Top Live Dealer Casino Sites

How We Review Live Dealer Casinos

Before we recommend new casino sites to our visitors, we put sites through their paces to ensure they offer a safe and fun platform for players. Here’s what’s on our checklist when we look for the best live dealer casinos: 

• Licensing – To operate in the UK, live dealer online casinos must hold a licence from the UK Gambling Commission. This UKGC licence tells us that a site sticks to strict safety standards and that its games are provably fair. Perhaps needless to say, we check that casinos are licensed before we do anything else, so you can feel confident that you will only ever find legal online casinos listed at Compare.bet. 
• Selection of Games – The best live dealer casinos come loaded with a great selection of online casino games. We dig deep into the games library to ensure you’ll be spoiled for choice with not only an excellent choice of live dealer casino games, but also a must-try range of real money online slots, RNG casino games, online poker games, Slingo games and more.
• Payment Methods – When we conduct casino reviews, we swing by the cashier page to see which banking options are available. Top online casinos offer plenty of choice in this regard, with a range of trusted banking options like debit cards, Trustly and Paysafecard, as well as e-wallets like PayPal and Skrill. Our reviews also cover how to get your hands on your winnings and how long you can expect to wait. 
• Bonuses – Bonuses can make a good live casino experience a great one. That’s why we check out the promos to see what’s on offer for new players and existing customers alike. The best online live casino sites serve up a great welcome bonus and plenty of ongoing offers, such as reload bonuses, loyalty programs, tournaments and cashback, with some of the top offers able to be enjoyed on live dealer games. 
• Mobile Experience – You can access a mobile version of most modern live dealer online casinos on your mobile device, but the best sites take care to offer a mobile-optimised version complete with mobile-friendly interfaces and a great choice of mobile casino games. Top live dealer casinos also have mobile casino apps, which offer perks such as improved security and push notifications for casino promo codes.
• Customer Support – Your experience at live dealer online casinos will be smooth sailing for the most part. However, if you have a question, the best sites ensure you can get help and support quickly and easily. Our top sites complement detailed FAQs with contact options like live chat, email and telephone support and on-site contact forms. Some of the bigger casinos may even offer support over social media.
• Site Design and UI – We love to see a live dealer casino site sporting a fresh theme and an easy-to-understand interface. Our top recommendations come dressed to impress and packed with great features to help online gamblers make the most of the site. We ensure players enjoy a great design and simple navigation options across a casino’s desktop and mobile sites, as well as its mobile apps.

Why Live Dealer Games are So Popular

Virtual casino games are great, but if you’re looking for the most immersive and realistic casino experience as possible, then live dealer games are by far the best option. Live games are streamed in HD either from purpose built studios or actual land-based casinos, so they look and sound just like the real thing. This means you can enjoy all the sights and sounds of a real casino from the comfort of your own home.

Real Croupiers

Whereas virtual games use random number generator (RNG) technology, live casino games are run by trained live croupiers, using authentic casino equipment. This means that, whereas animated casino games use random number generator (RNG) technology, in live games it’s the live dealer that draws cards and spins the roulette wheel.

Live Chat

You can chat to dealers via the live chat feature, and they’ll respond to you by speaking into the camera. Some live casino games even let you chat with other players seated at the table! All this means live games have a social feel that you simply can’t get with RNG casino games, bringing the atmosphere and human touch of a real-life casino to you.

Production Value

Where real dealer games are live streamed from gaming studios owned by the developer, some studios simply mimic the appearance of a casino floor. However, for some games, the studios are designed to be an integral part of the game. Evolution’s Dead or Alive: Saloon, for example, offers a unique, immersive experience thanks to its stunning Western-era saloon setting. 

Authentic Experience

One of the biggest appeals of live dealer online casino gaming is the authentic experience on offer to players. Live casino gaming wraps up a range of great features like impressive production value, live chat and professional dealers to give you as close as possible an experience to what you can enjoy at brick-and-mortar casinos. 

How do Live Casinos Work?

As someone interested in playing live dealer games, you may well wonder how they actually work. Let’s have a quick overview of the elements that go into bringing authentic, immersive gaming experiences to live casino sites.

