Live dealer online casino games are proving popular in New Jersey where the leading online casino operator, Golden Nugget, has expanded its offering with a poker-themed version of the newest game genre.
“Casino Hold’ Em” is a traditional casino game that unlike Texas Hold’ em (the actual poker game) is played against the house and not other players.
The game is available Sunday through Saturday from 3:00 PM to 3:00 AM (Eastern Time) and can be played with a minimum bet of $1. The maximum bet at the Casino Hold’ Em tables is currently $250, according to the company web site. Ultimately, the game will return 97.64% of proceeds to players with a maximum payout of $250,000.
The new offering by the Golden Nugget builds on the selection of online live dealer games that the operator first launched in 2016 when it became the first casino to provide the popular game type in the New Jersey market.
“We are excited to be the first domestic online gaming operator to bring Live Dealer to the US. This will clearly differentiate us from all other operators in the market, and we invite all online players to try this new and exciting online live gaming experience,” the Company’s Chairman and CEO Tilman J. Fertitta said at the time.
Other live dealer games on offer include blackjack, roulette and baccarat variants.
What is a Live Dealer Game?
Online Live Dealer games attempt to bridge the gap between online casino games and their land-based counterparts by providing a human dealer that the players can see and interact with in real time. The dealer (also known as a croupier) and the actual game equipment are displayed over the internet via cameras placed in the actual casino, or in some instances in Europe, in a dedicated gaming facility.
Live dealer casino games differ from traditional online casino games which are merely computer-generated representations of the actual game play.
As internet technologies have continued to advance, including high definition web cameras and faster, more dependable internet connections, the popularity of live streaming gaming events has led to the meteoric rise in popularity of live dealer casino games in the UK and other European markets over the past several years. In the UK, one of the biggest regulated online gaming markets, review sites like Top5casinosites.co.uk are increasingly promoting casinos offering live dealer games in prominent positions, sometime above the regular staples of blackjack, roulette and video poker.
Appealing Features of Live Dealer Casino Games
One of the reasons that some players choose gambling as their preferred method of entertainment is the social interactions that occur at the tables. In this way, the live dealer games appeal to that desire in ways that traditional online casino games do not.
Many users embrace the features of live casino games that allow them to experience social interaction with the dealers and even other players through a chat function.
Some live dealer facilities allow players physically located at the gaming facility to play with others that are remotely connected via the internet from their home computers and mobile devices. Players and dealers physically at the tables can interact with the remote players through the cameras and microphones staged in the facility.
Many players also like to see their luck unfold right before their eyes. This type of experience can add to the excitement and thrill of the games and increase the confidence players have that the games are being run fairly.
