How do live casinos work?

Updated October 6, 2023
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Online Games Make Money

When online casinos first started appearing around two decades ago they were pretty primitive. The games were distinctly two dimensional, not to mention pretty limited too. But as the phenomenon took off to become the multi-billion dollar global business it is today operators have spared no expense in making it a more and more immersive experience.

One of their key objectives in recent times has been to make playing as similar to playing in a so-called “bricks and mortar” casino as possible. This has given birth to the live casino where players can enjoy gaming in real time with actual dealers, real cards and even authentic roulette wheels.

 

The tech behind the games

The interface between the digital technology of the online casino and the live action of the play comes in a couple of forms. In order for specific playing cards to be recognised it uses the same sort of optical character recognition technology that car parks use to capture the number plates of cars entering or leaving.

For roulette wheels, these generally have sensors which can detect where the ball has landed and an ingenious piece of hardware called a Game Control Unit that digitizes all the information for the game.

In fact, every table has its own GCU, which is only about the size of a shoe box, and without which the live casino just wouldn’t be possible.

Financial Development

Source: Evolutiongaming.com

Cameras and control room

Most tables have at least three cameras around them, one to show the overall scene, one to focus on the dealer and the third on the games itself. These are controlled by the director for the action who is generally in the control room a little way from the action. Here they’ll also be able to monitor the live chat between players and dealers which is also an important part of the playing experience.

As you’d expect, competition is fierce between live casinos, only sites like Bet Victor and Genting Casino can afford the services provided by companies like Evolution gaming. Evolution Gaming rent out tables to online casino companies and allow them to put their own branding on the tables. The online casino companies can also configure betting limits so it appears as their own dedicated live casino. Evolution Gaming are committed to keeping the players secure and preventing illegal activity, they monitor all of the games via their Mission Control Room meaning they can quickly solve any issues including fraud. They offer a wide range of games including Live Roulette, Live Blackjack, Live Baccarat, Live Casino Hold’em, Live Three Card Poker and more.

A particularly impressive game that they offer is the Immersive Roulette. The game features Hollywood-style multiple cameras allowing players to get involved with the action, players can see every movement of the ball all in HD video. They then provide a slow motion video of the winning number as the ball comes to rest. Sites like 888casino have brilliant technology which certainly ensures that it is a unique experience playing online at a live casino. Playing with the best online casinos ensures that you appreciate the outstanding technology behind the scenes. 888casino have also launched an impressive new feature, the Live Elite Lounge Experience. This feature has tailored opening times of just 12 hours a day, every day, into the night. The Elite Lounge hosts 5 Elite Blackjack tables and 1 Elite Roulette table.

Increase in Activity across network

Source: Evolutiongaming.com

 

Licenses and laws

Another area in which the live casino is similar to the real thing is in the strict regulations that surround them. These are vitally important to both ensure that only responsible operators run live casinos and also to give players peace of mind that they are playing with an honest and legitimate company.

So all online casinos need to be licensed by the appropriate authority who will need to be sure of a number of facts before one is granted. For example, company directors must be shown to be of good character and the business must be financially sound with enough cash reserves to honour all winnings.

Play and Win

Source: evolutiongaming.com

Looking to the future

Technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate and many believe that it will be Virtual Reality that will provide the next great leap forward.

So before long the live casino experience could become even more realistic – and that has to be a real concern for the land based casinos whose earnings have already been reported to be in a decline.

But there’s certain to be one big winner and that’s the live casino player who’s destined to have an even better and more immersive experience every single time that they play.

Key Points

  • The online casino industry is multi-billion dollar industry.
  • Optical character recognition is a key player in the technology behind online casinos.
  • The Game Control Unit digitizes all the information for the game.
  • The director is in a control room monitoring the action.
  • There are strict regulations that ensure all online casinos are a legitimate companies.

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