The live casino revolution is arguably the biggest product innovation for online casinos in the last ten years. Super-fast broadband and wireless technologies, HD video capture and streaming, and better-quality hardware for desktop and handset users has opened the door for innovative game companies to make true on the promise to deliver the atmosphere and excitement of a real casino floor right to your home. Whilst the initially uptake was slow, players, operators and customers have now embraced the product and pretty much every casino you visit online will have a live dealer area.

If you haven’t played at a live dealer table before and you want to know what the fuss is all about, consider these points:

1. No Arguments About ‘Rigged Games’

One of the drawbacks of RNG (Random Number Generator) table games is that a gambler on a losing streak can always start to feel like the game engine might be rigged against them. ‘It’s a fix!’ But with live dealer tables where you can actually see the croupier draw and deal the cards, no such complaints can be made.

2. More engaging and exciting gambling

The experience offered up by live tables is more entertaining as you can interact with the dealer, commiserate when you or others have a poor hand, and share the positive vibes when things go your way.

3. Exclusive game formats

Developers are creating unique game formats in an effort to attract gamblers to their tables though special side bet options or randomly enhanced odds. Evolution Gaming’s Lightening Roulette and Infinite Blackjack are great examples of this.

4. Live Dealer Bonuses

The increasing popularity of live dealer means that operators are offering exclusive bonuses for players to use on their tables. Check with any new casino you sign up to so you don’t miss out on these opportunities to get more bets in.

5. Real ‘Bricks and Mortar’ Casino Streams

There are two types of live tables – those streamed from studios and those streamed from real life bricks and mortar casinos. With the second option players can watch the action, including the crowds and the croupiers, and place bets at live roulette wheels from places like Monte Carlo and Malta.

6. Bet Range

Live tables offer a huge range of stakes, from the very lowest up to high roller level. If you are a big spending casino player then the Blackjack Salon Prive tables where you can bet one on one with the croupier offer a truly exclusive VIP experience.

In the early days live casino tables offered only the basic versions of Blackjack and Roulette. But now you can play a whole range of classic casino games as well as totally new formats developed exclusively for the online environment.

Blackjack – All live casinos offer Blackjack in a variety of formats including standard 7 seat and Infinite which has no player limits. It has a typical RTP of over 99%.

Roulette – Next to Blackjack the most popular table game. Look out for European Roulette with a Zero and American Roulette with a Zero and Double Zero.

Baccarat – Also known and Punto Banco, in Baccarat you must bet on which hand, the player or dealer, will get a score closest to 9.

Casino Hold Em – A variation on classic Texas Hold ‘Em where each player must beat just the dealer’s hand rather than everyone else of the table.

3 Card Poker – Another, even simpler version of poker played against the dealer with just three cards and top payout for a mini royal flush of Ace, King, Queen.

Sic Bo – A simple dice game that is very popular in Asia. The player must bet on the outcome of the role of three dice to predict the total or the occurrence of numbers.

Hi Lo – A simple bet on the next card to be dealt in a sequence. As well as betting higher or lower players can bet on the exact card, the color or several other options.

Caribbean Stud – Another poker game played one on one with the dealer. Bets are on whether the player hand will beat the dealers. There are single hand and 5 hand games.

Dragon Tiger – A simple Baccarat-type game. Bet on whether the card dealt to the Dragon on Tiger position will be higher than the other.

Lightening Dice – An online-only Evolution Gaming format in which players bet on the outcome of three dice dropped into the ‘Lightening Tower’.

Ultimate Texas Hold Em – Just you against the dealer, Ultimate Texas Hold Em involves a 5-card hand and the same options to fold, check or bet as multiplayer Texas Hold Em. There are additional side bets that can be made. One on which cards will be dealt, and one on the player’s hand regardless of the outcome of the main game.

3 Card Brag – Another derivative of Poker, 3 Card Brag sets the player against the dealer with the best band winning. This game is much like 3 card poker, except the hand values are different. In 3 Card Brag the best hand is 3 of a kind. This game is a Playtech exclusive.

Dream Catcher – A Wheel of Fortune-style game that was designed to make live casino more appealing to slots players. Players bet on one of six number segments in a 54-segment wheel. 2x and 7x multipliers increase the payout potential when they come into play.

Side Bet City – Derived from poker players bet on the best hand to be formed from the first three cards dealt, the first five cards dealt, OR all seven cards dealt. It is also possible to bet to have a losing hand.

Spin a Win – Playtech’s answer to Dream Catcher, Spin a Win is a Wheel of Fortune with multiple side bet options including betting on an odd number or an even number, or the wheel stopping on a multiplier.

Bet on Poker – Yet another version of Texas Hold Em in which the player bets on his hand against the dealers. Here there are additional bets that an be made before the Turn and River cards are dealt. It’s possible to bet against the dealer as well as on the exclusive outcome of your own hand.

Deal or No Deal – This game is based on the TV show where you are offered prizes in boxes which you can stick with or take the banker’s money for.

Here is a profile of some of the most popular game formats and where you can play them.

Immersive Roulette from Evolution Gaming at Casino Gods

50p to £200,000 stakes, 97.3% RTP, HD Stream, Slow Motion Replay, Multiple Camera Angles

Multiplayer Blackjack from NetEnt at Temple Nile

£1 to £20,000 stakes, 99.5% RTP, Bet Behind, Perfect Pair

Dream Catcher from Evolution Gaming at Casino Joy

10p to £5,000 stakes, 96.58% RTP, Multiplier Bonuses, TV Gameshow Format

Casino Hold Em from Playtech at Casino.com

50p to £100 stakes, 97.84% RTP

Lightening Dice from Evolution Gaming at Casumo

£1 to £2,000 stakes, 96.21% RTP, Full HD Stream, Unlimited Players, Random Multipliers

3 Card Brag from Playtech at BGO Casino

£1 to £2,000 stakes, 98% RTP, Pair Plus Side Bet

Side Bet City from Evolution Gaming at Dream Vegas

£1 to £2,000 stakes, 94.34% to 96.29% RTP, All Side Bet Gambling

When Live Dealer casinos first arrived on the scene operators did not really offer bespoke promotions to customers who gambled on the tables. This may have been partly down to the high Return to Player (RTP) of games like Blackjack and Roulette that makes them easy opportunities for players looking to abuse bonus promotions. However, with the increased popularity of live tables its more common to find a bespoke welcome bonus and regular offers tailored to your play on these games, either through deposit bonuses or cashbacks.

NOTE: When taking up these offers you must always check the wagering requirements. Whilst they may be set at 30x or 40x, the contribution of to that amount made by each game may be very small – only 5% of 10% for example.

Here are two of the best deals currently available for UK players.