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The Rise and Rise of Live Dealer Gaming

Published

3 years ago

April 14, 2020

Live Dealer games are a relatively youthful part of a relatively youthful industry. However, like iGaming itself, it hasn’t taken long for Live Dealer games to become a huge part of the gambling industry.

While the popularity has been there since the outset, recent technological advancements have given the opportunity for this game type to lift itself to a whole new level.

The History of Live Dealer Games

Since the inception of iGaming, the desire for players was to get that true to life casino experience from the comfort of their own homes.

It was, therefore, far from a surprise that the first Live Dealer games found an instant player base.

Live Blackjack and Live Roulette were the first two to appear, and while the games were limited, with one table, and a set time limit on playing time due to there usually only being one host, players loved them.

As is often the case with online casino games, it didn’t take long for evolution to take place, with the likes of Craps and Poker swiftly being added to the list.

As time went on, further developments took place, with more tables being added, more software developers creating their own Live Dealer offerings, and before long, Live Dealer games were available 24/7.

The Present of Live Dealer Games

In the eyes of many, Live Dealer games have peaked, and while there will undoubtedly be further evolutions, it’s hard to argue with that opinion.

The biggest change that has been made recently is the advancement of Live Dealer games from lifelike echoes of the real life casino experience, to games that use the online format to add extra dimensions to the gameplay.

Live Dealer games these days often offer intricacies and complexities that would not be possible in a brick and mortar casino.

As always, one of the biggest factors in the development of Live Dealer games being so swift, is competition, with several software developers battling it out for supremacy in this lucrative field.

NetEnt

NetEnt have historically been one of the first developers to step into a new section of the industry, but they were a little late to the party with Live Dealer games, launching their suite in late 2013.

Highlights of the NetEnt portfolio of Live Dealer options include multiple language options with dealers from around the world, and unlimited player Blackjack.

While there is less variation than from some other developers, NetEnt’s Live Dealer games often have a higher RTP than competitors.

Ezugi

Ezugi were a late entry too, but their focus on Live Dealer games has ensured a strong reputation has quickly developed.

Ezugi’s collection is headed up by a collection of innovative titles, they are one of very few developers to offer Live Keno, and have their own unique titles such as Wheel of Dice.

Playtech

Like NetEnt, Playtech is a developer that has made its name through other game types, primarily slots, before stepping foot in the Live Dealer world.

The fact that Live Dealers are not the sole, or indeed main focus for Playtech means they stand behind the big guns in this area of iGaming, but there is still a lot on offer here.

Games out of the Playtech studio in Latvia are available all across Europe and include all the classic games, as well as Unlimited Blackjack and a Dual Roulette game which allows for playing at two table at one time.

Evolution Gaming

While there are many pretenders to the throne, there can only be one King of Live Dealer games, and in the eyes of most, the crown rests firmly on the head of Evolution Gaming.

From Dual Play Roulette, which allows an unlimited number of online players to join a roulette game in a brick and mortar casino, to unique, branded titles such as Deal or No Deal Live and Monopoly Live Wheel, to the likes of Lightning Roulette and Lightning Dice, which bring unique gameplay aspects to Evolution’s games, it’s clear to see why this developer holds the top spot.

Evolution Gaming powered live dealer games are available at more than 100 online casinos and they hold a local license in almost all regulated casino markets. This includes the regulated USA states, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland and many more.

The Future of Live Dealer Games

As stated above, many believe Live Dealer games to have peaked, but as the popularity of this form of gambling keeps increasing, and technological advancement allow for further additions and progressions, we can expect more changes to come.

What these changes will be is anyone’s guess, but we can safely assume there will be more unique Live Dealer games, as well as further exciting tweaks on classic titles in the near future.

The Benefit of Live Dealer Games

While there are obvious advantages to Live Dealer games in terms of the excitement offered by the unique game types, there is a larger advantage for many players, and that is peace of mind.

For many players, even knowing a Random Number Generator (RNG) is exactly what it described, there are still concerns about how random these generators actually are.

It should be stated that these RNGs undergo strict scrutiny from regulators to ensure they are random, but to many, nothing ensures security in the random nature of a game like seeing a right in front of you.

This is where the benefit of Live Dealer games comes in, offering the same surety that one would get in a land based casino, but without the need to dress up smart and actually leave one’s house in order to play them.

