The love affair casino games are a quiet part of the American fabric. Ever since Nevada legalized gambling in the 1930s, Americans and tourists still can’t get enough of the high-caliber games. One of the top casino games that continues to stand the test of time is blackjack. There are many things to like about blackjack, especially the relative ease of play. Blackjack continues to go through massive evolutions, especially in the growing digital age of live dealer gameplay.
The Birth of Blackjack: Aces Up
Blackjack has roots to 18th century France where it was known as Vingt-et-Un (21). As the game moved to the United States, casinos modified its rules to make it more popular. Traditional blackjack tables spread to Las Vegas and other gambling hubs, where both everyday players and expert card counters found their attraction.
- French Nobles Spread Blackjack: Originally called Ving-et-un, many of the French noble class who were fond of Chemin de Fer baccarat immediately took to the early versions of blackjack.
- Ving-et-un Spreads: It was only a matter of time before Ving-et-un broke out of the halls of French nobility and to the general public. An immediate hit among the French working class, many of them took the blackjack concept with them as they migrated and moved throughout Europe.
Blackjack hits America: The Game of 21 is Born
In the 18th century, many of the French migrants and colonists introduced the concept of blackjack to New Orleans, a known haven for underground gambling and saloons. It was at this time that the modern-day blackjack experience truly took off.
- 21 is Born: Blackjack was an immediate hit among the American pioneers. Not wasting time, they put their spin on Ving-et-un, slightly modifying the rules to give it its current name, 21. Today’s blackjack is based on the concept of busting if you exceed a playing value of 21.
- Payouts are Introduced: To make the payouts more interesting, the American players of the 19th century added different payouts, including the incredible 10:1 payout for getting an Ace and a ten.
- Legal Gambling Is Born: As popular as blackjack became throughout America, casinos were still banned. However, in 1932, Nevada altered its state’s Constitution to accept gambling parlors. One of the most dominant casino games to take off was blackjack, especially because it was easier to pick up than poker.
- Reno and Tahoe Loves Blackjack: Believe it or not, Las Vegas wasn’t the original gambling capital. Reno and the nearby Lake Tahoe region, where tourists flocked to play casino games, including blackjack. Even today, many Reno and Lake Tahoe casinos still remain with crowds bigger than ever to play blackjack. Celebrities of the day, like Marilyn Monroe, worked to raise the profile of blackjack.
- Hollywood Takes to Blackjack: With the motion pictures industry in full bloom. Many films of the 50s and into the 60s, like the original Ocean’s Eleven, helped to make blackjack cool and popular to the public.
- Las Vegas Takes Over: As the 50s went on, Las Vegas gradually became the new American gambling capital. The top celebrities and Hollywood films heavily glamorized playing blackjack in Las Vegas.
- The Rise of Atlantic City: With more Americans and tourists visiting America to gamble than ever before, it became necessary to open a new gambling capital on the East Coast. Led by real estate barrons like Donald Trump, come the late 70s, blackjack exploded even more in popularity with the rise of Atlantic City Casinos. Atlantic City developed the popular blackjack variant, “Atlantic City Blackjack,” with its many high roller tables and state-of-the-art spas.
Blackjack Goes Digital: The Dawn of Online Blackjack
The 1990s ushered in the dial-up modem and the first wave of online casinos. While it might seem lame and crude now, playing online blackjack at home was an unheard-of concept. Thanks to massive technological leaps, this is the journey about how we enjoy today’s magnificent online blackjack games:
- First Online Casinos: Using Adobe Flash, the early blackjack games were simple with limited features.
- Broadband Internet: Through the mid-2000s, broadband internet entered homes. The improved bandwidth inspired game developers like Playtech to develop new blackjack games.
- American Online Casinos: Cable and fiber internet became mainstream, which greatly improved the bandwidth and supported more enhanced online blackjack. With the switch to HTML5 technology, new blackjack themes were developed, including advanced features like side bets.
- Live Dealer Blackjack: Come 2020, Evolution Gaming perfected the art of live dealer blackjack. Streaming in 4k resolution, blackjack players still can’t get enough of playing vivid blackjack games that are almost as real as playing in a big-time Vegas or Atlantic City Casino. Live dealer blackjack also ushered in new variants like Gravity Blackjack, with more camera angles to take in the aura.
- The Sweepstakes Era Begins: With mobile technology and apps in full swing, sweepstakes casinos took off in 2020. New live dealer developers like Ionic 21 created blackjack sweepstakes games to inspire community play and tournaments where players can chat with other members. Sweepstakes blackjack also allows players to play 24/7 in over 40 states.
Conclusion
With the digital blackjack age in full swing, the goal for online casinos is to provide more personalized game experiences. With AI tools, blackjack loyalists have access to more variants than they do playing in person. They also have more bonuses, like cash back and reload to play online blackjack 24/7.