There is no denying the popularity of online gambling in the UK. After all, its roots date back to the old days of gambling houses and other land-based establishments. The practice of games of chance is largely intertwined with UK culture. With that in mind, the new online advantages are only bringing the Brits’ favorite pastime that much closer to them.
One of the latest advantages of the interactive gambling industry is the invention of live dealer casino games. By using elaborate, high-end recording and live-stream tech, they bring brick-and-mortar casino floor action straight to your desktop and mobile screens.
Many tend to increase diversity, while others aim to provide better betting odds. Either way, this portion of the industry is growing by the minute. The best thing to do is to keep up-to-date and make the most of it.
Choosing the Best Live Casinos UK
Live casinos have some features of their own, although they are normally part of an entire online casino operator platform. Making the right choice can seem overwhelming, especially when dealing with a wider selection of options. For this purpose, we have come up with a few guidelines to help you through the process. These refer to the top UK live casino features, how to identify them, and the things to look for.
1. Licensing
As we mentioned earlier, the game providers must also bear the UKGC license in order to service UK players. Even though players are not subject to any punitive measures, putting your real money bets on the line without the Commission’s protection is not advisable.
2. Game fairness
Online games are regularly checked for their RNG and RTP, but with live dealers, the situation is a bit different. Here, both the land-based live segment and the online software solution are subject to proper audits. Make sure they have meet all requirements of reputable third-party audit companies before choosing a live casino.
3. Dealers
The live dealers play a big part in the player’s overall enjoyment. You can normally get the schedule to their time at the table, so pick through their photos.
Other times, even though this is much rarer, you may be given the option of a demo try. Get a feel of the gameplay and the dealers and make the most of such chances. Supported languages is also important – make sure the provider offers game content fitted for the UK market. While this is rarely an issue for English-speaking players, others will definitely benefit from a heads-up.
4. Table features
Each table in the live casino selection has their own betting limits and odds. This is the main distinction between tables of the same game type (like roulette, per say). Hence, don’t forget to take this into consideration during your search.
5. Streaming quality
These games require stable Internet connection, but this may not be enough. If the streaming is interrupting or otherwise malfunctioning, it could affect your gameplay and outcome. That is why, even with a regulated market such as the UK, caution is the best approach.
Best UK Live Casinos
Live Casinos UK – Game Library
In order to start gameplay at any of the legal live casinos in the UK, you need to choose your table game. Live dealer online casino platforms may differ in their game offering depending on their provider. Still, more or less, they all focus on the same game types in terms of availability.
Since these live games normally stream the live action of the dealer as they lead the gameplay, it takes some setup for them. Most providers have built their own studios equipped and styled by the top land-based casino floors. Others, however, actually take the action to the brick-and-mortar casinos, and broadcast content straight from there.
The first thing to choosing a UK live dealer casino for your player preferences is checking out the games. Here is the list of options that are normally featured in the library. Understandably, some providers may add some unique titles, while others may work on variants of the popular table games. All you have to do is know your options, and start your search from there.
Roulette
This table game is arguably one of the most popular in the casino offering in general. So, it’s no wonder it managed to find its place in the live dealer content as well. In fact, it enjoys much the same popularity in this department too, with American and European Roulette being the top options. French Roulette, Mini, VIP, Ligntning Roulette and other versions of the game are also available. This is done to meet the needs of a growing and evolving live dealer player pool, and maintain satisfaction.
Blackjack
There is no other casino game as unique as blackjack, and players are most aware of this. The blackjack table offers the best chances of winning and payout, and at the same time skill-work. After all, it offers the best gameplay for players to show off their skills, as well as to apply their strategy. Over the years, blackjack has also got its fair share of variants, and most live casinos for UK players nowadays include them in their offering. Hence, depending on your preference, you can choose from Single Deck Blackjack, Double Exposure, European, American, Perfect Pairs Blackjack and more.
Baccarat
The main reason for this game’s success is its simplicity. Players learn the rules of the game with ease, and can profit just as fast. Just this is reason enough to seek out live baccarat tables at your chosen live casino. And with the excellent high-quality in-game, graphics and streaming features, it is bound to pay off in more ways than one.
Poker
Omaha and Texas Hold’em, all the way to Three-Card Poker and Five-Card Poker, as well as Caribbean Stud are top UK options. Players are used to having the full array of poker gameplay, and live dealer casinos normally work to meet these expectations. It is advisable to try and brush up on the different game features for variants, depending on your choice of provider.
UK Live Casino Regulations
The online gambling industry in the UK is one of the most regulated in global terms. This is largely due to the fact that they have adopted it in its early years. Hence, authorities had enough time to set up a respective authoritative body, as well as the proper provisions for operations.
Live casinos, which are in the focus here, are regulated by the same UK Gambling Commission as the remaining portions of this industry. According to laws passed back in 2015, every operator looking to service UK residents officially needed to obtain a license. Nowadays, the same goes for software providers powering their game libraries.
It is good to know that the UKGC issuing these licenses has a reputation of strict and uncompromising authority. Therefore, many operators retreated from the market, and even more closed due to the imposed taxes.
Nevertheless, this still left quite a few platforms willing to fit into the new regulatory system. This put players’ rights and security on a whole new level and, at the same time, protected operators from competition.
Admittedly so, there are still some operators presently catering the player pool without the proper license. These are normally based out at offshore locations, avoiding the UKGC’s jurisdiction. Still, efforts are being made to put them under the same roof as the rest and regulate them accordingly.
As it is, the average UK gambling enthusiast is still left with a number of operators offering live dealer games. These are normally provided from authorized companies the likes of NetEnt and Evolution. With more constantly working to meet the licensing requirements, there is plenty where they came from.
