class=\"ebpg-grid-post-link\" href=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/us-marketing-survivor-and-social-betting-systems\/\" title=\"usmarketingsurvivorandsocialbettingsystems\">US Marketing, Survivor and Social Betting Systems<\/a>\n            <\/h3>\n        <\/header><\/div><\/div><\/article><article class=\"ebpg-grid-post ebpg-post-grid-column\" data-id=\"6740\"><div class=\"ebpg-grid-post-holder\"><div class=\"ebpg-entry-wrapper\"><div class=\"ebpg-entry-media\">\n                <div class=\"ebpg-entry-thumbnail\">\n                    <a class=\"ebpg-post-link-wrapper eb-sr-only\" href=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/my-journey-into-the-world-of-sportsbook-software\/\">My Journey Into The World Of Sportsbook Software<\/a>\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/09\/article_11_0.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div><header class=\"ebpg-entry-header\">\n            <h3 class=\"ebpg-entry-title\">\n                <a class=\"ebpg-grid-post-link\" href=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/my-journey-into-the-world-of-sportsbook-software\/\" title=\"myjourneyintotheworldofsportsbooksoftware\">My Journey Into The World Of Sportsbook Software<\/a>\n            <\/h3>\n        <\/header><\/div><\/div><\/article><article class=\"ebpg-grid-post ebpg-post-grid-column\" data-id=\"6556\"><div class=\"ebpg-grid-post-holder\"><div class=\"ebpg-entry-wrapper\"><div class=\"ebpg-entry-media\">\n                <div class=\"ebpg-entry-thumbnail\">\n                    <a class=\"ebpg-post-link-wrapper eb-sr-only\" href=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/podcast-the-gambling-files\/\">Podcast &#8211; The Gambling Files<\/a>\n                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"305\" height=\"191\" src=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/08\/podcast_3.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div><header class=\"ebpg-entry-header\">\n            <h3 class=\"ebpg-entry-title\">\n                <a class=\"ebpg-grid-post-link\" href=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/podcast-the-gambling-files\/\" title=\"podcast-thegamblingfiles\">Podcast &#8211; The Gambling Files<\/a>\n            <\/h3>\n        <\/header><\/div><\/div><\/article><article class=\"ebpg-grid-post ebpg-post-grid-column\" data-id=\"6538\"><div class=\"ebpg-grid-post-holder\"><div class=\"ebpg-entry-wrapper\"><div class=\"ebpg-entry-media\">\n                <div class=\"ebpg-entry-thumbnail\">\n                    <a class=\"ebpg-post-link-wrapper eb-sr-only\" href=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/sigma-interview\/\">SiGMA Interview<\/a>\n                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"731\" height=\"1028\" src=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/06\/sigma_interview_ian_sherrington.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div><header class=\"ebpg-entry-header\">\n            <h3 class=\"ebpg-entry-title\">\n                <a class=\"ebpg-grid-post-link\" href=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/sigma-interview\/\" title=\"sigmainterview\">SiGMA Interview<\/a>\n            <\/h3>\n        <\/header><\/div><\/div><\/article><\/div>        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-columns stk-block-columns stk-block stk-58478ca\" data-block-id=\"58478ca\"><div class=\"stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-58478ca-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-ee3b2db\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"ee3b2db\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:690px){.stk-ee3b2db {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(30.3% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-ee3b2db-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-ee3b2db-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-essential-blocks-advanced-image  root-eb-advanced-image-424eo\"><div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-advanced-image-424eo \"><figure class=\"eb-advanced-image-wrapper eb-advanced-image-424eo img-style-square caption-style-1 caption-horizontal-center caption-vertical-bottom bottom no-effect\" data-id=\"eb-advanced-image-424eo\"><div class=\"image-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/02\/article_6_2.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:36px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Browser War<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-875a1b6\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"875a1b6\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:690px){.stk-875a1b6 {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(69.7% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-875a1b6-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-875a1b6-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-6aec262\" id=\"the-browsers\" data-block-id=\"6aec262\"><h2 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">The Browser<\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>At this time in 1998, there were two main browsers that were in common use. Netscape Navigator version 4.5&nbsp; and Microsoft Explorer 4.0. They had the market at about 50\/50 but Explorer was on the rise, soon to dominate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"strong-fascinating-facts-behind-champagnes-bubbles-strong\">Both offered decent &#8211; but quirky \u2013 JavaScript. But also, alluringly, a Java Virtual Machine which allowed the browser itself to download and run Java applets without bothering the user.