New Live Casinos

If you spend any time around the casino business you’ll know that newness and novelty is highly valued. New casino sites pop up all the time, and every games developer pumps out titles and tries to brand as many of them as they can as innovations.

Live casino games are both new and old. These games are the basis of hundreds of years of gambling. But in the past few years, they’ve been given a new lease of life by the internet and the high-speed internet in particular.

High-speed internet access has allowed casino sites to expand back into the future. For years, internet casino sites offered simulation games, mostly slots, that used graphics to deliver a gaming experience.

Widespread access to very high speed, high-quality internet connections and other tech breakthroughs have opened up both ends of the market. The providers can film live casino games taking place and customers have the high-speed connection to watch video being streamed on even their mobile phones.

In this guide we’ll introduce you to new live casino sites, we’ll tell you what they should provide, and how you can use them safely.

Let’s have a look.

Top New Live Casinos 2021

What’s a new live casino?

Casinos launch all the time and live casinos launch even more often as this facility is added to existing slots and simulation games.

So, what exactly is a live casino?

It’s perhaps best understood through one of the innovations it has introduced:  the ability for good old-fashioned casinos to stick a camera up over their roulette wheels to allow hundreds or maybe even thousands of customers around the world to change their money on the betting table too.

Most live casinos don’t work quite like that and they are reliant on high-speed internet connections and also globalisation that allows businesses to set up big, centralised studios in lower-wage economies to stream many games in many casino sites played by millions of people around the world.

Players set up accounts at live casino sites, choose the game they want to play, and then use an interface to transmit their decisions to members of staff in a studio, who carry out their instructions (dealing cards or perhaps placing chips) and pay out the bets when they’re won.

It’s a very enticing experience and it is massively popular. Every casino site has to have a live casino offering in 2021.

How does a new live casino work?

For players, the experience is a two-way one.

They need an account at a site and they need money in that account to play.

Then they can pick the game they want to play.

There a user interface will allow them to make decisions about their gameplay.

Live dealers on the other end of the feed will present the game and deal cards, throw dice, and spin wheels. They may carry out player instructions or simply communicate how their decisions have landed in the game world.

The results of the bet are transmitted onto the player’s account.

How to sign up at a new live casino?

The most important thing about a live casino site is that it is safe and legal for you to use it.

We’ll cover some other areas of safety later on in this guide, but first of all, we’re going to look at the safety of sites themselves.

The particular rules and regulations that apply where you live – or rather where you are when you try to access a live casino site – are your concern here. It’s your responsibility to be obeying the right laws. Hopefully, sites that aren’t legally available to you will block you from signing up.

The best way to find a safe site is to find a licensed one. That means one that is licensed by the regulatory authority for the location you’re in, or by another regulatory authority that is recognised in that territory.

A nice simple example is the UK. In the UK, it is illegal to offer gambling services without a current licence from the UK Gambling Commission.

In the past, the UK has accepted licences from other countries, including, for example, Malta. This may be the case where you live. You should try to find out what licences are accepted where you are and you should see that any site that you use has the right licensing.

We think that it is very easy to get into trouble with gambling. However, we also think that out and out scamming and fake sites are relatively rare these days.

Scams flourish in particular environments. Prohibition encourages scamming, as lots of history has told us. Once alcohol was made legal in the United States there were far fewer examples of people being blinded by terrible quality moonshine.

If you live in a jurisdiction where gambling is illegal, sorry, you need to not gamble. You will have little chance of any comeback should you get in trouble. Many sites have lists of jurisdictions from which they will not accept customers. Again, if you are on that list you need to accept that. Don’t use a VPN or other spoof to get around geographical restrictions. And don’t try to gamble if you’re not of the legal age to do so.

Scam sites will rarely be as good quality as an actual live casino site. To set up and run a full casino site is expensive. Scammers want to get in and out quickly and they don’t want to invest upfront.

That’s not to say that scams can’t be sophisticated. The history of cons – a fascinating subject – has included gangs of grifters setting up entire fake bookmaking shops complete with staff and wired in racing results. But, looking for good quality sites is a good way to stay safe.

