Live Dealer Online Casinos & Casino Games
Explore leading online live dealer casinos offering games to players worldwide | Play popular casino games streamed live with real professional dealers
Basic Introduction to Live Dealer Online Casino Gaming
You can play different types of real money games in online casinos, ranging from video slots through to blackjack, baccarat, roulette, and other similar gambling games. Playing online can be good fun and give you chances to win money with your bets, although winning in a casino is difficult since the house edge is always against you.
With that risk of losing your cash, it’s good to find aspects of playing that increase the entertainment level. One such way to ramp up the excitement is to play live, and that’s why live dealer games are growing in popularity with players.
Playing at live dealer casinos can offer many benefits to players, not least the fact that interaction with the dealers is possible in a similar way to being at a real live casino in Las Vegas or London. The action is enjoyed on a video stream in real-time by state of the art technology straight to your desktop or mobile phone device. In reality, your gaming experience is enriched by a combination of real-world and online gaming, taking the best of both and delivering them at high quality in one seamless and engaging encounter.
There’s no two-dimensional gameplay here, with an authentic virtual gaming environment delivered from a number of carefully chosen studio locations. The result is a gambling solution that offers an even better feeling of real-time realism at the tables than playing games for real money in virtual reality casinos. Arguably, playing against live dealers is the best way to wager in an online casino, with games that include many popular favorites such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and other table games.
The extra good news is that anyone eligible to play games of chance for real money at a casino can also play live dealer games. So, for players in countries like the USA where gambling has been regulated in a number of states, it’s all legit in those states. New Jersey is a good example, and the Pointsbet live dealer casino is live in that state. Residents of countries like the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand should also have little problem finding somewhere to play live.
What we like about live dealer casinos | Pros, benefits, positives
The team at realmoney.games have analysed many aspects of playing at live dealer casinos to prepare this guide. There’s nothing like taking real player views into account when you’re exploring any facet of online casino gaming. This intensive analysis has helped us prepare an in-depth guide that explores our subject fully. This section presents give a quick bullet-point overview of the pros and cons of playing live games:
- The closest experience to a land-based casino without leaving home
- You’re able to play with casinos that are well-regarded, trusted brands
- Players can interact with expert dealers and other players at the tables
- Options to play live dealer casino games on a mobile device
- Live casinos often run multiple variants of popular online casino games
- You can enjoy your favorite games around the clock
- Popular games are available for free at some online casinos
- The industry employs professional dealers who are skilled in dealing and acting as the croupier
- Pure chance determines the outcomes of hands or spins rather than a programmed RNG
- No waiting for tables – automatic seating at free tables
- Interaction options between dealers and players can create a more social atmosphere that’s less solitary
- Games are transparent and fair
- Games are powered by leading software providers such as Evolution Gaming, Playtech, and Microgaming
- At most online casinos you can play at live dealer tables or play traditional slots that don’t involve dealing, all from one account
- The rules to the games are exactly the same as normally seen in regular casinos with some variations for added interest
The drawbacks of live dealer games | Cons, negatives
- There’s always the potential for technical streaming issues at the studio housing the dealers or with the speed or quality of your broadband connection
- Limited game variants in many casinos, due to the high production costs associated with running a live operation
- Games can be slow to play out, especially when many players are involved and some are slow to make playing decisions
8 Best Live Dealer Online Casinos
To get access to real-time games that do require a dealer, such as roulette, blackjack, and baccarat, you’ll need to consider several aspects of casino gaming in your search. Search too broadly, and you risk being overwhelmed with the options, search too narrowly, and you’ll have the opposite.
In any list of top live casinos, you’ll want to see operators that are easy and safe to use, offer a range of deposit and withdrawal methods, and present players with bonuses and other promotions. Especially for live dealer casinos, you’ll want to pay particular attention to technical details like the streaming quality of their video feeds and the software that runs the games. You’ll want to know that when you place a bet and watch that roulette wheel spin, the feeling you’ll get will be as close as possible to the real thing.
In any search, it’s always good to start with a list of robust options, so here we’ll look at the internet’s eight best live dealer online casinos:
Bwin Live Dealer Casino
You’ll probably recognize Bwin as a name that’s associated with sponsorship of famous football teams, but they run a highly regarded online gambling operation too. The Bwin live dealer casino has been a major contributing factor to their ongoing success.
All of the usual live dealer games are streamed from either Evolution Gaming studios or Playtech studios. You can choose which games you want to play from the software developer you prefer.
The Bwin live dealer casino is one you can trust. Bwin Live is licensed and regulated by the Gibraltar Gambling Commission and the UK Gambling Commission and is also certified by eCogra.