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-columns stk-block-columns stk-block stk-5844ebe\" data-block-id=\"5844ebe\"><div class=\"stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-5844ebe-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-c60bdc8\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"c60bdc8\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:690px){.stk-c60bdc8 {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(30.3% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-c60bdc8-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-c60bdc8-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-essential-blocks-advanced-image  root-eb-advanced-image-oxf6z\"><div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-advanced-image-oxf6z \"><figure class=\"eb-advanced-image-wrapper eb-advanced-image-oxf6z img-style-square caption-style-1 caption-horizontal-center caption-vertical-bottom bottom no-effect\" data-id=\"eb-advanced-image-oxf6z\"><div class=\"image-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/02\/article_6_3.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:36px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">They looked nice&#8230;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-c92faf3\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"c92faf3\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:690px){.stk-c92faf3 {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(69.7% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-c92faf3-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-c92faf3-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-00a53a9\" id=\"the-browsers\" data-block-id=\"00a53a9\"><h2 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">Java Applets<\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, that was the theory. Java applets were troublesome to say the least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Java applets were introduced in 1995 with the release of Java 1.0 by Sun Microsystems. The idea was to allow small Java applications (applets) to run inside a web browser, bringing interactivity and dynamic content to the web at a time when HTML was mostly static. Java applets were embedded in HTML pages using the &lt;applet> tag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Browsers with a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) could execute the applet within a sandbox (a restricted environment to ensure security). Applets were downloaded from a server and ran inside the browser, offering interactive graphics, games, and web-based applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Java applets had compatibility issues, security concerns, they were slow, very tricky to develop and had limited functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"strong-fascinating-facts-behind-champagnes-bubbles-strong\">Nevertheless, intrepid developers went ahead and started developing some basic games that could be played in the browser using Java applets. Some were successful and some, as did I, regretted it later.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-columns stk-block-columns stk-block stk-82e2ddd\" data-block-id=\"82e2ddd\"><style>.stk-82e2ddd {margin-bottom:0px !important;}<\/style><div class=\"stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-82e2ddd-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-732abba\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"732abba\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:690px){.stk-732abba {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(30.3% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-732abba-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-732abba-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-essential-blocks-advanced-image  root-eb-advanced-image-nhnqq\"><div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-advanced-image-nhnqq \"><figure class=\"eb-advanced-image-wrapper eb-advanced-image-nhnqq img-style-square caption-style-1 caption-horizontal-center caption-vertical-bottom bottom no-effect\" data-id=\"eb-advanced-image-nhnqq\"><div class=\"image-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/06\/mahjong1.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:36px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Mahjong &#8211; the world&#8217;s most played game<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-179081b\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"179081b\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:690px){.stk-179081b {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(69.7% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-179081b-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-179081b-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-59dce3c\" id=\"the-browsers\" data-block-id=\"59dce3c\"><h2 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">Mahjong as a Java Applet<\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In my case, somehow, the idea of creating an online Mahjong cash game seemed to be a good one. &nbsp;We thought\u2026 the world\u2019s most popular game and we put it online\u2026 What can possibly go wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, at Intertops, we were originally sports betting guys, but had recently ventured into online casinos. We were doing well but still knew nothing. Nevertheless, after a successful US marketing campaign, we were riding a wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, it was very possible to market to the US in those days &#8211; actually, the marketing at Intertops was top-notch. We employed a top marketing agency, Edelman in New York which was pretty cool &#8211; 5<sup>th<\/sup> Avenue and all that. Edelman\u2019s campaign included getting the Intertops odds and lines quoted in the US media. For example, our Simon Noble came up with the idea of offering odds on Groundhog Day &#8211; will the groundhog see his shadow or not? This \u2018news\u2019 was, incredibly, broadcast on every US Breakfast TV show the following morning. I don&#8217;t think anyone ever topped that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And we weren\u2019t stopping there. We had this plan for world domination and wanted to expand our markets. We decided the priority was to create a Chinese version of the Intertops website.