Ever wondered how a live casino works? Maybe, you are planning to partake in a live casino game but need to understand how the whole process works or perhaps, just curious.
A live casino is a form of online gambling that enables you place a wager while having the same experience just like you would have, if you were playing in a brick and mortar casino.
You see, with the advancement in technologies such as video streaming services and the increasing prevalence of quality internet connection, online casinos can now offer the same experience players are used to in a land-based. Interestingly, gamblers can expect a payout that is comparable to brick and mortar.
Reputable online gambling operators like Unibet Casino rely on software from industry leaders such as Yggdrasil, QuickSpin, Play’n GO, NetEnt or Evolution Gaming to power their platforms. But, the exciting thing about live casino however is that it is run in real-time by human dealers, which means, results of games are determined by a human instead of being automated.
So, how does Live Casino work?
Players take part in the game through a console on their computer screen – from here they can see what’s going on and other players.
There’s the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tech that translates every move made by the dealer into data. This data is transmitted instantly to players creating a real-life experience that rivals a brick and mortar gaming session. Players can ask question using a Live chat feature.
Key Setup of Live Casino
Now to make Live casino work, online gaming platforms usually invest heavily in technology and staff. For example, they employ the services of an IT manager, a pit boss, croupiers and a cameraman.
So, here are the major components of a Live casino:
Cameras
Aside from the software on which live gaming relies on, cameras are an important component of a live casino setup. Cameras are the eyes of both the dealers and players to see each other during a game.
Casinos usually use smaller but more powerful cameras to capture and live stream every moment in the gaming session.
A typical game of roulette has three cameras that capture and feeds different angle to the players. For instance, one of the cameras gives a bird eye view of the table, another focuses on live streaming shots of the table and the wheel while the third camera provides the picture to picture display.
The Game Control Unit
The Game Control Unit (GCU) is the heart and brain of the live casino. Without it, live streaming casino games would be impossible.
Every table in a Live casino studio is fitted with its own GCU, a shoebox sized device that is responsible for encoding video data broadcasted during a live game. Between the GCU and dealer, they ensure a seamless, brick and mortar-like experience for players.
Wheel
Live casino is currently best suited for table games than any other game. Since live casino tries to recreate the brick and mortar feel, they usually include wheels in the studio.
These wheels are fitted with sensors which unlike in a traditional casino where players and dealers physically confirm results, send you data automatically.
Human dealers
Dealers play a crucial role to ensure live casino experiences mirror as closely as possible brick and mortar gaming. Just as land-based casinos train their dealers to be knowledgeable and professional when handling gaming sessions, live casinos like those powered by Evolution Gaming also ensure their pit bosses are well-trained.
To ensure accountability, live casinos track every action of their dealers with a smart card.
Monitor
Think of the monitor as your computer or whatever device you are playing with but in this case, it is on the dealer’s side. The monitor helps the dealer direct and keep track bets placed by players.
From the monitor, the dealer can see how many players are online, prompt plays from players and promptly remove gamers that broke the rules.