Dealers

The presence of an online live dealer is obviously what sets these games apart from their RNG equivalents. As well as always looking stylish and impeccable, live dealers are rigorously trained so they know the games inside-out and can provide the kind of professional service you’d expect from dealers and croupiers in brick-and-mortar casinos. Many live dealers are also multi-lingual, which isn’t surprising when you consider that Evolution alone offers live dealer games in over 15 languages.

Shufflers and Shoes

As the likes of live blackjack and live baccarat use real cards, just like in a land-based casino, shuffling is an important component of every game. Software providers operating the studios have dedicated shufflers whose job it is to manage the decks and place them in the transparent shoes, ready for the game. 

Sensors

It’s obviously crucial that every development in a live dealer game is accurately captured. This is why casino tables have in-built sensors that ‘read’ cards as they’re dealt, instantly digitising the results so they can be brought up on the game interface on your screen. It’s known as optical character recognition (OCR) technology, and it’s a far cry from the days when cards were embedded with microchips so they could be scanned as they were dealt. Today’s OCR sensors are so advanced that special cards aren’t necessary, and regular decks can simply be used. Needless to say, sensors also track where the ball lands on the roulette wheel, with everything happening in real-time so gameplay is as seamless as you could want.

Game Control Unit

Each live dealer table is equipped with a Game Control Unit, or GCU. This constitutes the electronic brains behind the operation, gathering information from the OCR scanners and encoding the live video stream so the whole game is smoothly relayed to your desktop or mobile.

Cameras

A live game just wouldn’t be possible without cameras. Some table games that require more elaborate decision-making, like live blackjack Caribbean Stud Poker, tend to settle on one camera angle for the sake of clarity. Simpler games of pure chance, like roulette, often use ever-changing angles from multiple cameras to provide close-ups and really ramp up the suspense and excitement.

Studios

While some live dealer games are actually beamed from real casino floors, the vast majority unfold in custom-made studios run by the software providers themselves. Some studios are pretty low-key and designed to mimic the look of land-based casinos, while others are more lavish and use blue screen technology to conjure up fantastical backdrops. Studios operate all over the world, with Evolution currently streaming from locations including Malta, Lithuania and the USA, and Pragmatic Play bringing the action from Romania.

Streams

The best live casinos ensure a top-notch playing experience with crystal-clear, high-definition streams. So, providing you have a solid internet connection, you don’t have to worry about fuzzy picture quality and glitchy videos, and can just settle into playing live casino games like roulette, blackjack, baccarat and Caribbean Stud Poker.

How Live Dealer Games Differ From Virtual Casino Games

Aside from the obvious, there are a few ways that live casino games differ from animated ones in terms of gameplay. Here’s how:

Realistic Pace

When you play RNG casino games, you can play as quickly or as slowly as you like. On the other hand, the pace of live dealer games is dictated by the dealer, making for a more realistic experience. This means that, depending on your playing style,
live casino games may play out quicker or slower than you’re used to with RNG games.

Bet Limits

Minimum and maximum betting limits are generally higher for live casino games. There are still low stakes games you can play for £1 or even less, but these are generally fewer than with RNG games. Most games have bet limits starting at higher figures.
Live casinos also offer higher maximum bet limits, with some tables letting you bet tens of thousands at a time.

Seat Availability

Just like in a real casino, there may be times when you have to wait a short while for a seat at the table, particularly for the more exclusive VIP games. Luckily, many top live casinos offer a solution through tables that seat unlimited players, though these games usually have lower stake limits. Some live blackjack games also offer ‘bet behind’, meaning you can bet on other players’ hands while you wait for a seat.

Enjoy a Wide Range of Top Live Dealer Types

You can play a whole host of different roulette and table games at the UK’s best live dealer casinos. Let’s take a closer look at the live dealer games on offer.

Live Dealer Roulette

Roulette is the classic casino game, and you can choose from a wide range of different tables at the best live casinos. Each of the classic variations are available in live dealer format, so you can enjoy American, European and French roulette. There’s also a number of live roulette games with a modern twist, such as spread bet roulette and double ball roulette. There’s even football roulette, which gives a completely fresh feel to this much-loved classic.

