Live Dealer Casino Games: The Future of Online Gambling?

You probably have begun to notice that almost all Australian online casinos now have a Live Dealer Casino. Live dealer casino games have been growing in popularity in recent years and are considered by many to be the future of online gambling.

Today, we will look at the reasons behind the growth of live dealer games and what players can expect from them in the future. We’ll look at why live dealer games have become popular, some gaming trends, and what we can expect for the future of live casinos.

Why Live Casinos Are Increasing in Popularity

Live casinos have been part of online casinos for nearly two decades and have undergone many changes over the years. Advances in technology, improvements in safety and security, and the legalisation of online gambling in various areas of the world have led to greater acceptance of live dealer casino games.

In recent years, live casino growth has begun to skyrocket. Let’s take a look at a few of those reasons.

Improved Technology

If you compare live dealer games from 10 years ago to today, you’ll notice a dramatic shift in quality and gameplay. Most technologies, from streaming to web design, have dramatically evolved to provide a superior gaming experience.

Cloud-based live casino platforms allow online casinos to offer live casinos without having to make massive investments in technology. This gives players a quality live casino experience, making the market accessible to most casino providers. Many players can stream live dealer games almost as smoothly as traditional RNG games, making for a much more enjoyable experience.

Revolutionary Gaming Options

The early days of live casinos focused almost exclusively on blackjack and roulette. Over the years, other games were added, but the real explosion in live dealer games did not take off until developers started thinking outside the box.

The introduction of non-traditional casino games, such as game shows, has given players something unique and exciting to play. It’s no longer enough for a casino to only offer traditional table games. They must offer non-traditional games to stay competitive.

Regulation and Societal Changes

Twenty years ago, the thought of playing at online casinos was shunned by many as the industry was still considered to be primarily a “wild wild west” environment. However, since then, we have seen the industry transform as regulators have pushed for advancements in safety, technology, and responsible gambling practices.

The expansion of regulated online gambling to many parts of the world has also changed the stigma of playing at online casinos. Players are now more comfortable playing at online casinos and have more trust in live casino games. When players have trust, participation grows.

The Pandemic

While it has been over a year since the official end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the influences are still being felt today. During the pandemic, online gambling exploded. Australia saw over a 50% increase in online gambling throughout the country, with a large percentage of players giving live casinos a try for the first time.

Even after it was safe to go back to brick-and-mortar casinos, players continued to gamble online. Part of the reason was convenience, while others did not trust it was safe to pay in person. However, part of the reason is likely due to the variety of games you can find at live casinos. Coupled with lower betting limits and ancillary charges, such as paying for parking or tipping servers, live casinos have become a more attractive option for gaming.

Non-Traditional Games Becoming More in Demand

You may notice that many live dealer casinos have been growing their non-traditional casino games. By non-traditional games, we are referring to game show-style games or any casino game that puts a unique spin on a classic favourite. For example, Side Bet City allows players to bet on the types of poker hands that a group of cards will produce.

Casino players are always looking for something new and exciting. Non-traditional games provide an opportunity for players to try something new, which keeps gambling exciting. Cole Rush of iGaming Business spoke with Authentic Gaming CEO Jonas Delin in 2023 about trends in live casino games, and he provided some unique insight.

Delin revealed, “The demand is high for non-traditional table games – this is fuelling player penetration beyond blackjack, roulette and baccarat.” You’ve probably noticed that Evolution Gaming is the leader in non-traditional gaming, while Pragmatic Play Live is quickly becoming a solid competitor. Greater choice gives players a greater gaming experience.

How Will AI Impact the Future of Live Dealer Casinos?

The world is abuzz with the potential of artificial intelligence. All areas of life are looking at ways to incorporate AI into products and services, and this is especially true of live casino developers.

Some companies, including Evolution Gaming, are already using AI to power and enhance the ability of game chatbots. This helps to provide a more interactive experience for players. However, there are other uses we could see developed in the future.

For example, we may see casinos start to use AI to gather data on player gaming habits and then use it to customise a player’s gaming experience. If someone prefers blackjack games and seldom plays anything else, the casino may start to prominently display those options.

Also, we could see future games develop intuitive in-game AI features that allow the software to customise a gaming experience for each player. They could range from providing in-game experiences tailored to players or even providing customised odds and betting tables based on a player’s gameplay.

The more AI develops, the more likely it will be incorporated into all parts of live casino gambling. Expect industry leaders like Evolution Gaming to continue leading the charge of providing AI-powered live dealer games.

Other Future Developments on the Horizons for Live Casinos

While AI will likely become a significant component of the future of live casinos, it will not be the only influencing factor. Let’s look at other future changes we can expect for live casinos.

