Best Live Online Casinos with Human Dealers

Best Live Casinos by Category

Some online casinos with live dealers are better than others for certain categories. We have done extensive research to give you the best online casinos for specific categories.

• Ignition Casino  – Best Overall Live Casino Site
• DuckyLuck Casino  – Best Mobile Live Casino
• Bovada  – Best for Live Dealer Blackjack
• BC.Game  – Best for Live Dealer Game Variety
• Slots.lv Casino  – Best for High-Stakes Live Dealer Games
• SlotsandCasino  – Best Live Casino Site for Beginners

How to Choose the Right Live Dealer Online Casino for You

There are a number of factors you should be looking for when you’re trying to choose an online live casino. Here are three that will get you off to a good start:

Game Variety and Betting Limits

When you’re looking to start at any online casino, game variety should be at or near the top of your list of deciding factors. For online live casinos, players usually only have three options:

• Blackjack
• Roulette
• Baccarat (including Super 6)

However, some live casinos will offer sic bo, different variations of poker, and game shows like Wheel of Fortune. It becomes a matter of preference as to what games you would like to play. However, the more options you have to choose from, the better it is for you.

You should also consider what you’re looking for in these games. Do you want a simple game of blackjack where it’s just you against the dealer to 21? Or do you want to play Blackjack Early Payout, where you have the option to get a part of your initial bet back before the hand is over? Check out Bovada for both versions to see which one you prefer.

In some blackjack variations, you could also be offered side bets. A side bet is something that happens outside of the normal betting routine. You might be asked if you want to make a Perfect Pairs bet, where if you land a certain pair of cards, you win. This also depends on what the dealer has in their hand. Try this out on the blackjack tables at Slots.lv.

Lastly, you have to look at the betting limits. Many tables or lobbies you will visit have multiple different limits. For example, you might see a roulette lobby, but there are betting limits of $1-300, $5-1,500 and $10-$3,000.

You have to take into account your bankroll, or how much you are safely willing to gamble with. Some tables allow you to bet as little as $1, and others that let you bet $10,000 or more. You have to decide how much money you are comfortable playing with, and that all ties into bankroll management. We recommend starting off on the lower side of the betting limits, especially if you’re a new player.

Live Dealer Features

Live dealer casinos have different features from your regular online casinos. The main feature you should consider is the quality of the live stream.

If your stream stutters or lags a lot, even if you’re on steady Wi-Fi, that’s probably a sign you need a new live casino. Some streams will offer you the ability to view different camera angles, although most will just have one camera focused directly on the dealer.

Do you have the ability to adjust the quality of your stream? That depends on the strength of your Wi-Fi, but many casinos, such as Ignition, will have settings like “Auto”, “Low”, and “High” to adjust your stream quality.

The live chat feature is also important. You can only talk to the dealer in some chats, but you can chat with other players around the world in others. It all depends on how social you want your experience to be at online live casinos.

Are you able to see if there are seats available at the game you want to play? Most casinos, such as the live dealer offering at SlotsandCasino, will show you how many seats are open, so you’re not waiting around for one.

All of these features are what you should be looking for in a good live online casino.

How Do Online Live Casino Games Work?

When you go to a live dealer casino and choose your game, you’re greeted by a dealer sitting in a room, usually with other dealers playing games. This gives the feel of actually playing in a casino. The camera is focused on them, recording their movements, so you can watch them dealing cards (or in the case of roulette, spinning the wheel). This creates a level of transparency you might not get when playing other casino games.

There is a chat box where you can talk to the dealer (who will acknowledge your wagers), and in some cases, other players. However, some casinos will avoid the social aspect among the players, as some might not be polite to each other.

You are not expected to tip your dealer as you would in a land-based casino. In fact, some live casinos actively prohibit tipping your dealer. The dealer cannot see you; you can only communicate with them through the chat box. They will respond to your questions vocally, but you will have to type back to reply.

Of course, each casino has basic rules in place to make sure players aren’t abusing the system. The rule of thumb is to act like you would at a land-based casino table (unless you would normally act in an unsavory manner, in which case it’s best to just avoid this altogether, or you’ll be promptly banned).