With this added sense of comfort, the constantly evolving game types, the excellent designs and themes that the games have, and the ability to play them from home, and time of day or night, it is pretty much a guarantee that the popularity of Live Dealer games will not only maintain, but continue to increase over time.

Related Topics:Ezugi History of Live Dealer Games Live Dealer Gaming Live Roulette NetEnt PlayTech

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Fiat & Crypto: King Billy players get the best of both worlds

Published

8 hours ago

March 20, 2023

George Miller

Fiat & Crypto: King Billy players get the best of both worlds

See how the casino players can deposit in crypto and play in fiat.

Since the dawn of e-gaming robust payment systems have been crucial for the success of any online casino, as they are a key factor in creating a positive and satisfying gaming experience. Moreover, the availability of different payment options allows players to choose the method that works best for them, whether it be classical fiat money or cryptocurrency.

But is it possible for an operator to give its players the best of both worlds, fiat and crypto at once? Yes, it is, with the King Billy feature “deposit in crypto, play in fiat”. The concept is simple. A casino player deposits in crypto (choosing among 4 cryptocurrencies King Billy supports). Then, the system automatically shows them their balance in the currency of their choice (among the 14 currencies King Billy supports, used by more than 3 billion people worldwide). When the players withdraw, their transaction takes place back in crypto.

What are the advantages of this system? Ruslan Legenzov, King Billy Casino Head of Affiliates (or “Lord of Affiliates” as the internal etiquette demands) has the answers: “Good things come in threes, and there are certainly 3 very good things about our “deposit in crypto, play in fiat” feature.

First of all, depositing in crypto means less hassle and paperwork for the player and elimination of the dreaded “transaction not coming through” issue. This has been a problem and actually a torment for many of our players in remote areas of the world. As a global casino, we are happy to act in ways that give peace of mind to our players.

Secondly, this system offers a greater player experience to the King Billy Citizens and Nobles, as they can now take advantage of our numerous promotions and offers in fiat. For example, players who deposit in crypto can now participate in our extremely popular fiat-only “Slot of the Month” offer, that’s been a staple of our casino since our launch.

Finally, with “deposit in crypto, play in fiat” our players, especially the not so cryptocurrency-savvy have a much clearer understanding of their wins or losses. I am sure that a player, let’s say from Vietnam, prefers to see, in real time, how much his slot win is worth in the Vietnamese Dong than running in parallel a crypto converter tool to do the math!”

Well said and well done your Majesty.

For those interested in the “deposit in crypto, play in fiat” feature, King Billy Casino accepts the following currencies: Euro (€), US Dollar ($), Canadian Dollar (C$), Australian Dollar (A$), New Zealand Dollar (NZ$), Norwegian Krone (kr), Indian Rupee (₹), South African Rand (R), Vietnamese dong (₫), Indonesian rupiah (Rp), Malaysian ringgit (RM), Thai baht (฿) and the Philippine peso (₱). King Billy also accepts the following cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC) and Tether (USDT).

King Billy Casino is a new-generation online casino, launched on St. Patrick’s Day in 2017. It is available in 4 languages (English, German, French and Finnish) and it has an impressive record in awards with 25 wins, shortlists and other distinctions, and an amazing variety of features and games. King Billy has prioritized the creation of a superb user experience, focusing on the myth of King Billy and his Kingdom and treats all players with the specialness they deserve.

London Affiliate Conference

Records tumble as iGB Affiliate London grows attendance by 40% with delegates travelling from 101 nations

Published

2 weeks ago

March 10, 2023

George Miller

Records tumble as iGB Affiliate London grows attendance by 40% with delegates travelling from 101 nations

The 2023 edition of iGB Affiliate London has broken all records with more attendees travelling from more countries than at any time in the event’s history. The number of unique show visitors attending iGB Affiliate London ’23 totaled 5,763 a 40% uplift on the April 2022 edition (4,116) and 19% ahead of 2020 (4,844) which was the last edition of iGB Affiliate London to take place prior to Covid. The number of visitor days which measures return visits, stands at 7,176.

The brand’s impressive international credentials were once again in evidence with visitors travelling to London from 101 nations – the first time that iGB Affiliate London has broken through the symbolic ‘three figures’ for international representation.

