As the land-based casinos continue to struggle due to the economic recession, online gambling continues to grow.  The main reason for its recent growth is the downturn in the economy.  People are much more cautious in their spending habits, and many gamblers have forsaken expensive casino junkets in lieu of online gambling parlours.

Online gambling and online sportsbook wagering have both increased over the first half of 2009.  There have been two significant developments over the past week, which indicates that experts feel that this trend will continue.

The first bit of news came out of South Africa, where there has been a surge of online gambling over the past two months.  Technological advancements and ingenious research have allowed heretofore forbidden gambling to take place between South Africans and offshore casino and poker rooms. 

While online gambling is still illegal in South Africa, there is no enforcement of this law, and there is a large movement underway to legalize online gambling in South Africa.  It is estimated that there are as many as six million South Africans participating in online gambling.  Experts feel that the legalization of online gambling in South Africa will bring in large revenues for South Africa, and put a crimp in organized crime, which controls many illegal gambling operations throughout South Africa.

The second piece of news that should be noted is that PayPal, one of the largest and most reputable online financial services company, has recently reversed its policy regarding online gambling in Europe, and will now accept the online gambling trade.  This is a significant development, because players from the United States are presently banned from participating in offshore online gambling. 

However, with this new policy, PayPal has thrust itself into the middle of garnering the business of the U.S. citizen when that market becomes available.   Many UK online bingo sites have already established ties with PayPal.  PayPal is noted for secured transactions without releasing bank account or credit card numbers.  With PayPal the leading payment intermediary service of global E-commerce, it is apparent that this company is following the trend in Europe of companies getting ready to make a big splash in the online gambling industry.  Only time will tell!