New ways to play classic casino games have emerged online, capitalising on evolving technology. One of these is something known as live casino, which features online play alongside the presence of a live dealer running the game.
The concept was first floated back when online casinos first got their start, but live casino games had to wait for the technology to catch up with the idea. So, let’s take a closer look at the ins and outs of this particular game format.
How live casino games work
What sets live casino games apart from other online casino offerings is the fact that they’re run by a live dealer, rather than the game software. Dealers are live streamed from a studio, using a physical game setup and components.
This is a lot more complicated than a digital game, like a Plinko casino game, with a number of different high-definition cameras used to capture various angles of the table and gameplay. There’s also the technology that turns those images into data that the computer can read and present to players through their online interface.
These games also run on a set schedule, which allows for things to proceed at a smooth and steady pace. Players have a certain amount of time to make wagers or decide on actions, which is a little different to the pace of a purely digital casino game.
Some popular live casino games
The number of live casino games on offer has only grown since their introduction. Now, there are even variants alongside the more classic forms of table games for players to choose.
Some of the most popular examples of live casino games include:
- Live Blackjack – where players aim to get a hand value closer to 21 than the dealer, without going bust in the process.
- Live Roulette – where players wager on the wheel’s pocket that a spinning ball will stop in.
- Live Baccarat – where players stake on which of two hands will come closer to the value of nine.
- Game shows – unique games that are often based on existing properties like Monopoly or Deal or No Deal.
The technology behind live casino games
A lot of technology goes into making live casino games possible, so let’s dive into a few of the most important bits of tech behind the scenes.
First up is optical character recognition (OCR). This is what allows the computer to ‘read’ the physical game components, such as playing cards and the Roulette wheel. It converts captured images into data that the system then feeds through to the player’s interface, displaying results digitally alongside the video stream.
Working in tandem with the OCR is the game control unit (GCU). A live casino game table will have one of these attached, with the device encoding the video broadcast and managing the technical backend. This is what makes sure the stream runs smoothly.
Not to mention the camera setup involved in live casino games, which need to follow the table and game components from a variety of angles. This allows players to choose which angles to focus on, rather than being restricted to just one view of the table.
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Live casino games give players another way to play classic table games online. And now you know just a little more about how they work.