Improved Player Interaction

One of the selling points of live casino games is that they simulate a brick-and-mortar experience. In many cases, the social aspect of gaming is lacking. We anticipate that casinos will focus on improving this area with future game and platform releases.

We will likely see platforms allowing for greater interaction between players and dealers, along with the ability to banter with other players. We also expect to see many social platform enhancers added to games, like emojis, mini-games, and memes.

We also wouldn’t be surprised to see some games start to incorporate players streaming into games, giving players the ability to see their opponents. This is an area that will be exciting to watch as it develops.

Virtual Reality

What better way to simulate a brick-and-mortar experience than to offer a live virtual reality casino? This would allow players to use VR devices to physically interact with casino games, dealers, and other players.

Casinos could take this a step further and provide an entirely virtual environment for players to explore. Rather than click on a menu, the player would have to travel through the casino virtually to find and play their games

While this would be an exciting technology, we foresee some potential legal challenges. It will undoubtedly be one of the most innovative areas to watch, and we will follow closely.

New and Innovative Gaming

Naturally, we expect live dealer developers to continue to push the envelope with new and innovative games. Top companies like Evolution Gaming are continually developing new games, mechanics, and other innovations to attract players.

However, something else we expect to see is a stricter landscape for game development. Evolution Gaming has recently been involved with lawsuits over the use of its intellectual properties by other companies. If this lawsuit is successful, it will likely change how developers create games.

This will likely result in fewer games “sharing” game elements or mechanics. Instead, it will result in new innovations that provide fresh games to players.

We also predict that some companies will start licensing their unique mechanics to other companies. Big Time Gaming is famous for licensing its Megaways mechanic, so Evolution Gaming could do similar to some of its popular games and mechanics, such as Lightning Roulette.

Faster Games With Rising Mobile Technologies and 5G

The internet is getting faster every day. Companies are constantly working on new mobile technologies that will improve the speeds of data transmissions and allow for smoother gaming for everything from mobile games to online gambling.

Additionally, 5G will allow for faster data speed and streaming of live dealer games around the world. Fast forward five to ten years, and we anticipate new technologies that will make today’s gaming seem slow in comparison.

We anticipate games with faster response times, no lagging, and responsive controls that mimic and exceed video game platforms. Mobile gaming is already the dominant form of gambling online, and in another decade, PC gambling could be near obsolescence.

Top Live Dealer Companies at Australian Online Casinos

While live dealer casinos are going to be the future of online gambling, they are still having trouble getting a legitimate foothold in Australia. Many Australian online casinos have live casino games, but many casinos have small libraries. This is beginning to change, but we anticipate it will be up to five years before we see the live casino market become as strong as it is in other parts of the world.

Below are the most common live dealer platforms you’ll find at Australian online casinos:

• Atmosfera – Just about every live casino in Australia offers games from Atmosfera. They offer a core selection of live dealer blackjack, roulette, and Keno games. Cocktail Roulette and Music Wheel are their most popular games.
• Beter Live – This is another smaller platform, but offers a better selection of non-traditional games. They are popular for Gravity Roulette, Gravity Blackjack, and Gravity Sic Bo games with massive multipliers. A couple of other popular alternate games include Take Deal or Risk Blackjack and Grand Bonus Baccarat.
• Lucky Streak – Some casinos use Lucky Streak as their primary provider. The company offers a small selection of core games that cover live dealer blackjack, roulette, and baccarat. Auto Roulette and Dual Play Roulette are the only alternative options.
• TVbet – TVbet is one of the smaller providers often grouped with Atmosfer and Beter Live. They offer a nice variety of secondary games like Poker, Keno, Lucky 5, Andar Bahar, Wheel Bet, Teen Patti, and War of Elements.

Pay Attention to the Live Casino When Choosing a Casino

Evolution Gaming and Pragmatic Live have limited availability in Australia. However, the casinos that offer these providers will have the largest libraries of games. Evolution Gaming is famous for its popular game shows, while Pragmatic Play has popular game shows based on popular slot games.

If you are at a casino with 50 live casino games or less, they will be using software from the main list of providers. Casinos with hundreds of live casino games will have Evolution, Pragmatic Play, or both as primary providers.

When looking for a quality online casino in Australia, pay careful attention to the live dealer section. Check for which providers are offering games to get a better idea of the experience you’ll have. A smaller library is not bad, provided it uses the providers listed above. However, if you don’t recognise the game provider or the developer is not listed, find another place to play.

As always, we encourage you to treat live casino gambling as entertainment and to please gamble responsibly.