A live casino is a real-time online gambling experience where players interact with a dealer and the action is streamed to them in real time. This makes for a very immersive and exciting experience, which can make it feel like you’re in Las Vegas or at least sitting around your kitchen table! But what is behind the scenes of this amazing technology?
A lot goes into ensuring that live casino is as seamless as possible. For one, the dealers have to be incredibly well trained and comfortable in front of the camera. They are also given access to tools that help them deal with different situations. This means that even if a player is not at the best of times, the dealer will be able to keep the game moving and ensure that all the rules are followed.
The next crucial part is the hardware, which interfaces between digital technology and the game. In the case of a live casino this generally involves some form of OCR software (optical character recognition), which translates the symbols on the cards or numbers on a roulette wheel into data that can then be transmitted to the players. This is what enables the casinos to track the bets made by players and immediately deduct or award winnings.
Another key piece of hardware that can be found in a live casino is the GCU (Game Control Unit). This device is no bigger than a shoebox and it’s responsible for encoding the video that is broadcast. It’s essentially the heart of the whole live casino setup and without it the games simply wouldn’t work. Depending on the type of game being played the GCU may also be used to scan the wheels in order to capture their position and spin them again if necessary.
Whether you’re playing on your desktop computer, smartphone or tablet, most modern live casino websites are designed to be compatible across all platforms. Players can sign in to a site, browse the options and click on the one that appeals to them. Then they’ll be taken to the live casino lobby, which is similar in layout to the main casino floor in a bricks and mortar casino. Once they’ve picked a game to play, they’ll be asked to place their bets, which the dealer will then process and notify players of the results.
In some cases, the players will be allowed to chat with the dealer too, which adds to the immersion of the game. This feature can be a great way to meet people and have a bit of fun.
The most popular live casino games are poker, blackjack and baccarat. These are classic casino table games that have been adapted to live gaming environments so that you can enjoy the same gameplay and interaction that you’d get at a real casino. Other live casino games include keno, craps and roulette, all of which can be found at the top online casinos.