Americans Can Finally Play Live Casino Games

By John Isaac,
Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac is an editor with many years of experience in the gambling industry. He writes expert articles on card games like blackjack and poker. In addition, he is also well aware of the US gambling laws and the Indian and Dutch gambling markets. You can rely on verified information and insightful details.

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Last updated: October 19, 2019

For close to a decade, online casinos around the world have offered what’s known as the Live Casino. Here’s how it works: players at home can live stream real-life dealers at physical tables and bet on the games in real time. The cameras are angled to make it feel like the player is sitting in a seat and playing in person – the only difference is that the betting chips are digital. For this reason, Live Casino rooms have limited capacity and may only be available during certain times of the day. But despite those confines (compared to their digital counterparts), the player immersion is unlike anything an electronic game could provide.

How to Play the Different Live Casino Games

Live Blackjack room, with real-life dealer, physical cards, and electronic bets © neconnected

Players can bet on a wide variety of Live Casino games. In fact, any game that pits the player against the house (versus other players) is a likely addition to the options. At most American online casinos, the catalogue includes Blackjack, Roulette, Casino Hold’Em, Baccarat, Caribbean Stud, Wheel of Fortune, and more.

To play, an individual need only deposit at the online casino and click the desired Live Casino game. Most sites will let the player select their dealer as well, some of which have fans that play exclusively in their room. (Yes, really!) The player then agrees to join the game, places a bet, and the game is played as if they were there.

The dealer will even refer to the players by their screen names, and tipping is welcome. Some international operators have even integrated the Live Casino with VR headsets. It doesn’t get more immersive than that.

Which Odds Are Better, the Live Casino or Traditional Online Casino Games?

This is a tricky question, but an important one. It’s reasonable to wonder whether digital games pay out better or worse than physical games. The honest truth is that it depends on the game. For Roulette, the answer is no: the odds are exactly the same. The same goes for Wheel of Fortune or any game that doesn’t involve cards.

But if cards are involved, the player can better gauge volatility as they play at the Live Casino, since the physical cards are dealt and shuffled similarly to that of a brick-and-mortar casino. Meanwhile, the digital version shuffles all the decks between every hand, meaning the previous hand never affects the next.

However, the odds on six-deck Blackjack at a Live Casino are worse than single-deck Blackjack, which you can sometimes find as a digital game. While single-deck typically has higher than usual table minimums, the odds are still almost definitely better than six-deck no matter your strategy. The same applies to different variations of any game (e.g., all the different types of Video Poker).

Where to Play Live Casino Games

At the time of writing article, the only states that offer legal online casinos are New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. While additional states are moving legislation through to legalize online casinos in their jurisdictions, the pace has been slow. Still, out-of-state players can play at the available online casinos any time they’re visiting, and it’s likely that the unmatched realism of the Live Casino will become available to more and more people across America as laws continue to change.

There’s also the option to play at (trusted and legitimate) offshore casinos, but even then, they sometimes block American players from the Live Casino rooms. But with a little elbow grease, it’s not difficult to get in on the action, even from outside NJ, PA, and DE.