Live Casino Online 2025

What are live casinos?

A live casino is an online casino that offers live dealer games – games that use real casino equipment and professional dealers. Players can watch and participate in these live casino games in real time, providing a more immersive gaming experience than conventional casinos.

Types of live dealer games

The best live casinos offer a variety of real money live casino games for players to enjoy that span multiple genres including:

1. Live game shows – These bright and colorful games offer easy-to-learn gameplay, an engaging host, and the potential for large prizes.
2. Live roulette – With its worldwide popularity, the game with a roulette wheel and ball needs no introduction.
3. Live dice games – Games such as Craps and Sic Bo offer fast and exciting gameplay.
4. Live card games – Classics such as blackjack and online poker provide an engaging gameplay experience with increased player participation.

Game of the day

Pros & cons of live casinos

While there are plenty of positives that come with playing at live dealer casinos, there are some downsides that you should consider before making your decision. To help decide whether or not live casino sites are right for you, we've highlighted the pros and cons in our table below:

Pros

• The use of professional dealers and authentic casino equipment offers an immersive gaming experience for casino players.
• Players can see the outcomes happen in real time, providing a level of transparency that cannot be matched by traditional games.
• Live casino games can be played on mobile devices, allowing you to enjoy these games from anywhere.
• Players can interact with each other and the dealer in real time, adding a social element to live dealer titles that is missing from traditional ones.
• There are many live casino games to enjoy across a range of genres, providing entertainment for a variety of casino players.

Cons

• Live dealer versions of games typically have higher bet limits, preventing low-budget players from participating.
• Not every table game is available in a live casino format.
• Live casino gameplay is typically slower than traditional games, limiting the number of betting rounds per hour.

How to pick the best live casino

Here at Livesino, we're dedicated to giving our visitors the best possible live casino experience. So, to help you find the best site, our experts have created a guide that you can use when choosing your next live casino.

1. Understand your needs – Before you start looking at any live casino, we recommend that you sit down and understand what features are important to you. Do you want a large welcome bonus? Do you want a large variety of live casino games? Do you want fast withdrawal options? By answering questions such as these, you'll be able to understand what you consider most important.
2. Rank your important features – Once you have created a list of your wants and needs, rank them in order of importance from most important to least important. Many live dealer online casinos offer similar features to one another, so having a ranked list of your most important features will help you pinpoint the sites that excel in these areas.
3. Visit casinos and test them out – Once you've got a shortlist of casinos, visit each site and test them out; learn what it's like to navigate around the site, read the bonus T&Cs, and consider whether you'd like to play at this casino.

Live casinos vs. traditional online casinos

While there are some similarities between the two, there are several differences between live dealer casinos and traditional casinos. If you're still on the fence about joining a live casino, check out our comparison table below:

How to start playing at a live casino

Playing at a live casino is easy to do and, in many ways, is functionally similar to a traditional casino. If you're new to the world of online gambling and don't know where to begin, we've got you covered; we'll walk you through creating an account, making a deposit, and playing at a live dealer casino.

Creating your account

The first step you need to take is to sign up to a live dealer casino.

1. Choose a live casino from our list of expert-recommended options.
2. Go to the site, evaluate its features, and read the T&Cs of the bonus.
3. Create your live casino account by filling in the forms with your personal information.
4. Enter any bonus codes required to claim your welcome package.
5. Verify your casino account by providing any required documentation, such as proof of address or proof of ID.

Making a deposit

Once your account is set up, you'll need to fund your account to start.

1. Head to the Cashier section of your casino and choose the Deposit option.
2. Select your payment method from the list of options.
3. Enter your deposit amount, ensuring it meets the minimum requirements of the casino.
4. Input your payment details in the space provided.
5. Confirm that the details of your deposit are correct and approve the transaction.

Playing live casino games

Now that you've funded your account, you're ready to start playing live dealer games.

1. Browse the list of live casino games and pick one you'd like to play.
2. Click the icon to load the game.
3. Enter your chat name if required.
4. Choose your bet size by clicking on the chip icons in the corner of the screen.
5. If a game is in progress, wait for the current round to end.
6. Place your bets by clicking on the interactive game board.

Once you've placed your bet and the timer hits 0, the round will begin. Depending on the game you play, you may be asked to play your hand, which you can do by pressing the buttons that appear on the screen.

