Best Live Dealer Online Casinos

Over the past few years, live dealer casinos have garnered a lot of popularity, offering players a chance to enjoy their favorite table games in a lifelike setting from the comfort of their homes.

Live dealer casinos bring the excitement of popular online games like roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and more to the next level, allowing players to enjoy their gaming experience with real-life croupiers at actual gaming tables instead of their virtual iterations.

This was made possible thanks to modern technologies that allow online casinos to stream the action in real-time from specialized studios equipped for this very purpose. In this extensive guide to live dealer casino games, you’ll learn all about how these games work, what their main pros and cons are, and what US online casinos offer in terms of live dealer options.

What Are Live Dealer Casinos Online?

Online live dealer casinos offer a lifelike gambling experience over the internet. Players can play with real-life croupiers handling physical gaming tables with all the action streamed in real-time using high-definition cameras. In this way, players get to enjoy the best of both worlds, playing actual table games from the comfort of their homes.

Live Dealer Casino Basics

Live dealer online casinos have been around for a few years now and have become extremely popular with all types of players. In the simplest of terms, they provide an opportunity to experience the excitement of playing in a live environment while sitting behind your phone or computer screen.

This was made possible thanks to certain game suppliers like Evolution Gaming and Authentic Gaming who had the vision to set up specialized studios for these games.

For example, a roulette game will feature an actual roulette table and a real-life croupier handling the action. Just like in a physical casino, the croupier will announce when the betting starts, they will drop the ball inside the wheel, and announce the winning number.

Players can place their bets using a virtual interface. Bets are automatically registered by the system, and in the event you win, you are paid immediately, and the money is added straight to your online casino balance.

For all this to happen without any issues, live dealer casinos use modern technologies and super-fast internet connections to ensure a seamless transfer of data between all parties. It is a complex system, but one that has been perfected over time, so players today can enjoy the live dealer experience without any problems.

Best Live Dealer Casinos in the US

All licensed online casinos in the United States offer live dealer games. Evolution Gaming is the primary provider of these games on the US sites, although some other studios have acquired licenses in certain states and entered some regulated markets.

Live games are streamed from specialized studios located in the United States. These studios have been checked, verified, and approved by relevant gaming authorities, ensuring a safe and fair experience for the players.

BetMGM Live Casino Games

BetMGM Casino US offers one of the richest live dealer gaming libraries in the country. Players can enjoy a variety of popular options across a wide array of stakes. Games are available from just a couple of dollars per round, with some tables allowing bets going into hundreds and even thousands of dollars.

The live dealer section at BetMGM Casino features the following games:

• Blackjack
• Infinite Blackjack
• Roulette
• American Roulette
• Lightning Roulette
• Craps
• Baccarat
• Ultimate Texas Hold’em
• Super Sic Bo

PokerStars Live Casino

PokerStars Casino US offers a decent selection of live dealer games. While it’s not as versatile as what you’ll find at BetMGM, there is more than enough choice on offer, and the range of stakes is quite wide as well, catering to players of all shapes and sizes.

The PokerStars Casino live dealer section features the following games:

• Baccarat
• Roulette
• American Roulette
• PokerStars Roulette
• Lightning Roulette
• Craps
• Blackjack
• Free Bet Blackjack
• Infinite Blackjack
• Super Sic Bo
• Ultimate Texas Hold’em

DraftKings Casino Live Dealer Games

The live dealer library at DraftKings Casino is quite solid as well, and it offers a few game show-style games that you won’t find at other casinos. Additionally, many of the live tables on the site also give you a chance to win a progressive jackpot, further adding to the excitement.

• Baccarat
• Blackjack
• Free Bet Blackjack
• Roulette
• Lightning Roulette
• Dream Catcher
• Three Card Poker
• Casino Hold’em
• Ultimate Texas Hold’em
• Sic Bo
• Craps

Types of Live Dealer Games on Offer

Live dealer casinos offer pretty much all the games you can find in a brick-and-mortar casino, plus some special games that are only available in the virtual environment. We’re bringing you the breakdown of the most popular live casino games you’ll come across on regulated US sites and sweepstakes casinos.

