Best Live Dealer Casino Sites
Players make their choices via an interface on their desktop PC, laptop or mobile device, and the action is beamed back to them via a live video feed. The wins and losses and payouts are all calculated by computer software.
Best Live Casino Sites
*18+ New players only. Min Dep £20. Max Bonus Bet £5. Offer: 100% of 1st deposit up to £300 + 100 Zee Spins on Starburst (first 10 credited on 1st deposit; rest credited at 07:00GMT at 10/day) + 500 Zee Points. Spins expire after 23:59GMT on day they’re credited. Winnings from each 10 spins capped at £50 & credited as bonus. Bonus funds expire after 30 days, are separate to Cash funds, & subject to 35x wagering of bonus + deposit amounts. Affordability checks apply. Terms Apply Play Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #AD
*18+. New players only. Min. deposit £20. Max. bonus bet is £5. Bonus spins on selected games only and must be used within 72 hours. Winnings from Bonus spins credited as bonus funds and capped at £100. Bonus funds expire in 30 days, unused bonus funds will be removed. Welcome Offer is 100% match up to £200 plus 50 bonus spins on your 1st deposit, 50% match up to £50 on your 2nd deposit. Bonus funds are separate to Cash funds, and are subject to 35x wagering the total bonus & cash. Only bonus funds count towards wagering contribution. Affordability checks apply. Terms apply. Please gamble responsibly. BeGambleAware.org. #AD
18+. Bonus Code : FIRST20. 1st Deposit Only. Min. deposit: £10, max. Bonus £20. WR of 60x Bonus amount (only Slots count) within 30 days. Max bet is 10% (min £0.10) of the Bonus amount or £5 (lowest amount applies). Spins must be used and/or Bonus must be claimed before using deposited funds. First Deposit/Welcome Bonus can only be claimed once every 72 hours across all Casinos. Bonus Policy applies. Please gamble responsibly. Begambleaware.org #AD
18+. New Players Only. Wagering occurs from real balance first. 50X wagering the bonus or any winnings generated from free spins. Contribution may vary per game. Available on selected games only. The wagering requirement is calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus is valid for 30 days / Free spins valid for 7 days from issue. Max conversion: 3 times the bonus amount or from free spins: £/$/€20. Excluded Skrill deposits. Full Terms Apply. Please play responsibly. Begambleaware.org. #AD
*18+ new players only. Minimum deposit: £20. Maximum £100 bonus. Max bet with an active bonus: £2. Wagering requirement 100% match bonus: 30 times sum of deposit + bonus. Max redeemable from welcome bonus: £500. 100 Free Spins are given out 20 per day on Book of Dead for 5 days in a row, log in each day is required. Max Free Spins winnings: £100. Winnings from Free Spins are credited as bonus money with a wagering requirement of 45 times. Free Spins expire after 3 days. Some games may not be played with a bonus. Games may contribute differently when wagering a bonus.Full bonus terms apply. Please gamble Responsibly. Begambleaware.org #AD
*18+. New Players Only. Min. deposit £20. UK players. Max. bonus 1st deposit 100% up to £50 and 2nd deposit 50% up to £100. Max wins from spins £100. 35x wagering applies, within 21 days. 20 spins on 1st deposit and 30 spins on 2nd deposit. Spins expire after 24 hours. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. Begambleaware.org #AD
18+. New customers only. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly. begambleaware.org #AD
18+. Welcome bonus: new players only. Min deposit: £10. Max bonus: £77. Spins are issued on a specific game. Spins and bonus wagering requirement: 35x, spins expire after 24 hours. Gambling can be addictive. Play responsibly, www.begambleaware.org. T&C’s apply. #AD
18+. Welcome bonus: new UK depositing players only. 200 spins require 3 deposits of min. £20 each and are issued as follows: 50 on 1st deposit, 50 on 2nd deposit and 100 on 3rd deposit. Spins are issued on selected games. Winnings from spins are bonus with wagering requirements 35x. Spins expire after 24 hours. Bonus expires after 21 days. Play responsibly, www.begambleaware.org. T&Cs apply. #AD
*18+. New Bingo customers only. Opt in required. Spend £10 cash on Bingo Tickets to receive 100 Free Tickets and 50 Free Spins on eligible slots. Time limits, exclusions and T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly. begambleaware.org #AD
*18+.New customers only. Enjoy 50 Free Spins on any of the eligible games when you register via the code PGCTV2. Opt-in, deposit and wager £10 to receive a further 100 Free Spins. Free spins are valued at £0.10 each and expire 10 days after crediting. T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. Begambleaware.org #AD
*18+. New players only. Min. deposit £20. Max. bonus bet £5. Bonus spins on selected games only and must be used within 72 hours. Winnings from Bonus spins credited as bonus funds and capped at £100. Bonus funds expire within 30 days. Offer is 100% bonus match up to £300 + 25 bonus spins on your 1st deposit. Bonus funds are separate to Cash funds, and are subject to 35x wagering the total bonus & cash. Only bonus funds count towards wagering contribution. Affordability checks apply. Terms apply. Please gamble responsibly. BeGambleAware.org. #AD
