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What Is a Live Casino Site?
Live casino sites give players the chance to try out casino games online in a safe and regulated environment. The special thing about them is that they carry live casino games to play. Live casino games take place in real time with a real life dealer and sometimes even offers the option to chat with the dealer or other players.
How Do Live Casinos Work?
Generally, live casinos work in much the same way as standard online casinos. Players first create an account to play online. Live casinos though take this one step further and use human dealers to host games from live studio settings. Many live casino games also offer the chance to chat with the human dealer and other players.
What Are the Most Popular Live Casino Games?
As with standard online casinos, some games are more popular at live dealer casino sites than others. But which stand out most?
Lightning Roulette – Lightning roulette works in exactly the same way as normal roulette and allows players to place all the same bets. There is also the chance to win prizes with multipliers of up to x500 through random Lucky Payouts or Lucky Numbers. Check out more Evolution Live Casino Games.
Lightning Baccarat -This live version of baccarat works in broadly the same way as standard baccarat. As well as playing with a real-life dealer from a live studio, players here can participate in the Lightning Round. This sees a lightning effect strike cards at random to award set multipliers, and players win if they match one of the cards in their hand to a lightning card.
Crazy Time – Crazy Time from Evolution Gaming is a money-wheel-style game which sees players betting on where the wheel will land. Known for glitzy sets and charismatic presenters, Crazy Time is one of my personal faves!
Monopoly Live – Monopoly Live is also a money-wheel style title but has the famous Mr. Monopoly character at its heart. The Monopoly board is also used for the main 3D bonus round.
Crazy Coin Flip – Based on Crazy Time, Crazy Coin Flip is a fusion of a RNG Slot and live coin flip which makes it one of the more innovative live casino games on the market.
Live Blackjack – Live blackjack takes the classic table game we all love and puts a fresh new twist on it. It enables players to interact with a real-life human dealer and watch the action from a live studio environment.
Cash or Crash – Cash or Crash by Evolution designs and mechanics are based on a hot air balloon ride, where players aim to reach higher and higher altitudes for greater rewards (all without crashing of course)
Best Casino Game Shows and Live Games
How Does a Live Casino Game Compare to a Regular Casino Game?
Live casino games offer a much more immersive and authentic experience than regular casino games. The presence of real-life dealers to chat with, who host the action from expensively decorated studios, really does make it feel more like playing at a land-based casino.
What Bonuses Can I Get at Live Casinos?
As with regular casino sites, casino bonuses play a key role for live platforms. Those shown below are the most common at live casinos:
- Deposit bonuses.
- Live casino no deposit bonuses.
- Cashback bonuses.
- Reload bonuses.
- Loyalty programs.
Wagering Requirements for Live Casino Bonuses
Wagering requirements tell players how many times they must play the bonus before any winnings can be withdrawn.
A bonus with a x30 wagering requirement, for example, means the bonus amount would need to be played through 30 times before any winnings can be withdrawn. Therefore, for a $10 CAD deposit on a live casino promo, players would need to wager a total of $300 CAD.
How to Play Live Casino Games
- Login into your casino account.
- Check your bankroll or make a deposit.
- Find the live games section.
- Choose a game to play.
- Play!
Live casinos come with some unique pros and cons to consider.
More immersive way to game that’s like playing in a real casino
Good choice of live games from top developers
Chance to interact with human dealer and other players
Excellent range of live bonuses to grab
Lots going on, which might not be ideal for all players
Chance of tech issues impacting play
Who Makes Live Casino Games?
Evolution Gaming – Founded in Sweden in 2006, Evolution Gaming is behind some of the biggest live titles and is a trusted partner for some of the top casino platforms globally.
Playtech – Although they originally found fame for their range of online slots, Playtech are now just as celebrated for their live gaming products.
NetEnt – NetEnt also first found success in iGaming with their range of feature-packed slots. They have since branched out into live games and have a decent choice of games to check out.
