Live Casinos – Real Dealer Experience

The advantage of live casinos is, of course, the experience of playing with other players around a table with a dealer in real time, but there are some disadvantages, such as higher minimum bets. Here is everything you need to know before joining a live dealer casino table.

Recommended Live Casinos

Quick Starter Guide to Live Dealer Games

Select one of the casinos on this page, click 'Get Bonus', and complete the sign-up process; it takes only a few seconds. Once registered, navigate to the 'live casino' section and select the live dealer room you want to play based on the game and language. Some tables also have a minimum bet condition, so make sure you don't join a room above your budget.

You will place your bet using a software interface. Make sure to pay attention to the minimum bets condition. Once the bets have been taken and the wages are set, the live dealer will then start the game. The online dealer will then spin the roulette on a real, physical wheel, or deal the cards in blackjack, and from there, it would be as if you were actually in a real-life casino. It is very much the same thing as a real-life casino.

What Live Dealer Casinos Offer

The main reason players join live dealer games is for the experience. Some even say it's better than playing at a land-based casino where there often is a lot of distraction and noise around the table. Here are some of the main elements a live casino offers and how it differ from traditional digital casino games.

• Real human dealers streaming from studios
• Interactive chat with dealers and sometimes other players
• More authentic casino atmosphere than computer-generated games
• Transparent dealing - you can watch cards being dealt in real time
• House-edge games rather than player-vs-player competition

Key Differences between live dealer and regular games:

• Pace: Live dealer games are much slower due to real-time dealing and betting
• Social element: You can chat with dealers and see them react
• Trust factor: Some players prefer seeing actual cards dealt vs. random number generators
• Game types: Limited to casino table games, not traditional poker variants
• Availability: Sites like BetRivers and PokerStars offer live casino poker games, including Ultimate Texas Hold'em and Three Card Poker

Games Available at Live Casinos

The most common games to play with a live dealer are traditional table games such as blackjack and roulette, but your options don't end here.

• Traditional Table Games: Live dealer games commonly include live roulette, blackjack, poker (casino variants), baccarat, sic bo, dice games, Caribbean Stud, three card poker, Hold'em and occasionally some other local traditional games depending on where you play.

• Live Show Games: Game shows are becoming increasingly popular, and these are interactive entertainment-style games with live hosts, often featuring wheels, multipliers, and bonus rounds.

Games you can NOT play with a live dealer include slots, keno, scratch cards and poker tournaments with hundreds of players. As a general rule, we can say that if it's a traditional table game that exists in physical casinos, it can probably be adapted to live dealer format. If it's a game that was created specifically for digital platforms or requires complex computer calculations, it typically remains RNG-based.

Minimum Bets When Playing Live Dealer Table Games

Bet sizes between a live dealer game and a digital game can differ significantly. Live dealer table games usually have higher minimums simply because they are much more expensive for the casino to operate. One of the main disadvantages of Live Casinos is the blackjack betting limits, which are significantly higher than digital blackjack games. Expect the cheapest seat to cost $25+ a hand, maybe more during peak hours.

Budget Comparison for 30 Minutes of live blackjack vs digital blackjack

For a 30-minute session, you'd need roughly 5-10 times more budget for regular live dealer blackjack compared to digital versions, unless you find the special unlimited/infinite blackjack tables that offer lower minimums. Here is a breakdown of the differences;

Live Dealer Blackjack:

• Minimum bets: $25+ a hand, maybe more during peak hours
• Hands per hour: ~60-80 (much slower pace) 30 minutes: ~30-40 hands
• Conservative budget: $500-1,000 (playing $25 hands)

Digital Blackjack:

• Minimum bets: Often $1-5
• Hands per hour: ~400-500 (very fast)
• 30 minutes: ~200-250 hands
• Moderate budget: $200-500 (playing $5 hands)
• Conservative budget: $50-100 (playing $1 hands)

The higher the table minimum, the faster you'll burn through your budget, which means digital blackjack is probably better for long-term play for most players and a better option if you are entirely new to the game.

Bonuses For Live Dealer Games

Bonuses on live dealer games are rare, but they do exist, and we are, of course, here to help! These bonuses are often exclusive, so sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when there is a new live dealer bonus available! Most online casinos do not allow live dealer games to contribute to the wagering requirement, meaning you typically cannot use your signup bonus on live dealer blackjack, even if you can use it on digital blackjack.

Live Dealer Rooms in Different Languages

It's good to know that live casino games are available with native-speaking live dealers in all major languages, not just English, available languages include Arabic, Spanish, French, German, Thai, Japanese, and many more. This is a great advantage to land based casinos where the dealer only speaks English and the local language. Playing in your native language increases not only confidence but allows you to better interact with the other players around the table.