With every show metric in positive territory Portfolio Director Naomi Barton expressed her thanks to the entire iGB Affiliate community for its support and for helping to make the 2023 edition so successful. She stated: “We’ve worked in partnership with colleagues active in the iGaming Affiliate sector to deliver an event that provides what the industry requires across all fronts.

“Our focus was to deliver on our pledge to provide delegates with access to new business strategies, new thinking, new trends, new technologies and new content, in the process keeping the iGB Affiliate London proposition fresh and compelling.”

“This edition of iGB Affiliate London was physically the largest on record and the continued demand for space from both new and existing exhibitors underlines the fact that iGB Affiliate London is regarded by our stakeholders -who are based throughout the world – as being their flagship event.”

“Significantly 24% of attendees were making their first appearance at iGB Affiliate London with 1 in 10 affiliate visitors new to gambling. The ability to bring new people into the igaming affiliate space represents an important attribute of the brand.”

Away from the exhibition show floor a total of 450 sector professionals attended the prestigious iGB Affiliate Awards which recognized the ‘best of the best’ across 19 categories. Better Collective Co-founders, Jesper Søaard (CEO) and Christian Kirk Rasmussen (COO) were awarded with the blue riband ‘Affiliate Idol – Lifetime Achievement Award’ for their successful contributions to the industry.

On receiving the Award Jesper Søgaard, Co-founder and CEO said: “I speak for Christian too, when I say that it is an incredibly humbling feeling to not only have been considered but chosen to receive the Affiliate Idol Award. Christian and I may have laid the foundation for something great but without our dedicated colleagues, Better Collective would not be where it is today. I am very honoured but also trust that with our vision to become the Leading Digital Sports Media Group, ‘the best has yet to come’.”

The Affiliate Awards sponsors comprised V.Partners (Stage Sponsor), Safe Affiliates Programs (Photobooth), YGAM (Safer Gambling) and Trueplay (NFT).

Awards

Casino Guru Awards invites you to watch the live ceremony on February 22

Published

4 weeks ago

February 20, 2023

George Miller

Casino Guru Awards invites you to watch the live ceremony on February 22

The Casino Guru Awards Ceremony is just a week away with the grand date set for Wednesday, February 22 at 13:00 CET. The event will take place online and reunite casino experts and companies, distinguishing them for their efforts and hard work in making the gambling industry a safer place for everyone.

Casino Guru Awards 2023 will reveal the names of the winners of each of the seven categories online during a YouTube live stream hosted by the team. During the event, each of the seven categories will be discussed and a winner – finally announced.

The inaugural edition of the Awards focuses on distinguishing brands across seven core categories that are considered the linchpin of safe and responsible gambling in the industry. Those categories are as follows:

The Fairest Bonus Policy
The Fairest General T&Cs
The Most Impactful Social Responsibility Initiative
The Best Implementation of RG Tools
The Most Transparent Casino
The Most Effective Handling of Complaints Voice of the People

To judge each of the categories, Casino Guru Awards turned to some of the most prominent names in the gambling industry who sat as judges across the panels and sought to distinguish the most worthwhile and deserving gambling companies. The event’s schedule is as follows:

13:00 Event Begins
13:10 Panel with industry expert judges
13:30 Winner of ‘The Most Impactful Social Responsibility Initiative’ category
announced
13:30 Winner of ‘The Best Implementation of RG Tools’ category announced
14:05 Short Break
14:10 Winner of ‘The Most Effective Handling of Complaints’ category announced
14:30 Winner of ‘The Fairest Bonus Policy’ category announced
14:50 Winner of ‘The Fairest General T&Cs’ category announced
15:10 Winner of ‘The Most Transparent Casino’ category announced
15:30 Short Break
15:35 Winner of the ‘Voice of the People’ category announced

The nominees include prominent operators, international gambling and entertainment giants, safe and responsible gambling specialists, tech and data companies, and others.

Apart from the seven core categories judged by the expert list of specialists, Casino Guru Awards 2023 features a “Voice of the People” category voting for which has been going since December 1, 2023. The category’s winner, driven solely by people’s votes, will also be revealed during the upcoming ceremony next week.

Casino Guru proudly invites you to the Casino Guru Awards 2023 ceremony, which you will be able to attend virtually. Viewers are encouraged to ask questions, and should they want to, open discussions using the Slido platform. Do not miss the biggest iGaming event next week – tune in to watch Casino Guru Awards 2023!