The players' guide to online casinos

Live Dealer Casinos

Live dealer casinos are adding a whole new dimension to online gambling by seating you at an actual casino table and bringing you face to face with a real live human dealer. The cards aren’t dealt by a computer and the roulette wheels don’t spin themselves. On your screen, usually just above the electronic playing area, a video screen shows the dealer shuffle, deal, handle chips and even chat with you and the other players at the table.

Please scroll down for information on our favourite live dealer casinos including bonus and promotion details.

Almost Like Being There

Live dealer casinos add the sounds and atmosphere of a live game to the convenience of playing casino games for money on your home computer. You get to hear the real sounds of the game, such as the whirr of the cards as they are shuffled or the click of the dice rolling on the table.

Most of the dealers are in a special studio in Europe, Asia or Latin America. In some, however, the video stream is coming to you live from an actual casino.  The cards are oversized so that you can see them clearly. As each card is dealt, an electronic graphic image of it appears as well. There are game controls at the bottom of your screen, just like in regular online casino games, and deposits and withdrawals are also handled the same way.

Trust

Some players that prefer live dealer casinos over traditional online casinos say that they just trust them more for some reason. As long as you are playing at a reputable online casino licensed in a proper, regulated jurisdiction, there is no reason not to trust the computers that shuffle and deal the cards, roll the dice and spin the wheels. We like live dealer casinos because they feel more like the real thing, but many players choose to play at live dealer casinos because they can see each card being dealt for themselves.

As always, we only recommend the most reputable casinos, all licensed and regulated for your security and protection in the Aldernies, Isle of Man, Malta, Gibraltar or Kanawake.

Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat

Live dealer casinos offer the most popular casino games: Blackjack, Roulette, Bacarrat. Many also offer Sic Bo.  There are software companies that provide the games and video technology to most live dealer casinos so you’ll see a similarity. For more information see Live Dealer Games and and our Comparison of Live Dealer Casino Platforms.

Can Your Computer Manage Video?

Check out a few live dealer casinos and you’ll find that some play instantly while others are downloaded and installed. In either case, it’s as easy to get started playing at a live dealer casino as at the traditional online casinos that you are likely familiar with.

You do need a fairly decent computer and a high speed internet connection to play live games though. Newer computers equipped for the age of YouTube can show live streaming video no problem. If your computer or your browser software isn’t up to date, or if you try watching video over an old fashioned dial--up internet connection, you’ll likely find the experience a bit frustrating.

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