*18+.New players only. Valid until further notice. Min dep £10. 100% Games Bonus[GB] up to £100 + 3-wheel spins. Wheels prizes and odds vary & include multiple prizes. Free Spins [FS] wins granted in GB. GB valid on selected games only. WR: 35x on winnings generated from [FS]; WR: 35x on your (Games Bonus). WR vary by game. GB wins cap: £100 + initial bonus. Country restrictions apply. UK: deposit balance can be withdrawn at any time. 18+. Full T&C apply. Please gamble responsibly. begambleaware.org. #AD
*18+. New Players Only. New members only, must opt in. Min £10 deposit & wager. 30 day expiry from deposit. 18+. Free Spins: on MONOPOLY Paradise Mansion. 1p coin size, max lines. Bingo: Advertised ticket value based on £1 tickets. Game availability & restrictions apply. Please gamble responsibly. BegambleAware.org #AD
Here are some of the best live casino gaming options for you, if you are a UK online casino player:
Live casino bonuses
There are many types of bonuses available, if you sign up at an online casino, whether you do so with the intention of playing live casino games or not, you’ll receive a bonus. Some sites may even offer you a live casino bonus, but generally, bonuses cannot be redeemed on live casino games. It pays to hunt around for the best live casino bonus, and here are some guidelines you can follow in order to help you secure the very best deal that you can.
Welcome bonus
If you’ve played at an online casino before, then you may be aware of the concept of a welcome bonus. This type of bonus is available upon your very first deposit once you have signed up to become a member of a brand new online casino.
Such bonuses are usually in the form of ‘a 200% bonus up to £50’. In this example, for your first deposit at the site, the online casino will double the value of your first deposit and add it to your bonus account as bonus money, up to a limit of £50. So, if you were to deposit £30, you would receive back £50, and not £60 (£30 x 2) as you might expect.
Bonus cash is not ‘free money’. You can never withdraw bonus cash as it is designed for wagering purposes only. You are usually free to withdraw any winnings made with your bonus, though, once you have met wagering expectations.
Wagering expectations or requirements are usually along the lines of ’35x bonus + deposit’. This means that in order to be able to withdraw your bonus winnings, you need to make wagers of the value of thirty-five times your bonus and your deposit. If you deposited £20 and received a £20 bonus (total £40), then your wagering is 35 times that amount = £1,500. Be aware that this is the amount you are expected to wager, not spend. You can play 150 hands of live casino online blackjack at £10 per hand. You would not lose every single hand, and indeed there’s a chance you’ll come out with more money than what you started with.
Other factors to consider when grabbing yourself a live casino bonus are time limits and game contributions. You are typically given a time limit by which you must have met your wagering requirements. Also, if a game has a less than 100% contribution towards wagering, then this must be factored in as well. Say if video poker has a 10% contribution, then for every £10 wagered on video poker, only £1 (10% of £10) will contribute towards your wagering.
Reload bonuses
A reload bonus works in exactly the same way as a welcome bonus, except that is awarded to you after you have made your first deposit at your new live casino online site. You may get a reload bonus on a handful of deposits made after your first deposit, or you may get a bonus on a weekly, daily or monthly basis.
Free / no deposit bonuses
You do not have to make a deposit at some sites in order to commence your experience with them. Some sites may offer you a free or no deposit bonus, for which no deposit has to be made. This is, in effect, free bonus money. It works in the same way as a welcome bonus, except that no deposit has to be made.
Free or no deposit bonuses tend to be small and come with high wagering expectations.
What you need to look out for in a good live casino site
Not all live casinos are the same. Here are some things you need to look out for to give yourself the chance of a decent online live casino experience.
A licensed and regulated online live casino
If you live in the UK, then any slots, casino, live casino, bingo or sports book site MUST have a proper United Kingdom Gambling Commission licence, Legally, any gambling site that accepts UK residents as customers needs to have a UKGC licence.
A UKGC licence for a live casino site is a mark that the site is operating legally and treats its customers fairly. You should ascertain whether any site you are thinking of signing up for has a legitimate UKGC licence. This is easy to do – just look at the bottom of the site’s home page for the ‘Gaming Commission’ logo. You can also check with the UKGC themselves.
