What Is A Live Casino Online?
Although a live casino is available online, it’s not a regular online casino you’re used to. In a live casino, you play against dealers that work in a special room with real-life gambling equipment (cards, chips, table, roulette wheel, etc.). It won’t be a mistake to say that a live casino is a hybrid of land-based and online casinos.
A live casino online works exactly like any brick-and-mortar casino, with the only difference that the dealer and the player are not physically in the same room. In fact, the player and the dealer can be thousands of miles apart. It’s a video broadcast that brings them together in a game. Communicating with a live dealer via a web camera is like calling your friends via Skype, Face Time or any other tool.
How A Live Casino Works
Live games are not computer programs running on the random number generator (RNG). Live games are played on a traditional casino equipment in a special room. Designed in the style of a land-based casino, the room has all the necessary casino equipment, including a table, roulette wheel, etc. There are multiple HD cameras installed in the room. The cameras are broadcasting everything that’s going on during the game, i.e. how the dealer is dealing cards and placing bets, how a ball is spinning on the wheel, etc. This way, the player has the illusion of being in the same room as the dealer, right in front of the roulette wheel. The fact that cameras are recording every second of the game rules out any possibility of cheating from the dealer’s side.
A live game can bring together one or several players around the table. Each player has the right to skip a bet when they feel like it. As you can see, a live game is a real casino game, just like the ones played in Las Vegas and Monte Carlo.
Live Casino Online: Pros And Cons
A live game is a real-life casino game broadcast to you live. While some players love this gambling format, others view this innovation skeptically. Let’s try to understand the arguments of both sides. What makes a live casino attractive to some players? What things drive away conservative gamblers? We hope this analysis will clear up the situation and help you make the right choice.
Advantages of live casinos:
- Live games with live dealers suit those who like to talk with other gamblers and the dealer, share their emotions, discuss strategies, etc. It’s a perfect mix of gambling and enjoyable communication.
- You can access a land-based casino without leaving the comfort of your home. You don’t need to go to another city, book a hotel, spend money on food, etc. Live casino saves you both money and time.
- If you win a big sum of money, you don’t run a risk of being robbed once you leave the casino. Also, visiting a brick-and-mortar casino is often accompanied by alcohol and/or cigarette abuse.
- Since a live game is not a computer program, you don’t need to worry that the casino may change the game settings to its favor, reducing your winning chances. A live game takes place in a real-life ambience, which rules out any possibility of cheating.
- By giving preference to live gambling, you have a better chance at coming across a good, reliable online casino that treats its clients with respect and pays out winning in a due manner. Establishing a live casino is a very costly enterprise, which means swindlers don’t get involved in this kind of business.
- Live casino allows you to test various winning strategies that can’t be applied in RNG-based online casino games. Let’s take card counting in blackjack. This strategy implies counting the total value of cards that have been used in the game. Since online blackjack uses an endless deck of cards, counting cards becomes pointless. At the same time, nothing can stop you from using this effective strategy during a live blackjack game.
- Live casino gives you a unique chance to play with other people like yourself. If you’re a sociable person, you can’t miss on this opportunity.
Downsides of live casinos:
- Live games are played at a comfortable speed. If you like laid-back, relaxed gambling, this option is for you. You’ll have enough time to think about your next step, analyze other players’ moves, calculate the size of your bet, estimate your chances, etc.
- To play with live dealers, you have to pay. Live games are not available in demo mode.
- In case of a power cut or problems with Internet access, you’ll be thrown out from the game and your current results will be cancelled.
What Are Casino Live Games?
Compared to regular gambling sites, live casinos have a limited choice of gambling games. Most of the time, a live casino offers a selection of 5-10 games, including blackjack, baccarat, roulette, and their variations.
Major casinos offer a big choice of tables and rooms. You can also pick the dealer (by photo). In major casinos, tables of professional dealers are always busy. To play with certain dealers, you need to enroll on a waiting list.
Let’s take a close look at games with live dealers.
What Is Live Blackjack?
Live Blackjack is among the most popular casino live games. Major casinos offer several types of blackjack tables with different dealers and betting limits. At blackjack tables, bets range from 5 to 5,000 dollars. This way, the player has the opportunity to choose a table that suits their bankroll. The classic 7-card blackjack is the most popular type of blackjack among gamblers.
The dealer deals cards to players and self. Your goal as a player is to get a higher hand than the dealer’s but without exceeding 21. Click here to read more about how to play blackjack and use winning strategies. Keep in mind that live blackjack and online blackjack are played by the same rules. But of course, blackjack comes in a variety of versions.