Live casino bonuses

One of the key advantages of playing at a live dealer casino is the bonuses and promotions you can claim. The best sites offer welcome packages to attract new players and ongoing promotions to keep their existing players.

These live dealer bonuses come in a variety of forms, so to help you find the best option for your playing style, we've explored the most popular options below:

• Matched deposit – Commonly offered as a welcome bonus, this promotion matches your deposit in bonus funds. For example, you claim a 150% matched bonus with a $100 deposit and receive an additional $150 in bonus funds, giving you a total of $250 to play with. These bonuses are great for building your initial bankroll; just be mindful of T&Cs such as wagering requirements and maximum win limits.
• Free bet – Unlike matched bonuses, free bet bonuses offer fixed rewards that can be used on live casino games. For example, you make a $10 deposit and receive a $10 free bet. You can use this free bet on any eligible live casino game, but you must wager the full amount; e.g., you cannot break down a $10 free bet into two $5 bets.
• Cashback – Rather than giving you rewards that you can use when playing live casino games, cashback promotions give you money back on your deposit losses. For example, you deposit $50 while claiming a 30% cashback bonus and lose your entire deposit playing live blackjack. Thanks to the cashback bonus, you'll receive $15 back from the casino, allowing you to keep playing without re-depositing. Some players prefer cashback bonuses as you usually don't need to clear any wagering requirements on the money you receive.
• Loyalty programs – Some of the best live casino sites offer VIP or loyalty programs that reward you based on the amount you play. You earn points for playing live casino games; the more money you wager, the more points you earn. Earning points allows you to move up the ranks, unlocking better perks and rewards, such as bonus funds, free bets, and even real cash.
• Free chips – This promotion rewards players with free chips when they hit wagering targets. For example, a casino may offer a promotion that gives you $1 in free chips for every $20 you wager on live casino games. These free chips can be used at real money casino games without risking your bankroll.
• Reload bonuses – These promotions are offered to existing players as an incentive to re-deposit. They provide rewards such as bonus funds or free bets when you make a qualifying real money deposit. While the rewards offered aren't as generous as those found in welcome bonuses, they provide good value for players who are looking to top up their accounts.

How live casinos work

Live casino games are far more complicated to run than the traditional animated versions of the same games. This added complexity is the reason why casinos will not allow you to play live casino games for free.

We've broken down in detail how live casino games work in a dedicated article, but to give you a peek behind the curtain, let's take a look at the steps required to get a live casino game up and running:

1. Create a gaming space – Game providers must buy professional-standard casino equipment and locate a venue to host the game.
2. Hire dealers – A key part of the live casino experience, game providers look to hire casino-standard dealers who are adept at both running their game and creating a welcoming environment for new players.
3. Set up a live stream – Once all of the gaming equipment has been sourced, the site must set up a live stream to allow players to watch the action. This involves purchasing HD cameras and state-of-the-art streaming equipment to ensure no frames are dropped.
4. Configure the gaming control unit – To allow players to interact with the game, the game provider must configure the gaming control unit. Also known as the GCU, this reads the actions of the game and displays them as graphics for the player to see. It also communicates the player's actions to the dealer, allowing them to act accordingly.

All of this work allows the casino to offer you a fully immersive gambling experience. When you load up the game, you're greeted with an HD live stream of a professional dealer running their table, just like you'd find in a brick-and-mortar casino.

The interactive chat box allows you to communicate with the dealer and other players in real time, and the intuitive controls make it easy for you to place bets and play your hand.

Summary

Live casinos offer an enchanted gaming experience by using professional dealers and real casino equipment, allowing players to interact with the games in real time, just like they would in a brick-and-mortar casino.

The best live casino sites offer a wide variety of games, as well as features such as generous bonuses, multiple banking options, and round-the-clock support.

If you are looking for a specific type of live games, check out our pages focusing on live roulette, live baccarat, or live blackjack.

AUTHOR

Jordan Conroy

Casino expert and writer

Jordan Conroy is an accomplished iGaming writer with more than four years of experience in the industry. He has a passion for online gambling which he channels into insightful content that provides value to both beginners and experienced players. Jordan's articles cover a variety of topics, including blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, offering detailed breakdowns of the most popular live casino games.

When Jordan isn't writing iGaming articles, he enjoys playing poker and following sports, such as snooker, football, and F1.