Scammers also prioritize the vulnerable. It makes sense of course. Those who are desperate for money or to get a gambling thrill are more likely to cut corners and try to get around restrictions or look for ways around the law or easy money.

All of those things are potential red flags.

Your own good health is a great way to keep yourself safe in this regard. Playing for fun rather than for big money is the healthiest way to play.

Funding your live casino account

We’ve mentioned that you’ll need money to play at a live casino. We have not yet reached the stage where players can force banknotes into their phones, but the transfer of money online is getting very easy.

Most new live casinos will accept a number of different sorts of payments.

They include:

Bank debit cards – a very simple, fast, and trusted payment method that most people have access to.

Credit cards – gambling on credit can be risky and is illegal in some places (like the UK) so keep an eye on your spending if you’re charging.

Bank transfers and wire transfers – there are now a number of apps to help you transfer money quickly and every bank has good quality online bank accounts that allow you to send money quickly and safely to named recipients.

E-Wallets – perhaps the most popular way to spend online is with an e-wallet, usually run by a website on your computer and maybe with an app on your phone or other mobile devices. PayPal is by far the best known and most popular of these tools and now offers a vast array of services. Skrill and Neteller are also big in the gambling industry and many countries have a local provider.

Pre-paid vouchers – there is a cost attached to using these cards, but they are sometimes the only way that you can transfer money online. They are discreet and can turn cash into digital money over the counter. They’re popular with users who don’t have online banking or who wish to keep their gambling personal – though this is risky in some ways.

Whichever of these methods you use to fund your account make sure you do it safely and make sure that you use a good quality provider and learn how to set good passwords.

Using new live casinos safely

A good deal of online gambling safety is down to you.

Safe sites are your start.

Safe money transfers are next.

And while you’re going online make sure that you’re using your device safely on a secure connection and that your device security is good.

And now we come onto the big one, how to keep yourself safe.

Safe gambling is a massive area. It takes in addiction, psychology, capitalism, marketing and you. You are the best person to know if your gambling behaviours are becoming a problem. However, the nature of addiction means that even if you know it, if you are an addict, you will face a conflict about facing up to it.

Addiction is horrible. We have experience of it – though not related to gambling – and it really is a very dark experience.

All we can say to gamblers is that you should be aware that it is possible to become addicted to gambling. This is not remotely controversial, it’s an accepted medical diagnosis. It is not inevitable though, and it should be possible for most people to enjoy playing gambling games safely and for fun. Keeping an eye out for warning signs will help you stay in that group and being honest with yourself and with anyone else you know and love will help you.

There’s now an awful lot of good advice provided by the industry. If you look at a big casino site you will find a guide to safe gambling. Take the time to read it and to take it in.

Find out, too, about the tools that you can use to help you stay safe. These might include limits on the money you spend and the time you spend on sites. Some banks also offer a service to limit gambling spending.

Find out how to reach out for help.

But really self-knowledge and honesty is your most powerful weapon.

Ask yourself if you’re gambling because you enjoy it or because you want to not face something else in your life. If you gamble to deal with difficult emotions it is a danger sign.

If you gamble and lose money that you cannot afford to lose it is a danger sign.

In case you gamble in order to make back the money you have previously lost, that is a danger sign.

If you’re uncomfortable about speaking about your gambling behaviour that’s a danger sign.

If you feel deep fear at the idea of never gambling again, that is a danger sign.

And so on.

Check this stuff out and keep it in mind as you play.

We’ll add a couple of extra things you should bear in mind when you play at a live casino site.

Live casino sites use real-life staff. If you’re browsed one of these sites – and you’re honest with yourself – you’ll note that the staff at these sites tend to be young and conventionally attractive and wearing uniforms that enhance that attractiveness.

Please don’t let things like this influence your decisions. Set limits for your play and stick to them, and don’t make bets in order to impress members of casino staff – who you should always treat with the respect that you would like to be treated with.

We’re sorry to sound like a lecturing parent here, but this is important and you should take it seriously.

The games at new live casinos

More fun than safe gambling lectures are the games you can play.

