How Live Dealer Casinos Operate
Live dealer casinos — or live casinos — represent a type of online game that is intended to capture the advantages of playing online and the atmosphere of an on-site casino. Players take on the ease of being able to play at any time and from any location from the online version. They take on the atmosphere of playing off an actual casino from the on-site casino.
If you're new to live dealer casinos life, they have the excitement of authenticity mixed with modern convenience that places them in a pedestal compared to other gambling formats.
The concept is simple: the operator uses experienced dealers, who operate from a specially designed studio or live casino hall. Players observe the live feed, place bets, and interact with the dealer via a computer or mobile device. The money aspect — receiving bets and making payments — is totally automated and managed by software, not the dealer. This is one of the key differences between live casinos and regular land-based ones.
Technology and Streaming
Live casino technology is not extremely sophisticated. Gaming machines and tables are installed in the studio with several cameras. Having several cameras is essential, especially for games like roulette where a camera is dedicated to monitoring the dealer, another one captures the roulette wheel close-up, and several others give a variety of angles during the spin.
By employing the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, the TV broadcast is translated into digital data, allowing players to receive game scores in real time.
The data is either stored locally or in the cloud and is fed into the video record. Each table contains a Game Control Unit (GCU) that scans or senses win or card data and sends this in digital form to be processed by software and displayed on the player's screen.
For example, if the gamer places "12 Red" in bet in order to win on roulette, he not only sees it being done on the stream but is also reminded through program alert if his bet was successful — and automatically receives winnings. The technical team, sitting in a separate room, monitor both studio and software. There is also a special team that watches for player behavior for cheaters and rule breakers.
Available Games
Most live dealer sites focus on the classic table games one finds in physical casinos. The most common variations are the unbeatable trifecta of roulette, blackjack, and baccarat — in some iteration or another. Live poker, custom "Wheel of Fortune" versions, and specialty versions are also popular. Providers like Asia Live Tech offer Asian-style games (Sic Bo, Dragon Tiger, Xoc Dia, Belangkai, Fan-Tan), while BetgamesTV became popular for lottery games (7 out of 42, 5 out of 36).
The majority of online casinos mix several vendors' content to make their live content diverse. With SoftGamings, this is made easy via their "Live Casino Bundle" service, which packages the best games from the top developers.
How Live Casinos Differ from the Rest of the Games
While the games offered in live casinos are normally the same as table games (roulette, blackjack, craps, baccarat, poker), they're actually different from regular online casino software. Live games focus on human interaction — real dealers running a studio.
Regular online games, however, are completely digital and governed by RNG (Random Number Generator) algorithms. Live casinos will appeal to players who do not believe in regular software and are afraid it can be manipulated. With real dealers handling the gameplay, outcomes are entirely random and unaffected by programming.
Benefits
- The experience is nearly indistinguishable from playing at a bricks-and-mortar casino, but it's available 24/7 from anywhere — from smartphones to smart TVs.
- The result is RNG algorithm-free play, attracting non-completely-confident automated internet game players.
- Direct communication with other players and the dealer makes players more engaged and active.
- Even with multitasking facilities and regular round intervals, live casinos allow bets on games simultaneously.
- Live casinos tend to offer higher cross-selling and branding possibilities than software games.
Key Components
Despite differences among operators (games provided, limitations, branding feature, etc.), all live casinos share a couple of essential things that are necessary for the system to work.
Studio
Research can vary according to the provider's strategy — professional TV studios or real casino floors or even office rooms with cameras and hardware. In either case, a specialized studio is necessary for live dealer sessions.
Game Control Unit (GCU)
Each table has a Game Control Unit. In card games, for example, you’ll notice that the dealer swipes cards over a scanner before revealing them. This allows the GCU to encode the action and help the software identify the cards in play and which players they belong to. In roulette, the GCU identifies the winning number and the bets that hit. It’s an essential component that minimizes error — especially in high-traffic environments.
Dealer Monitor
Since live casinos usually have a chat facility, all studios carry a dealer monitor. It shows the number of online players and their nicknames. This allows the dealer to greet new players and facilitate interaction. It also allows the dealer to track bets and aid in questions.
User Interface Components
Studio components can be disregarded by users, but there is a couple of fundamental user interface components for every live casino client:
- Live Video Stream
- Chat Window
- Interactive Betting Panel
- Countdown Timer
Of course, the number of buttons, pop-ups, and links will vary from site to site, but these four features are in every live dealer casino interface — regardless of the provider.
|
