Live Dealers have become the biggest new thing in the online gambling world over the past few months. Only a year ago, no Internet casino had live video dealers (some tried, without much success!) — now, more sites are adding live dealers all the time.
On one hand, it was inevitable; some people appreciate the heightened realism and immediacy that live dealers add to the experience…and some players simply refused to settle for clicking the mouse button and watching the RNG spit out a random number. Whatever the case, nobody can deny that there’s nothing quite like the sight of an actual person dealing the cards or spin the wheel, right then and there.
Party Casino was one of the first, setting the standard for Live Dealers
Of course, poker sites have offered live dealers for some time — you can’t play anything like real poker unless each player can take the button in turn. However, the technology to put live video into a reliable and universal game interface eluded even the best software developers until the last year or so (imagine having to make something that works well for millions of players, each with different types of computer setups and Internet connections!).
The first live dealer games to roll out have been the mighty trio well-known to casino customers for decades (especially the VIPs!). Roulette, blackjack, and baccarat. For the most part, the dealers have been a pleasant surprise as well…they’ve all had to meet a high standard of professional know-how, customer skills, and (for lack of a better phrase) be easy on the eyes while doing so.
With all of the new Live Dealer casinos, we thought we’d offer a short list of the best and most trustworthy:
- Vegas Red Casino- Live Roulette, Blackjack, and Baccarat (Download Only?). A little less Live Dealer information on the site than the rest, but the casino itself is one of the best you can find!
- Party Casino – Live Blackjack, Roulette, and Baccarat (Download or Instant Play). You should know by now that Party Casino has it all. They even offer a web page dedicated to each one of their Live Dealers.
- Casino Tropez – Live Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat (Download Only?). We’ve been impressed by Casino Tropez in the past; you can bet the video will be stellar and trouble-free.
- William Hill - Live Roulette, Blackjack, and Baccarat (Download and Flash). Unlike many of these casinos, WillHill has plenty of experience with “real” dealers, and they’re bringing it online!
- Ladbrokes- Live Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, and Sic Bo (seems to be Flash only — no download?). Ladbrokes has more dealers than anyone…and a profile page for each of them!
William Hill’s decades of experience perhaps made a quality Live Dealer experience inevitable.
US-friendly casinos have so far been slower to adopt the option of live dealers on webcam, but both Cherry Red Casino and Rushmore Casino offer Live Blackjack Tournaments, with live casino dealers and live multiplayer support.
