Did I Invent Online Gambling Advantage Play? No!

A couple of years ago, I noticed a little post to the rec.gambling.blackjack newsgroup by a gentleman who signed himself Evgeuni Jourine. It was an interesting little article about his experiences with online casinos, a form of gambling I had never tried owing to doubts about getting paid. I liked it enough to post it on my website.

Jourine had paid been paid by most of the organizations he had dealt with and actually reallized a small profit. A lot of people thought I had written the article myself. I hadn't.

To be honest, I had no idea of the potential of online play back then. Bill Haywood read that article also, though, and he set about a serious study of the subject with a true recognition of the potential of online gambling.

Haywood developed a heuristic for identifying reputable casino operations and observed that by playing a little blackjack and meeting the wagering requirments, you could qualify for matchplay bonuses and make a profit, publishing the book "Beatwebcasinos.com" and unleashing a wave of online gamblers, many of whom cleared five figures last year.

Things changed. With September 11, the recession, and the recognition that online gambling could be profitable for sharp players, the e-casinos have gotten a lot tougher and require more money to be wagered for bonuses, and regularly bar "bonus abusers". Many online players have returned to the real world.

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.