A live casino is a type of online gambling platform where players interact with real dealers in real-time and enjoy the most authentic experience outside of visiting a brick-and-mortar casino. This is made possible by using a combination of live camera feed from the studio, OCR software that captures symbols on cards or numbers on the roulette wheel and a special piece of hardware called a Game Control Unit (GCU) which is no bigger than a shoe box and is responsible for encoding all of this information to transmit it over the internet in HD quality.
Live games are streamed from studios or land-based venues and can be played on desktop computers, tablets and mobile devices. They feature a live dealer who will deal the cards, spin the roulette wheel and create a vibrant social gaming environment for all participants. In addition, players can use a chat option to make bets and ask questions in the same way as they would when playing at traditional online casinos.
The game portfolio of a live casino solution usually consists of classic table games accessible at every land-based casino. This is typically the so-called golden trio of blackjack, roulette and baccarat, but some providers offer additional options. Moreover, some offer unique games which are tailored to specific player groups.
For example, some platforms have experimented with reserving some live games exclusively for VIP gamers in order to increase customer retention. However, the disadvantage of this approach is that if a player knows that certain exciting live casino games are reserved for them, they may subconsciously feel motivated to place higher wagers on their favorite game in order to get into the VIP lane sooner.