Live Dealer Casinos on Mobile
Mobile play is popular across Canada and the rest of the iGaming world. Most live casinos appreciate this and make the majority of their live titles available to mobile gamers. Although this might be on a smaller screen, I find that the overall experience is not diminished in any way. The most popular ways to play live games on mobile are:
- Casino apps
- Direct from mobile browsers
The best live casino game providers for Canadian players
What Other Casino Games Are Available to Play at Live Casinos?
Although it’s easy to assume that live casinos in Canada are all about wheel of fortune style titles or live games alone, this is not the case. The best live platforms also have a range of other games, such as:
- Slots
- Jackpot slots
- Classic table games
- Keno
- Lottery
- Scratchcards
- Crash games
- Video poker
It’s worth noting that crash games have a similar play style to live dealer games with titles like JetX, Spaceman, and Aviator gaining huge popularity.
High Stakes vs Low Stakes Live Casino Games
High-stakes games can be played for more money and may sometimes come with higher minimum bets. Low-stakes games, on the other hand, can be played for much less.
RTP for Live Casino Games
RTP stands for Return to Player, and it gives you an idea of how much a live game should return to players over a set number of spins or set period. It is shown as a percentage. It’s best to look for games with high RTP figures, as these should theoretically generate better returns over time. It’s key to note that the RTP figure is no guarantee of how much a live game will payout.
Top 10 highest RTP Live Casino Games
- Prestige Mini Baccarat by Playtech – 98.94%
- Prestige Mini Baccarat by Playtech – 98.94%
- Lightning Blackjack by Evolution – 99.56%
- Unlimited Blackjack by Playtech – 99.54%
- Infinite Blackjack by Evolution – 99.51%
- First Person Blackjack by Evolution – 99.21%
- Monopoly Live by Evolution 96.23%
- Crazy Coin Flip by Evolution 96.06%
- Crazy Time by Evolution – 95.5%
- Cash or Crash by Evolution – 94.51%
Live Casino Safety
Reputable live casino sites take player safety very seriously. This includes using standard iGaming security methods (such as SSL data encryption and RNG software) to ensure a fair, safe environment.
The best live casinos will also only offer secure, trusted ways to deposit or withdraw money. PayPal is a good example, and finding out how to use PayPal at online casinos is worthwhile for safer gaming.
To stay even more protected when gaming online at live sites, it’s key to only sign up to regulated, licensed platforms. It can also be worth looking at reviews of casinos online, to gauge what sort of reputation they have with players.
How Do I Rate Live Casino Sites?
To get a feel for how good any live casino site is to play at, I always work to set criteria when reviewing them. This includes looking at:
- Number of live casino games.
- Live casino bonuses.
- Safety and security.
- Payout speeds.
My Top Five Tips for Playing at Live Casinos
I’ve played at a huge number of different casinos, and I’ve learnt a thing or two! Here’s my advice:
- Only play at regulated, licensed sites.
- Interact with dealers and other players to get the most out of the experience.
- Try out the full range of live games a casino has available.
- Make the most of any live casino bonuses.
- Always gamble responsibly.
Hottest Live Casinos In Canada
Live Casino FAQs
Are Live Casino games legal?
As long as you play at a regulated online casino from a location where iGaming is legal, then live casino games are 100% legit.
Which is the best live casino?
Jackpot City is a fully licensed gaming site, and the best of the live casinos Canada has to offer. It is popular for its bonuses, fast payouts, games library, and security features.
Where are live casino studios located?
Live casino studios can be found all over the world but are usually located at, or close to, the online casinos’ HQ.
Can I play live casino games on mobile?
It’s perfectly possible to enjoy live games on mobile, via dedicated apps or direct from mobile browsers.
How does live casino chat work?
Live casino chat allows players to talk to the dealer and other players. It’s normally a case of clicking on the icon on-screen to open up the chat function and type in a message.
With 9 years of experience in all things related to online casinos, Marie-Claire Graham is our online gambling expert. She has written everything from casino reviews to news stories and blogs, but her passion lies in games. Her hands-on experience...
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