Live casino games: what you need to know

Online casinos have come a long way in the space of just a couple of decades, from their launch in the 90s to the more advanced graphics and designs of today. One development of note is the creation of live casino games, which bring together elements of online and offline play.

Through the use of live-streaming technology, live casino games pair online players with a live dealer who runs the game from a studio location. Want to know more about this newer form of online casino game? Read on as we lay out everything you need to know about live casino games.

How do live casino games work?

Compared to other online casino games, there’s a bit more at work behind the scenes of live casino games. Not only is there the software backend, but also, everything involved in the studio setup, from the high-definition cameras to technology like optical character recognition (OCR).

The video stream needs to sync up with the rest of the game software and user interface in order to deliver smooth gameplay for players. This is where the game control unit (GCU) comes into play. This is attached to every live casino game table and is responsible for encoding the live streamed video.

OCR is another big part of what lets live casino games work, as it translates images into readable data for the software. This allows for the physical playing cards, dice or Roulette wheel images to be instantly registered by the game and displayed within the player’s user interface.

Having multiple cameras in the setup also allows players to choose which angles they want to focus on during gameplay.

Popular types of live casino games

Next, let’s take a look at some of the various types of live casino games available. Many classic table games now have a live casino version, from Roulette to Baccarat. The most common live casino games you’ll tend to find are:

• Live Blackjack – as one of the most popular casino card games, Blackjack was one of the first to make the jump to the live casino format. Players aim to get a hand that’s closer to 21 than the dealer, without overshooting and going bust. There are different varieties of live Blackjack with different variations on the classic ruleset.
• Live Roulette – focused on the spinning of the Roulette wheel, live Roulette is another popular option. Players wager on which of the wheel’s numbered pockets a spinning ball will stop in. The three major categories of the game are European, American and French, which all have slightly differing formats.
• Live Baccarat – slightly less well-known, Baccarat is another classic card game. Here, players wager on which of two hands (the ‘Player’ or ‘Banker’) will be closer to nine in value.
• Live game shows – these are a bit different, not being based on classic casino games but rather popular game show formats.

But, as the format develops further, we could see more classic table games adapted into a live casino version.

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Now you should have more of an understanding of the concept of live casino games and what sets them apart from other online casino games.