The rise of online play changed the casino industry, with many classic games adapted into digital formats. But the evolution didn’t just stop when games first made their way online, with plenty of newer developments and ideas emerging over time.
One of these more recent online casino developments is a format known as the live dealer game. The name is pretty self-explanatory, as these games feature a live dealer who runs the game for online players.
Classic table games like Blackjack and Roulette are now available in live dealer format, with games such as Quantum Roulette live.
The rise of live dealer games
Online casino games took off during the 1990s and early 2000s, thanks to the increasing spread of the internet and personal computers. This allowed players to access classic games from their computer with a strong enough internet connection.
Even during those early days of adapting casino games to an online format, the idea of live dealer games was floated. But the technology was nowhere near where it needed to be to support the concept.
This meant that live dealer games had to wait until technology caught up. By the 2010s, broadband strength had increased significantly across the board, and live streaming technology was on the rise.
With access to advanced video streaming – that preserved the image at a high enough level of quality – online casino platforms began experimenting with the concept of live dealer games. Technology like optical character recognition (OCR) was also key, as this translated the live images into data for the game software to read.
Once the first live dealer games proved a success, other adaptations soon followed, with the classic table games all getting the live dealer treatment.
How does a game of live dealer Roulette work?
Let’s look closer at the workings of a game of live dealer Roulette. The game runs much the same as it would in a land-based casino venue, with the dealer running the game, spinning the Roulette wheel and calling the outcome.
This sets live dealer Roulette apart from other online versions of the game, which use random number generation (RNG) to determine their outcomes rather than physical game components.
Players join a game of live Roulette through the game portal on an online casino platform, connecting to the live video stream of the dealer. These games run on set timetables, with allotted time for each phase of the game. This keeps things moving at a steady pace.
The wagering phase at the start of the game allows players to select their wager, which is communicated to the dealer through the game software. If players join a table after the wagering period, then they must wait for the current game to conclude.
The dealer will spin the Roulette wheel and then release the ball in the opposite direction. High-definition cameras allow players to closely watch the motion of the ball as it bounces, choosing from a variety of angles.
Once the ball lands in a pocket, the dealer will announce the outcome, which will also display digitally in the player’s game interface.
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Live dealer games bring together elements of online and off-line play. Classic table games aren’t the only options when it comes to live casino games, with gameshow-style games also available to play on online platforms.
