Gambling may be one of the oldest forms of entertainment known to civilization. The Romans were said to place wagers on gladiatorial contests and chariot races. More recently, countries such as Monaco have built a name as gambling Meccas. In the United States, Las Vegas (referred to by some as Sin City for its legalized gambling) has been joined by Atlantic City, Biloxi, Mississippi, and numerous American Indian reservations as part of the gaming industry.

Despite that, combining the rising popularity of televised poker (there are at least five television and cable networks who now show or are planning programs featuring poker tournaments) with the internet is only a recent phenomenon, hitting the scene in the mid-1990s.

International Data Group (IDG), a leading technology media, research, and event company, reports that online gambling revenues exploded between 1997 and 1998. During that year, the research company estimated that internet gambling revenues rose from almost nothing to more than $650 million. Those estimates more than doubled by the year 2000 and stood at more than $2.3 billion by 2001.

The same group also estimated that the potential online gambling revenue in 2001 was more than $7 billion. This was at a time when only 27 percent of internet users said they engaged in online transactions.

IDG also estimated that the average amount spent each year by an online gambler rose from $146 in 1997 to only $165 in 2001. That means a lot more people were visiting online gaming sites. IDG estimated the number of potential online gamblers in 2001 to be as many as 43 million, up from less than one million in 1997.

Today, anyone who has had to weed through and delete the tons of unsolicited email from their inbox knows that online gambling ads rank right up there with mortgage refinancing (perhaps another type of gambling), sexual performance enhancements, and discount pharmacies. It is estimated that online gambling ranks in the top five of all internet advertising.

Most of these advertisements are for sites located outside the United States, but interest in internet gambling also is high in the domestic gaming industry, where Nevada casinos, Indian tribes, and even Microsoft are investing millions in the future of online wagering.

Although most established investment analysts still are cautious about recommending their clients invest in these ventures, most experts say the odds are very good that internet gambling will continue to grow and prosper.