Live Casinos
The online gambling industry has changed and evolved over the years. From its humble beginnings almost three decades ago, it has turned into a giant internet business with thousands of operators, hundreds of game providers, and millions of players around the globe. This rapid development has led to many advancements in terms of gaming options, with live casinos being one of the most impressive inventions to date.
Like the name suggests, live casinos online are places where players can try their luck playing with and against actual human dealers with real cards, roulette wheels, dice, and more. This was made possible by new streaming technologies and increased internet speeds, bringing the live casino feeling straight to players’ homes.
It is no surprise that these live virtual casinos enjoy a great popularity with the players and that every modern gambling site tries to offer a live casino of some sort. Some of them are even fully focused on live dealer tables, giving customers a truly wide array of choices across the board. With these games, players can experience a true atmosphere of a brick and mortar casino without having to leave their homes.
Live Casino Games and Features
While live casinos have started off quite modestly, like pretty much everything else in the online gambling niche, they’ve developed to include almost every game you can possibly think of. There is hardly a game you’ll find on an actual casino floor that isn’t also available for online play in the live setting.
Some of the most popular live casino games available these days include:
• Roulette (European and American and special variations)
• Blackjack (Different rules)
• Caribbean Stud
• Casino Hold’em
• Tri Card Poker
• Dream Catcher
This is, of course, just a small fraction of all the live casino games you can find on the internet these days. Various providers try to stand out from the crowd by developing their own, unique games, which are sometimes based on already existing table games and sometimes are brand new.
Different live casino games can be played across various stakes. This is one of the best features of these tables as players can often play games such as live blackjack or roulette for much lower stakes than they’d be able to do in an actual live venue. This way, everyone can experience the fun of live games without breaking the bank.
Live casinos operate by streaming the video feed of the game in real time, i.e. the players get to see everything that’s going on as it is going on, much like in the real casino. The user interface allows you to place various bets in a simple and very intuitive fashion and these bets are immediately accepted so you can rest assured that once that roulette ball starts spinning, you’ll be in for the sweat.
On top of these features, live casinos also increase levels of player interaction. Usually, players are able to chat with the dealers and dealers are trained to keep the conversation going. So, you don’t just get to play your favorite games but you can also have some fun, lighthearted conversations between your bets. This is one thing where live casinos have really moved away from the traditional online gambling, significantly boosting the player interaction.
Live Casino Providers
When it comes to live dealer tables, online casinos usually rent these from one or several game providers, just like they do with slots and other RNG games. There are many live casino providers these days as the trend is becoming more and more popular but several names are definitely industry leaders who set the rules and standards for others to follow.
• NetEnt Live is the live casino segment of the well-known Swedish game developer. NetEnt is best known for their video slots but over the past few years, the company has also expanded into the live dealer niche, following the latest trends and answering players’ demands and expectations. While their selection of games isn’t as rich as that of Evolution, they do offer high quality products in terms of speed, visual appearance, and the overall feel.
• Ezugi may not be in the same group as the other two in terms of the company size and reputation but they definitely know what it takes to make a good live casino. They offer a variety of popular gaming choices and also a number of interactive tools, allowing players to communicate with each other, share their big wins via popular social media sites, such as Facebook, etc.
You’ll also find a number of other live casino providers featured on various sites, such as BetGames, Lucky Streak, and Xpro Gaming. All of these studios have something unique to offer so they are well worth exploring.
Advantages of Live Casinos
There are many advantages for players choosing to play on a live casino. The biggest one is the fact you can actually see everything that goes on with your very own eyes, which removes concerns about RNGs, software, etc. It is just like in a real casino, where you can see that little roulette ball spin and the next card coming out of the shoe.
There is also the fact that live casino tables are much more interactive so you’ll be able to enjoy your experience much more. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, being able to chat with the dealers and other players is an important consideration for many players out there.
Finally, it gives you the whole live casino experience without forcing you to leave your home and drive for hours. You can fire up a live casino in a matter of seconds comfortably seated in your armchair and jump straight into the action avoiding all the inconvenient parts!
Betting Limits on Live Casinos
As already mentioned, most live casinos offer a variety of tables adjusted for all pockets. Unlike an actual brick and mortar casino, internet live casinos aren’t nearly as limited in terms of space and resources as one roulette table, for example, can cater to hundreds of players at the same time.
So, betting limits range from as little as €0.10 on certain small stakes tables all the way up to thousands per hand or per spin. Whatever your preference may be and whatever your bankroll size is, there are live casino games out there that will meet your needs just fine.