The world was a much different place before Netscape 1.0. It was 1994, and the Internet experience was still mostly limited to college students using Gopher and Lynx to access the nascent World Wide Web. Once Netscape brought graphics into the browsing picture, there was no turning back. A universe of information is now at your fingertips.

People like Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban are billionaires today because they recognized the power of new media back in the mid-1990s. There has never been a better tool for accessing, storing and exchanging information – which is what placing a bet is all about. Online gambling is simply a generation ahead of the old way of doing things.

Here are just a few of the advantages of betting online:

Competition: Price comparison is quick and easy online, where you can see the latest odds from a wide range of sportsbooks listed side-by-side. Some books will offer reduced vigorish or move their lines off the consensus price in order to attract customers. These offers are hard to miss.

Research: Betting online gives you the opportunity to tap into the Internet’s expanding collection of sports data and analysis. Handicappers can access the sports pages of local papers across the world. They can share information and opinion about betting strategies. And they can watch an increasing number of sporting events live on the Web.

Efficiency: It’s a very entertaining experience to be at the casino or the racetrack. But it’s also not the most efficient way to gamble. It takes time and money to get there and back. Once you’re there, you’ll be dazzled and distracted and prone to making a bad decision or two. Online betting can be done on your schedule at your home.

Mobility: The spread of broadband wireless makes it possible to place a bet from just about anywhere – including at the game itself. This gives the sports bettor the same opportunity for an up-close and personal experience that a horseplayer enjoys at the track.

Simplicity: Placing a sports bet on the Internet is a matter of clicking a mouse button. Advances in Web design make online gambling more streamlined and accessible for the casual bettor. The more bettors there are in the marketplace, the healthier the sports betting industry will be – and the more opportunities there will be for a sharp handicapper to cash in.