As already said, you can easily use the card counting strategy in live blackjack. Counting cards can reduce the house edge to zero and maximize your winning chances.
Live Roulette
Thanks to a real-life table, wheel and ball, live roulette has regained its original charm. When playing a live roulette, you have the feeling of being in a land-based casino with its sounds, scents, and visuals. The dealer sends the ball spinning on the wheel, and this is when magic begins! Every player around the table follows the ball with their eyes, wishing for it to land in the right sector.
We can assure you that no computer program can compare to watching a real ball spinning like crazy on a real roulette wheel.
In live roulette, the player makes bets and the dealer starts the ball rolling. Once the ball stops in a certain sector, the respective bet wins.
Large casinos tend to have several live roulette rooms and a staff of well-trained dealers. You can choose the dealer whose communication style suits yours. Also, you can choose from three major roulette types, including American, European, and French roulette. Read here to learn more about each roulette variation, its rules and smart strategies.
Live Baccarat
We won’t be exaggerating by calling baccarat a veteran among live games. Baccarat was the first gambling game that switched to a live format. Nowadays, Baccarat Punto Banco remains the top popular baccarat variation among gambling enthusiasts. Other popular variations include Baccarat Pairs and baccarat with bonuses. Click here to read more about baccarat. Although live and online baccarat are, in fact, one and the same game, each baccarat variation has its special rules and tricks you should know about. We urge you to get acquainted with the rules before making real-money bets.
Live Casino Hold'em
Live Casino Hold’em is another amazing card game that you can play without leaving your favorite sofa. As you might’ve guessed from its name, this poker game is somewhat similar to Texas Hold’em played at international poker tournaments, if not for one major difference. In Live Casino Hold’em, you compete against the dealer, and not against other players around the table. Your goal is to get a higher hand than the dealer’s. Live Casino Hold’em has a number of valuable hands that pay high.
In addition to classic games, some live casinos also have Sic Bo, Dragon and Tiger, and Chinese roulette available in the live format.
How To Find A Reliable Live Casino Online
You’ll probably be surprised to learn that finding a good live casino is way easier than a regular gambling site. Why? Because creating a rogue live casino is a very costly affair. You need to hire professional dealers, rent and equip casino rooms, and do other things to imitate a live casino. Creating a rogue casino website with computer games requires less money and effort. If you see an online casino offering live games on its website, you can trust it. In the majority of cases, a casino with live games offers an excellent service and pays out winnings in compliance with the law.
Check out our list of the best online casinos. There you’ll find time-tested gambling websites that treat your money and personal data respectively.
Live Casinos on our list can boast a variety of benefits:
- Your favorite games with professional live dealers.
- Real-life casino equipment (tables, roulette, wheels, chips, etc.) for roulette, blackjack, and other iconic games.
- Real opportunity to make money and withdraw your winnings from the casino in the shortest time.
- High-quality video broadcast on your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet.
- Communication with live dealers in real time.
- Gambling with other players like in the best offline casinos.
- Safe and transparent gambling that is happening in front of your eyes.
How To Start Playing In A Live Casino
Gambling in a casino live is just like gambling in a regular online casino. The main difference is that online casinos tend to offer their games in demo mode. Players get a unique chance to enjoy casino games without spending their hard-earned money. In a live casino, you can’t play in demo mode. You are only allowed to make real-money bets or simply watch a game without making bets. However, to be able to do so, you still need to have money in your account.
The gambling process in a live casino includes the following steps:
- You need to register with a casino live.
- You need to make a deposit to your casino account using one of the available deposit methods.
- You need to choose the right game and table with the suitable betting range and dealer.
- You need to start gambling.
Why You Should Try Gambling In A Live Casino At Least Once In Your Life?
Playing in a live casino is once-in-a-lifetime experience that will stay with you forever. We highly recommend that you try live gambling at least once, just to know what it’s like and whether this format suits you – especially of you have never been in a traditional land-based casino.
Visiting a live casino is your chance to:
- Feel the unforgettable vibes of a brick-and-mortar casino.
- Play with and learn from seasoned dealers that will make you look at the familiar games with a different set of eyes.
- Play games using a real-life casino equipment.
- Talk with the dealer and other players gathered around the table; feel like a part of a community.
- Experience real gambling passion and excitement.
Live Mobile Casinos
There are no doubts left that mobile casinos are the future of gambling, and this future looks good. The global number of mobile gamblers is growing very fast. Mobile gambling is swiftly becoming a strong competitor to online gambling. Nowadays, live games are also available om mobile devices. Playtech and Evolution Gaming were the first software providers to have incorporated live games into their mobile apps for iOS and Android.
