Over recent years, online casinos have grown massively thanks to ease of access and the vast number of fun and entertaining games available for players online. With so many different games and features that differ from your typical brick-and-mortar casino, there is no wonder why people prefer to log onto their devices and play a greater variety of games on live casinos.
History of Live Casinos
Live casinos first entered the casino scene in the mid-90s. When the ability to play casino games online was first introduced, it came with many drawbacks, with the technology at the time not being of the greatest quality. Internet speed was also an issue, only if you had access to the internet, with many households not having it available to them as commonly as it is today. A simple phone call would have blocked the internet, bringing an end to your live casino experience.
Over time, the development of technology has allowed for advancements in online casino gameplay technology. Some of these developments include the introduction of compatibility with different devices and a more widely available internet connection, which provided more players with the opportunity to experience online casinos.
2006 was a notable year in which live casino games started to take the shape of how we see them today. Evolution Gaming produced a revolutionary game of roulette that could be played live with a real dealer in real time via a high-quality live stream. This inspired the creation of other live casino games in the same style, such as Blackjack, Poker, and Baccarat.
Fast-forward to 2012, new and improved technologies meant that owning a PC was no longer the only way to enjoy the live casino experience. Players could access the games on other devices, such as smartphones. Four years later, in 2016, BetFair became the first betting app to be introduced on the Apple Store, giving iPhone, iPad, and iPod users quicker access to online casinos with a range of more features. Not only was this a huge step for BetFair but it was also a revolution for other companies alike to do the same.
Why Did Live Casinos Become So Popular?
Live casinos quickly took the IGaming world by storm with technologies that allowed quick and easy access to players’ favourite games from the comfort of their own homes. The combination of digital play with a real-life dealer makes online games a little bit more special, which builds trust in the play and provides a more authentic gaming experience. The convenience of accessing games from anywhere, at any time, and on any device is what makes this availability so popular.
What Have The Main Impacts Of Live Casinos Been?
With every new technological advancement in the development of live casino gameplay, a plethora of impacts both positive and negative, have been uncovered.
There are many positives to Live Casinos, including comfort and ease of access. Gamers do not have to leave the house and visit a physical casino whilst still being able to enjoy the full casino experience with social interaction and an authentic environment. The social aspects elevated online gaming and built trust in the industry with face-to-face capabilities. The element of trust is gained when the player is able to see what the dealer is doing live and watch the entire process. What differentiates Live Casino’s level of trust from mechanical online casino games is that games such as Roulette and Blackjack, which require an element of luck, are determined in front of the players.
However, negative impacts of the developments are inevitable, as with any other new technology that is introduced to the market. What could be considered a disadvantage of live gameplay itself is the overall speed of the game. Digital casino games have a faster-paced, more controlled gaming experience through the use of an RNG (Random Number Generator) to determine results, whereas a live casino game is played at the pace of the dealer. This depends on the player’s preference for what they want from a gaming experience, but there is most definitely a stand-out difference between the two.
Another gameplay impact could be higher minimum bets in certain games, which can make it more difficult to find a game you are comfortable with. The difference varies between games and may not be an increase of much, but this could be seen as a negative depending on the player.
What Does The Future Hold?
The future for live casinos is bright with an ever-evolving range of technology and capabilities; the advancement of live casinos shows no sign of slowing down. Some of the things we can look forward to seeing in the future include:
- VR (Virtual Reality) provides a more immersing experience
- Increased interactivity
- More Game Variety
- AI helping to increase personalisation
Who knows when some of these features will globally available, but the progression in the industry is imminent.