Live dealer games look almost identical to a real casino floor, streamed straight to your screen — but the technology behind them is closer to a small TV production than a simple webcam feed.
The studio setup Live dealer games are filmed in purpose-built studios, not on an actual casino floor. Multiple camera angles capture the table, the cards or wheel, and the dealer, while a separate optical character recognition (OCR) system reads the outcome in real time and feeds it into the software you're actually betting through.
The dealers are trained professionals Dealers working live tables go through the same kind of training as floor dealers at a physical casino — dealing procedure, pacing, and how to narrate the game clearly for a camera rather than a room. Shifts are typically monitored by a pit supervisor, just like on a physical floor.
What makes it different from RNG games In an RNG (random number generator) slot or table game, software alone determines the outcome. In live dealer games, a physical action — a real card being dealt, a real wheel being spun — determines the outcome, and the software's only job is to record and relay it accurately. This is why many players who are skeptical of pure RNG games gravitate toward live dealer tables: the outcome isn't generated by an algorithm they can't see.
The trade-offs Live dealer games run at the pace of a real dealer, so you'll see fewer hands or spins per hour than an RNG equivalent. Table limits are often higher too, since studio time and staffing cost more to operate than software alone. Connection quality also matters more — a lagging stream can make a fast-paced game like blackjack harder to follow.
What to check before you sit down Look for the studio provider's name (usually shown in a corner of the stream) and confirm it's certified by the same regulators that license the casino itself. A legitimate live dealer studio will disclose this without you having to dig for it.
Live or RNG, the house edge doesn't disappear either way — pick the format you enjoy more, set your limits before you sit down, and treat both as entertainment rather than a way to make money.