Despite their multiple advantages, casino live games have some serious downsides that have to do with the limitations of modern smartphones. First, we’re talking about a small screen that makes it hard to properly see some important details, e.g. a ball spinning on the roulette wheel.
Another significant downside has to do with mobile traffic. Keep in mind that a live casino game consumes more traffic than a regular online game. For this reason, some users may find live gambling too costly for their budget.
Here is one more problem that has to do with interrupted Internet connection. When you’re thrown out from a regular online casino game, your play session is automatically saved and you can continue gambling once you restore your Internet connection. In a live casino game, it’s all different. If, due to a technical or any other reason, you have to quit a live game, it will go on without you.
Our take on live gambling is very definite. It would be a pity to miss out on a brilliant opportunity to enjoy real gambling without leaving your home. If you’re worrying about money, we’re happy to inform you that some tables accept very small bets. By playing at a low-bet table, you can avoid big losses while enjoying first-class gambling. It’s an excellent gambling experience at a ridiculous price!
FAQ On Live Casinos
What is a live online casino?
A live casino is an online casino that involves real-life casino equipment and professional live dealers. HD video broadcast and realistic sounds make the player immerse into the atmosphere and feel the vibes of a land-based casino even through the computer screen.
What are live casino games?
Live casinos offer such games as Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, Casino Hold’em, and their variations. Plus, some websites have less popular games available in the live format.
What is Live Blackjack?
Live blackjack is a legendary card game played with live dealers. Usually, live casinos offer a variety of live blackjack tables and rooms. You have the freedom to pick the option that suits your needs and wallet. If you’re on a tight budget, you should choose a table with low minimum bets. High rollers can have fun at tables with higher betting limits. If your selected table has a vacant place, you can join the game and make your first bet. If you’re used to playing with a specific dealer, you can join the table with him/her. Online blackjack and live blackjack are played in the same way. At the same time, different blackjack versions have varying rules, types of wagers, etc.
Do live casinos actually have live dealers?
Yes, this is true. Live casinos employ both male and female dealers. A dealer works in a specially equipped room that resembles a casino. The room has a real-life table, roulette wheel, roulette ball, and other items typical of any land-based casino. The player can see an entire play process broadcast via a web camera installed in the room. You can see how the dealer shuffles and deals cards, sends the ball spinning on the wheel, places chips on certain sectors on the table, etc.
What are the most popular live games?
Roulette and blackjack, as well as as their multiple variations. By the way, live blackjack has one big advantage over its online version. Since live blackjack uses real-life decks of cards, you can successfully count cards in order to boost your winning chances. Regular online blackjack uses a virtual deck of cards that literally never ends. This fact makes using the card counting strategy pointless.
Are live games available in demo mode? Can I play in a live casino free of charge for the first time?
Unfortunately for players, live games are not available in demo mode. This has to do with the fact that live games are real games, as opposed to computer programs. At the same time, on some gambling sites, you can test live games with live dealers without making real-money bets. However, this practice is very rare. On the brighter side, casinos have budget-friendly blackjack and roulette tables where you can place low bets. If you ask us, this is the best way to test live games. With penny bets, your bankroll will last longer and won’t suffer from big losses.
What is the difference between a live casino and a regular online casino?
The crucial difference has to do with how a game is played. In a regular online casino, you play a computer program, which is an imitation of a real game. Each computer game runs on an algorithm called the random number generator. RNG is responsible for producing random results of the game. When it comes to live gambling, there are no computer games or RNGs. A live game is played exactly like any game in a land-based casino. Live games use real-life casino tables, roulette wheels, chips, etc. Of course, the main attraction of live gambling is live dealers. Thanks to live technologies, you don’t need to physically go to a brick-and-mortar casino to enjoy real gambling.
Do I have to download a special casino app?
This depends on your selected casino and gambling mode. You can choose between playing right in your browser or in a casino app. Also, live games are optimized for mobile devices. Regardless of the method you pick, you can enjoy a seamless player experience.
Can I talk to other players during a live game?
This option depends on your selected casino. Most of the time, players can see and communicate with each other. However, there is a set of rules players must follow. For example, it’s forbidden to insult other players and the dealer. In order to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts, be sure to read the rules before joining a live game.
Can I talk to a live dealer during a live game?
Absolutely. You can either write messages in online chat, or communicate via a mic or web camera. While you can see dealer via a web camera, the dealer can only hear your voice and read your text messages.
