Live casino gaming is something that has existed for as long as there have been casinos and betting, as visiting a bricks and mortar casino to gamble is a live experience. However that is not what is typically meant by the term ‘live casino’ in 2022.
In this modern era, it refers to a type of online casino gaming that has some aspects in common with using a casino in the outside world. It is a blend of the real-world and virtual casino experience, fusing the best aspects of both.
It has emerged during the past decade as an offshoot of standard online casinos, reflecting their desire to retain their customers by providing fresh gaming options. There are key differences between the two though, which we will examine in this article.
What is Online Casino?
Online casino is a form of iGaming for money on the internet that first appeared during the 1990s and that seeks to replicate some of the real-world casino experience from your home. The usual format utilized by these casinos is for new players to create an account before they are able to start depositing money to gamble with and accessing the games.
An online casino will provide all of the games that would be found at a real-life one. That means slot machines, card games such as baccarat, blackjack and poker and roulette games.
The casinos are regulated and use technology such as a Random Number Generator (RNG) to make sure that the games are one hundred percent fair for players. The key factor though is that there is no interaction with other human beings: the gaming is entirely about the player versus the computerized casino game.
What is Live Casino?
The first thing to note about live casino is that it is part of the online casino world, not something entirely separate. Most major internet casinos now feature live casino gaming, but it differs from standard online casino play in certain important ways.
Easily the biggest difference is that live casino allows the player to gamble against other humans beings using their computer. It typically works by giving the player the opportunity to join a live stream where there will be a real person dealing the cards or spinning the roulette wheel while they gamble.
In many instances there will also be other players involved in the stream, particularly if the game that is being played is poker. Live casino provides a chat option that the player can opt into and that allows them to speak to the dealer and rival players – either to ask questions about the game or just to make the overall experience more sociable.
Main Differences between Standard Online and Live Casino
Aside from that human interaction aspect, there are some other important differences between playing standard online casino games that use RNG tech and live casino ones. These include:
- Pace
Playing normal online casino games powered by RNG technology lets you bet entirely at your own personal pace. By contrast, if you join a live gaming stream it will be more like a bricks and mortar casino and the players are expected to pay attention and keep up with the game.
- Bets
As a rule, playing live casino will involve betting larger sums than standard online casino gaming. That is because the companies have to pay for costly equipment to be able to offer 24/7 live casino game streaming.
- Choice
Another important way that the two types of gaming vary is that the standard RNG casino format currently has a wider choice of games. Poker, roulette, blackjack and baccarat are the games that can typically be found in the live section of an online casino site.
By contrast, the main section will also feature options like hundreds of themed slot games. Casino game developers are producing live casino-only titles now though, including Side Bet City and Monopoly Live, so the situation is changing.
Why More Players are Picking Live Casino
Playing live casino may currently mean a smaller choice of games, but that is not stopping more and more casino fans from switching to it. This may seem a little counterintuitive given that online casino has largely eclipsed playing at a real-world one in popularity.
That seems to suggest that people are happy to play purely electronically, but the embrace of live casino contradicts that. The fact is though, that live casino provides players with the best of both options.
They are able to enjoy the convenience and comfort of simply logging into their chosen site from home rather than having to travel to a real-world venue. However, with live casino they can then play their favorite games in a way that more closely mirrors the bricks and mortar experience.
Being up against a real human dealer and other players is something that many casino fans have found to add an extra layer of excitement to online betting. Furthermore, when it comes to games such as poker, live casino means strategies like bluffing can be used, making it more challenging for skilled players.
Live casino certainly seems to be the way forward for the big online casino companies, although more standard RNG powered games will not be going away. Both have something to offer players and the future could see the emergence of more mobile-based live casino.
