We all know casinos can be land-based and virtual – hosted online, offering virtual equivalents of actual casino games and slot machines. It’s the kind of entertainment we’ve been used to for decades.

However, gambling enthusiasts are in a constant search for more casino outlets, for innovation and prosperous endeavours that will take the game to the next level. Clearly, technological development is very much involved in this process and thanks to it we now have another way to enjoy marvellous casino games – live dealer casino.

The Live Casino is based in the offices of Smart Live Gaming in Holborn, London. The live casino is actually a number of small offices off the main office area. Each office has been setup as a studio, one for Roulette, one for Blackjack (with two tables) and one for the Live. Smart Live Gaming is the UK’s leading live casino, sports betting, and overall online gambling operator. This online casino offers players the thrill of playing in their live casino as well as to enjoy a large.

Moreover, it is always recommended to read about the online casino reviews to make sure the live casino has a good reputation, payment methods, most importantly, the necessary licenses.

What is Live Dealer Casino and How Does it Work?

Live dealer casino or simply live casino is something of a middle ground between a live, real-life casino experience and online play. It may sound surreal, but it works! Live dealer casino is one of the greatest inventions in the online casino industry in recent years, and more and more casino sites expand their offer with a live casino section.

It’s not about undermining virtual casino games; it’s quite the opposite – casino operators introduce live dealer tables to gaming sites to provide their customers with a fresh, new online gambling experience, give them even more diverse choices and make them enjoy every second of their time spent online.

One click away, the live casino room stands proud among slots, virtual tables and video poker machines offering unique games and memorable, interactive sessions that come as close as possible to a true, lifelike experience one lives while playing at a proper casino floor, only in this case the player is relaxing at home. How is this possible? Well, we have the live streaming technology and webcam techniques to thank for that.

When a live dealer game begins, the player joins the table and participates from a remote location. Simultaneously, a real-life dealer hosts the game in real time. Anything that happens at the table is broadcast to the player’s desktop or mobile device screen without delay and in high definition, so the player truly feels present and involved 100 % in the game despite the fact that his/her location and the location of the room the game is played at can be miles apart.

Live dealer tables are hosted by friendly and attractive professional dealers and the game is as real and authentic as it can be – the tables are real casino tables, the cards are real cards and so on. There is no need for a software program to shuffle the cards when there is a live croupier there to do it, and you can see it all in close up thanks to several cameras following every important detail of the game.

Depending on the provider, live casino games can take place in a studio environment which looks exactly like a casino or the action can be broadcasted from a genuine casino floor. There are several online casino providers which specialise in delivering premium live dealer games to casino sites, namely Evolution Gaming, Extreme Live Gaming, as well as Microgaming, Playtech and NetEnt.

Through their live gaming portfolio, these providers offer numerous variants of live roulette, blackjack, baccarat and poker. The tables can have different betting limits, male or female dealers, a live chat option, as well as side bets and specific game rules tailored to the needs of high rollers.

Top Casinos for Live Dealer Players

Out of all the websites that feature live casino tables, there are several well-established brands that lead the way and hold top positions on the live casinos list.

First off, we have Leo Vegas, a mobile-compatible gaming venue operated by LeoVegas Gaming Ltd. under a UK license, which means all European players are welcome to join.

The multi-award winning site has a stellar live casino section with games from Evolution Gaming, NetEnt, Extreme Live Gaming and Leo Vegas proprietary tables.

There are over 50 live roulette games on offer at Leo Vegas including VIP Roulette, Live Roulette from Dragonara Casino and International Roulette. Over 20 blackjack tables are on offer as well, over a dozen VIP games and there is also a Chambre Séparée.

Another notable live casino location is Dunder Casino. This is also a UK and EU friendly site, operated by MT SecureTrade Limited and running under an MGA and UKGC license.

Dunder offers a handpicked range of live dealer games, focusing on popular versions of blackjack, roulette, baccarat and poker.

At Dunder online and mobile casino, players can enjoy Live Blackjack, Live Roulette, Live Baccarat, Live Casino Hold’em and Live Three Card Poker provided by Evolution Gaming. There are some of NetEnt’s live tables as well. One of rare treats available at Dunder is Deutsches Roulette, aka German Roulette.

If you get the chance to play at Guts Casino at some point, don’t miss it. Guts is an instant-play casino run by the same operator as Dunder. It offers hundreds of prime casino games and multiple European-friendly payment methods.

The live casino section at Guts is one of its major advantages. It is equipped with games by NetEnt and Evolution. NetEnt hosts an exclusive Guts Live Roulette available only at Guts Casino. Other interesting games include Baccarat Squeeze, Blackjack Paris, German Roulette, London Roulette, Svensk Roulette and Three Card Poker.