A variety of live casino games from different software providers
When it comes to live casinos, there are three main software providers – Evolution Gaming, NetEnt and Extreme Live Gaming. It is better for you as a player if you can find an online casino that has access to at least two of these live casino providers. Unlike RNG or software-based games, the spaces at live casino tables are limited, and if a live casino site has a smaller number of games or providers, then you may find it difficult to find space at a table.
The main games you need to look out for are blackjack, roulette, baccarat and casino. A decent mix of games and a large number of tables is your best bet for a decent live casino experience.
Decent bonuses and fair wagering requirements
Ongoing bonuses are always a good sign that an online live casino site is in a good state of health. A decent online casino site will always have a decent array of reload bonuses and free spin offers.
Such offers should have decent wagering requirements too. A good yardstick to measure wagering by is 40x deposit + bonus. Anything less than 40x is a very good deal, while anything above 40x should get you thinking about going elsewhere for a more worthwhile bonus.
How to play at an online live casino
Once you have completed your sign up at an online casino, made a deposit and acquired any bonus that is coming to you, then you are ready to enter the live casino realm! Here is how to do just that:
- Choose which game you would like to play. The usual options are blackjack, European roulette, American roulette, baccarat or casino poker. Some sites may have additional games such as three-card poker.
- Find a live casino room for your game and enter it. The live dealer or croupier should welcome you to the room.
- Check to see if there are any seats available. If there are not, try a different room.
- Sit down at the table. Wait until the next available betting round, or watch the play for a short while so you feel confident in that you know what you are doing.
- Use the software interface to select how many chips you want to bet. With some games, your virtual chips may appear on the table. No ‘real’ chips are involved.
- If you are playing a card game such as blackjack or baccarat, then wait until it is your turn. This works just as in a real-world casino in that the dealer or croupier will take on one player at a time. If you are playing roulette, just wait until the ball has landed in a slot upon the wheel.
- At the end of the turn, you will have won or lost. Your chips will be removed (if you lost) or added to your account (if you won). You are free to start on another betting round if you want.
- At any time you can get up from the table and leave with your chips.
The best live casino games
One of the most exciting developments you’ll find at new casino sites is the way live dealer games have moved to the next level.
Evolution Gaming, which is the unrivaled top dog when it comes to live dealer games, has really pushed the envelope and brought out some very cool new games that appeal even to players who aren’t into traditional casino games.
Power Up Roulette
PowerUP Roulette is like traditional European roulette, but it also has an exclusive twist. The main game offers players up to five PowerUP bonus rounds which offer extra chances to win cash prizes.
In play, the roulette ball could land on one of the PowerUP numbers, which are randomly allocated before the game commences. If a player placed a straight-up bet on a winning PowerUp number, it triggers a special bonus round for additional prizes. Each time that a PowerUP bonus round occurs, the prize pool for the following spin is doubled. If there are the maximum of five PowerUP bonuses, the prize pool can grow to between 2,600 and 8,000x.
Vinnie Jones Roulette
Another exciting title to look out for is Real Dealer Studios’ Vinnie Jones Roulette. It’s part of a series that features the famous ex-footballer and Hollywood star, and this time, rather than taking on an acting role, Vinnie acts as a VIP dealer. It’s an RNG game, so the footage is pre-recorded, yet it’s filmed with such precision that it feels as though Vinnie is talking to you one-on-one. Players can place bets of between 25p and £1,000 and place racetrack bets as well as special bets.
Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt
There are loads of new live dealer games that we could recommend, but we do have some favourites. Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt (based on the popular slot Gonzo’s Quest) is a game show that features a giant wall containing 70 stones, where the aim is to search for the hidden treasure and so win the biggest payouts. You can even play a virtual reality (VR) version of Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt, and it’s a hugely entertaining combination of live and slots-style gameplay.
Deal or No Deal Live
We also really like Deal or No Deal Live, a live online version of the world-famous TV game show.
It’s a multi-layered game where unlimited numbers of players can join in at the same time, and features several different game rounds, and offers win multipliers and potentially big payouts.
Monopoly Live
Another game we’re sure you’ll love is Monopoly Live, a new take on the smash-hit big wheel game Dream Catcher. One of the most exciting standout features of Monopoly Live is the 3D bonus round, where you can actually take an augmented reality walk around the legendary Monopoly game board.
Some of the other live dealer games we recommend you check out include Crazy Time, Football Studio, Dream Catcher and Buffalo Blitz Live.
There are four main categories of live casino games, and a number of special live games as well.
