Casino

Advances in technology have already profoundly affected the way we interact with each other.

Where online communication was once about simple back-and-forth messages, many modern businesses and technologies attempt to create online spaces where people can 'exist' in a virtual way.

Live casino games are a perfect example of this new approach to the way entertainment and content are created and consumed. Widely considered to be the current technological peak of online gambling, these games leverage several technologies to create immersive, advanced betting games that mimic the authenticity of real-life casinos.

Think of it this way: instead of simulating casino games like blackjack or roulette, they simulate the entire experience of going to a brick-and-mortar casino.

In this article, we'll examine the rapid rise of live dealer games in online casinos. We'll explain what they are, why they're becoming so popular, and why players flock to them over more convenient RNG-based casino games. We'll also consider the core social aspects that make live casino games so attractive, as well as any future advancements that will further get them closer to becoming virtual hangout spaces.

What Are Live Dealer Casinos?

Live dealer casinos, sometimes referred to simply as live casinos, are online platforms that allow players from all over the globe to access live casino game tables. These tables use streaming technology to connect to live feeds of casino games operated by real croupiers who run games such as roulette, blackjack, poker, baccarat, and so on.

On one end, these games have players who interact with them using simple betting interfaces. Licenced, regulated casino platforms facilitate bets made using real money, and the outcomes of these bets are quickly resolved as per the game's rules. 'Licenced and regulated' are the key words here: a look at the leading live casino platforms trusted by LiveCasinos.com reveals that they're mostly major international brands operating under permits from respected government bodies such as the United Kingdom's Gambling Commission.

On the other end, professional casino dealers operate game tables. In contrast to RNG-powered casino games, these tables use real props: actual cards, wheels, dice, or whatever else the game requires. The table is filmed for the broadcast, and the game's results are carefully tracked through a combination of hardware and software.

The resulting experience blends the authenticity of real casino tables with the convenience of digital formats.

More importantly, these games integrate another important aspect into their design: social interaction.

Besides operating tables, the dealers are also expected to engage the audience through a dedicated live chat feature. This naturally creates further interactions between the players themselves, which have become a staple of the live gaming community.

Surging Popularity

As a whole, the online gambling industry has gone through massive growth in the past few years. This growth has been especially noticeable since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the online casino market is expected to reach a global market value of US$55.52bn in 2025.

However, one particular segment of the market shows a particular spike in popularity – the live casino vertical.

The online gambling industry has been traditionally dominated by slot machines, which took up the majority of the market in 2018. The dominance of virtual slot machines can be attributed to their unique combination of traditional slot mechanics and interactive, story-driven gameplay.

While the gross revenue of slots has continued to grow over the years, their share of the online casino market has been steadily declining in favour of sports betting and live table games.

According to a report by Grand View Research, slots still account for over 65% of market revenue in 2025. However, the live dealer segment is expected to record a significant CAGR of nearly 13% from 2025 to 2030.

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We can conclude many things from these figures, but the main takeaway for our purposes is this: online gambling platforms are attracting significant numbers of new players who aren't necessarily part of their traditional customer bases. This, in turn, fuels demand for new experiences that explore fresh niches and unique approaches to gambling as entertainment.

Innovative Design

We mentioned that the popularity of slots is partially explained by their willingness to innovate. Slots are no longer the simple, repeatable lever-pulling fruit machines of old. Instead, they take inspiration from the massive successes of the video gaming industry by implementing advanced graphics, interactive storytelling, and fresh design ideas.

Since the late 2010s, the live dealer vertical has also seen a sharp increase in demand for innovation. Traditionally, these tables were reserved for tried-and-true casino classics like blackjack or poker. However, as the market changed, the demand for diverse products continued to increase.

Nowadays, one of the biggest trends in the live casino sector is the emergence of so-called Game Shows. These titles put entertainment first, as opposed to the focus on numbers and traditional rules of established gambling games like blackjack or poker.

These so-called live casino game shows also take a cue from TV game shows like Wheel of Fortune. They put a lot of effort into high production value and a sort of hype-based, excitement-inducing presentation that has come to define TV game shows.

The resulting products offer a completely new approach to casino gaming where the game's features, the presenters, and the audience are all an integral part of the experience.

The most obvious example of this new trend is the mega-successful Crazy Time Live, made and operated by casino software developer Evolution.

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It started as a relatively niche, experimental product that blended simple, luck-based gameplay with impressive visuals, high volatility, and fun presenters. However, it's currently one of the best-known single titles in the entire industry, with hundreds of thousands of daily players.

Emerging Engagement Models

Another important component of how live casino games became online hangouts comes from outside the gambling industry.

Specifically, we're talking about so-called crowd streaming. The rapid rise of streaming platforms like Twitch.tv highlights a wholly new way to engage with online content.

If you're unfamiliar, these streamer platforms allow users to broadcast video content in real time. Viewers then engage with the creators, also in real time, typically through a chat function. This stands in stark contrast to traditional forms of online content, such as YouTube videos, in which back-and-forth communication between creators and audiences is much more limited.

It doesn't take a lot to see the similarities between these two forms of entertainment. The chat rooms of various streamers often grow into communities of viewers united by similar interests – most obviously, interest in the content they're interacting with.

Similarly, the chat feature of a live dealer game brings together people of similar interests – the game itself, if nothing else. Coupled with the presenters' attempts at facilitating engagement, the game tables often grow into small communities in their own right.

In that sense, crowd streaming platforms and live dealer casinos share an important component: the audience is as much a part of the experience as the content itself.

Possible Future Developments

The live dealer vertical has been fueling innovation in the gambling industry for years, so it's safe to assume it will continue to do so.

According to expert predictions, the world of live casino gaming is set to undergo exciting advancements thanks to cutting-edge technology that promises to provide even more immersive and personalised gaming experiences.

Two important new trends are expected to further facilitate social interaction in live casino games:

  • AI-driven personalisation: With the help of AI and machine learning, live casino games can potentially offer customised experiences to specific players. While the exact use cases of these AI technologies are not quite obvious yet, they're expected to make as much of an impact in the industry as everywhere else.
  • Interactive Casino Floors: In the future, technology may allow players to virtually explore virtual casino floors, enabling them to select games and interact with other players in a dynamic environment that captures the excitement of a physical casino. Such experiences could be further improved by Virtual Reality technology, which can build on the immersive, authentic nature of live dealer casinos.

Conclusion

Live casinos and live dealer tables are some of the biggest and most important trends of the live casino industry. On top of highlighting various trends within the gambling industry, they also showcase emerging ways in which people interact with online entertainment.

This growing trend is fueled by multiple factors. For starters, the unbridled growth of online gambling in the past decade has attracted new audiences who expect different things from casino gaming. Most notably, many new customers expect casual but authentic experiences that facilitate social engagement as much as they facilitate the gambling itself.

All of these factors work together to create a unique niche within the area of online entertainment – casino games that not only work as internet gambling, but also as virtual hangout spaces.