Definition
Live Casino
Also known as Live Dealer Casino, Live Games, LiveCasino
By Abhinav VasudevanReviewed Editorial policy
In short
Live casino streams real dealers and physical equipment to online players in real time. The games use actual cards and wheels rather than an RNG, and play considerably slower than software equivalents.
Live casino bridges online and land-based play: a real dealer at a real table, streamed from a studio, with bets placed through software.
What makes it different
The outcome comes from physical equipment, actual cards, an actual wheel, rather than from a random number generator. Optical character recognition reads the result and settles bets automatically.
For players who distrust software randomness, this is the appeal. In practice a certified RNG and a physical wheel are equally fair; the difference is what people find convincing.
The pace
Live games are much slower than their software equivalents, and this is the most consequential practical difference.
| Game | Rounds per hour |
|---|---|
| Live roulette | 40–50 |
| RNG roulette | 100+ |
| Live blackjack | 50–70 hands |
| Online slots | 500–1,200 spins |
Since the house edge is charged per round, a slower game costs less per hour at the same stake. Live roulette at £10 a spin costs roughly £13/hour; the same stake on RNG roulette costs closer to £27.
This makes live casino one of the cheaper ways to gamble per hour, which is rarely how it is marketed.
The economics
Live casino is expensive to run. Studios, dealers, cameras, streaming infrastructure. Operators compensate with:
- Higher table minimums than RNG equivalents
- Side bets carrying much higher margins than the base game
- Game show formats with substantially worse odds than classic tables
The classic tables are generally good value. The products built around them are where the margin is.
The main studios
Evolution dominates, having absorbed NetEnt Live and Ezugi. Playtech and Pragmatic Play Live are the main alternatives. Most operators license from the same handful of providers, which is why the games look identical across different casino brands.
Practical notes
- Betting windows are short, typically 10 to 20 seconds
- Stable connection required: a dropout during the betting window means a missed round, and bets already placed stand
- Chat is monitored; dealers are trained to engage, which is part of the product
- RTP figures are in the game information, and differ between variants of the same game
Common questions
Is live casino fairer than RNG games?
Not fairer, just differently convincing. A certified RNG and a physical wheel are equally fair. What differs is that live outcomes come from real equipment, which some players find more persuasive.
Is live casino cheaper to play?
Per hour, often yes. Live roulette runs 40 to 50 spins an hour against 100 or more for RNG roulette, and since the edge is charged per round, the same stake costs roughly half as much per hour.