William Hill Live Casino
Considered the benchmark for all other online casinos aspire to become, William Hill Casino offers one of the most fantastic casino experiences. They offer a generous new player bonus and have an integrated and fully functional mobile platform. They also have thoroughly trained and personable dealers that help deliver great live online gambling solutions.
Live dealer games at William Hill Casino are powered by Evolution Gaming, one of the giants in the gambling software industry. Games include poker, baccarat, roulette, and blackjack. You can play the games for varying stake levels by sitting at any one of many live tables.
If you’re new to live casino games or gambling in general, William Hill Casino offers thorough guides on their well-developed casino site, plus information and FAQs for your convenience. Numerous safe and reliable banking options ensure you can wager at ease. Finally, their award-winning customer service is at your disposal to provide a fantastic experience.
Royal Vegas Online Casino
Royal Vegas is an excellent place to start your search for live casino game entertainment with a generous “New Player” sign-on bonus (one of the most significant bonuses you will find). They offer blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, all with live croupiers.
The gaming experience is terrific, with fast streams, auto-generation of open tables, and the ability to play multiple tables at once.
Another great feature is tracking players who are winning through their Hot Streak table. You can bet behind them, increasing your chances of earning some money.
You can find Royal Vegas Casino by visiting royalvegascasino.com.
3 Live Dealer Casinos that accept Cryptocurrency and US players are allowed too
Three names that should go on any players list of best live casinos include Cafe Casino, Los Atlantis Casino, and Wild Casino. All three handle cryptocurrency banking methods which mean you can make anonymous deposits and withdrawals.
The bonuses at these three casinos are among the highest seen anywhere online.
2 Further live gambling operators to complete the list
Sportingbet and SBOBet are two other well-known operators of live gambling games.
What gaming factors are crucial in a live dealer casino?
The aspects of casino gaming that might cause you problems in an online live dealer casino are precisely the same as you need to consider in a traditional online casino. We won’t cover all of these here and focus on specific things you need to watch out for if playing live.
- The first and foremost consideration in choosing an online live casino is the number of tables. Many live casinos have multiple tables to accommodate more customers. Those with more than one table can offer more gaming options. The best ones will be able to display the games at all tables simultaneously.
- The second factor to consider is the quality of the live casino games. The best live casinos use the most advanced live dealer game streaming technology available.
- The third factor to consider is the games themselves. You’ll want the casino to have as varied a game library as possible but include blackjack and roulette variants. These two games are essential to any live casino.
- Factor four is critical, and that’s to make sure you have a stable broadband or internet connection. When you’re streaming live data, the last thing you need is an interruption to the connection or experiencing the games with issues like jitter and distortion.
Aside from these, there are other vital elements of casino gaming to be aware of:
Live online casino license
Check if the casino is regulated and holds a license. If unsure, look for those licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, or the Curacao Gaming Authority. These three regulators are the safest and most stringent for online casinos. Players can find license information in the footer of every online casino that offers games with live dealers.
Customer Support
Live dealers will not assist you with account problems, so you need to know that the casino support team can give adequate customer support.
Wide range of banking or payment options
One of the significant issues that can affect casino players is the subject of banking methods. It would be best if you were sure you could get money in to play the games and money out when you win.
For any form of casino gaming, you’ll want to be playing at a casino that has multiple options for deposits and withdrawals and certainly has some options for fast banking transactions in numerous currencies.
Live Dealer Software Developers & Game Studios
The software used for casino games is a hugely important factor in the quality with which they’re delivered to players. With a complex solution like streamed live dealer gaming, software becomes even more critical. The software works to combine and synchronize real-time live action, dynamic user interfaces, audio, chat, personalized user settings, live data on game results and trends, and more.
You can see how this elevates the role of software firms and their studio-based streaming technologies. So, let’s take a look at some of the leading players in live gambling software:
We’ve already discussed Evolution, but many other live dealer providers supply software and studio services to online casinos. Another big name in this field is Playtech. Used by Bet 365, William Hill, BetFred, and others, Playtech was founded in 1999 and has a solid reputation as a software provider for online casinos. Playtech’s live dealer games have excellent video clarity, excellent support for mobile, and a substantial number of tables for players to choose from.
Other live dealer providers include NetEnt, Rival, Ezugi, Authentic Gaming, PragmaticPlay, Opus Gaming, Portomaso Gaming, Visionary iGaming, Media Live Casino, Microgaming, Vivo Gaming, Xpro Gaming, and Entwine Tech.
We should make special mention of Lucky Streak, one of the highest-rated live casino software providers. Lucky Streak’s software ensures fair dealing, gives players a smooth gaming experience and provides excellent responsive video feeds.
Where are the live dealer studios?
The studios themselves are located in many cities throughout the world, but you probably wouldn’t know if you walked past one. They tend to be sited on the outskirts of a city, but still near enough to be easily reachable by the hired dealers.
