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Live Casino Games

Live Casino Games

Live casino games are some of the most popular and fastest emerging online casino games on the market at the moment. Canadian players have access to more live casino games than ever before at this point in time. So, what exactly do live casino games offer to players that is different from standard online casino games?

Reading time: 9 minutes.

What are live casino games?

Live casino games are a version of casino games that allows players to see a real life dealer carrying out all of the instructions. It’s carried out by using a mixture of software and a live video stream. This ensures that the live dealer reacts in the proper way to the instructions that the player makes. It also means that players can talk to the live dealer through a chat box which adds an extra layer of social interaction to the game.

Is it different to a normal online casino game?

In terms of the rules that are on offer, no the games tend to remain the same. However, it offers a more realistic and immersive casino experience. This is something that a lot of players look for when playing online casino games. This is why they are so popular at the moment, because high speed internet means that a high definition video stream can be easily used to provide players with an almost real casino experience.

Live casino providers

There are a large number of different live casino game providers on the market at the moment. Evolution Gaming are currently the market leader due to their high quality studios and superb development. However, other developers have also started to make the move into live casino games and Playtech, Pragmatic Play and NetEnt are all trying to catch up to the standard that Evolution Gaming offers.

It’s an exciting time to be live casino game players as each developer works hard to try and create a better quality game than their competitors.

Live Blackjack

Live Blackjack was one of the first games that was turned into a live dealer casino game. Here instead of the computer generated deck of cards, a live dealer will deal out cards to all players who are playing at the table. The player can then make decisions using the integrated software. There are a range of different versions of live dealer Blackjack which include a number of different rules. This gives Canadian players a fantastic range of choice when it comes to live dealer Blackjack titles.

Live Baccarat

Live baccarat is one of the most highly thought of casino games on the market. It doesn’t require players to learn the tactics behind the game in order to play. This is why a lot of online players tend to gravitate towards playing Baccarat. Live dealer Baccarat offers players the opportunity to watch the dealer carrying out the instructions in real time. There is no computer software carrying out the instructions for people, it’s all done by real people. Just like live Blackjack, you place your bet using the buttons provided by the software and then you can just sit back and watch the dealer play.

Live Roulette

Live roulette is a game that offers a lot of excitement. From the clack of the ball on the wheel, to the tension that builds up waiting for the ball to land. It’s a game that offers players a huge amount of fun. Live dealer Roulette offers all of this and more. With software versions of the game struggling to provide a similar experience to real life Roulette, live casino Roulette manages it perfectly. You can easily place your wagers using the integrated software and then it’s just a case of watching the dealer drop the ball into the wheel and seeing where it lands.

Other live dealer games

What’s great about live casino games is that it has allowed other types of live games to appear on the market. Evolution Gaming especially have developed a large number of different kinds of live casino games for players. The majority of these titles have taken on a game show style. This sees a host carrying out different tasks while the player attempts to choose the right bet. Dream Catcher is the most famous of these types of games which has a similar style to Wheel of Fortune. There is also a Monopoly game available to players.

There are also live dealer slot titles on the market too which adds another great layer to what’s available. These feature a host and players then choose how much they want to stake and how many paylines they want active before each spin. There are bonus features, just like with a regular video slot, all with the added fun of a live host.

What’s coming next?

The rebirth of VR as a viable entertainment technology could be what takes live casino games to the next level. The ability to fully immerse yourself into a live casino game could see players not just enjoying a single live casino game, but travelling around a full live casino. The future of live casino games has quite some way to go and with VR, as well as augmented reality, there is still a lot of potential for growth and improvement.

Questions about live casinos

  • What is a live casino?

    Essentially, a live casino doesn’t exist as a single entity. It’s usually a section that is featured at an online casino where players can enjoy live dealer casino games. Live dealer games are games that feature a live video stream where a real life dealer will carry out the game. These games tend to be classic casino games such as Baccarat, Roulette and Blackjack.

    They are carried out with the live video stream showing players what is going on in the game. There is then a software interface that allows players to choose the commands that they want to carry out. So when it appears on the screen it is like a combination of real life casino games and regular online games. There is also a chat box available that will provide players the chance to communicate with the dealer. However, bets cannot be placed within the chat box, it has to use the control buttons.

  • Are there differences in rules from a land based casino?

    This is a very nuanced question. Basically there are some differences between a live casino and a land based casino, however they are not as widespread as you might think. The first difference is that the wager limits are much different at a live casino. Here players will tend to have much lower minimum bets and generally lower maximum stakes as well. Land based casinos will have higher minimum and maximum stakes. However, stakes aren’t the only thing that is different.

    The number of players that can play at a live dealer casino will often vary to a land based casino as well. Because these are not limited for space, there can often be more players allowed at a single time for a live casino. This is mostly put in place for Roulette games. Here depending on the game being played many more players are able to take part on each spin. At some tables there will even be a theoretical unlimited number of players able to take part.

  • What games can be played?

    The list of games that can be played is almost endless. Firstly, there are all of the classic casino games that you would expect. Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, Poker and in some cases craps. However, these games have also been supplemented with a range of different titles that have expanded on the range.These include the game show titles that have been created by Evolution Gaming. These games put players in a game show situation, usually with a large wheel that spins to offer prizes. There have also been some live slots that have been created recently, which offer players a chance to enjoy an all new slot experience.

    On top of all of this there are also a number of different variations on some old classics. There are a lot of Lightning versions of classic casino games which gives players the chance to enjoy a much faster paced game than they might be used to.

  • Can you talk to the croupier?

    The answer to this question all depends on what you mean. There is a chat box available on live casino games. This allows players the chance to converse with the dealer or croupier over the course of the game. Some games will also include other players in a chat room environment, it all depends on the game that you’re playing. In this chat box you can discuss things, but obviously you must refrain from any foul language or being offensive. You also cannot place a wager on the game through the chat box, all bets must be placed using the in game controls.

    If you mean can you talk to the dealer or croupier using your microphone then this isn’t allowed. Your microphone and camera is disabled when playing at an online casino. So although you can see and hear what is going on, they cannot see or hear what is happening at your end. This is mainly because if there are a lot of players with video and sound being played it could distract the dealer and cause them to make mistakes.

  • Can you see other people’s bets?

    In general no you can’t. The only betting information that you will be able to see would be bets that you have placed yourself. These will be visible on the screen while you are playing, it completely depends on the game you are playing as to how your bets are shown. For example, Blackjack would show the bet the whole way through right next to the card. Roulette would show the bet in the position on the table where you have placed it. This is all down to how the software works when you play.

    The only real exception to this rule is Poker. Here you would obviously need to see other players bets when you’re playing. However, live casino Poker games sometimes work slightly differently to standard Poker, so it all depends on the game you are playing as to what information you are able to see.

  • Is the range of live casino games as big as regular casino games?

    No. Because live casino games take a lot more in terms of resources to create, it means that players don’t have access to as much choice when playing them. However, there’s still a lot of variety for each kind of game, with only live slots offering a limited choice.

  • Can the live dealer see me on my camera?

    No they can’t. Because there can be quite a lot of players all playing at a single table simultaneously it would be far too distracting for the live dealer to have to keep an eye on each camera for all of the players.

  • Are live casino games available 24/7?

    Yes they are. Although some studios don’t offer a 24 hour service, most of the bigger names in the niche do offer 24 hour a day services.