Live Dealer Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the most popular table games in existence and it was also one of the first games to appear in online live dealer casinos. These days, you’ll come across the following variations of the game:

• Classic Blackjack
• Infinite blackjack — allows an unlimited number of players per table and features several side bets for added excitement.
• Free Bet Blackjack — features standard blackjack rules but offers one free split & one free double for the player.

Live Dealer Roulette

Another extremely popular table game, roulette, has a very strong presence in live dealer casinos. Players can enjoy many different variations of the game, including some that are exclusive to gambling sites and not available in brick-and-mortar venues:

• European Roulette — 37 numbered pockets
• American Roulette — 38 numbered pockets (also known as the Double Zero Roulette)
• Lightning Roulette — At the start of each spin, several numbers are selected at random to feature a win multiplier between 50x and 500x.

Live Dealer Baccarat

You’ll find baccarat live games at pretty much all online casinos these days. For the most part, they play according to classic baccarat rules, but there are some variations out there with interesting side bets thrown into the mix as well.

Live Dealer Poker Games

There are many variations of house-banked poker games with varying degrees of popularity. Some of these found their way to online casinos as well, and you can enjoy playing them against live dealers. The most popular live dealer poker games on offer include:

• Ultimate Texas Hold’em
• Casino Holde’m
• Three Card Poker

Live Dealer Craps

Craps was one of the last casino games to be added to the live dealer online offering. Despite its immense popularity in brick-and-mortar casinos, game dynamics made the task of getting it into a live dealer environment quite challenging. However, game developers have eventually risen up to the task, and today, you can also enjoy live dealer craps games at most US online casinos.

Pros & Cons of Live Dealer Casinos

Live dealer casinos are the peak of modern-day online gambling technology. They offer many great advantages, but there are also certain downsides, just like with any other product. So here are some of the pros and cons of live dealer online games.

Live Dealer Pros

There are many advantages to playing live dealer casino games. The biggest one is that lifelike experience that you don’t get when playing slots, video poker, or electronic table games. You can interact with the dealer and see the action as it unfolds instead of the outcome being determined by a random number generator.

For some players, this allows them to enjoy the games more, knowing they’re not “rigged” or fixed in any way. While licensed US casinos don’t rig their electronic games, either, some players still enjoy it more when they can see what’s happening.

Live dealer games also bring with the element of excitement that’s not there with electronic games. You’ll only have a limited amount of time to place your bets, which may not be to everyone’s liking, but some players enjoy this adrenaline rush, especially in games like roulette.

Live Dealer Game Cons

There are certain aspects of live dealer casinos that aren’t to all players’ liking, including some that a portion of players consider advantageous.

The biggest one that comes to mind is the speed of games. Players not used to live dealer casinos may struggle to place their bets in time, causing them to miss a round or not place all the bets they wanted to before the time runs out. While these problems can be reduced with practice, some players prefer electronic games where they can play at their own pace and without pressure.

Some live dealer games like blackjack or Ultimate Hold’em offer only a limited number of spaces at each table. While most operators have multiple tables running at any given time, there are times when it can be hard to find a seat, especially if you’re looking to play a specific variation. Electronic games don’t have these problems as every player runs their own instance of the game.

Finally, while the range of stakes at live casino tables is very good, these games aren’t geared toward those looking to play the lowest of stakes. You won’t find any live blackjack or roulette tables with the minimum bet of $0.10. So, for those with very small bankrolls, electronic table games are the only way to go.

FAQ

Can I play live dealer casino games online?

Yes, you can play live dealer games at all regulated US online casinos and several sweepstakes casinos.

Can I play live dealer games on my phone?

Yes, most live dealer games have been optimized to work very well on a variety of mobile devices, so you should have no problems fully enjoying the gaming experience on your phone.

Are live dealer casino games rigged?

No, live dealer casino games are not rigged. You can see all the action as it happens, and all games have been tested and verified by relevant gaming authorities to ensure they are fair and random.

What games can I play online with live dealers?

You can play pretty much all games available at brick-and-mortar casinos in their live dealer variations online. This includes different types of roulette and blackjack, baccarat, Casino Hold’em, Three Card Poker, and much more.

Can I win real money playing live dealer casino games?

Yes, of course. When playing for real money, you can win real money playing live dealer games.