A look at the technology behind live casino games
The past year has been a difficult one for the vast majority of businesses. But for just a few, it has brought unprecedented opportunities. The online casino sector is a case in point. These platforms were already gathering momentum long before anyone had heard the phrase “lockdown” uttered beyond the walls of prisons. But the visitor numbers hit the stratosphere when their land-based competitors were forced to close their doors and the gamblers of the world were left with little to do but sit at home staring at their phones.
A more authentic experience
The major obstacle for online casinos has always been that watching a virtual roulette wheel or deck of cards on a screen is a less engaging experience than the real thing. The advent of live casino games has closed the gap between the real and virtual worlds significantly. Live games employ real human dealers and real human interaction. Today’s platforms offer live versions of all the classic table games such as roulette, blackjack and baccarat. Fans of Betsafe online poker can even play live dealer versions of the most famous casino game of them all, with examples including 3-card poker and Caribbean stud.
Technology driving innovation
Live casinos employ cutting-edge streaming technologies that have been specifically developed to deliver the optimum authentic experience. Let’s look at a few specific aspects:
- OCR software – optical character recognition is currently getting a lot of attention in areas such as processing of data in the medical or insurance fields. But it is already an established component of live casino technology, used to track the symbols on the cards, the numbers on the roulette wheel and so on. It means information can be gathered and winners announced without delay.
- More powerful cameras – feeling like you are part of the action requires more than a single shot of a croupier with a deck of cards. The best live games employ multiple cameras, using small but powerful units that give you different perspectives on the action – it’s the next best thing to taking a seat at the gaming table and surveying your surroundings.
- Game Control Unit – this is what ties everything together. Each table has a Game Control Unit, which takes care of the encoding process, ensuring you are delivered your live stream without delay and in optimum clarity.
- Studio monitor – the live casino setting must provide for two-way interaction. The dealer can be miked up and speak to you, but to reply, you’ll need to type into a chat box. Your messages are displayed on a monitor within the dealer’s line of sight so that you can have some fun interaction, just as you might on a night out on the Las Vegas strip!
The most important component
Let’s not forget, though, that what really sets the live casino experience apart is technology of a more organic nature. The human factor is what makes all the difference, and live casino dealers are trained in exactly the same way as those who work in land based casinos. It’s proof, in case we needed it, that technology hasn’t made us all completely obsolete just yet.