Black Diamond Casino is an international online gaming site operated by Engage Entertainment Group. Black Diamond offers a unique plethora of live casino games provided by Vivo Gaming and VIG.

On site, you can play Spanish Roulette, English Roulette, Super 6, Blackjack Classic and 5S Baccarat, among other games, all hosted by gorgeous, young dealers. With convenient payment options at Black Diamond, such as cards, e-wallets and Bitcoin, you’ll find the venue more than just satisfactory.

Ultimately, Box 24 Casino is another great place for live casino lovers. Sister site to Black Diamond, Box 24 Casino also features live tables produced by VIG and Vivo Gaming.

Both on mobile and desktop, players from most parts of the world can take pleasure in real time versions of Baccarat, Blackjack, 3D Baccarat, English and American Roulette, Super 6, V1 Baccarat and Spanish Roulette. Box 24 Casino accepts Bitcoin payments and offers an amazing welcome package by matching not one, but five of your first deposits at the site.

According to https://zamsino.com/uk/live-casinos/ live dealer games are now more popular than RNG tables in the UK, and the live gaming growth pattern is expected to continue even further.

Most Popular Live Dealer Games

Live dealer casino recreates a true gambling experience of top table games, primarily roulette, blackjack and baccarat, with the addition of poker and craps. The simplicity of blackjack and roulette makes them easy for learning and suitable for beginners. Roulette and blackjack live casino games offer a favorably low house edge, which means players count on making a considerable profit on these games.

Roulette tables are elegant and visually appealing; you can play many different versions of live roulette and choose the table limits that suit you best. Evolution Gaming’s Immersive Roulette is one of the most popular live casino games on the market.

Immersive Roulette from Evolution Gaming provides an amazing playing experience

During Immersive Roulette gameplay you can watch the ball move across the wheel and observe its landing in slow motion thanks to multiple camera angles used to capture the action. A few years back, Immersive Roulette even won the prestigious “Game of the Year” EGR award.

Blackjack, being the no. 1 card game, is extensively featured across live casino rooms one the web. The most common versions is Classic Blackjack. Limits on live blackjack are higher than with regular versions of the game, some even accepting bets up to ten thousand.

A rare and interesting version is Blackjack Party, by Evolution Gaming. As the name itself insinuates, the main perk of this version is a party-style feel that includes music and a dealer prepared to keep you in a good mood throughout.

Out of all baccarat versions, Baccarat Squeeze seems to be the most sought out. Evolution offers a terrific take on the Baccarat Squeeze version, with more than 15 cameras capturing every detail, especially the squeeze ritual performed by the dealer.

The live casino world offers other intriguing specialties such as Dream Catcher, Sic Bo and Dragon Tiger. If you enjoy dice, then Sic Bo is the game for you, but if you like money-wheel type games then have fun playing Evolution’s Dream Catcher.

FAQ

Can you play from the United States?

Yes, but we don’t really have much experience on the subject. However All Star Gambling has a page dedicated to Live Dealer Casinos for US players with applicable info on the top sites and ways to deposits/withdraw funds.

Some new resources have emerged (created by friends of ours) that offer high quality live casino information in Spanish. Visit www.casinoenvivo.com for more and check out their inner pages on blackjack & roulette that are packed with useful information.

Are live dealer games fair?

Live dealer games can be rigged in the same way actual table games and land-based casinos can, meaning it is practically impossible for that to happen. The fact that you can see what the dealer is doing every step of the way dispenses with any possibility of foul play. Besides, live dealer providers have proper accreditation and submit their projects to regular testing done by independent bodies and deliver their games to licensed casino sites only.

Can you play live casino games on mobile?

Certainly! In most cases, you will be able to load top live dealer games on your smartphone or tabled as live games are incorporated into the instant-play platform most casinos run nowadays.

Are there free live casino table games?

Live casino games are not always available in demo mode. Sometimes you won’t get to play a dealer-hosted version, but an automated version of the same casino game for free.

Where are the game streamed from?

Depending on the provider, live casino is streamed from various locations. Evolution Gaming has studios in Portomaso (Malta) and Riga (Latvia). Playtech captures live dealer games in studios located in Riga, Latvia and Manila, in the Philippines.

NetEnt has a studio in Malta as well, while Microgaming owns studios in Canada, Argentina and the Philippines.

Do live casino players get bonuses?

Not as often as slot player, but they do every once in a while. Casino operators will sometime host tournaments or award live casino players with match deposit bonuses.

