An Introductory Guide to Playing Live Bitcoin Blackjack Online
The term ‘Live Casino’ no longer applies to a bricks-and-mortar gambling hall with live table action (not those electronic tables with RNG-shufflers). Today, when we talk about live casinos, we’re referring to online gambling sites where players can partake in the same live, interactive gaming you’d usually expect to find in a land casino. We’re talking about real professionally trained dealers, working real casino tables, dealing real cards, to real players from all over the world.
How can all this be possible from a remote location? Can the live online blackjack experience truly mimic that of in-person table gaming? Are these real money live casinos even legal in Canada? Can I play live blackjack for Bitcoin and other crypto coins? We’ll answer all these questions and more in our…
Introduction to Live Bitcoin Blackjack Games
Live online casinos were first introduced in 2003 by Playtech, long before the first smartphones came along. It was a technology ahead of its time; destined for greatness, but unable to impress the majority of would-be users. The problem was that the technology required superior computer systems and high-speed internet access, and that was something most online casino players didn’t have at the time. In 2006, Evolution Gaming developed a new live casino platform that didn’t require best-in-breed equipment from players, and that’s when everyone finally started taking notice of live dealer tables.
Fast-forwards 15 years, and live casinos aren’t just popular. They’re at the forefront of every major iGaming operation. Any online casino that fails to supply a live gaming menu is inferior, outdated, borderline obsolete.
How do Live Casinos Compare to RNG Online Casinos?
Live games are popular because they fulfill a glaring need. In the early days of iGaming, players felt traditional online casinos, with game results based on RNG algorithms, were unrealistic. Games like blackjack were meant to be played in groups, where multiple players could interact with each other, and the dealer. Convenient as online casino are, people miss that communal atmosphere.
They also tend to question whether the games can possibly be as fair as a real live table, on a real casino floor. Then and even now, some players believe the computerized nature of online casinos make it too easy for an operator to surreptitiously adjust the payout percentages. How easy would it be for them to cheat players out of a fair experience?
Despite the rise of watchdog regulators and government authorities to ensure fairness in iGaming, these players feel that a live experience, with shuffling and dealing by real people, is the only responsible way to play.
The truth is, RNG algorithms provide the exact same degree of fair, non-deterministic game play as a physical deck. So long as the operator is properly licensed and regulated, employing software that is regularly tested and certified fair, that argument is moot. But the desire for a more realistic and communal experience? No RNG casino can provide that the way live online table games can.
- Learn more: RNG vs. Live Dealer Blackjack
How Live Online Blackjack Games Work
There are more than three dozen live casino suppliers actively participating in today’s iGaming market. Not all of them work quite the same way. The majority, however, rely on the same basic set-up. They purchase a large warehouse space and fill it with real casino tables; the same types of tables found in bricks-and-mortar gambling halls. Instead of placing seats opposite the dealer’s nook to accommodate players, they set up an array of electronic equipment, including state-of-the-art video and audio devices to live stream the games direct to players all over the world.
As you can see in this picture, each live blackjack dealer – all professionally trained and eloquently dressed, just like you’d find in a land-based casino – has a full table, with a physical shoe of cards to deal from. Instead of a group of players, they work in front of a video camera. The dealers are able to interact with players directly while watching the chat on a monitor. And that’s just the front end. A whole lot more goes on behind the scenes in top-level management.
For players, the action unfolds directly on their computer and mobile screens. They witness the games taking place in real-time, and are able to place real bets, collecting real payouts for each win, with little more than the tap of a button. They can interact with everyone at the table, including the dealer, via online chat. It’s all the excitement and entertainment of a land-based casino experience, minus the travel time and expense.
- Learn more: BTC Live Dealer Blackjack Casinos
Real Money Live Casinos Legal in Canada
A live online casino is no different than a traditional online casino. Canada has some of the most liberal laws when it comes to iGaming. International online casinos are not, and have never been, illegal in Canada. Everyone of age is welcome to gamble at these websites, although due diligence is strongly recommended (i.e. make sure they’re licensed and reputable). Most of us have access to a provincially run and regulated online gambling portal, too, such as PlayNow in BC and Manitoba, PlayOLG in Ontario, EspaceJeux in Quebec, etc.
- Learn more: Legality of Online Gambling in Canada
Live Casinos that Accept Bitcoin and Other Crypto Currencies
The live online blackjack industry has come so far in the last fifteen years, you don’t even have to bet with fiat currencies anymore. You can actually play live casino games with Bitcoin and other cyrpto currencies. It’s a more recent phenomenon, but one that’s catching on quite fast.
A few years ago, live casino suppliers like Evolution Gaming made a conscious choice to stay away from cyrpto casinos. They were uncertain of the regulatory climate, taking the ‘better safe than sorry’ approach. Now, however, more than a decade after the introduction of decentralized, digital tokens, mainstream acceptance and usage has increased the level of demand for crypto casino games.
A lot of players actually prefer crypto gambling for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, Payments are faster and far cheaper to process; especially withdrawals, which used to take days, if not weeks, to appear in the user’s bank account. We’ve outlined more on this topic in the following section:
