Live casino is an area of online gambling that combines the comforts of home with the heart pumping experience of being on a real casino floor. The difference is that players can only take part if they are above their state’s legal age for gambling and are a resident of an area where online casinos are legal.
In a live casino game, players can see a real dealer directly in front of their monitor. This is important to provide an authentic gaming experience, especially in games that involve other players. In those cases, the player will be able to clearly see the other player’s bets and react accordingly. Similarly, the dealer will be able to see the player’s cards.
The interface between the digital technology of the online casino and the live game is an ingenious piece of hardware called a Game Control Unit (GCU). This is no bigger than a shoe box and is responsible for digitizing the video that is streamed to the player. Every table has its own GCU and without it live casino games wouldn’t be possible.
The best way to play a live casino game is to find a site that features a live casino option in their menu and click on it. This will bring up the live lobby which displays the available games just like a regular casino floor. From here, you can scope out the games and choose one to join. Oftentimes, the live lobby will include chat options so that you can communicate with other players just as you would do in a retail casino.