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US player friendly live blackjack at BetOnline Casino

Although federal laws do not explicitly forbid online gambling within USA territory, the legal guidelines surrounding online betting have so far remained somewhat vague, resulting in a limited live dealer casino offer for USA residents.

In the past decade, the climate has been rapidly changing and other US countries are joining the ranks of more flexible states, such as Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey, where online gambling has clear legal arrangements and no sanction will await those who engage in these type of recreational activities.

The trend change has also reflected on the Live Dealer casinos availability and finding an online casino with a decent live dealer offer that welcomes USA players is no longer an excruciating experience as it was before.

This still does not mean that online casinos and Live Dealer software providers for US players can be found around every corner, but decent alternatives, such as Visionary iGaming developer or Black Diamond and Box 24 casinos, do exist.

Visionary iGaming – Go-To Provider For Online Casino Operators Who Target USA Market

Present on the market since 2008, VIG provides live dealer software solutions for land based and online venues, covering LATAM, Asian and European demographics. It is considered to be one of the top developers available to US players, who, thanks to Visionary iGaming, can enjoy real-time, HD video quality Live Dealer sessions of Blackjack, Baccarat and Roulette.

At the moment, VIG provides two Blackjack variants, Standard and Blackjack Early Payout, both with the unlimited number of players capacity, thanks to the Back Betting feature which can be used if all 7 seats at the table are taken.

For the more experienced players who enjoy faster sessions, Choose Ahead option is made available, allowing the players to decide on their moves early in the game. Optional side bets, Pairs and Rummy, are included on both of the Blackjack tables, with a theoretical return to player percentage of 99.5.

Early Payout table has pretty much the same structure, with the alternative to quit the already dealt hand and accept the payment instead.

Baccarat

Visionary iGaming Baccarat is inspired by the casino tables of Macau district and comes without a commission (known also as Live 6 or a No Commission Baccarat variance).

Here, the payout ratio for Player and Banker bets is 1:1, or 1:2 if the Banker wins with the total of 6. For the players who are not opposed to “edgier” games, VIG Baccarat has Super 6, Dragon Bonus and Pair Side bet, each with the separate payout table.

Roulette

Depending on their live Roulette preferences, US players can choose between European and American Roulette table, compatible with smartphones, tablets and desktop devices.

The tables are shot from multiple camera angles and the communication line between the player and the dealer is established through a live chat. Previous rounds results and Hot/Cold number trackers are integrated in the software as well, together with the personal account information, player’s balance, current bet and previous wins.

Compared to some other software developers such as Vivo Gaming, XPRO and Evolution Gaming (as the most prolific live dealer software developers), VIG’s offer may seem modest – even reduced. At the moment, Visionary iGaming’s emphasis seems to be on quality, rather than quantity.

Currently, it is a go-to Live Dealer provider for USA based online gamblers and operators, who are on a lookout for top quality, non-US restricting, live games.

The number of online live casino software developers and casinos targeting US market will without a doubt continue to grow, together with the number of countries changing their gambling laws, but VIG will definitely remain a pioneer, with a firm and reputable position of the market veteran and one of the first providers fully opened to USA players.

Online Casinos Not Restricting USA Players

Options may be a bit limited for USA players at the moment, but there are still reliable online casinos with a solid gaming offer out there.

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Two of the online venues with the highest user ratings that have broken down the barriers and found their way to Northern America cyber gambling community are Black Diamond Casino and Box 24, both owned by Deckmedia N.V. Casinos, licensed by Curacao and launched in 2009.

Black Diamond and Box 24 Casinos

The first choice of many US located players, Black Diamond, has a diverse gaming offer, featuring releases by Betsoft, Microgaming, Octopus, Pragmatic, Habanero, Rival, Vivo and Visionary iGaming.

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The offer can be filtered according to the release date, developer or popularity and all inquiries can be directed to their Live Chat support, available 24/7.

What makes this online casino especially convenient to USA market is the fact that Bitcoin is accepted for depositing and withdrawals, with the detailed instructions on how to submit your first deposit using this particular method.

Their Live casino platform includes Baccarat, Spanish Roulette, American Roulette, English Roulette, Super6, Blackjack, 3D Baccarat, 5S Baccarat and V1 Baccarat, all available to account holders only, while slots, table games and video poker can be played both in fun-mode without opening an account or for real money after completing the registration process.

Launched by the same owner, Box 24 has the same UI and similar gaming offer, with one significant difference – the list of restricted countries is longer.

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When it comes to Promotions, both of the casinos are extremely generous, matching first deposit by 200%, rewarding Bitcoin users with bonus amounts and organizing tournaments for table games players.