Going Live – The Pros And Cons Of Using Live Dealers

One of the biggest conundrums setting up an online betting, esports is using live dealers or keeping everything digital: Check pros & cons

By Claudio Pires
Updated on October 31, 2024
Going Live – The Pros And Cons Of Using Live Dealers

One of the biggest conundrums when setting up an online casino, casino slots, online betting, esports betting is using live dealers or keeping everything digital: Check pros & cons. Exactly as it sounds, using live dealers means that the customer plays casino games through live streaming, and the cards are dealt by a real-life, honest to goodness, human croupier. 

These games tend to be popular with customers as they help recreate the traditional casino experience – with the bonus that the customer can play from home, the office, or even on the move.  Although there’s no doubt that many customers enjoy the live experience, what does it mean for the casino itself?  In this article, we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of going live with an online casino.

Straight dealing Using Live Dealers

Since the inception of online casinos in 1996, the live dealer version has been a smash hit – with hundreds of casinos to choose from, 24/7 access, and the ability to attend the casino in your pajamas if you so desire. What’s not to love?  Let’s take a look:

The Chips Are Up: Pros & Cons of Live Dealers

Customer Enjoyment Using Live Dealers

A resounding majority of online casino customers prefer the personal touch that a live dealer brings, as well as the fact that this adds to the whole ‘being at a casino even though you’re not experiencing it. 

This is good news for casino owners. Customers who enjoy the experience will stay longer on the site and visit more often, resulting in a tremendous significant kerching for the casino.  In addition, customers who want their time on your site will tend to be open to upsells and are likely to recommend the site to friends and family. 

Some unscrupulous casinos have, in the past, used pre-recorded footage to try to trick customers into believing the game is live – these days, a lot of casinos will show television news behind the dealer as proof that the game is live.

The Power Of Professionals

As great as technology is, you can’t beat the experience and expertise of a real-life dealer.  Not only is a live dealer able to regulate the games and monitor the players, but they are also able to pick up on the more subtle nuances of player behavior that may be missed by the technology – in particular, cheating and signs of gambling addiction.

Fair And Square

Because live dealer games don’t rely on RNG (Random Number Generation). They tend to consider it fairer because results are on an actual dealer’s actions. This is to be more truly random than using a machine.

High Rollers Using Live Dealers

Live dealer options for online casinos are not usually as gaming for fun. As such, casinos can dictate higher prices/fund deposits than they would for non-live games.

The Chips Are Down

Counting The Cost

One of the major downsides to using live dealers is that the casino will, of course, have to pay the dealers’ salaries.  The average earnings of a casino dealer in the UK start at around £17,000 per year, rising to around £30,000 per year depending on experience.  For a casino wishing to operate 24/7, this will amount to a pretty significant financial investment in staff.

The Slow-Down

Unfortunately, games that rely on real, live dealers can move a fair bit more slowly than the non-live kind.  This becomes more significant when some players in. As the dealer will need to give each player adequate time in the name of fairness.  This, of course, means that fewer games can play within a given time frame.

Variety Using Live Dealers

It goes without saying that every dealer cannot expect to know every game out there.  This can often lead to frustration for customers and the casino when it’s impossible to meet customer’s requirements.

Double The Tech

We’ve all had our problems and frustrations with slow streaming and technical issues, and it’s never fun.  With live dealer gaming, both the customers and the dealer are relying on streaming technology. So there’s double the chance of something going wrong.  Such problems can be off-putting for customers who may then go off searching for a more reliable site.

Choosing whether or not to go live is rarely an easy decision.  Although there are many benefits to this method, it also requires significant time. So, money investment and constant maintenance to ensure that games run seamlessly for the customers.

Claudio Pires

Claudio Pires is the co-founder of Visualmodo, a renowned company in web development and design. With over 15 years of experience, Claudio has honed his skills in content creation, web development support, and senior web designer. A trilingual expert fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, he brings a global perspective to his work. Beyond his professional endeavors, Claudio is an active YouTuber, sharing his insights and expertise with a broader audience. Based in Brazil, Claudio continues to push the boundaries of web design and digital content, making him a pivotal figure in the industry.