In the last few decades, casinos have seen more evolution than ever before, adapting to the digital age. Many games have made the transition to online, including classic table games like Blackjack, Baccarat and Roulette.
But one of the more recent developments is the fusion of digital games with live elements – live casino games. These games offer an experience that’s a hybrid of online and land-based casino gaming, delivering players gameplay that’s professionally hosted by a trained dealer or croupier.
Live casino games rely on sophisticated technology to run smoothly, so today we’re going to take a look at the tech powering these games.
Video streaming
The core of live casino gaming lies in high-quality video streaming technology. Without the ability to stream live from the studio to players, these games wouldn’t work. The essence of live casino games is the live dealer or croupier, so it’s essential for them to appear seamlessly on the player’s device.
A strong broadband connection is only the first part of the chain, as casinos also need to invest in a number of high-definition cameras to capture all angles of the game. These cameras offer players the chance to customise their view of the game to their liking, picking whether they want to watch a close-up of the dealer, a wide shot of the whole table or closer views of the game elements.
With high-quality video capture and a strong, stable internet connection players can see every detail of the game as clearly as a digital equivalent.
Optical character recognition
Bringing together the physical game elements with the digital user interface is not a simple task. This is where technology known as optical character recognition (OCR) comes into play.
OCR is used to convert the physical cards and images of the dice or Roulette wheel into data that the gaming software can interpret. When the dealer draws a card, this is captured by the cameras and fed into the OCR software, which then picks out the details of the card’s suit, number and symbol.
The data is then relayed to the player’s screen in real-time, allowing them to accurately follow the game’s progress and initiate actions through their digital interface.
Game control unit
The OCR works in tandem with a game control unit (GCU), which is attached to every operating live casino table. The GCU is a small device that encodes everything happening within the game, integrating the live elements with the online platform the game is being played on.
It’s the GCU that bridges the gap between the two formats, making sure that players are seeing the correct data on their screens that matches the physical game table. Ensuring accuracy and a smooth gameplay experience is the job of the GCU, under supervision from the live dealer.
As you can see, the technology behind live casino games involves a combination of complicated software and high-quality video capture.
Not so long ago, the idea of live casino games that combine online and offline elements would have seemed unfeasible. Who can say where developing technologies will take these games next?