Live Dealer Blackjack

Fancy putting your blackjack strategy to the test against the live dealer? You can choose loads of different blackjack tables at the top live casinos. Most live dealer blackjack games use the traditional rules, but there are many tables that offer different features, like Perfect Pairs and 21+3 side bets. Minimum staking limits start as low as 50p while maximum limits for a hand reach five figures at some tables.

Live Dealer Poker

Live poker games include Casino Hold’em, Caribbean Stud, 3-card Poker, Texas Hold’em, so it’s safe to say poker fans are well catered for at the UK’s top live casinos. There’s even unique variations on offer at some sites, such as 2 Hand Casino Hold’em and Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker. With a range of tables offering different bet limits and a variety of side bets, there’s loads of poker fun to be had.

Live Dealer Baccarat

Players across the world enjoy the thrills of baccarat and it transfers to the live dealer casino in remarkable fashion. Variations include games like Baccarat Squeeze and Mini Baccarat, and there are plenty of side bets to choose from at the best live tables.

Live Dealer Sic Bo

If dice games are more your thing, you’ll be glad to know that you can also play sic bo in live dealer format. Live sic bo isn’t as widely available as live roulette or blackjack, but you can still play it at a number of the UK’s best live dealer casinos.

Live Dealer Craps

Craps brings to mind excited crowds cheering and high-fiving each other in a land-based casino. Taking this famously social game online was therefore a tough ask, but Evolution Gaming has done it in style. While you don’t get the whooping and clapping, this online casino version has atmosphere in spades thanks to its 1920s speakeasy-style studio. The iconic red dice are thrown by a mechanical arm to ensure fairness, and there’s even an Easy Mode which streamlines the betting options — ideal for new players who may be daunted by the huge array of ways to wager on craps.

Live Dealer Dragon Tiger

It may have a fearsome-sounding name, but Dragon Tiger is one of the most straightforward casino games out there. Popular in Asia, it’s effectively a two-card take on baccarat. The cards are dubbed ‘Dragon’ and ‘Tiger’ respectively, and you simply bet on which one will be higher in each round. Evolution’s take on the game, which is widely available at live dealer online casinos, also allows you to place side bets on whether there’ll be a tie or a suited tie. 

Live Dealer Andar Bahar

A super-popular card game in India, Andar Bahar is gaining more and more online casino fans in the UK. The baccarat-like gameplay sees an initial card dealt, which is known as the ‘joker’. Further cards are then dealt, alternating between the ‘Andar’ and ‘Bahar’ sides of the live table. Players wager on whether a card of the same rank as the joker will be dealt on the Andar or Bahar side first. You can also place side bets on how many cards you predict will be dealt before the match takes place.

Live Game Shows

Live casino game shows blend all the fun of real dealer games with elements of classic game shows. The first title to put players in the hot seat was Evolution’s Dream Catcher in 2017, and while this title remains popular today, it’s now joined by an exciting range of game-show style picks. Many of the more recent casino game show titles have been developed in partnership with a popular third-party brand, which means there are cool titles to pop on your must-try list. An example comes from Evolution’s MONOPOLY Live. Created in partnership with Hasbro, this live casino game features both a real dealer studio and an augmented reality game board. 

Best New Live Dealer Titles

The number of live games has shot up in recent years, reflecting the growing popularity of this alternative to the brick-and-mortar casino experience. Let’s take a look at some of the best live casino table games and game shows to have emerged since 2020.

Crazy Time

Evolution has boldly declared Crazy Time to be ‘the most fun casino game ever created’. Whether or not that’s true, there’s no denying this new variation on the Dream Catcher money wheel game brings a lot of excitement. It goes all-in on the game show atmosphere, with a vibrant studio set and a giant pair of slot reels that can multiply winnings. Four bonus rounds provide plenty of action — these include the Cash Hunt shooting gallery game, and the eponymous Crazy Wheel round featuring a vast virtual money wheel.  

Instant Roulette

Evolution has long been known for its superb live roulette games, and recently took things up a notch with Instant Roulette. This intriguing variant features not just one wheel, or even a handful, but 12 individual roulette wheels which are set to automatically spin in sequential order. When you decide to play, your bet will apply to the outcome of the next wheel that’s set to complete its spin. The seamless, constant flow of action means you can dip in and place bets at your own pace, rather like you can with RNG roulette games.

