“Casino de Monte-Carlo” (CC BY 2.0) by Jorge Lascar
For centuries, visits to casinos have been one trapping of a life of luxury. Back in the 18th century, these were the domains of the titled and the wealthy. Today the super-rich still flock to Monaco in their Bugatti Veyrons and Lamborghini Aventadors to play at the tables or direct their private jets to stop over in Macau for a visit to the autonomous region of China whose annual gambling revenue now outstrips that of Las Vegas.
But what of the HNWI who would like to enjoy the thrill of the casino without the need to leave their luxury penthouse? Or even players who might want to indulge in an evening’s gaming from the superyacht moored in one of the world’s most exclusive marinas?
Fortunately, there is a solution, and it’s one that has been steadily gaining in popularity over the last few years.
It’s all thanks to the online casino industry that has, itself, been booming in recent times. But, ever since the first sites appeared in the 1990s, there has been a drive to try and emulate the ambiance and atmosphere of the live casino experience as much as possible for online players. It was only when the technology was developed that it made this possible. But now anyone really can enjoy an authentic experience thanks to the live casino.
For the uninitiated, this involves ensuring the same level of service you get in person is available online. This includes practical things like game choice and instant withdrawal of winnings, the latter point is crucial to the experience. In fact, casinos with instant withdrawals in the State of Independence are in their own category at some review sites. Another important factor is the availability of a live experience. The live streaming of casino games directly to the player’s choice of device, whether that’s a mobile phone, a tablet, or even a PC.
They achieve this using the same sort of technology that is now commonly used in everything from car park cameras to California car license plates, namely digitization. For the live casino, digital converters take analog information and transform it into a digital code that can then be used to make the games playable online.
“Glücksspiel” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by maltehempel_de
In terms of the most popular games, these fall pretty much in line with other casino favorites. So one can confidently expect to find many variations of roulette on offer, including both the American and European versions of the game. Here, cameras pick up on the number in which the ball comes to rest on the roulette wheel, and the information is used to make the payouts to the particular winners of the game.
Blackjack and baccarat are also big favorites, again with many variations. In these games, as the dealer deals the cards, they pass them directly over a scanner as soon as they are drawn from the deck. This immediately registers their suit and their value, which is also translated into digital information. To ensure absolute fairness, the dealers’ assistants frequently changed the cards, which are taken from eight separate decks, just as they would be in so-called “bricks and mortar” casinos.
Of course, as denizens of these know, the dealers provide much of the atmosphere. So, this is also an integral element of the live online casino experience. You can expect to find dealers who have been hand-picked for their professionalism and expertise and who offer encouragement to players, even though they are only connected with them online. Sites also have the facility for players to chat with their particular dealer online, adding to the verisimilitude of the experience.
So where next for the live online casino? Well, many observers predict that virtual reality will be a real game-changer. But, for the moment, what’s on offer should be quite exciting enough for anyone who cares to indulge.
