There’s nothing like the glamour and atmosphere of a true casino. But a Live Dealer game gives you the next best alternative, and you won’t even have to change your dressing gown for a tuxedo. Traditional online casinos have relied on (generally very unrealistic) computer simulations that use an RNG (Random Number Generator) to pick cards. These games can be very fast to play (particularly if you’re prepared to do without all the bells and whistles), and lack the tension associated with a real casino. However, they are quite obviously games rather than the real thing, and this often dulls the excitement and the pleasure in winning. There’s also the problem of trust. Theoretically, most RNG games are checked by an outside source. However, many casino players are convinced that long runs against them are far more frequent in RNGs than in genuine casinos. Whether these concerns are justified or not – it could well be the sheer speed and the number of RNG games you can get through that seems to make adverse runs crop up more often – there’s little doubt that an RNG lacks something compared to the full casino experience.
Live Dealer Games – Bringing the House into your Home
Enter the Live Dealer option. This does away with random number generators and simplistic graphics, and instead brings you live video from a ‘real’ casino. You’ll witness a proper dealer shuffling the packs and serving out the cards. OCR technology is used to detect and convey all necessary information, so players can always be sure which cards have been turned up, which roulette number the ball landed on, and so on. Assuming you have a microphone, you may also be able to hold conversations with the dealer, and, quite possibly, with other contestants too. You often even have the option of tipping the dealer.
However, things are often not quite what they seem to be. In practice, most of these live ‘casinos’ are actually shot on a custom-built set rather than a real gambling venue. That’s partly through necessity, as the need to have multiple cameras that can not only capture the dealer, but that can also give you an excellent view of the cards, would make it difficult to film in a proper casino – difficult, at least, without upsetting the other casino players. It’s just easier and more efficient for the companies to use artificial sets. (There are exceptions though – Dublinbet’s feed comes from a genuine casino, for instance.)
It’s also worth bearing in mind that the Live Dealer games are generally run by a third party. You may be using your William Hill account, for instance, but it won’t be William Hill themselves running the game. Indeed, since these third party companies often supply the same feed or dealers to several different casinos, a William Hill customer may find themselves using the same dealer that they were faced with when using their Bet365 or Betfair accounts earlier in the day, for instance. This sharing of resources does have its advantages, though, since it makes it less likely that an online casino is acting dishonestly. An anonymous RNG may be easy for a company to fix. Live video is less straightforward, although it would certainly be possible to have multiple ‘outcomes’ videoed, and to then periodically feed the player the outcome designed to lose them the most money. Assuming the same setup is being used across several casinos, though, you can be pretty certain that you’re not being ‘targeted’ personally. The placing of a third party between you and the casino is another tick for honesty.
The Platform Providers Behind the Technology
So who are these third parties? Well, known as ‘platform providers’, they originate from all over the globe. Many of them have been involved with online casino gaming since its birth in the mid 1990s, and the majority have jumped aboard the Live Dealer revolution. Of the truly old names, MicroGaming Software probably remain the most significant. Their sheer wealth of games, and careful audits – not to mention healthy Asset Protection funds used to pursue those abusing the software – make them a trusted provider.
More dominant in the marketplace, though, are Playtech and Evolution Gaming. Both part-based in Latvia (quickly becoming a hub for many of today’s most talented computer minds), these two companies have most of the major names sewn up between them. Playtech, for instance, supply video feeds to Bet365, Betfair and BetFred. Evolution handle 888, Paddy Power and Unibet. Both companies do business with William Hill. Playtech are famed for the quality of their graphics, and their powerful yet flexible and intuitive interface that can accommodate multiple players and tables. Evolution are one of the newer providers, but their early mastery of Live Dealer games allowed them to leapfrog much of the competition, and today they retain a position as one of the strongest competitors. They have VIP studios for their highest rollers, and have won a host of awards with their technology.
CWC Gaming were also pioneers in Live Dealer games, and they remain reasonably strong today – mainly servicing Ladbrokes. Their clever software can seek out the most efficient servers, allowing them to increase speed and user contentment. Vuetec is notable for being one of the few providers to send its feed from a genuine casino, the Fitwilliam’s Casino and Card Club in Ireland, to be precise. The company works mainly with Dublinbet live casino.
Future or Fad?
There’s little doubt that Live Dealer games are more than a passing craze. They’re still something of a hybrid, mixing up elements of live play with a more traditional computer interface. Future versions are likely to get us closer to the action, and newer user-input techniques (like touchscreen technology) may allow us to become even more engrossed. In the meantime though, they offer the very best mixture of excitement, trust and convenience that online gambling can bring us. Do make sure your internet connection is up to the job, though – all of that live video does hog bandwidth, and you’ll want a broadband connection that offers at least 1Mbps.