Mega Roulette

Pragmatic Play has firmly established itself as a leading name in live dealer online games. A recent addition to its portfolio of table games is Mega Roulette, which takes the classic, single-zero variant and loads it up with randomly-assigned multipliers that can reach up to 500x your stake. You can also place ‘Mega Bets’ on several selections in one go, while the subdued studio lighting gives the whole game a sultry, glamorous feel.

Mega Ball

If you play live dealer games, you may already have come across Evolution’s Mega Ball. It’s part of the company’s celebrated game show portfolio, and is essentially a blinged-up version of bingo. Balls are drawn and numbers marked off on cards, with players hoping to score winning lines, bingo-style. The key difference is that some balls activate multipliers, the values of which are determined by a giant selection wheel. This can substantially boost the real money payouts.

Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt Live

Innovative as always, Evolution has brought slots-style gameplay to the live dealer sphere with Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt. Based on NetEnt’s hugely popular Gonzo’s Quest slot, it features prizes hiding behind a wall of stones. Players must pick which stones to look behind, and may benefit from bonus Prize Drops during each game. The studio provides a ‘Incan’ vibe, while Gonzo himself springs to life and interacts with the host thanks to augmented reality technology.

Dream Catcher

This is a money wheel game which is powered by the award-winning Evolution Gaming. There are six numbers to choose from and players bet on which one they think the wheel will stop on. It also has a series of multipliers which can boost your winnings by a whopping seven times!

First Person Games

Many of the best live casino sites now also include the First Person series from Evolution. The studio has launched First Person Craps, First Person Dragon Tiger, and a number of other titles in recent years. Each of these is actually an RNG game that replicates the feel of a live dealer game through the use of life-like, 3D rendering. Each also has a ‘Go Live’ button which will whisk you straight to the true live dealer game in an instant.

Cash or Crash Live

Set in a studio designed to look like a blimp cruising over a bustling augmented reality metropolis, Evolution’s Cash or Crash is a simple game in which a ball drawing machine dictates the action. Every green ball sends you higher and gives you a decision to make — to take all, take half or continue. Drawing a red ball sees you lose the lot, while a gold ball triggers the bonus round in which decisions are suspended and you are shielded from the next red ball. A gold ball can also increase the game’s possible payout to an incredible 50,000x your bet.

Evolution’s Lightning Series

Evolution’s Lightning Series comprises an exciting range of classic casino games that blend live dealer action with RNG technology to offer the chance of epic multiplied payouts. Set in black and gold Art Deco studios, Lightning games include Lightning Roulette, Lightning Dice, Lightning Baccarat, Lightning Blackjack and Lightning XXXtreme Roulette. Most Lightning games also come in a first-person version. These allow you to get to grips with the games at a slower pace, with a Go Live button enabling you to switch to the real thing when you’re ready.

The Best Live Casino Software Developers

While pretty much every casino software developer provides slot games, only a select few provide live casino tables. Let’s take a look at the top live dealer software developers.

Evolution Gaming

Evolution is a live dealer specialist and is undoubtedly the industry leader when it comes to live casino games. This developer provides the largest collection of live casino games, including blackjack, roulette, poker, baccarat, sic bo, dragon tiger, dream catcher, and even Deal or No Deal!. There are also plenty of variations on offer, such as Evolution’s famous Lightning Roulette and Free Bet Blackjack, with exciting twists to the traditional rules. There are tables to suit players of all budgets, from low stakes games like Infinite Blackjack to VIP Salon Prive tables, so there’s something for everyone.

Evolution Gaming Live Lightning Roulette

Playtech

Playtech is another top live casino software provider and is at the forefront of live casino innovation — just look at it’s Live Age of the Gods Roulette. This unique game combines roulette with slots, featuring a slots mini game and a progressive jackpot that’s pooled across all games in the Age of the Gods series! There’s plenty of other live dealer casino games on offer, including blackjack, poker, baccarat and sic bo, with VIP tables for high rollers. Variations like Speed Roulette, Mini Baccarat and Baccarat Squeeze are perfect for when you feel like trying something different.

