Long gone are the days where the only place where you could satisfy your gambling desires was at a land-based casino or using slot machines inside pubs. With the advent of the Internet, and with almost everyone having access to the World Wide Web nowadays, physical casinos have lost their importance and online casinos have gained popularity. There are so many of them in fact, that consulting certain websites such as roulettesites.org always comes in handy when you want to select a reputable provider. Or simply obtain more information about playing table games such as roulette.
A lot of the games offered by online gaming providers have always been controlled in a way, either mechanically or by computer. The newest generation of online games uses complex random number generators, so-called RNGs, to determine the spin of the roulette wheel for instance.
Nevertheless, some gamblers have never really trusted the fairness of such systems, even though reputable casinos are regularly inspected by eCOGRA. This is a leading independent and internationally approved testing agency which specialises in the certification of online gaming software and systems.
What is more, although many players actually enjoy the solitude of playing roulette games at online casinos, others still wish to have some sort of human interaction. This is why more and more online casinos offer live dealer options now, such as live dealer roulette.
Live dealer roulette
Allowing a computer to spin the roulette wheel might be sufficient for some players. However, an increasing number of people want a more traditional casino experience. Playing against a computer might be interesting for some, but others really prefer games played at tables with real dice, cards or roulette wheels. Playing with real dealers at real tables, even if it is in a virtual manner, is better for a lot of punters. Croupiers can handle all the physical actions required by the game, enabling players the luxury of focusing themselves entirely on betting. This is why live dealer roulette was developed and has become very popular in recent years. Live dealing technology has brought players closer to an actual casino environment.
But how does live roulette work?
Some software development companies like Playtech, Evolution and Microgaming actually provide live dealer rooms to online casinos against the payment of a management fee. These facilities can be equipped for different casino table games such as blackjack, baccarat and, of course, roulette. There are generic tables that can be used, which means that these are shared by other online casinos as well. However, the online gaming providers also have the possibility of customizing the gaming tables. Besides the studio room where the actual roulette game takes place, there is an adjacent server room where all the technological aspect of live dealing are taken care of.
A typical live studio is normally equipped with plenty of technology. More than one camera operator is required to capture all the movements of the dealer and the various features of the roulette game. The players see the dealer through one camera and it provides a general overview before beginning the game of roulette. The function of the second camera is to give an overhead or bird’s eye view of the roulette table to the player. Thus, you can see the outcome of the spin “live”. All of the images are sent to a server room where the computer uses optical character recognition (OCR) software to transfer the images and data to the player’s monitor. Naturally, an expert in IT must constantly be present to deal with any technical problems that may arise during the game. Just like at physical casinos, the dealer reports to a pit boss. This is a person in charge of overseeing the roulette tables, supervising the croupiers’ work and managing any disputes that may occur with players.
For the online casino, offering live dealer roulette and other table games is more expensive than simply using RNG games. However, the demand for such live games is quite high and online casinos that provide this “service” will definitely attract more paying customers.
A typical live roulette game
Let us imagine that you have decided to play a live dealer game of roulette at the online casino of your choice. First of all, you will see a human croupier on your screen and you can communicate with this person in real time thanks to the live feed.
The dealer will ask you, and possibly other players, to place your bets. This is much different than a simple, computerised roulette game because just like a real casino more than one person can be sitting at the roulette table. The chips used by the dealer are equipped with microchips and connected to a sophisticated computer programme. These interface with the software and you can see the action on your screen.
Once all bets are placed, the dealer will inform you that no more wagers can be made. Then the game can begin. The dealer spins the roulette wheel and drops the ball. Every movement of the little ball in the large wheel is transmitted to the participants. Unlike ordinary online roulette games, the outcome of each spin is not determined by an RNG. The final result of the game, the winning number and colour, can be seen “live”. When the little ball finally settles somewhere on the wheel, the OCR technology reads the winning number. The information is then transmitted to the software and are displayed on the screen. This allows you to keep track of your bets.
Live interaction
For players who are seeking human interaction and the thrill of playing at a casino without having to leave their home, drive many kilometres, dress up, etc., live dealer casino games are the perfect solution.
The main aspect of playing live roulette, for example, is that players can communicate directly with the dealers. This is done via a chat interface. Moreover, they can also interact with other players at the table if they wish to do so.
The live dealers at reputable online casinos have usually been well-trained and some of them have previously worked at land-based casinos for years as well. Most dealers are well-versed in customer relationship management. Very often, you can also choose the language of communication for the live dealer roulette game, although the majority of online casinos offer English-speaking dealers.
The interaction between dealers and players is not solely restricted to the game at hand. You can enjoy some small chat with live dealers and even fellow players. Whereas the live dealer speaks directly to you via the main camera, your comments are sent by typing into the chat interface. This means that in most cases everyone at the roulette table can hear and see what is going on with the live dealer but not what other participants comment. Some online casinos do offer this option, although the noise level can be overbearing sometimes.
In conclusion, if you are looking for a compromise between a physical, land-based casino and the online version, then live dealer games at online casinos are the best option. This is a subject that is often discussed in casino forums and blogs, but in the end, the choice is yours. The main advantage of playing with a live dealer is that you can play roulette anywhere, at any time and still enjoy the “company” of a croupier. Even other players if you wish to. Live dealers at online casinos combine perfectly the traditional casino experience with the convenience of modern technology.
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