Bets in Real Time Through Live Streaming

When joining a live dealer room, everything around the table happens live and immediately, creating an authentic casino experience through streaming technology.

• Bets in Real Time: Live dealer games replicate the in-person casino experience through real-time video streams of human dealers operating the casino table. Everything that happens around the table is live and visible to you.
• Live Streaming: This technology involves real-time streaming of a live dealer where you can interact as a player from the comfort of your home. You're watching actual dealers deal actual cards or spin actual roulette wheels via high-quality video feeds.
• Immediate Interaction: You can text chat with other players and dealers, and they'll often respond in real-time. When you place a bet or make a decision, the dealer sees it instantly and reacts accordingly.
• Live Action: Unlike typical online casino games that use random number generators (RNGs) to determine outcomes, live dealer games involve real dealers operating in real-time, often broadcast from professional studios or actual casino floors.
• No Delays: The "real time" aspect means there's minimal delay between your actions and what happens on screen. When you bet, the dealer acknowledges it immediately. When they deal cards, you see them being dealt as it happens.

RNG and House Edge in Live Casino Games

In digital casino games, RNG is computer software that generates random outcomes. When you spin a slot machine or get dealt cards in digital blackjack, algorithms determine the results instantly. The RNG ensures fairness by making outcomes unpredictable, but some players worry about whether the software is truly random or if casinos can manipulate it.

In live dealer games, there's no RNG because you're watching real physical actions, actual cards being shuffled and dealt, real roulette balls spinning, real dice being thrown. The randomness comes from physics and human actions rather than computer algorithms.

This means that in digital games, you're trusting the RNG software to be fair. In live dealer games, you can see the physical randomness happening, but the house edge still exists through game rules and payouts. Neither eliminates the house advantage; that's how casinos stay profitable regardless of format. This means that the house edge exists in both digital and live dealer games, but manifests differently.

House Edge in Live Dealer Games:

• House edge comes from game rules, not software
• Blackjack: ~0.5% (dealer wins ties, blackjack pays 3:2, etc.)
• Roulette: 2.7% European, 5.26% American (due to the zero/double zero)
• Baccarat: ~1.2% on banker bets

House Edge in Digital Games:

• Slots might have 2-15% house edge programmed into the RNG
• Digital blackjack has the same ~0.5% house edge as live versions
• The casino's advantage is built into the software's payout structure

Game Developers Behind Live Dealer Casino Games

Evolution Gaming is considered the gold standard when it comes to live casinos because they revolutionized live casino gaming beyond just digitizing traditional table games. When choosing a live casino, checking if they use any of the software mentioned below is often a good indicator of quality;

• Evolution Gaming: This company is the world leader in live dealer casino solutions
• Pragmatic Play: Offers an excellent set of live casino games with Blackjack, Baccarat and Roulette, providing more than 13 excellent live dealer games
• Playtech: One of the established names but focuses more on traditional table games
• Smaller Studios: Providers like OnAir Entertainment and Pragmatic Play demonstrate strong mid-tier output with unique, engaging games tailored to diverse audiences

What Gives Evolution Gaming Its High Reputation

Evolution Gaming is the only live dealer supplier with a heavy focus on creating branded studios for their tier 1 partners, and also offering games with dealers that speak languages other than English. This has made them a world-leading brand across the iGaming world. They also stand out when it comes to game innovation. Evolution came up with new titles such as Crazy Time, Monopoly Live, and Lightning Roulette, while competitors focus mainly on classic table games. Many games also feature side bets and multipliers you won't find in traditional brick-and-mortar casinos.

Why Software Provider Matters

1. Game Quality: Better providers have higher production values, smoother streaming, and more professional dealers
2. Game Variety: Evolution offers unique game shows, while others stick to classics
3. Studio Locations: Different providers may offer localized dealers and languages
4. Technology: Streaming quality, mobile optimization, and user interface design vary significantly

Our Final Thoughts

If you are a lover of the casino and fancy yourself as a table gambler (yes we know that is not a name), then we highly recommend that you give Live casino games a look. It is a great way to improve your skills, earn some money and have a lot of fun doing it at the same time. 

The live casino world is a stellar experience that offers hours of fun for those who have the means to play. Seeing live dealers also eliminates any worries or doubts you may have about the game. An online casino can be very easy to earn money, but with computer algorithms, in charge, your success is not always guaranteed. 

For those who have confidence in their gambling ability we highly recommend giving the live casino games a look. We are quite confident that once you have had your first game, you will say farewell to the real casino and hello to the online live casino.