Eve Luneborg
Have questions about live casinos? What are they, which games do they offer, and are they safe? You’ll find the answers to all of these questions, and many more, right here on this page. We’ve collected all the frequently asked questions about live casinos and their games. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us using our contact form.
A live casino is a game vertical you’ll find at online casinos. Here, you get to play table games and game shows via live stream. A real dealer will control the game from a real casino studio, and you can join via stream, directly from your casino of choice.
Live casino games work exactly the same way as they do when you’re playing in a land-based casino. You’ll still have the same betting options, and you can control your own hand, for example, when playing blackjack or poker. However, in a live casino, you can also find game types only available online, such as game shows, where RNG features are also present.
In a live casino, you can play all kinds of table games, such as roulette, blackjack, baccarat, casino poker, and other table, card, and dice games. In addition, you’ll find innovative game types like live lotteries, game shows, pachinko, and more.
Yes, playing live dealer games using your mobile is absolutely possible. All you have to do is go to your online casino using your mobile browser. Then, you navigate to the live casino section, pick a game, and it will load directly in your browser. You can even stream the games in full HD.
Yes, playing in a live casino is completely legal for anyone residing in Ireland. You can freely choose an available online casino and play all the live games they offer. Just make sure that the casino holds a reputable gambling licence, so you play in a safe and regulated environment.
No, nowadays all live casino games are available as instant games, which you simply play using your web browser. There’s no need to download any app or other software in order to play. Simply go to your casino, select the live casino vertical, and pick a game. The game will open in your browser in just a couple of seconds.
Yes, all live casino games are fair, and this is easily verifiable. While playing, you watch via a live stream, without any delay, so you can see everything that’s going on. You can see cards being shuffled and the roulette ball landing in a pocket in real time. In many games, you can also see a list of winning players rolling over the screen.
Yes, most live dealer games have an in-game chat where you can send messages to the dealer. The dealer can then reply by talking directly to the camera. In this way, you can also communicate and chat with other players. In some games, like game shows, the live chat is a big part of the entertainment offered within the game.
In RNG games, the outcome is controlled by a random number generator. This means you play strictly against a computer system. In live dealer games, real cards, roulette wheels, and other game-specific equipment are used. In other words, live dealer games offer a “real” game, while an RNG game is computer-generated.
Yes, all live games have betting limits, both for minimum and maximum bets. However, the betting range can be vast, so you can bet as little as €1 or as much as €100,000 at the same table — suitable for progressive betting strategies. Often, the table’s betting range is printed on the felt or displayed on a small sign.
Whether you can use a bonus when playing live dealer games depends on the casino you’re playing at. Some will allow it, while others won’t. If your casino lets you use bonus funds to play live games, the wagering contribution is usually less than 100%. Most often, it’s somewhere between 5% and 50%, depending on which game you’re playing. Also, keep in mind that the best live casinos offer special bonuses only to be used on live dealer games.
To ensure that the live casino you’re playing at is a safe one, you need to look at its gambling licence. For players in Ireland, the safest option would be a casino licensed by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI). Alternatively, Malta, Kahnawake or Curaçao. You’ll find the licence information in the casino’s footer menu, and the logo should also be a licence validator.
No, unfortunately, live games cannot be played for free. Demo mode, where you play using fun money, is only available in RNG games. If you want to try out a live casino without risking real money, you’ll have to see if you can find a no-deposit bonus you can use. Or, simply play using the table’s minimum bets so you won’t risk losing a lot.
If the stream during a live game disconnects, you won’t be losing out on anything. The game round will still be played, and winnings are paid out accordingly. The only way you can potentially lose is if you lose your internet connection while playing games where you need to actively play, like in blackjack. If you’ve placed a bet, gotten cards, and then lost connection, the hand you were dealt is the hand you’ll be playing against the dealer’s hand.
Most live casino game providers have their own software. So the biggest in the business are Evolution, Pragmatic Play, Ezugi, Absolute Live Gaming, BeterLive, BetGamesTV, and others. Then, there are some that use the software of other providers. For example, Quickspin uses the live casino software developed by Playtech.
Live casino studios are found all over the world. Some are in Malta and Lithuania, others are located in the UK and Spain. Many of them are also found in South America or Asia. In addition, there are some live dealer games that are streamed not from a studio, but from real-life land-based casinos all over the world.
Many countries have their own live dealer tables, localised and customised specifically for their audience. There are some such tables only for Irish players, but they aren’t very common. The reason for this is that the default language spoken at the tables is English, which means Irish players don’t need much localisation.
Whether using betting strategies is allowed or not when you play live dealer games depends not on the game itself, but on the casino’s rules. Therefore, you can play the same table streamed from two different casinos, and two different sets of rules will apply. So to make sure, you’ll have to read the terms and conditions at the casino you’re playing at.
The two most popular table games at live casinos are roulette and blackjack, and that’s why you’ll find hundreds of these at every live casino you visit. But, if you look at a live casino’s list of popular games, you’ll also find lots of other game titles, especially within the game show niche.
Eve Luneborg – Live Casino Specialist at LiveCasino.ie
Eve Luneborg has been part of the online casino industry since 2014, when she moved to the sunny shores of Malta to pursue her passion for gaming.
