What Are Dealer-Hosted Casino Tables?
Dealer-hosted casino tables, widely known as live dealer games, combine real-time video streaming with standard online betting interfaces. A human dealer operates a physical table inside a dedicated studio — or occasionally inside an actual casino floor — while players join remotely through a browser or compatible device. The result sits somewhere between a land-based casino visit and a conventional software-driven table game.
How the Video Stream Works
Studios running these games are built specifically for broadcast. Multiple cameras cover the table from different angles — one focused on the full table layout, others positioned close to the cards, wheel, or dice — so players can switch views or follow a director-controlled feed. The footage is compressed and delivered with low latency, typically only a few seconds behind real time, which is essential when betting windows are counted in seconds.
An optical character recognition (OCR) layer reads physical game elements — card faces, roulette pockets, dice values — and converts them into data the software interface can display instantly. This means the on-screen scoreboard, road maps, and result history update the moment a card is turned or a ball settles, without any manual data entry.
A game control unit (GCU) is the small encoder device attached to each table. It digitises the game in real time and is what makes synchronised streaming possible. Without it, the video and the betting interface could not stay aligned.
How Betting Rounds Are Structured
Each round follows a predictable sequence that mirrors what happens at a physical table, with an added layer of on-screen timers and prompts. See Candy Casino overview for the main page.
- Betting window opens: A countdown timer appears on screen. Players place chips on the virtual layout by clicking or tapping. The dealer may announce that bets are open.
- Betting window closes: The timer reaches zero and the interface locks. No further bets or changes are accepted.
- Play proceeds: The dealer spins the wheel, draws cards, or rolls dice according to the game in progress. Cameras track the action closely.
- Result is captured: OCR or sensors detect the outcome and pass it to the system.
- Payouts are calculated: Winning bets are credited and losing bets are cleared automatically by the software, even though the dealer is physically present.
- New round begins: The betting window reopens and the cycle repeats.
Round times vary by game. Baccarat and speed variants of roulette can complete a round every thirty to forty seconds. Standard roulette and blackjack tend to run slightly longer because card handling and side-bet settlements take more time.
Roulette
Roulette translates naturally to streaming because the wheel, ball, and betting grid are visually clear on camera. Both European (single-zero) and American (double-zero) variants are dealt live. Some studios also run French roulette with la partage rules. Speed roulette, where the wheel spins continuously with shortened betting windows, is a common variation.
Blackjack
Live blackjack seats a small number of players per table — often seven — but many studios add unlimited side-bet positions that allow dozens of additional players to wager on the same hand without occupying a main seat. The dealer follows standard house rules (typically standing or hitting on soft 17 depending on the table) and players make decisions through on-screen buttons.
Casino Hold'em and Other Poker Variants
Casino Hold'em, Three Card Poker, and Caribbean Stud are dealt against the house rather than against other players, making them straightforward to run in a streaming environment. Players receive their cards on screen and use buttons to fold or raise. our key terms rundown covers this in more detail.
How Live Tables Differ from Software-Only Table Games
Software-only table games — often called RNG (random number generator) games — resolve every outcome through a certified mathematical algorithm. There is no physical object involved; a virtual card, roulette ball, or die is generated by code. Rounds can be played at any pace the player sets, paused mid-hand in some variants, and completed in a few seconds with a single click.
Live dealer tables introduce several meaningful differences:
- Physical randomness: Outcomes depend on a real wheel, shuffled cards, or actual dice. While studios take steps to ensure consistency, the randomness is mechanical rather than algorithmic.
- Pace is fixed: Players must act within the betting window. There is no pausing or replaying. This suits players who prefer a social rhythm but can feel rushed for those still learning the rules.
- Human interaction: Dealers speak to players through a chat interface. This adds atmosphere and for some players increases confidence that the game is genuine.
- Bandwidth requirement: A live stream requires a stable internet connection. RNG games load as standard software and can function on much slower connections.
- Table minimums tend to be higher: Running a studio with trained dealers, cameras, and infrastructure has real costs. As a result, minimum bets at live tables are often higher than at RNG equivalents, though this varies widely.
Neither format is inherently superior. RNG games are better suited to fast solo play, learning strategy, or low-stakes practice. Live tables are better suited to players who value the atmosphere of a physical deal and prefer watching real actions resolve their bets.
Studio Standards and Fair Play
Professional live studios maintain strict controls over the physical environment. Card shoes are shuffled on camera or by automatic shuffling machines. Roulette wheels are tested and replaced on schedules designed to prevent mechanical bias. Dealers are trained not only in game procedure but in the security protocols that prevent interference with outcomes.
Because the video is public — many players watch the same stream simultaneously — any irregularity in dealing or outcome patterns would quickly attract scrutiny. This shared visibility acts as a practical transparency mechanism that does not exist in purely software-based games, where players must rely entirely on third-party audits of the underlying code.