Most live casinos, including new live casinos, have a large number of game tables, divided by game type.

Typically, a casino lobby will feature a list of games that you can play and then offer you a choice of tables at which you can play them.

The tables will offer different rule variants, different betting levels, different levels of service, including VIP and private games, and perhaps different themes and language versions.

We can’t cover every possible game here, but these are the main games you should expect to see.

The first three are what we call the Big Three of live casino play.

Live Roulette

By its placing in casino lobbies, it’s pretty obvious that roulette is the most popular casino game. The game has a long history and a real mystique. It’s also easy to play and offers such a wide array of betting options that it can be played to suit all appetites for risk.

The game can be divided into three big rule divides.

French, European, and American.

The French and European versions have fewer zeroes on the wheel which makes them generally better value for players. American roulette added a second zero which skews everything in the favour of the house.

There are a lot of other betting options that are different between the games.

Presentational differences are likely to include highly immersive games and high-speed games as well as games with different camera setups and languages of play.

Live Blackjack

No new live casino will launch without a good selection of blackjack tables. In fact, there are usually far more blackjack tables than there are for any other game. Most of these will offer a standard version of the game. There are rule variants in blackjack but they are generally less well developed than in roulette and the main alternate version focus on side bets (for example betting on pairs or the chance to make poker hands from more than one hand) and betting limits.

Blackjack is very simple to play and has a very good theoretical return to player for the careful player. It’s also a game where strategy can play a part, though the skills of card counting are extremely difficult to practice online.

Live Baccarat

Baccarat isn’t nearly so frightening as its super chic reputation might have you believe. Often linked with high rollers and with sophisticated gaming – thanks in large part to tradition and its French history – the game is now best known as a super-high-speed game that is very popular in East Asian casinos.

That means that presentational tics often focus on East Asian style and you may see Chinese characters, silk dresses, the colour red, and even live TVs running in the background (a safety measure to show that a game is really live) in the game studios.

The game is a relatively simple one once you know your way around – it’s a numbers game with two hands competing against each other – but there are a number of gameplay quirks that it’s worth getting your head around before you dive in.

Live three-card poker

Poker is the ultimate gambling game and it was an online trailblazer thanks to poker rooms where players faced off against each other – and maybe millions of bots!

The game offered at new live casinos is a different kettle of fish though, usually a variant on a number of three-card games.

Three card poker itself is a cut-down version of the five-card game played in three simple rounds and usually paying out just for a win, with side bets rewarding the best hands.

Live poker variants

Three-card poker is just one poker variant you’ll find at a good live casino. You will certainly find some sort of Texas Hold’em game – a game with a set of community cards that players try to build the best hand from. You will also probably find a Caribbean stud game offering very high speed play.

Live craps

Craps is just about the most kinetic and frenetic game in a real-world casino. It’s been a game that is hard to translate to the online environment partly for that reason. Much of the magic of the game is that the player throws the dive themselves.

However, you can now play some live craps games and this rewarding game is just as much fun over a wire as on the street corners where it was stereotypically players.

Live East Asian Games

The globe has got much smaller and games travel around the world. The opening up of China – although not its gambling markets so much – has made a handful of East Asian games must-haves for good new live casinos.

They include: sic bo, an ancient dice game that has very simple gameplay with massive betting options; keno, a sort of cross between a bingo card and an instant win that’s very good fun to play. You might also see pai gow poker, a game developed in the US by crossing Asian tile games with poker variants.

Live gameshows

Gameshows are the latest front in the live casino wars. We think this is because companies can more easily set up new unique and exclusive games than they can develop popular new variants of established games.

Most are relatively simple in their setup and rely heavily on presentational aesthetics to build an audience and excitement.

More recently, live slot play has come into the market, with players watching along or gambling on slot outcomes. Again, this allows game developers to get more out of properties they already own and can control more closely.

New live casino game providers

The live casino scene is very vibrant, but the number of players in the game market is relatively small.

The big providers are:

Evolution Gaming, massive and based largely in the Baltics, this company has produced the most successful live casino games so far and it consistently comes up with new ideas like its Lightning games and games that switch straight from RNG play to live play.

