If you’ve ever played a live casino game online before, chances are that you might have wondered how it all comes together. After all, live casino tables are more than just simple video streams – there are interactions between dealers, presenters and digital elements, and in most cases, there are whole studio spaces used to present games.
If you’re the sort of player who would like to learn a bit about what really helps the magic of live casino gaming happen, you’re in luck.
In this guide, I’ll take you through how live casino games are streamed, what technology is used, and how developers and studios keep live gaming fair.
Live casino studio: where the magic happens
Regardless of what live game developer you play with, you’ll typically find that they stream their games from studio spaces – almost like TV game shows. In fact, this is the aesthetic that lots of live games opt for, such as Crazy Time and Dream Catcher.
In many cases, developers license their live games to casinos as is, meaning that they effectively sell their streams to be hosted in different games catalogues.
Sometimes, online casinos partner with live game developers to ‘rent’ tables in their studio spaces. That’s why you might sometimes find that certain branded games are available at different casinos.
They’re the same online games and offered by the same developers – it’s just the rental agreements that are different. In the event that a casino rents out a table, they might apply their own branding to make the experience more exclusive.
Some of the biggest and most reputable live game providers include:
- Evolution Gaming
- Pragmatic Play Live
- Skywind
- Ezugi
- Absolute Live Gaming
We host all of these developers – and more – right here at Tonybet. If you recognise some of these names already, it’s because many live games studios also develop slot games – Pragmatic Play, in particular, is a huge iGaming brand with several popular games in our library.
Regardless, all of the game action takes place in the studio, and the dealers and presenters host the game as if the players are right there in front of them. You’ll also get to interact with the game using digital controls, which I’ll break down in more detail below.
Role of live dealers and real-time interaction
Regardless of how striking a studio looks and whether or not there’s casino branding on the tables, everything rests on the talent of the live dealer.
It’s their job to not only carry out the game as you might expect, but also to address bets and add running commentary. This is especially true of game show titles, where presenters are often more bombastic.
Dealers simply sit at a casino table or stand at a game board and play things out to the camera in real-time. They’re filmed using advanced camera technology, and have access to monitors so that they can see what bets have been placed and if there are any messages from players.
Dealers and presenters have somewhat complex jobs. They not only need to play by the rules of the live games in question, but also pay attention to player interactions, and engage with people while hosting.
While some live table games can be serious and professional, some of the bigger, brighter game shows benefit from presenters who are lively and enthusiastic. It’s all about setting the right tone.
Live dealers have an abundance of training and experience behind them to ensure that games are fair and that the reputations of both the casinos and developers they work with are well represented.
Technology behind live casino streaming
Given how intricate some live casino games can be, it’s unsurprising that there’s some impressive technology used behind the scenes.
This technology includes:
- HD and 4K cameras
- GCUs
- OCR devices
- User interfaces
- VR and AI (in some cases)
At the absolute least, live casino streams use HD and 4K camera technology to minimise latency, and to help players feel as though they’re actually there, playing casino games for real.
HD and 4K camera technology also ensures that players can clearly see everything that’s happening in the game – the cards that are available, for example, or the roulette wheel that the dealer is spinning. This helps to keep games fair and transparent (something that I’ll discuss in the next section of this article).
Live casino tables also use GCU technology, or game control unit devices, to encode streaming and to make sure that live video remains stable and smooth. This is vital in ensuring that players can take part in real-time games – lag and instability could kill the experience and cause serious frustration.
Beyond camera and streaming quality, there’s also optical camera recognition (OCR). OCR is technology that translates what cameras see into data that players can use.
For example, it can help to translate cards that are left on the table, and what the outcomes of wheel spins might be. This can be incredibly useful for dealers who already need to pay attention to player activity and how games are unfolding.
Of course, at the player’s end, there’s also the user interface (UI). This is the digital overlay that players have access to so that they can place bets, check previous statistics, and interact with dealers where possible.
It’s essentially the interactive hub that players need to actually take part in games. The UI connects directly to the dealer’s monitors and table technology, and the OCR updates it with the latest events (such as a certain card being turned over).
Advanced technology and live casino streaming
All of the technology I’ve mentioned so far is fairly standard for live casino tables. However, the rise and evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) have led to further developments in making these games more realistic and interactive.
AI and machine learning, for example, are appearing more and more through chatbot interaction and fraud detection. In some cases, AI can learn typical betting and depositing behaviours and flag any instances it may assume to be fraudulent.
VR live casino gaming is still fairly new and niche at this point. In concept, a VR live game would take players even closer to the action, standing directly in front of dealer streams and interacting with virtual elements that translate into real-world actions.
Of course, as a niche element at this stage, VR tables will continue to see development over the years to come – and, as it stands, they’re not yet widely available online. Still, it’s something to watch out for as live gaming becomes more advanced.
Security and fairness in live casino games
Naturally, players will want to know that the games they play are fair and that they have a genuine chance of winning. Live games, much like slots and digital tables, use random number generators in some cases, and in the case of real-world casino tables – such as blackjack and roulette – players will be able to see that legitimate cards and rules are being used.
That’s why there’s so much emphasis on high-quality camera technology being used in live games. It’s vital that players can see everything that’s happening, and that dealers explicitly inform them of what’s to happen next. With games where dealers spin wheels, for example, it should be obvious that the presenters are spinning a legitimate device.
Live casino games process purchases and withdrawals securely in line with the casino host. They’re developed to handle a large number of bets and interactions with many players at once, and the player UI always makes it easy for users to control their bets and leave sessions when they want to.
At Tonybet, we always partner with studios and developers with proven a track record in security and fairness. Therefore, you can rest assured that any live games you play from our library are carefully vetted, and that you have as much of a chance of winning as anyone else.
With that in mind, however, it’s still good practice to be mindful of your play time and how much money you spend on live casino games. Tonybet can help – just contact our team for support if you want to take time away or restrict what you pay and play.
Now that you know a little bit about how live casino games work, why not give one or two a try? Remember also that live casino game technology is always evolving – and we’ll be the first to share some of the biggest developments in streamed games as soon as we have them.
