Behind every spin - Episode 2: Live Dealer Games

Live Dealer Games: Real Cards and Wheels in a Digital World

Live dealer games deserve a special mention separate from RNG games. These are games like live-streamed blackjack, roulette, baccarat, poker, and the modern “game show” style offerings (Dream Catcher, Crazy Time, Deal or No Deal live, etc.). The explosion of live casino online has blurred the line between brick-and-mortar and online gambling. Here’s how fairness is ensured when you’re watching an actual person deal cards on your screen:

    •    Physical Randomness: In live games, randomness comes from physical actions – a dealer shuffling and drawing cards, or a real roulette wheel being spun with a ball, or a physical set of dice being tossed (like in Evolution’s Lightning Dice). This is inherently fair as long as the physical tools are fair. The casinos use professional-grade equipment: e.g., roulette wheels from reputable manufacturers that are tested for balance, cards that are replaced often to avoid any marking, and automated shufflers that randomize decks thoroughly. They may also rotate dealers and use continuous shuffle machines in games like blackjack to prevent any card counting or exploitation (which in a live online setting, with many players and limited time, is anyway near impossible).

    •    Multi-Camera Angles and Transparency: If you join a live roulette table online, you’ll often see multiple camera angles – a wide shot showing the dealer and table, and close-ups of the wheel when the ball is about to land. This is to increase player confidence that nothing sneaky is happening (like a magnet under the wheel or something – which is a fictional fear more than a reality). Many live blackjack games show the shoe being inserted into a shuffler and sometimes the cards being drawn out. The entire dealing process is on video, so it’s hard to imagine how a cheat could be inserted without being visible. These studios often invite regulatory inspections.

    •    Procedures and Personnel: Live dealers are trained just like in a real casino to follow procedures that ensure fairness. For example, shuffling protocols might be specified by the regulator (e.g., do a certain type of shuffle, use cut card, etc.). There’s usually a pit boss or floor manager supervising. Every card drawn is recorded by cameras. In fact, most live systems use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) or sensors to immediately digitize the result (so the system knows what card was dealt or what number rolled, to pay bets automatically). This technology also serves as a check: if a card is unrecognizable or something, the round is voided. The software running alongside the live feed will catch any irregularities.

    •    Live Game Audits: Testing labs also audit live dealer games. They might not “test” randomness by simulation (since you can’t simulate human dealing easily), but they inspect equipment and procedures. For example, GLI and eCOGRA have methodologies for auditing a live studio: verifying that the cards are authentic and random (maybe by taking a large sample of shoe outcomes and analyzing them), verifying the roulette outcomes match expected probabilities over time (e.g., each number roughly 1/37 in frequency), and ensuring no biases. They also audit things like dealer error rates and how the software handles errors.

    •    Licensing for Live: Not every regulator allows live games from anywhere. Some require the studio itself to be licensed. Evolution, for instance, holds multiple licenses for its various studios (MGA license, UKGC license for their UK studio, etc.). If you play on a UK casino, you’re likely on a feed from a studio that the UKGC has approved. These regulators conduct inspections as well, sometimes unannounced.

    •    Fairness Perception: Generally, players trust live games more readily because they can see the game in action. It feels more difficult to rig (and it is – it would require a conspiracy of multiple people and tampering with equipment, which is extremely unlikely in a reputable operation). There have been occasional player queries like “Is the roulette wheel rigged?” which regulators have addressed by publishing reports – always finding nothing untoward if the provider is trusted. The one thing to keep in mind: the same house edge principles apply. Live blackjack has the same ~0.5% edge (with good play) as it would in a real casino; live roulette has 2.7% edge on European tables. The presence of a human doesn’t change the math, it only changes the source of randomness and the experience.

    •    Live Game Software: The fairness also extends to how bets are handled. The software that takes your bets and pays wins is extensively tested. A glitch there could cost the casino or the player, so it’s robust. If there’s ever a tech issue (say the video feed drops mid-round or a card can’t be read), usually the round is canceled and bets refunded as a fair resolution.

In summary, live dealer games combine the trust of seeing the game happen with the scale of online. They are arguably the most transparent form of online gambling because you witness outcomes in real time. As long as you play on a well-known platform (Evolution, Playtech, Pragmatic Live, Ezugi, etc.) via a licensed casino, you can be confident the games are fair. They are essentially the same as being on a casino floor, just mediated by cameras and screens.