Best live dealer online casinos

Business Insider Africa

12 February 2024

Live dealer casinos are a relatively new form of online casinos. In the past, players had to go into a physical casino to play their favourite table games. Then casinos started providing these games on mobile devices and computers, making them more accessible. What was missing was the human element, and this is what live dealer casinos offer.

A live dealer casino lets players interact with dealers as they enjoy their favourite casino games. They are appealing because they transport players into a casino setting regardless of location. Depending on the casino, players can have complete or partial conversations with their dealers, which gives them a similar experience to what they would get if they were in the same room.

The ability to transport players to environments resembling their favourite casinos or popular casinos worldwide is why they are so immersive. Players can experience the colourful lights, the sounds of slot machines, and the hum of background sounds.

Top Live Dealer Online Casinos for Canadian Players

If you are interested in live dealer casino games, there are numerous casinos for Canadian players to enjoy. Many have been around for a long time and provide the human interaction, immersion, faster gameplay, and bonuses you might be looking for.

Captain Cooks Casino

Captain Cooks Casino is one of the most popular live dealer casinos among Canadian players. It was established in 1999 and is one of the first in the region to provide these types of games. Its website has an excellent user interface, making finding what you want and signing up easy.

To play, you must create an account and deposit funds into your account. Each of the first five deposits awards you with a bonus. You get 100 chances to become an instant millionaire after making your first deposit of at least $5, then all other deposits are a minimum of $10.

You also get a 100% match up to $100 for your second deposit, a 50% match up to $150 for the third, a 25% match up to $125 for the fourth, and a 100% match up to $100 for the fifth.

You can deposit and withdraw funds using various options, including Echeck, Instadebit, Mastercard, Visa, Interac e-transfer, MuchBetter, and ECOPayz.

Captain Cooks Casino provides a wide range of live dealer games, including versions of popular table games like live dealer blackjack, roulette, Baccarat, poker and some people might not know about, like Card Matchup and Dragon Tiger.

While you must sign up to play the live games, you get rewarded with two casinos with slightly different game options.

You can also play these live deal games on various devices, so whether you prefer to play on your computer, tablet or mobile phone, all of these are available for Captain Cooks Casino. There is also an app for Captain Cooks Casino available too, if this is how you prefer to play on your mobile device.

Casino Classic

Casino Classic was established in 1999 and has become a popular option for Canadian players. It is a dependable, secure and trustworthy online casino, evidenced by its excellent Trustpilot score. It is part of the Casino Rewards Group, which means players are registered to its VIP program, where they can share their points and bonuses with other casinos in the group.

The classic welcome bonus is 40 chances (spins) for $1. You also get a 100% bonus match up to $200 for making a second deposit. The casino requires that each deposit after the first be a minimum of $10.

Like other dealer websites, you get a wide range and multiple variations of popular table games, including poker, blackjack, and roulette. You can play the multi-million jackpots if you want to try something different.

Casino Classic has a mobile app if you prefer in-app play. Its website is also responsive so you can play all live dealer games on your mobile browser as well.

Grand Mondial Casino

Grand Mondial is a Microgaming online casino whose live dealer games are provided by Evolution Gaming. It has been around since 2006 and has served millions of players, including Canadians, in that time. It has had an overall great reputation, although there were some complaints about its customer service in the early days. However, all these issues have been fixed.

Signing up to get access to all its 750 games is straightforward, but you will be redirected to a subdomain to do so. Your welcome bonus and other bonuses will be ready as soon as you sign up. These include the welcome bonus of 150 chances to win $1 million after depositing $10 and a 100% match bonus of up to $250 for depositing the same amount.

Grand Mondial is known for its excellent customer service, with its knowledgeable and helpful customer service agents available 24/7 through its live chat feature or email. You also need to download the Grand Mondial Casino software before playing.

Grand Mondial Casino lets you play some live dealer games for free. These include Real Roulette, Real Baccarat, Auto Roulette, and Turbo Fortune. However, you need an account to play with real money.

The above three mentioned casinos and some of the best online gambling sites currently available, so whichever one you prefer, you’ll have a good and safe experience at.

How to Get Started with Live Dealer Casinos

Getting started with live dealer games is largely similar among the casinos we have looked at above. Here are the steps you need to follow:

Visit your favourite casinos and click “Play Now”, “Get Started” or a similarly worded button.
You will be redirected to register your account. Some of the details required include your name, email address, physical address, and phone number.
You will then be required to create a password, after which your bonus will be ready.
Sign in and deposit - Although your bonus is available after account creation, you must make your first deposit to access it.
Play your favourite games - Once the deposit is complete, you can play your favourite dealer games. Note that the casinos will use your bonus before your deposited amount.

Your device and internet connection are the most significant determinants of the experience you can get at a live dealer casino. Ensure your computer or mobile device meets the system requirements first. These days, devices are so powerful that yours likely meets these requirements. Second, make sure you have fast and stable internet. You need this to ensure a smooth response when you make a bet and as you play.

Choosing the best payment method will depend on your preferences. While some people are open to giving casinos their personal or financial details, you might not be. In that case, you can use an e-wallet. Whether you use one or not, always check the payment provider to ensure they are reputable before using them.

Understanding Live Dealer Casinos

Live dealer casinos and gameplay would not be possible without the technology that powers them. The three most important are the internet, the cameras and monitors. Each dealer is filmed using high-end cameras, typically from a few angles but in a way that does not allow players to cheat.

The video feed is encoded for broadcast using a device known as a Game Control Unit. It is then streamed to the player’s device through the internet so the player can follow the action, place bets and so on.

Each dealer also has access to at least one monitor. They watch this monitor to see what is displayed on each player’s screen, the best they have played, and the players themselves in some cases. Dealers can also use them to see the messages streaming from players so they can answer them live on the stream.

There are other technologies used for this process, an important one being Optical Camera Recognition. This technology identifies all symbols, numbers and cards so they can be translated into data and sent to the player. The technology also allows the casinos to know if a player has won or lost a game so they can award or deduct amounts as appropriate.

The dealer might also have a wheel in front of them if the casino provides live roulette. Each wheel is fitted with special sensors and interacts with software that tells the dealer and player everything they need to know about the current round.

Live Dealer Vs Random Number Generator Games

Random Number Generator games are computerized versions of popular casino games. They use algorithms that run number generators to determine the outcome of each round or hand.

They are typically not as fast paced as their live dealer counterparts, and their bets are usually lower. However, they can feel dated because they do not provide the same immersion and thrill as live dealer games.

The lack of human interactions in RNGs can put some players off. However, the lack of a dealer means players can play at their own pace or even try demo modes to understand how the table games work before playing live dealer games.

Advantages of Playing Live Dealer Games

Live dealer games provide a very different experience from the games you would get at a typical casino. You play with a real dealer you can interact with and are transported to a casino-like environment regardless of where you are in the world.

Apart from the immersion, you also get access to game variations you would otherwise would have not. Casinos have developed games specifically for their live dealer lobbies, and you can only access them if you play live games.

Casinos want you to have the best experience, so they ensure everything is as transparent as possible. They do this with the help of technology that helps keep their games fair, in addition to hiring practices that ensure all dealers know the games and are trustworthy.

Players who want a different or unique experience should try live dealer casino games. They are a technological marvel that can take you to any casino in the world without leaving your home or wherever you play casino games.