Live dealer games have changed the face of online gambling for the better. This has helped bridge the gap between the authenticity of a land-based brick-and-mortar casino and the convenience of gambling from home on a platform like Verde Casino, for instance.
Many players are attracted to the live interaction with a real-life human dealer and the visible, tangible aspects of the game, including real roulette wheels and real physical cards. This transparency answers a common query that players have when it comes to online gambling: whether the RNG that powers online casino games is fair or not.
But is the perception of fairness in live games correct? What technology powers the fairness, and what regulatory frameworks exist to ensure fairness for everyone? Let’s take a deeper look.
Understanding Live Dealer Casino Games
These games are streamed, real-time variants of classic table titles like poker, blackjack, baccarat, and roulette, hosted by professional human dealers. Instead of RNG, casino platforms use real-life dealers, wheels, and cards, delivering an immersive experience.
Here’s how these gambling platforms work:
- Live-streaming technology: Casinos use HD cameras to capture all angles of the gameplay.
- Human dealers and real-life equipment: Involves the use of physical cards, dice, and roulette wheels.
- Instant betting interface: An online interface that allows players to place bets in real time.
- Optical character recognition: OCR software converts physical events (e.g., a card deal) into digital data.
The Technology Powering Fairness In Live Dealer Games
While the human dealer acts as the symbol of fairness in live dealer titles, there’s an advanced range of technologies working tirelessly behind the scenes to maintain the integrity of all matchups. Every game is more than a broadcast—it’s a meticulously crafted system with transparency and security in mind.
Multiple Camera Angles and HD Streaming
Live casino studios come equipped with HD cameras that record all angles of the action. This setup lets players get an up-close view of the cards being dealt, switch views, or take a closer look at the roulette wheel. This visual transparency goes a long way in helping build trust. The stream is broadcast raw and in real-time, eliminating manipulation.
Optical Character Recognition
Optical Character Recognition, also known as OCR, is arguably the most critical technology powering live dealer matchups. It’s essentially the brain behind the operation.
OCR instantly reads the numbers and symbols on cards and pinpoints the location of the roulette ball, converting the information into digital format. The digital data is then shown on the screen, enabling players to interact with it and place bets.
Using OCR software ensures that the result of a physical action (e.g., a roulette spin or card deal) is instantly and accurately displayed in the game interface. This rules out the chances of a dealer deliberately misrepresenting the result or human error.
Secure, Certified Software
Specialized casino game providers are responsible for developing live casino platforms. These providers, including Pragmatic Play or Evolution Gaming, are world-renowned and operate under the same stringent regulations as casino operators themselves. They prioritize security and fairness in their software.
All communication between gambling platforms and players is protected by state-of-the-art encryption protocols, typically the same 256-bit SSL encryption that financial institutions use. This ensures that player information, game outcomes, or wager placement can’t be manipulated or intercepted during transmission.
Game Control Units
All tables feature a game control unit, a small computer that ensures the game runs smoothly. The game control unit encodes the live stream and creates the user interface for the game. It’s the bridge between the dealer’s physical world and the player’s digital world, ensuring that all events are monitored and recorded.
Regulation and Licensing
Although technology provides tools that ensure fairness, a strong regulatory structure provides the utmost assurance. Fairness in live gambling is an ethical and legal requirement enforced by a bunch of government and independent authorities.
Licensing Jurisdictions
Reputable online gambling platforms run under stringent gambling licenses from bodies like:
- Gibraltar Regulatory Council;
- Malta Gaming Authority;
- UK Gambling Commission;
- Curacao eGaming;
- Kahnawake Gaming Commission.
These authorities ensure that there’s transparency, regular audits, and fair play.
Third-Party Auditing and Testing
Independent auditing and testing agencies test platforms for fairness:
- eCOGRA: Certifies payout percentages and game fairness.
- Gaming Laboratories International: Ensures that gambling complies with industry standards.
- iTech Labs: Tests the integrity of real-time online gambling and RNG.
If a gambling operator has certifications from these independent agencies, it’s a great sign of fairness.
Security and Anti-Fraud Measures
Live casinos employ the same degree of encryption as leading banks and financial institutions. They use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) encryption to safeguard all data, including financial transactions and player information. This ensures that players’ winnings and personal information are protected from potential cyber attacks.
Potential Limitations and Challenges
While technology usually improves fairness in live dealer casino matchups, technical problems can occasionally arise. Equipment failures, internet connectivity issues, or streaming delays can impact player experience or game results.
Reputable gambling establishments have implemented protocols that tackle these challenges fairly, including backup systems to mitigate service disruptions, compensation for those affected by system glitches, and void bets if technical issues disrupt gameplay.
While human dealers make games more authentic, this introduces other factors that aren’t found in completely automated systems. Inconsistent dealing procedures, dealer errors, or unintentional or intentional bias could potentially impact game fairness.
But comprehensive dealer training, video recording of every action, and constant monitoring by supervisors help mitigate these concerns. Dealers are taught to adhere to strict procedures, helping them identify and correct any violations of standard protocols.
The regulatory framework for live dealer games varies by jurisdiction, which can affect the consistency of fairness in games. While reputable regulatory bodies uphold high standards, certain jurisdictions can have less strict fairness requirements.
Players should take note of this and opt for casinos licensed by reputable bodies with strict fairness standards and effective enforcement.
The Final Verdict on How Fair Live Casino Games Are
Licensed and regulated live dealer games are fair courtesy of strict gambling bodies that enforce rules, advanced technology that guarantees fairness, and independent auditing and testing agencies that ensure transparency.
However, it’s advisable to always play at reputable licensed and regulated online gambling platforms. That way, you can enjoy your favorite titles with confidence and the knowledge that they’re fair.