Up until recently, online casinos were notorious for providing poor quality services and a moderately small range of games which were among the reasons why many players avoid playing online. Also, the cases where the final outcome of the game was under question were a regular occurrence and people didn’t feel safe enough to entrust their sensitive information to them. However, nowadays thanks to the advanced technologies and cutting-edge systems the online casinos use, they have improved their gaming services immensely and all these worries are long forgotten.
One clear indicator of their advanced development is that most of them feature live casinos in which players can enjoy their favourite games virtually at any place and time they want. Live casinos give them the opportunity to receive an extremely authentic experience due to the fact that the games are played in real time with live dealers. It is now possible for the players to witness the gaming process from the beginning till the end, interact with other participants, enjoy a wide range of the most famous games and all of this, at the comfort of their home.
Live Casino Technology
Live casinos’ appearance changed the way online gaming was perceived as this solution allows players to finally play a number of games not only online but also in real time. Their best feature is that they have a dealer who operates in an identical manner to the one seen at land-based casinos. The reason why live casinos grew in popularity so much lies in the cutting-edge technologies that were specially developed to serve gaming houses and provide players with the best possible authentic experience from a particular game.
In order to manage to provide second-to-none experience, a number of well-established live casinos use the so-called live streaming technology. All that it takes to receive a high level of excitement and entertainment by playing a favourite table game from a comfortable place is to simply click on the link for live streaming video on the casino’s website. Even though all of the systems and technologies in use are extremely advanced and complicated, they are specifically developed to ease its users to the most possible extent. As already mentioned it has never been so effortless and accessible for the players to enjoy a wide range of casino games online as playing any of it is now one click away.
The actions taken by the dealer during the live streams are converted into data that is processed thanks to the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. Thanks to specialized cameras, the OCR system follows all card symbols, suits, wheel numbers and dice combinations in the game. Then, the collected data is crossed-referenced to a database lookup table and the results are shown on the screen. This way, players are enabled to immerse in the game and quickly base their actions on the information they see on the screen.
It can be said that OCR is the technology that makes Live Casino games truly interactive rather than simply broadcasting them. Based on data collected by the OCR, the winners and losers of each round can be announced in no time. Thanks to that, live-dealer games are very dynamic and fast-paced.
The reason why live streaming technology is such a huge achievement in the gaming world is that it gives them the opportunity to enjoy their favourite game with dealers in real time and at the same time, to do it at the comfort of their home. This way they can get rid of any additional distractions and make sure they can play at peace. At brick and mortar casinos, such measures cannot be taken and players often find it hard to concentrate and fully enjoy the game.
Brick-and-Mortar Casinos and Studio Streaming
Most of the live casinos feature a number of table games which can be streamed from the brick and mortar version of a particular casino or from private casino studios, specifically designed for this purpose. Either way, players can be sure that they will receive a high level of entertainment and excitement which can even surpass their previous experience in some casinos. Moreover, they can also rest assured that their sensitive information is well-protected as the security systems have been greatly improved as well for even better protection.
Live Casino Technology Explained
Advantages and Disadvantages
Popular Live Casino Games
Live Blackjack
Live Roulette
The most authentic feeling players can get when enjoying their favourite table game online is if the game is streamed from a land-based casino. This way they will be able to experience to a great extent the brick and mortar casino setting and at the same time, play virtually at a completely different place. Thanks to the advanced technologies and the Internet, it is now possible to save not only time but also efforts by simply playing at home instead of going all the way to the local casino. Land based streaming is suitable for players who love the casino setting and want to get the closest possible authentic experience as if they were there.
In most cases, the live games are streamed from studios, specifically designed for this purpose and this is another very efficient way for players to spend their time online. In order to provide an even better experience to its customers, some live casinos offer special promotions and deals which players can take advantage of. In larger live casinos, they can also find tables which they can customise according to their personal preferences and specifications.
Live Casino Studios Equipment
To bring a top-notch final product to virtual players, software companies often choose to stream from high-tech Live Casino studios. The high-quality streams are achieved thanks to several elements, used to bring smoother, more realistic and fun gaming experience.
