Live casino is a type of online gaming that brings the heart pumping excitement of a brick and mortar casino right to your computer or mobile device. This kind of gaming is a great option for anyone who wants the feel of playing in Las Vegas but doesn’t have the time or money to make the trip. The games are streamed in real-time and use actual cards and chips, as well as a genuine roulette wheel and card shuffling machine. There are also options live casino online for players to interact with dealers via text chat.
When online casinos first appeared two decades ago they were distinctly two dimensional and not very exciting to play. But as the industry has developed and become the multi-billion dollar business that it is today operators have spared no expense in making online gambling as immersive and realistic as possible. That is one reason why they’ve developed live casino games.
Unlike video slots, where the graphics tend to stay unchanged for long periods of time, live dealer games are constantly evolving and being upgraded. For example, hologram technology is now being used in some games to provide an even more realistic experience. This is all in an effort to appeal to those who aren’t just interested in the fast results and bright colors that video slots deliver, but rather want a more authentic casino experience.
To provide the best experience, the most reputable live casinos work with software providers who have studios located all over the world. For example, Evolution Gaming has live dealer studios in the Philippines, Latvia, Spain, and Malta. This allows them to offer a variety of languages for international gamers and to tailor their live casino experience accordingly. These studios also house a range of cameras and equipment to ensure that every game is played in the same way as it would be in a physical casino.
The interface between the digital technology of an online casino and the action on a live casino table is provided by an ingenious piece of hardware called a GCU (Gaming Control Unit). This tiny device encodes data details from the live casino game and translates them into information that can be displayed on the player’s screen. This is what enables them to know almost instantly if they have won or lost.
Most of the time, live casino games are open to all gamers but some have a section reserved for VIP gamblers. This is a way of encouraging them to place higher wagers in order to qualify for the special treatment and this has been shown to increase customer retention levels. But not all casino sites follow this model and it is up to each site to decide how they wish to use live casino games as a marketing tool for their online operations.