Roulette
Roulette is the most popular casino game in the world. There are three main types of roulette – American, European and French. Generally, only American and European roulette is played as a live casino game. French roulette can involve a secondary betting table which would make each round too long.
European roulette uses a wheel with numbers 1 to 36 and 0. American roulette uses a wheel with an extra ’00’ added. You are less likely to win with American roulette as you are with European.
In each version, you can make ‘inside’ bets on numbers and groups of numbers, or ‘outside’ bets on factors of the wheel, such as red/black or odd/even. Each specific bet has its own payout, which is standard across all forms of roulette played anywhere in the world.
Blackjack
Blackjack is played as a card game in more casinos than any other. It is a very simple game to play. The object of the game is to beat the dealer by scoring more points than them, as long as you do not score over twenty-one points, in which case you bust. You are dealt two cards, and can add to them (‘hit’) as many times as you want until you are satisfied with your hand (‘stand’) or have bust.
As with casino blackjack, when it is the dealer’s turn they MUST score at least seventeen, even if they have already scored more than the players’ total.
If you win a hand of blackjack, you win back double your stake. You also receive a bonus payout if you score a blackjack itself, which is any two-card total of twenty-one.
Baccarat
Baccarat is also known as Punto Banco and is the casino game favoured by James Bond. It is similar to blackjack, as it is the player (‘punto’) against the dealer or bank {‘banco’). A player though can bet on the player’s hand, or the banker’s hand.
The point of baccarat is to score as close to nine as possible. The dealer and the player each receive two cards, and the total is the final digit of the two cards added together. For example, if a player is dealt a 9 and a 7, the total is 6, as 6 is the last digit of 16. Face cards in baccarat have no value, and an ace is worth 1.
Once the deal has been made the player has the option of receiving one more card. You cannot bust in baccarat, though. If you have a 7 and an 8 (score 5, not 15) and are dealt a 6, your score is now down to 1 (not 21).
When the player has finished their turn it is time for the dealer to act. The dealer can only do a specific number of things, depending upon what the player’s hand is worth, and what the banker has. At the end of the hand, either the player or the banker is declared the winner (or it could be a tie) and bets are paid out accordingly.
Casino poker
Generally, casino poker means Texas Hold ’em poker. This is not the type of game where you play at a table with other players, but a ‘heads up’ game with you against the dealer.
Play starts with the player placing their bet. The player and the dealer receive two cards each, face down. Three cards are placed face up in the centre of the table. A player then decides to fold (give in) or play (double their bet). If the player plays then the dealer deals two more face-up cards in the middle of the table. The player must make their best poker hand from their own two cards and the five ‘community’ cards.
The dealer will then turn over their two ‘hole’ cards. They must score at least a pair of fours in order to ‘qualify’. If not, then the player wins automatically. If the dealer cannot beat the player, then the player wins and receives back double his final bet. If the dealer beats the player, then the player will lose his stake.
Real money live casino
Is it possible to win real money when playing live casino online?
With blackjack, roulette and baccarat, winning money is purely down to luck and nothing more. If you play well and are lucky, then you will end up with more than what you started with. If you are unlucky, then you will end up with less than what you started with.
Casino poker is different in that you need to know how to play the game and play well in order to stand a chance of winning anything.
Is it safe to play for real money?
As long as you play at a live casino that has proper UKGC licensing, then your money is safe, as are your identity details, and your financial information.
What is meant by RTP?
RTP means ‘return-to-player’ and is the expected return to the player in terms of money over an extended period of play. For example, if you play a game with an RTP of 99% and begin with £100, then after several hands or plays you should have £99 left. However, casino games are streaky and this is seldom what happens. RTP is best used as a comparison tool – the closer a game’s RTP is to 100%, the better chance a player has of winning something as they play.
Some live casino RTPs:
- Blackjack 99.4%;
- European roulette 97.3%;
- American roulette 94.7%;
- baccarat/punto banco 98.9%;
- casino poker 97.9%.
- Not all types of games (except roulette) have the same RTPs though, as some have different rules to others.
Conclusion
We have all have dreamed of playing and winning big at a real-world casino, but very few of us actually get to do that. Indeed, not everyone gets the chance of playing at a real-world casino at all.
While playing at a live casino online is not exactly the same as playing at a real-world casino, it is the closest that you will get on PC or mobile device. You also get to play via the comfort of your own sofa, if you so wish!
Why not sign up with one of our recommended casinos today and begin your live casino online career?
Author And Contributing Editor
Anita is a well-known bingo-lover and has been involved with online bingo since the late 1990’s. She has been along for the ride and seen the industry grow and develop into what it is today. She has worked with the biggest names in the industry and has a reputation for being fair and to the point in her writing.
