Live dealer casino technology: Where does it go next?

Of all the developments in casino technology over the last decade, it’s almost indisputable that the most eye-catching and important advancement was live dealer technology. It effectively created a whole new arm of the casino industry, and, some would argue, gave many casino websites a new lease of life. However, it’s worth noting that live dealer technology has room to grow and offer something well beyond what we see now at casinos. 

First, let’s look at what live dealer tech has already brought to the table and how it works. For those who don’t know, we are talking about real casino games that use console technology and streaming to create games with real dealers in a studio. Games with a rich and varied history, like live blackjack with real dealers, are thus presented online in a way that we have never seen before.

But online casinos have not just stopped at offering the same games that we would see in a casino resort. Instead, they have looked at ways of fusing the real and the virtual to create more exciting experiences. A good example can be seen with a game like Quantum Blackjack Live, which was created by top developer Playtech. That game uses real dealers, cards, etc., but there is a side game run through an RNG (random number generator) that can instantly lead to massive prizes. 

Quantum games offer massive payouts

Quantum Blackjack adds another layer of excitement and sense of the unknown to the traditionally strategic game of blackjack, and you can see why players are flocking to play it. Playtech has aimed for similar qualities with its Quantum Roulette game, and other developers have released these twists on classic games with much success.

Beyond the traditional live casino games – roulette, poker, blackjack, baccarat, craps – developers have also started to release live slot games. These are traditional slot machines, but they are played en masse with a croupier calling the action. If the slot machine lands on a winning combination, everyone wins. The excitement of the games is supported by chat features, making a usually solitary experience a more social one. 

And yet, perhaps the most thrilling element of live dealer casino is the move away from the traditional card and table games to new gaming concepts. What sort of new live games have they created? Well, developers have brought out live studio concepts of games like Monopoly and Deal or No Deal. The former is an extraordinary creation, with the action played out on a 3D virtual game board based on the timeless classic. 

Much more to come from live gaming 

But one feels they are just scratching the surface with these live gaming concepts, and it is quite easy to see the trajectory when you think about how much developers are spending on VR and AR technology. In short, we are not far off from a scenario where you strap on a VR headset and compete in some interactive game for cash. This is further backed up by the fact the casino industry is plowing huge money into skill-based games. 

All of this – live casino tech, VR, new gaming concepts – is coming together nicely. It’s not quite clear where or when the endpoint finally lands, but it’s got those at the development level very excited. For many years the online casino strived to emulate the land-based one. They achieved that with live dealer technology. However, it now looks like the online industry will use that live dealer tech, fuse with other technologies, perhaps leaving the land-based casino industry trailing behind.