NetEnt were slot giants but also had a decent live stable of games. They have recently been snapped up by Evolution but it does seem as if they will remain as an independent brand of sorts. Watch this space.

Pragmatic Play have a small stable of live casino games are also developing their own gameshow and slots live games.

Playtech are the biggest game provider in the world, producing software across the gaming experience. It’s natural that they should move into this booming area and they have the resources and clout to compete with the established big boys and to get their games featured at big sites.

Ezugi are relative minnows in some senses, but now they too are part of the Evolution Family and are pushing into new markets. Specialising in customisable and high-quality streaming they are a mover and shaker with some popular titles to their name.

New Live Casinos FAQ

Are new live casinos available on mobile?

You’d better believe that we are. Since the majority of internet use is now via mobile devices you’d better believe that you can access all the biggest and best casino sites via mobile. The main choice from the point of view of the player is whether or not they get to download an app or browse to a mobile site. Both have their pluses and you should consider which road you want to go down. Either way, live casino games are available to mobile players and users of other devices, including VR devices.

Are new live casinos a scam?

There are scam sites out there, but you have to work pretty hard to find them. The biggest danger for most online gamblers is spending too much money, spending money they cannot afford, or getting some other behavioural trouble around gambling. Scams are rare but they aren’t gone and players need to keep their eyes and ears open and their senses switched on. Look for good quality sites that are licensed and have a decent amount of feedback. New sites are a slightly higher risk than other sites because they have no track record so with new live casino sites make sure you have your eyes open.

Can I play new live casinos for free?

You may well find some live games for free at a new live casino. However, they are unlikely to be live casino games. Most live games cannot be played for free because they must be staffed and that costs money at all times. However, most live casino sites also offer slots and RNG casino games. These games may be available to play in demo mode on your favourite new live casino site or you can often find free versions are review sites.

How do I play new live casino games for real money?

Real money sites demand a way of transferring money. So first of all find a licensed and legal site, and then make sure you’ve got a secure method of transferring money. That might be via your bank or it might bring in a third party like an e-wallet company or a prepaid voucher company. Again, do your due diligence in regards to security before you start throwing money around and be prepared to properly prove your ID before you are allowed to withdraw money from a new live casino.

How do I win big at a new live casino?

There’s no guaranteed trick to win at casino games. All casino games are based on discreet random events, and all of them are set up to provide profits to the game owners. (These two things can both be true at the same time.) That means that most players – if they play for a long period of time – will lose some money. The best outcome for most players is to reduce losses and play while you’re still enjoying it. Your first priority should always be your safety. If you get a big win, well done, but don’t ever think that skill had much to do with it. Beware of sites that try to sell you gambling advice or winning skills. Most of these are scams: all gambling betting schemes are well known and available for free, and there simply is no winning secret for any random game.

Can I play roulette at new live casino sites?

You can play roulette at every live casino site. In fact, almost all sites will offer at least the Big Three games, which are roulette, blackjack and baccarat. The vast majority will have a much larger selection of games.

How do I play at new live casinos safely?

Safe gambling is both too big a subject and too important a subject to address in a single answer. The best we can tell you is that you should take it seriously and you should do some research. There’s a lot of good advice out there for gamblers but you need to find it, you need to read it, and then you need to follow it! Use the tools available to you.

How do I find new live casino sites?

New live casinos are extremely keen that you should be able to find them. With that in mind, you should be aware that a new live casino site is the best place to find a live casino welcome offer. If you want to find good sites then look for reviews or forum feedback. And be aware that the review and forum market is also full of bad faith marketing masquerading as neutral content.

What companies make new live casino games?

A relatively small number of companies make almost all of the popular live casino games. These games require a lot of capital to get up and running – you need a TV studio of sorts for starters – so the barriers to entry in the industry are huge. Evolution are by far the biggest provider, and the company now owns two of the other big names in the industry too (NetEnt and Ezugi). Pragmatic Play have a small stable of games, and Playtech also have the clout as a company to push further into this market. It is in the area of live slots and gameshow games that smaller companies are most likely to breakthrough in our opinion.