The Tech That Powers Live Casino Games

It's one of the quirkiest online gaming innovations of the past decade. Live casino games, where players can play roulette, poker, blackjack, and craps with real-life dealers via a live-stream video uplink, are unlike any other games on the market right now. But how does it actually work? Let's take a closer look at the technology that powers live online casino gaming.

OCR software

This is probably the most important tech aspect of live casino gaming. OCR, or optical character recognition software, is used so that the camera can tell which numbers are coming up on the screen. Let's use the example of roulette.

If you were to play live online roulette at Paddy Power, you might pick a game such as Live Lightning Roulette. Here, when the dealer spins the reel roulette wheel, the camera system uses OCR software to detect the number it lands on. This way wins and losses are automatically detected and recorded, without anyone having to enter the results manually.


Source: Pexels

GCU

The GCU, or Gaming Control Unit, is what brings every piece of hardware and software together in a live casino studio. It is a one-stop interface that controls the camera focus, OCR, lightning, and on-screen interface for the player. With a top-notch GCU, you can expect a totally seamless and all-inclusive live gambling experience.

Robot arm

One of the most interesting tech use cases in live gambling is the use of robotic arms. There are several games where these might come into play, but you're most likely to see it in action during a round of live craps. With this classic game, you probably do not want a dealer in the studio to roll the dice on your behalf. Instead, you can command a robot arm to shake the real dice and throw them on the table for you, ensuring a totally random result.


Source: Unsplash

Studio monitor

It's not just about you being able to see the dealer and the table. The dealer must be able to interact with you and respond to your requests. To do this, the dealer will be facing a studio monitor. While they cannot actually see you, this monitor will show the chatbox that players use to communicate with the house staff. It will also show the dealer your commands so that they know when to hit, stick, and raise the stakes.

Connected cameras

Most live casino games are more than just a static camera feed. The top titles will feature roving cameras from every possible angle. All of these must be connected in order to provide as immersive an experience as possible. In some games, the player can even toggle between different cameras, so that they do not miss a thing. This is the crucial tech that makes live casino gaming possible. In the future, we might even see a world where AR and VR play a more central role in live casino gaming.