Casino Technology
Live dealing is a modern invention that has gone through many innovations since the mid to late 90s during the initial online casino boom. Thanks to the technology boom in the 2000s, live dealing went from being a commodity to a necessity in all online casinos. Let’s look at the short history of live dealing and how it impacted the industry as a whole.
The Beginning
Online casinos in the 90s had special challenges to face because there wasn’t a legal framework for which they could operate. During the rapid growth of the Internet in the mid to late 90s, lawmakers became aware of online gambling and started creating regulations. In 1994 the Free Trade and Processing Act of Antigua and Barbuda was the first of its kind. It allowed gambling establishments to apply for licenses for online casinos legally.
Malta created their own laws shortly after. These countries paved the way for multiple casinos to turn into multi-million dollar collaboratives. Still, despite this, many technological limitations halted live casinos for some time.
The First Online Casinos
In 1995 Microgaming created the first known online casino software that was installed on its Gaming Club websites. Users couldn’t gamble with real money because, at the time, there wasn’t a secure way to transfer funds into an online wallet. In 1996, Cryptologic created a cryptographical method that made transferring funds possible and was first used on InterCasino.
After 1996 the online casino boom hit, and by the end of that year, about 15 online casinos operated and could accept online payment. In 1997 that number expanded to 200.
Introducing Broadband
In 1998 most casinos had around 15-20 casino games that were uncomplicated and flimsy due to the dial-up internet connection most of the world used at the time. However, broadband Internet made it possible to improve internet speeds and make them reliable, making it possible to fill websites with games like poker, blackjack, and slots.
Live Casino Origins
Planet Poker was considered the first online gambling website to offer live poker games. Launching in 1998, Planet Poker used their broadband connection to spark a revolution. Still, data transmission was incredibly slow, which caused the video quality to be subpar at best. Most games were a pixelated and choppy mess.
How Live Casinos Became Sophisticated
Live casinos wouldn’t be what they are today without high-speed internet connections, which ended poor video streaming forever. Live dealers can now operate uninterrupted or encumbered by buffering. For example, on a site like Casumo live casino, dealers will stream in HD or higher on reliable servers that can host many people at once.
Gamers don’t have to settle for Texas Hold’ Em either. Thanks to gaming studios, players can drop in and out of blackjack, roulette, and poker rooms just as quickly as they would in a brick and mortar establishment. Online casinos also operate 24/7, so you can always guarantee there will be a live dealer at the table of your choosing throughout the night.
Professional Dealers
Whereas casinos in the early to late 2000s may have had dealers that weren’t as well trained as brick and mortar employees, this isn’t the case anymore. Croupiers are hired and trained to meet the casino’s standard and to keep the game flowing as quickly as possible. They are also usually filled in a brick and mortar establishment.
Dealers will take advantage of cameras, game control units, and monitors to understand your move inputs. The monitor is especially important because it allows the dealers to keep track of bets and take action. It also allows the dealer to see the players who are online and engaging in live chat
