When you play at a live casino you get the best of both worlds – the Las Vegas feel with real cards and professional human dealers streaming straight to your screen. They also offer more game variety than regular online casino games and many have a chat feature which means you can interact with the dealer and other players just as you would in a real casino.
Despite their different styles and atmospheres, most live casino providers have one thing in common: they use experienced and friendly staff to run the games. The croupiers can be found wearing suits and ties, ball gowns or purposely skimpy outfits, depending on the brand, and they all have great stories to share from years of dealing to online players from around the globe. They also have a lot of technical staff, including coders, in charge of the software that powers the livestreams and the running of the games themselves.
The video streams from the croupiers and tables are then broadcast over the internet and can be accessed via desktop computers, laptops, tablets and mobile phones. To access the games, you simply visit a site that offers live casino and click the option to be taken to a table. You will be able to browse the list of games in the live lobby, just as you would scope out a game on the casino floor and once you have found a table that has an open seat you can click to join.
Once you are connected to a game, you will see a video of the dealer and the real casino equipment they are using. You will then use the buttons on your screen to communicate what action you want to take, be it hitting or holding your cards in blackjack or laying your chips down on a virtual roulette table before a real-life wheel is spun. You can even talk to the croupiers through the chat option on the screen, just as you could in a real casino.
There are a wide range of live dealer casino games on offer and they can all have different RTP rates, which is the percentage of money that is expected to be paid out to players over time. This is an important factor to consider as it gives you an indication of how fair a game is. However, you should always remember that the RTP rate is a theoretical number and that it can never be guaranteed for any individual player at any given point in time.
While most online casinos will offer the classics like blackjack and roulette, there are a few that focus on more niche games. These include Dream Catcher, Football Studio and Adventures Beyond Wonderland, which are essentially TV game shows with a gambling element. These games are hosted by bubbly hosts and offer the excitement of participating in a TV show while allowing you to win cash prizes. These games are often available in a separate live section of the casino but they can be played alongside your favourite blackjack and roulette tables too.