From the outside, they are mainly innocuous-looking buildings, but inside they will be fascinating combinations of video-streaming technology, broadcast equipment, and the tables.
The dealers will often be taxied or transported by bus to the studio, work a full day shift starting at staggered times so the tables are manned throughout the day, and then get transported home again at the shift ends.
Casino Bonus Offers for Live Dealer Games
Virtually all online casinos offer a welcome bonus and occasional reload bonuses to players. Live casinos are no different, and provide similar promotional deals to those seen in standard online casinos.
We’ve explored the subject of bonuses elsewhere on realmoney.games, but essentially they give you extra playing money on top of a first or subsequent deposit.
All of our listed operators above give some great value bonuses to any player that signs up for an account.
It’s always worth remembering, though, that you shouldn’t consider a bonus as real money that’s yours to withdraw. You can play with it but can’t take it out of your account. If you win using any bonus cash, there will be wagering requirements that state you have to play through a specified amount before you can withdraw.
How Live Dealer Casinos Work
We’ve explored some of the important aspects of playing casino games with live dealers. It’s worth understanding exactly how they work.
Most online casino games operate on a type of software called an RNG (random number generator). Essentially, this software controls the outcome of games and the probabilities that any player will win at any point. RNG software helps create an environment that results in random outcomes of games to benefit players but still protects the casino itself and ensures it will win in the long run.
In a live casino, the concept of random number generators doesn’t exist. You’re facing real-life dealers across a roulette wheel or blackjack table and playing games where there is an inherent house-edge built-in. Some players will win, but overall the casino will profit over time.
The technical details behind how the live dealer technology works are fascinating. For roulette, it’s pretty straightforward, and you see the dealer spin the wheel and deploy the ball. For card games, the cards have microscopic chips embedded into them. As the cards are dealt face down on the table, a signal is activated that relays info from the cards back to the casino servers using OCR technology. The servers transmit the data to players’ devices over the streaming link.
Studios that house the dealers may be located anywhere in the world. Special TV cameras film the dealers and stream the images onto the internet.
What keeps the games fair?
Game studios train all live dealers and croupiers to run the games and standards to the high standards required by the casinos. Cameras focus on card shuffles, and deals are made openly right in front of your eyes. Besides this, there is no reason for any casino to cheat or mislead players – the casino always wins in the end anyway and makes money from the inherent house edge. No need to cheat!
Under the licensing terms, all casinos need to keep video footage in storage. As a player, you can request to see this if required.
Where are the live dealer studios located?
Operators can theoretically locate the studios anywhere. However, they usually are only operated in a jurisdiction that allows online gambling.
As an example of a location, consider the relationship between software developer Ezugi and the Golden Nugget US-based casino. In 2016, Ezugi opened one of the first live dealer streaming studios inside the Golden Nugget casino in Atlantic City, NJ.
Another example will be Evolution Gaming, which has nine studios in 8 different countries. Ezugi tends to locate their studios in the Asian region.
Software developer Global Gaming Labs produced the video below to explain precisely how it all works…
Live Dealer Games
Roulette, blackjack, and baccarat are the three key types of live table games you’ll encounter in live casinos. Within each of these, you can play several variants online.
Live Dealer Baccarat
Baccarat is one of the simplest casino games to play and is ideal for beginners. The most played game variation is known as Punto Banco. In Punto Blanco Baccarat, the banker is always the dealer. Players can place bets on players, the banker, or a draw. Popular variants include mini-baccarat and Baccarat squeeze.
Live Poker Card Games
Skilful players traditionally favour poker variants or those games where playing with the correct strategies will improve winning chances.
Variants of poker such as three card poker, casino Holdem, and Caribbean Stud are all particularly well-suited to a live dealer gaming environment.
Live Dealer Blackjack
It’s doubtful you’ll ever enter a live dealer casino and not find online blackjack in the games library. It’s very likely the most popular casino card game of all time. Professional dealers can keep the hands flowing at a reasonable speed, and there are plenty of live blackjack variants to try, including infinite blackjack and early payout blackjack. You won’t be able to count cards at a live blackjack table but the game does offer reasonable statistical chances of winning if you play with optimal strategy.
Live Dealer Roulette
Roulette is particularly interesting for its variations on the standard game. Any player looking to play live roulette can consider any of these variants:
Live Lighting Roulette
This unique version of roulette from Evolution Gaming gives players access to more than just the standard roulette wheel we all know and love. The wheel on this roulette table has up to five lucky numbers designated for each spin. Select and land on the lucky number, and you can win a multiplier on your bet from 50 to 500x.
Immersive Roulette
Another variant exclusive to casinos running Evolution Gaming software is unique. It features a streamed movie footage stream that can be seen in a slow-motion replay.
