HOW LIVE CASINOS WORK

Today, best online casino websites give you the option to go live. What does that mean exactly? When you choose a live dealer game, you have the opportunity to play against a real dealer rather than a computer.

You will see the dealer and the game setup via a live stream video link, and you can communicate with the dealer through text chat. Live casinos are equipped with easy-to-use consoles that make betting from a computer or other internet-enabled device fast and simple.

As live casinos are operated by real people, the results of the games are determined by humans instead of automated processes.

HOW TO PLAY LIVE CASINO GAMES

Online casinos offer access to live play via mobile smartphone/tablet, MAC, laptop, and/or desktop devices. This cross-platform compatibility is possible because modern live casinos run on HTML5. This is a responsive internet coding language designed to adjust the game view to perfectly fit large, medium, and/or small-size screens.

Live dealer games load a webcam stream onto your device, along with sophisticated betting panels. Via the webcam window, you will connect to games hosted inside purpose-built brick-and-mortar gaming studios and, in some cases, on the gaming floor of a land-based gambling venue.

Once the game loads, dealers will deal live cards onto a live table, and croupiers will manually spin the roulette wheels or manage dice machines. If you are playing a live wheel of fortune game show, the presenter will manually spin the wheel. There are also some live dealer games that run on autos, such as auto roulette and some live lottery titles.

All you need to do to win is place your bets using the betting panels provided. Live casinos even add further authenticity to the gameplay using state-of-the-art software that allows you to place your virtual chips directly onto the table. In casino games like blackjack, baccarat, poker, and roulette, this neat chip feature gives players a similar feel to placing live chips on tables in a land-based establishment.

TYPES OF LIVE CASINO GAMES

LIVE BLACKJACK

As one of the most popular casino table games in the history of gambling, live blackjack tables are available at live dealer casinos. Some tables accommodate up to seven players, while some live blackjack game titles use unlimited technology with no limit to the number of players. This feature is becoming increasingly popular at live casinos because these tables have zero waiting time to find a seat.

LIVE BACCARAT

Baccarat is one of the easiest card games to learn and one of the first to grace live casinos when betting via webcams began. There are several versions of baccarat available, including speed baccarat, baccarat no commission, and mini-baccarat. The game is purely based on luck and often comes with an army of side bets. You may notice that live casinos offer multiple baccarat titles with different names but the same gameplay. However, these games often have different side bets that also dictate the name of the game.

LIVE ROULETTE

Live roulette is available at most live dealer casinos using American (double-0), European (single-0), and French (single-0 + French language) versions. Roulette works well for live gaming as players can place their bets while the live croupier spins the wheel for each coup.

There is never any queuing for these tables because they use unlimited technology, and you will find tables hosted in various languages such as French, Turkish, Hindi, Spanish, Polish, Italian, Chinese, and more.

Live casinos also host auto-roulette tables with no croupier managing the game. Instead, the webcam simply focuses on the live wheel.

LIVE SIC BO

Sic Bo is by far the most popular dice game live casinos offer. Players make wagers on certain numbers or certain areas of the table. It is essentially a mix between roulette and craps and is becoming immensely popular at live casinos thanks to multiple brands creating different variations of the game. Moreover, there is no need for a random number generator as there is a dice machine attached to these games rolling physical dice, giving you non-computer-generated outcomes.

LIVE POKER

Almost all live casinos host an abundance of live poker titles. Hold’em, Three Card Poker, and Caribbean Stud Poker are the most common. Some of these live poker game titles also come with progressive jackpots. Also, if you like Pai Gow Poker, then check out Creed Roomz or BetConstruct live casinos. This is the only brand that produces this variant of poker as a live dealer game title at this time.

BENEFITS OF LIVE CASINOS

There are many reasons both new and experienced gamblers are drawn to live casinos. In addition to playing games in real-time with live dealers, these innovative platforms allow you to play your favorite games anytime, anywhere. Like many land-based establishments, live casinos are often available round-the-clock and can be easily accessed from your smartphone or computer.

Live dealer casinos feature cutting-edge technology and fast live-streaming systems that give you the look and feel of a land-based gambling venue. This technology is also equipped with the highest level of protection to ensure that your personal information is kept private.

LIVE CASINO BONUSES

When searching online for live casinos, you are likely to come across a number of live dealer game bonus offers. Bonuses are an excellent way to make your money go a little further in the world of gambling, but not all bonuses provide equal value.

Unlike slots on which 100% of your bet will contribute towards wagering, live dealer game bets commonly contribute between 5% and 20%. The lower end of the scale is more widespread. That said, if you dig a little, you will find a good number of live casinos offering drop & wins promos, deals offering 5% to 15% cashback on your losses (increasingly popular), and VIP programs aimed at attracting more live dealer game players.