You also can’t play live casino games for free. You can play regular blackjack for free at most casinos to get a feel for the game, but for live casinos, that’s not an option.Here is how playing a game of blackjack looks at a live dealer casino, with this example coming from Bovada:

Live Casino Games Compared to Land-Based and Digital Table Games

When compared to land-based casino games and digital table games, live dealer games are a solid balance of the two. You’ll usually find higher betting limits at land-based casinos and lower limits on digital table games, with live casino games somewhere in the middle. The same goes for minimum buy-ins and how many hands or games you can play.

The big advantage with live dealer games is that there are more seats available than you would find at a land-based casino, since space and capacity isn’t a concern. Many online casinos feature not only live casino games, but some have thousands of online slots, along with video poker, RNG blackjack, roulette and baccarat, and multiple poker rooms. That would have to be a very large land-based casino to house all of these games, and quite expensive to run when you also include employees and amenities.

Here is a quick look at how live dealer casinos, digital (random number generator) games and land-based casinos compare to each other, based on four important factors.

Live Casino Software Providers

There are two major live casino software providers that US players should have an eye on. The first is Visionary iGaming, also known as ViG. You can find its games at many of our recommended operators, such as Ignition Casino, Slots.lv, and Bovada. The second is Fresh Deck Studios. Its live dealer games are at Ducky Luck Casino and SlotsandCasino.

There are a few differences between the two. Fresh Deck offers more languages to chat with dealers in, but ViG offers more games to play. There are also lower betting limits at Fresh Deck, but ViG offers Blackjack Early Payout games.

Again, there is a lot of personal preference at play here. If you’re looking for a live casino that has plenty of tables to choose from, ViG is probably the way to go. However, if you’re looking for different variations of blackjack, or you’re a non-native English speaker looking to communicate with dealers in your language, Fresh Deck should be your option.

Both play quite well in terms of responsiveness and maintaining a strong connection, as Fresh Deck and ViG battle to a draw in that regard. Both feature smooth gameplay. If you’re looking for nicer graphics, Fresh Deck gets a slight edge there.

What Games Can I Play with a Live Dealer?

Blackjack is the king of the live dealer games. You’ll find more blackjack tables at live online casinos than any other game, so if you’re a fan of 21, playing at live dealer casinos is definitely for you.

Roulette and baccarat are next in line. You can play both European and American roulette as live dealer games. There is also a version called Auto Roulette, where you can play with a live wheel and ball that spins.

However, you won’t be able to see the dealer; you can only chat with them through a text box. Lastly, you can play regular baccarat, as well as Super 6 baccarat, which is gaining popularity at online casinos.

You will also occasionally find live dealer and sic bo games, and these games are very adaptable to the format; all you need is a dealer, some dice and a playing surface. Live dealer Texas Hold’em is also getting more popular at casinos, though in this version, you’ll play against the dealer, not against other players.

If you’re looking for more information on live dealer games, please read our guides below.

• Live Blackjack
• Live Dealer Baccarat
• Live Roulette
• Live Casino Hold’em
• Live Sic Bo
• Live Dream Catcher
• Live Craps

How to Get Started at Top Live Casinos

• Create Your Account: Choose the online casino of your preference, and create your account. You’ll be asked for information such as your name, email address, phone number, address and date of birth. As long as you’re of legal gambling age in your state, you’re good to go.
• Fund Your Account: After you have created your account, then you make your deposit. Choose the banking option of your choice and add your funds.
• Choose Your Bonus: After selecting your preferred payment method on the deposit page, you can scroll down to find the “Choose Your Bonus” tab. Here, you can select the bonus that you want to apply to your deposit. Once you’ve made your selection, click the “Deposit” button to add funds to your account and start playing.
• Start Playing: Once you have added funds to your account and selected a welcome bonus, you can start playing any of the exciting live casino games available.

Frequently Asked Questions About Live Dealer Casinos

Kevin Roberts

Kevin Roberts, previously published under the pseudonym Noah Davis, is one of the more diverse writers at GamblingSites.com. Like many of his colleagues, he’s a huge fan of both football and basketball. But he also writes about box office records, TV show prop bets, DFS, and all kinds of other subjects.

When it comes to the NFL, Kevin’s favorite team is the Green Bay Packers. He enjoys cheering them on with his wife and daughter.

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