Grand Live Roulette
Grand Live Roulette is a rapid-action game that gives players only 20 seconds to place their bets from software firm Authentic Gaming.
Live European Roulette
European roulette is well known for being the version of roulette with the lowest house edge, thanks to the appearance of only one zero on the wheel. This version created by NetEnt offers stylish gaming with better chances for players to win.
Live Speed Roulette
Designed for players that want the fastest live gaming possible, you’ll need to be quick to place your bets with this NetEnt variant. Eight seconds is all you’ll get to decide on your numbers or colour.
The future of live casino games
While roulette, blackjack, and baccarat are all firmly entrenched as games you’ll find in live dealer online casinos; there is plenty of scope to widen the potential for playing other games. Any card or table game that involves a dealer could be adapted to deliver live streaming game-play. Even live dealer craps is a possible future option. For poker players, there might be some way of adapting Texas hold ’em to be played with a live dealer, too.
Game shows for real money are promising prospects. Some are operating already, but many more real money game shows could be adapted to play live. In this case, it’s not a dealer you’re playing against but a game host that’s helping you navigate the game.
The most disruptive technology is likely to be virtual reality or even a combination of mixed reality and VR. You can play gambling games in virtual reality already, and virtual reality casinos like Slotsmillion are beginning to appear as more of us get the chance to buy VR headsets. You can see how virtual reality combined with the live casino dealer experience could set new levels of realism.
One game in particular – Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt – is already breaking new ground by bringing two of these elements together. Game show fans can play live Treasure Hunt in 360 degrees VR.
Overall, further advances in video streaming and associated technology generally will ensure that live casino gambling stays at the leading edge. Player experiences can only get better and better.
Play Live Casino Games on Your Mobile
Most online casinos either have software that automatically displays games on mobile devices or apps specifically designed to display effectively on mobile screens. So, given that many live dealer casinos fit into this bracket, you should easily be able to find live dealer games on mobile.
Of course, you’ll need a suitably strong broadband connection and ideally, a 5g one will work best. The experience may be slightly different on a smaller screen, but overall, you should enjoy the gaming.
Summary | Conclusion
Online live dealer casinos go a long way to replicating the feel and atmosphere of a traditional brick-and-mortar casino. If you are looking for a fun and gratifying casino experience ‘without the real world casino’, then live dealer casino games could be just what you’re looking for.
The real beauty of live dealer games is that the outcomes are determined by the real-life actions of the dealer instead of a complex algorithm utilized by virtual casino games. In other words, you can rest assured that the game results are truly random.
With each live dealer provider offering tens or even hundreds of tables, and many online casinos offering multiple live dealer providers, gamblers have more choices at their fingertips than ever before. And if you want to watch the games proceed before you risk your money, that is an option as well.
Games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat are consistently high in quality. Highly-regarded software firms like Evolution Gaming and Playtech run their own studios from which those games are streamed live to players over the internet.
If you’re keen on playing games for real money at an online casino, then trying the live dealer options is likely to increase the entertainment factor, and there’s always the chance you may hit the jackpot with a big win.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)
What minimum and maximum betting limits are there for live casino games?
Different casinos have differing limits or restrictions on maximum or minimum bet sizes. You’ll need to check the rules of any casino to confirm the limitations.
Can you play live dealer casino games 24 x 7?
Yes, most casinos run round-the-clock operations. You should have no problems finding live gaming at any hour of the day or night.
Do I really need a high-quality broadband connection for live dealer games?
No, it’s not critical to have a high-speed broadband connection. However, there are some possibilities for disturbances in visual quality, and with some poor quality connections, you could be disconnected entirely for periods.
Is it safe to play in an online live dealer casino?
As long as you take the normal precautions before playing at any online casino, there are no real reasons why you should not be safe playing at live tables. Check that the casino has a recognized license and has been operating successfully, and there are no significant volumes of bad reviews, and you should be good to go.
Did you know?
We’ll end up with a few interesting facts about live dealer casino games that we may not have covered in the main body of this analysis:
You can play live dealer games with private tables
Some of the best live dealer casinos occasionally run special live games for VIP players. You’ll need to be invited, and the best way of making sure your name is on the list is to become a VIP yourself. For any players that want to play high roller games in an online casino, these private live games offer the chance to play with higher betting stakes.
No one can see you play in live casinos
None of the other players at any live-streamed table will be able to see you while you play live games. The video stream operates only one way, so the dealer can’t see you or any other player.
Anyone can only see you if they’re looking over your shoulder while you play.
No special software is needed to play live games
Most online casinos are instant play and designed to work in your browser. No download of any type is required if you play at any instant play live casinos. Some do require a download, but the numbers of these types are falling, and they’re easy to avoid.