When you are searching for live casinos, make sure you read their ‘bonus terms’ carefully to understand what it entails. Live casinos are not in the business of giving away free money, and while a bonus may seem generous, you will always find bonus rules attached to the offer. Even though a bonus does increase your balance, the money is not officially yours until you fulfill wagering requirements in order to convert it into real money.

USING MOBILE LIVE CASINOS

Mobile live casinos have come a long way in recent years. As more people switch from primarily using desktops and laptops to playing on their smartphones and other devices, the mobile live dealer community has soared. Nearly all live dealer casino software companies have mobile versions of their games that have the same look and basic function as their computer counterparts.

By downloading an app directly to your phone, you can access your favorite live dealer game titles with just a push of a button. Most live casinos operated by major gambling companies offer these apps for free on the Google Play Store if you have an Android device or the Apple App Store if you have an Apple device. Like the web-based versions, these apps have a wide selection of live table games like blackjack, roulette, baccarat, Hold’em, and Sic Bo.

Live Dealer Game Software providers

There are now over 35 software provider brands streaming online casino live dealer games. Evolution Gaming is one of the biggest live casino game providers. The brand has an army of industry accolades, including EGR B2B, Global Gaming Awards, and SBC Awards, all recognizing Evolution’s live dealer platform excellence.

Evolutions’ industry success is closely followed by Playtech’s live game portfolio and Pragmatic Play Live. In fact, these are the top 3 brand names in the live dealer casino space right now, and they will probably reign supreme for some time to come because they offer the largest live dealer game portfolios in iGaming. What’s more, all 3 hold UKGC and MGA licensing as well as a host of other licenses to allow them to offer their games across Europe, LATAM and Africa. Evolution and Playtech are also live in US iGaming markets, too – no small feat!

Another online casino live dealer software provider worth mentioning is Vivo Gaming, which has also built a solid reputation and has an EGR B2B 2022 Live Casinos Supplier of the year award under its belt. While Other established live dealer platforms include BetGames, TVBet, Asia Gaming, Authentic Gaming (Bet & Wonder), Lucky Streak, and Ezugi (Evolution).

Also, look out for newcomers to the scene, Creed Roomz (BetConstruct brand), Skywind Group, Amusnet (EGT Interactive), On Air Entertainment (Microgaming), Stakelogic, Swintt, SA Gaming, and more.

LIVE CASINO GAMES VS. REGULAR ONLINE CASINO GAMES

Although the obvious difference between live dealer games and regular virtual RNG-operated titles is the webcam stream, there are also a few subtle differences. You will find some of these variations between the two explained in the list below.

1. The timer: While you can play virtual RNG games at your own pace with no timer speeding up your bets, this is not the case with live dealer games. Each game round on a live dealer table has a set time limit before the next round plays out.
2. The min-max bet: Minimum bets on live dealer table games tend to be higher than virtual RNG games. The highest max bet you will find for a virtual game is somewhere between €2,000 and €5,000. At live casinos, high rollers can wager €25,000, and sometimes more per betting round.
3. Demo modes: Most casino software providers do not have a demo mode available. As a result, you can only play live dealer titles using real money bets or bonus money if bonus bets are available. On the other hand, almost all virtual RNG games offer a demo version. That said, demo modes are not completely off the table. Live casinos hosting BetGames, TVBet and HollywoodTV have separate lobbies for these software providers’ games, and here you will find demo modes with play money bets available.
4. No RNGs: Live casinos are attractive to players that prefer results to be non-computer generated. Human dealers dealing cards, managing the roulette wheel and dice machines, or hosting game shows deliver 100% natural results in the same way as a land-based gambling venue.
5. Social: Live dealer tables come with sound effects, and the dealers, croupiers, and hosts are often quite chatty. Adding to this, there are real-time chat options so you can converse with the dealer. This is something virtual RNG titles generally do not offer.
6. Authenticity: The chatter in the live studio, the live tables allowing you to place virtual chips, live chats, the dealer chatting and commenting, and the chip sounds all create a land-based aura at live casinos. Just the visuals alone offer a more authentic land-based style gambling experience versus regular online casino gameplay.

FIND THE BEST LIVE CASINOS

Want to experience a real-life casino environment without ever leaving the comfort of your home? Check out the live casinos on this page. Live dealer games can be a fun and exciting way to gamble online and allows for social interaction between other players and the dealer. When searching for the best live casinos online, look for those that offer strong customer service, friendly and capable dealers, and high-quality software.

LIVE CASINO FAQ