Live Casino Games
Some 20-25 years ago when the first online casinos began to enter the emerging Internet market, no one could imagine that anyone would be able to play with a live human dealer via a telephone or computer. Lots of powerful technological leaps in the digital industries have led to inventions and breakthroughs that enabled the emergence of live online casinos, the place where everyone can easily wager on blackjack, roulette or other table game and feel the thrills and excitement like in regular casinos.
Intimate glimpse into live online casinos
What live casinos do often looks like a technological miracle. The player is located thousands of miles away from the place where the game is running, yet he can participate in the action, place bets, talk to the dealer and see every detail in the premise at which the game takes place. The technology behind live games has to do with the notion of augmented reality that fuses some interactive elements (user interface and table markings, in some cases) with real-life environments. This is a revolutionary approach, which makes live games a truly outstanding entertainment for all casino visitors. Studios at which the tables are situated can be in any location, most often they are based in Latvia, Malta, Romania, Italy, Canada, the Philippines, Bulgaria and Moldova. Sometimes, live games are streamed live from brick-and-mortar casinos, which adds realism to the gaming environment.
When the player picks a table and opens the game for the first time, he will see a video stream image broadcasted from a thematically decorated studio or a real casino. Whichever game is selected, live baccarat, roulette or blackjack, the player will see a croupier sitting or standing near the table and acting like in a real-life regular casino. The action is captured by many high-definition video cameras and is instantly transmitted to all users who have connected to the feed so that players could see the game without any smallest delay in time. This is also true for mobile live casinos.
The user interface in live casinos online allows for interacting with the gaming process by placing bets or changing different settings. For example, in a typical live roulette, the player can see a big roulette table with the layout and betting areas created digitally as overlaid elements. When the dealer calls to place bets, the player selects the desired bet and uses one or more digital chips to put them on the designated area (Red/Black, numbers, groups of numbers, etc.). When the betting time elapses, the dealer releases the ball (or it is released automatically) and the round begins. The player sees the real-life live roulette action as if being at a regular legal casino. The same generally refers to other game types such as live blackjack and live baccarat.
Bet limits in live dealer casinos
Not all live games are created equal. Some of them are designed to appeal to low-budget gamblers, while other are customized to target at high rollers. There are two alternative methods of informing users on bet limits. The first is publishing them attached to each game icon in the casino lobby (so there is no need to enter the game to find it out). And the second is to specify bet limits inside the game itself. As a general rule, bets start at ZAR1 but in some rare titles bets can be lower. The top bet can be ZAR1000 or higher. As for live roulette, the max bets are different for each bet type, for example, for Straight-Up bets the top amount is ZAR500, while for Red/Black bets the player is allowed for wagering ZAR10,000. Anyway, if the player is not satisfied with bet sizes, he can always leave the table and open the one which is more suitable.
Picking the best live casino game
The question of how to pick the best or one of the best live casino games is of topical interest for many gamblers who want to step it up a notch. When selecting a new live casino, the player should factor in the following considerations:
- All of the best live online casinos are duly licensed and certified. Casinos normally print their licensing details at the bottom part of the home page. Only licensed casinos ensure fair play and game integrity.
- The game library in top live casinos include games from famous providers such as Evolution, Extreme Gaming, Vivo and Lucky Streak. Besides, a good gambling site should have diverse game types such as live blackjack (regular and with side bets), live roulette variants (European, American) and live baccarat.
- A good online live casino should offer a comfortable set of payment methods including bitcoin, friendly transaction limits and short processing times.
- A present-day live casino should be compatible with as many devices as possible including desktop and mobile.
- It would be ideal if a reliable and mobile-friendly live casino has a big bonus program with a variety of deposit bonuses, cashback and other promotions.
Live casino bonuses
Bonus programs are designed to attract new potential users who want to try out one or another casino, and encourage existing (registered) gamblers to wager and play more. As a rule, a live dealer casino offers a welcome bonus that is calculated as a percentage match to the deposited amount, for example, a 100% welcome bonus. Each bonus also have the maximum value that is given to the player, which is normally around R50 to R1000 (or higher, in some cases). A welcome bonus is released when the player has placed a deposit to the live dealer casino. There are also reload bonuses that can top up player’s balance after completing the playthrough requirements. Actually, bonus programs differ greatly and can also include various tournaments and other competitive events that involve many players at a time.
Top providers of live casino games
Over a dozen software companies are present on the global market so far and now offer a range of live games that are at the forefront of the industry. Among the best providers who set the standards are Evolution Gaming, Extreme Gaming, NetEnt, Playtech, Vivo Gaming, Visionary Gaming, Lucky Streak, Ezugi and Authentic Gaming. Most vendors have dedicated tables that vary in bet sizes. Basically, some top-ranked companies such as Evolution Gaming feature a comprehensive catalogue of live solutions and regularly push innovation in the field of live online casinos.
Covering all niche segments, vendors offer a range of products such as live roulette, baccarat, classic blackjack, BJ with side bets, Sic Bo, Dragon Tiger, Wheel of Fortune, Live Keno, Live Lottery and a host of other games. Features represented in their games include dealer chat, game stats, hand (wheel spin) history, audio and video controls, different camera views, multi-game play and so on.
Online live casino payment methods
Players can deposit ZAR into any live casino online with the help of many international payment operators including credit/debit cards, ewallets, prepaid cards and bitcoins. Bonus money can also be withdrawn after completing the bonus wagering. All things considered, payment methods available in most live casinos cater to the needs of South African gamblers.