Like many other streaming media, Live Casino studios rely on cameras that ensure high-definition of graphics and a smarter way to convert the dealers’ actions into information that can be then seen on the screen.
With the latest innovations in the video streaming field, cameras have become a lot smaller but very powerful. Often, Live Casino studios use several cameras that ensure views from different angles, allowing players to follow every step of the game up close.
The Game Control Unit is another element of the Live Casino studio that many describe as the most important component of the entire live casino streaming process. Each table game has a Game Control Unit attached to it. This is a device that enables the encoding of the video that is being broadcasted from the Live Casino studio. It can be said that the Game Control Unit is a major element of Live Casino games as it allows dealers to conduct each game.
If you are playing a roulette version, you will also have a wheel included in the game. Since wheels also have sensors, the position of the ball can always be tracked with ease and allow players to view the result of the spin.
Monitors are also a big part of the realistic gaming experience that Live Casinos are offering to players. Thanks to monitors, dealers can keep track of the game, the bets that players are placing and any messages that they send. This feature allows for smooth communication and a very authentic casino adventure.
Last but not least, we have the dealers who contribute greatly to the popularity of Live Casinos. Just as in brick-and-mortar casinos, the dealers who run the games at Live Casinos are well-trained professionals. Friendly and charming ladies and gentlemen will help you enjoy a very entertaining casino experience, no matter which game you prefer. Some software companies have also hired native speaking dealers that will allow different players to revel in a casino experience specifically tailored to their tastes.
Technical Requirements to Play Live Casino Games
Even though the Live Casino technology has improved tremendously in the last few years, players who wish to enjoy smooth live-dealer gaming streams should be aware of the technical requirements they need to fulfill.
While a stable and fast Internet connection is very important for smooth streaming of Live Casino games, you should also pay attention to several system requirements. It should be noted that even if your desktop device does not cover all technical requirements for the optimal Live Casino experience, you could still enjoy great live-dealer gaming sessions.
The minimum technical requirements to enjoy Live Casino games include:
- 2GHz CPU Dual Core processor or above
- 4GB RAM
- 1024 x 768 Minimum Screen Resolution
- Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GT 8500
- Vertex Shader: 4.0
- Pixel Shader: 4.0
- Free Disk Space: 2 GB
- Dedicated Video RAM: 256 MB
- Windows 7 SP1 64-Bit
- PPAPI Flash version
- Android 5.0 or higher and iOS 9 or higher for mobile users
Keeping what was said earlier in mind, if you want to enjoy the smoothest Live Casino streams, you should opt for the following system requirements:
- 2.5 GHz CPU Quad Core processor
- 8 GB RAM
- Windows 10 64-Bit
- iOS 12 or later or Android 5.0 or later for mobile devices
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Video Card
- Vertex Shader: 5.0
- Pixel Shader: 5.0
- Free Disk Space of at least 4 GB
- Dedicated Video RAM: 2048 MB
The Important Role of the Live Dealers
Every experienced player knows that the dealer plays a crucial role in many of the casino games. Just like in every reputable land-based casino, the dealers in the live casinos are also familiar with the rules and know how to conduct the game properly. Moreover, live streaming technology gives players the chance to interact with the dealer and the rest of the participants and thereby, establish a more personal connection with them and create a more real experience despite playing virtually.
Conclusion
Live casinos are an innovation which allows players to enjoy their favourite table game at the comfort of their homes in real time with real dealers. Players do not need to exhaust themselves with hours of travelling till they reach their destination and then find a suitable table. All of this can now be easily done whenever and wherever they want. What is more, the experience they will receive from the game will be just as exciting, maybe even more.
The advanced technologies in use are able to provide players with the chance to witness the whole gaming process, see how the cards are dealt in front of them in games such as Blackjack or how the wheel is spun when Roulette is played. These actions are performed in real time by professional dealers who have undergone extensive training and courses in order to be able to provide players with the best possible experience. Moreover, this way not only an extremely high level of excitement is achieved but also any doubts regarding the fairness of the game are gone.