A live casino is a section of an online casino where the games are hosted by people instead of software. The rules, payouts and house edge are those of the game you know from a casino floor. What differs is how the round reaches you: through a video stream and a betting interface that are kept in step with the table.
The studio
Most live games come from dedicated studios run by game providers such as Evolution, Pragmatic Play, Playtech and Ezugi. A studio holds many tables running at once, each with its own dealer, cameras and lighting, supervised by floor and shift managers. Some games are streamed from tables on a land-based casino floor instead.
Providers open studios in several countries to serve different markets and languages, and regulated markets often require a local studio. Our live casino studio locations page lists where they are.
How the stream reaches you
Each table has several cameras: a wide shot of the table and close-ups of the wheel, cards or dice. The video is encoded at the table, compressed and sent through the provider's servers to the casino, which shows it in your browser or app. The stream adapts its quality to your connection, so a slow connection gives a softer picture before it starts to stutter.
Your actions travel the other way. Bets, blackjack decisions and chat messages go to the game server, and the dealer sees the betting status and chat on a screen in front of the table.
How a card or a number becomes a result on your screen
The physical result has to become data before a bet can be settled. Providers use a mix of camera recognition (often called OCR) and sensors: card shoes and tables read each card as it is dealt, and roulette wheels have sensors that register the pocket the ball lands in. A unit at the table, usually called the game control unit, links the video, the recognition data and the betting server.
That is why hand totals, winning numbers and payouts appear on your screen automatically, a moment after the dealer reveals them.
What the dealer does
Live dealers run the game: they shuffle, deal or spin, announce results and follow procedures for misdeals and other irregularities. They also talk to players and answer the chat. Dealers do not decide results and do not handle your money; bets are placed and paid by the software. If you want to work as one, see how to become a live dealer.
What you see on screen
| Element | What it does |
|---|---|
| Video feed | The live picture of the dealer and the table |
| Betting layout | Where you place bets, with a chip selector |
| Timer | How long betting stays open for the round |
| Results history | Recent numbers or hands; a record, not a prediction |
| Chat | Messages to the dealer and, at some tables, other players |
On a phone the layout is compressed, but the same functions are there. If the picture lags, see our tech requirements guide.
Fairness and licensing
Live game providers hold licences for their studios, and the casinos that offer the games hold their own licences. Regulators require game rules, equipment and procedures to be tested by accredited labs, and every round is recorded on video. The house edge is built into the payouts, so a licensed casino has no reason to interfere with a round.
A licence only covers the markets where it applies. Check that the casino is licensed for players in your country; our licensing guide explains how to check.
Is there VR live casino?
Live dealer games are streamed as ordinary video, viewed on a flat screen. Virtual reality casinos exist as a niche, mostly as computer-generated 3D rooms rather than filmed tables, and their availability for real-money play depends on the operator and your country. If a site sells VR as the main reason to sign up, check its licence as you would any other casino.
Live casino or land-based casino
| Live casino online | Land-based casino | |
|---|---|---|
| Dealer and equipment | Real, in a studio | Real, on the floor |
| Access | Any time, from any device | Opening hours, travel |
| Table minimums | Often lower, since many players share one table | Set by the venue |
| Pace | Timed betting rounds | Set by the table |
| Social contact | Chat | Face to face |
The rules and payouts of the same game are the same in both. Check each game's paytable, because live studios also run variants with side bets or multipliers that change the payouts.
