There’s no denying that millions of iGamers across the world find online casino websites enjoyable, but it just doesn’t quite equate to the adrenaline rush you get when you’re stood in the thick of the action on the floor of a bricks and mortar casino. Although you may not incur the costs and logistical problems of physically travelling to your nearest casino, there’s something that nags away leaving you feeling a little unfulfilled.
For traditional punters, the opportunity to place bets in a physical casino and interact with like-minded punters is what makes the whole casino ‘experience’. It’s an opportunity to build friendships, socialise and have fun with fellow players and dealers – it’s a form of entertainment.
It’s this desire for interaction and to be entertained that’s spawned a new era of casino action – live online casino games. Live dealer casinos are undoubtedly the nearest thing you’ll find to a night in a bricks and mortar casino, but best of all you can enjoy it from wherever you are – on the sofa, in bed or even at work.
Aided by technological advancements in the speed, precision and reliability of online streaming, online casinos are able to stream human dealers live from casino tables who interact and manage online casino games with thousands of players from across the world.
Live dealer casino games operate in exactly the same way as those you’d enjoy in a bricks and mortar casino. Rather than perching on a seat at a table or leaning over a roulette wheel you simply pick up the action using the live feed provided by cameras of online casino sites. Live dealer casinos are so readily accessible now. All the biggest online casino sites now allow their customers to play via live streams on desktops and all types of smartphone and mobile devices.
It’s not just the traditional games you’ll find being dealt live on web camera streams either. For instance, PokerStars Casino offers live casino action on anything from Three Card Poker to Baccarat.
Types of live casino streams include Dealer studios. Arguably the most typical live casino stream you’ll find, dealer studios are specially designed for streaming live casino table games. Every aspect of the dealer studio is set up to enhance the gaming experience of the online players, from the camera control and placement to the studio lighting.
For players that crave the atmosphere and buzz of the casino floor, some online sites will host live action on card tables positioned in the heart of a real casino. Casino floor streams involve human dealers and croupiers as well as floor bosses who may intervene whenever necessary. Online chat functionality also tends to be enabled for casino table streams, allowing players to interact with the dealer and fellow gamers. The physical moves made by the dealer are cleverly translated into data used by live casino software developed by leading brands such as Playtech and Microgaming, known as Optical Character Recognition (OCR). This allows gamers to play at a live casino table without barely noticing the difference between a brick and mortar and live casino gaming experience.
The third and final common live casino stream are those broadcast live online and through satellite TV. The key difference between a stream from a dealer studio and a television casino is that the latter is not online 24-hours a day. The broadcast casino games on satellite TV are normally scheduled for air time during evenings when games are at home and looking to be entertained.
Technology is providing iGamers with convenience and accessibility to casino action like never before. With a unique combination of genuine dealers and floor bosses, the use of real casino card tables and decks of cards and other casino equipment, within a few clicks of a mouse you can be sat at a busy table being dealt in the next hand. It’s created a pick-up-and-play gaming environment that’s helping online casino sites to thrive.