&nbsp;Problem was that we knew very little about China and how we could, respectfully, approach the subject.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-columns stk-block-columns stk-block stk-f6f6263\" data-block-id=\"f6f6263\"><div class=\"stk-row stk-inner-blocks stk-block-content stk-content-align stk-f6f6263-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-ca9182b\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"ca9182b\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:690px){.stk-ca9182b {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(30.3% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-ca9182b-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-ca9182b-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-image stk-block-image stk-block stk-8a331f8\" data-block-id=\"8a331f8\"><style>.stk-8a331f8 {box-shadow:6px 6px 6px 3px #abb8c3 !important;margin-bottom:0px !important;}<\/style><figure><span class=\"stk-img-wrapper stk-image--shape-stretch stk--has-lightbox\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"stk-img wp-image-6116\" src=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/02\/article_6_7.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"641\"\/><\/span><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:36px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Delaney&#8217;s Hong Kong<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-column stk-block-column stk-column stk-block stk-8493025\" data-v=\"4\" data-block-id=\"8493025\"><style>@media screen and (min-width:690px){.stk-8493025 {flex:var(--stk-flex-grow, 1) 1 calc(69.7% - var(--stk-column-gap, 0px) * 1 \/ 2 ) !important;}}<\/style><div class=\"stk-column-wrapper stk-block-column__content stk-container stk-8493025-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks stk-8493025-inner-blocks\">\n<p>So off we went to Hong Kong to immerse ourselves in the local culture. Which we did well. Met many interesting folk and visited some interesting venues.. And, incidentally, we learned to play Mahjong \u2013 albeit very badly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, on our return and armed with culture, we started on translating the website into Chinese simplified with a new name and colours &#8211; Fatchoi something.com. And then Simon had another seemingly brilliant idea. He decided it would be a great idea to develop our own Mahjong game. &#8220;It&#8217;s incredibly popular&#8221; he said. &#8220;Played by millions of gamblers&#8221;. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Initially, this seemed like a good plan but was not going to be cheap. We worked with a Hong Kong developer and his ever expanding team. He very slowly came to grips with developing a Mahjong game with animated characters using Java applets. At least that was what he appeared to be doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It turned out to be an impossible task. It was terrifying to spend so much and receive so little. After a &nbsp;year of work and a lot of dosh, the writing was on the wall. The Java applet became a <em>hugelet <\/em>and behaved badly &#8211; It was hopelessly unreliable and the problems weren\u2019t going away. So we cancelled the project and called it a day. Learn to love your losses and all that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, yours truly, not entirely learning his lesson, went on to create Mahjong Mania from the ashes, but that\u2019s another story\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"strong-fascinating-facts-behind-champagnes-bubbles-strong\">In the end, Java applets became obsolete, replaced by JavaScript, HTML5, and WebGL for interactive web content. Oracle officially deprecated Java applets in 2017, marking the end of their era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-essential-blocks-button root-eb-button-9hebr  root-eb-button-q3u0u\"><div class=\"eb-parent-wrapper eb-parent-eb-button-q3u0u \"><div class=\"eb-button-wrapper eb-button-alignment eb-button-q3u0u\"><div class=\"eb-button\"><div class=\"eb-button-inner-wrapper \"><a class=\"eb-button-anchor \" href=\"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/article-6-how-online-gambling-used-emerging-web-technologies\/article-6-how-online-gambling-used-emerging-web-technologies-2\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Next Page<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The mid-90&#8217;s were when &#8216;real&#8217; started&#8230; Article 6 How Online Gambling Used Emerging Web Technologies A look back at 90&#8217;s tech &#8211; Java applets, Shockwave, Flash and .ASP. Who benefited and how? by Ian Sherrington, February 2025 As part of the series &#8211; The Online Gambling Industry How Online Gambling Used Emerging Web Technologies In [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6081","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"blocksy_meta":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6081"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6081\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6192,"href":"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6081\/revisions\/6192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crownstar.com\/crownstar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}