What is a Live Casino? Quick Guide for Beginners
Combining the very best of real-world casinos with the convenience and features of an online experience, the live casino is fast becoming one of the most popular choices for online gamblers. Essentially, a live casino is played like any ordinary online game lobby, with computer-generated graphics to display your bets, bankroll, and the game board.
However, a live casino also features a live video feed to a professional real-life croupier who acts as the game’s host, just like he or she would in a real, classic casino environment. These croupiers do everything you would expect, such as spin wheels, deal cards, acknowledge bets, and communicate with you, the player.
Why Use a Live Casino?
To put it simply, a live casino offers a gaming format dissimilar to everything else available on the market. It brings the real-life casino experience to your computer or phone screen, allowing you to play from anywhere such as from the comfort of your own home or whilst on the train to work.
Not only is the professional croupier who is serving you 100% real, they are always available to interact with the players in the lobby, as players can with each other, enhancing the experience that much more.
Additionally, most live casinos will offer a huge range of games. Some of the more popular game offerings include the likes of live blackjack, live roulette, live poker, and live Texas Hold’em, amongst others. These are all delivered with state-of-the-art graphics and gameplay. There are even a few more obscure games often available too, such as Wheel of Fortune where everything is to play for.
Game selection is, however, dependant on the casino where you are playing. Some live casinos have everything whereas others will focus on a smaller number of games.
Live Casino vs Online Casino—What’s Different?
Many people confuse live casinos with online casinos, and understandably so. However, there are many key differences between both live and online casinos.
Online casinos, for example, are run using random number generators that determine the outcome of each throw of the dice, draw of a card, and spin of a wheel. As the name suggests, this is completely random.
In contrast, live casinos use real-life professional croupiers who perform these actions as the games take place. Whilst the outcome here is still the same—random—there is no machine or computer controlling it. Naturally, the speed of games and rounds at live casinos is a little slower-paced because croupiers generally aren’t as quick as computers and they tend to interact with the players.
Authentic vs Electronic—What’s Better?
That’s entirely down to you.
Random number generators and similar technologies have been used in real-life casino games, such as video slots and video poker, for decades.
Without a doubt, RNGs are safe and secure software used by casinos on and offline worldwide, with many casinos using third-party auditing systems such as GamCare to audit their records and provide peace of mind to online players. Still, there is an element of mystery to these computerized systems and many players prefer and trust live casinos more.
On top of that, there is something inherently authentic and realistic about seeing a real-life croupier shuffling a deck of cards, spinning a wheel, and controlling the game. This can massively enhance the overall online experience.
If you are used to playing at real-life casinos, then there is no doubt about it—you will be much better served by a live casino for your online play.
Where Can I Find a Live Casino?
Everywhere, is the short answer.
The internet is jampacked with live casinos and no one casino is the same. We understand that, as a new player, it can be hard finding one to spend your hard-earned money on, though. That is why we set up our website and carry out independent reviews of many popular and more obscure live casinos.
Generally, we recommend going with one of the bigger names when you are just starting out. These tend to provide the best and most rounded experience, allowing you to get to grips with the live casino process in a user-friendly environment.