Playtech Live Age of the Gods Roulette

Pragmatic Play

Founded in 2015, Pragmatic Play has quickly risen through the ranks to become one of the best-known casino games suppliers in the iGaming industry. This developer’s portfolio of live casino games packs in classic table games like blackjack, baccarat and roulette alongside Asian casino games like Dragon Tiger and Andar Bahar. There are also a handful of casino game show-style picks on offer, such as PowerUP Roulette, Mega Wheel, a dice game called Boom City and the slot-inspired Sweet Bonanza Candyland. 

Pragmatic Play Sweet Bonanza Candyland

Authentic Gaming

Owned by Scientific Games, Authentic Gaming specialises in live dealer roulette. The company streams its popular games from its bespoke Live Roulette Arena, as well as from the casino floors of luxurious resorts around the world. Authentic Gaming boasts some incredible roulette games in its portfolio, though one of our favourites is Blaze Roulette. This game is based on European Roulette and features a real dealer to guide you through games that average less than a minute. Other popular titles include Viva Las Vegas Roulette and XL Roulette.

Authentic Gaming Blaze Roulette

Claim a Casino Bonus to Use on Live Dealer Games

Casino bonuses aren’t just for RNG games — many of the UK’s best online casinos also let you use your bonuses on live dealer games! Some sites even offer exclusive live casino bonuses. Let’s take a look at the types of live dealer casino bonuses on offer.

As well as new customer bonus offers, the top live dealer casinos offer a range of promotions as well as loyalty and VIP rewards for existing players. That means you’ll never be too far from the next offer, whether that be a reload bonus or a cashback deal. Some sites even offer exclusive blackjack and roulette bonuses when you play in the live casino, so keep an eye out for the latest live dealer promotion!

Live Dealer Bonus Terms and Conditions

Live dealer casino bonuses usually come with terms and conditions attached. These T&Cs dictate how to claim and use a casino bonus and explain how to cash out winnings too. Here are some of the restrictions you can expect to find in the small print:

Wagering Requirements

Wagering requirements tell you how many times you’ll need to play through your live dealer bonus before you can cash out any winnings. A simple example comes from a £10 bonus with 40x wagering requirements. In most cases, this would result in a £400 playthrough demand. However, some casinos attach rollover requirements to both the deposit and the bonus, which, in our example, bumps up the amount of real money you need to wager to £800. 

Time Limits

Time limits are a given with casino bonuses. For example, as a new player, you’ll usually get a set number of days after you sign up for a new account to make your first deposit and claim a live casino welcome bonus. Additionally, when you claim a bonus, either as a new player or as an existing customer, you will only get a certain length of time to use the bonus before it expires. Time limits to use bonuses vary, with anything between 3 and 90 days in the normal range. 

Payment Exclusions

If you need to deposit some of your own cash to claim a live dealer casino bonus, there’s a good chance that the casino will exclude you from making that deposit with certain payment methods. Payment method exclusions commonly apply to deposit-only banking options like Paysafecard and Pay by Mobile, though many online casinos also exclude e-wallets from offers. Debit cards offer the best bonus eligibility at most real dealer casino sites. 

Game Weighting

Where wagering requirements apply to casino bonus funds, game weightings mean that some bets may not count in full. Bets on live dealer casino games typically contribute between 5% and 20% of your bet. Grosvenor Casino offers an example. Here, new players can deposit £20 to claim £30 in casino bonus funds. When completing the 5x wagering on the deposit and bonus, most live games, such as Lightning Blackjack and Three Card Poker, contribute just 10%. 

Win Limits

Win limits do as they say on the tin and put a limit on how much you can win from a live casino bonus offer. They’re also known as winning caps and are worth watching out for, as it can be disappointing to land a big win from a bonus and only then realise that you’ll need to forfeit part of your profits. Win limits vary. Some casinos place a cap on how much you can win from an individual offer, while others limit the amount you can win over the lifetime of your account.

Play Live Casino Games on Your Mobile

Want to enjoy a more immersive online casino experience on your mobile? Good news — you can play live casino games on your smartphone. This is made possible by live casino software developers optimising their games for use on touch screen devices, meaning you can enjoy the same top live dealer casino games when you play on your iPhone or Android.

All the top online casinos we recommend have mobile optimised websites, and some have also developed native mobile casino apps. We think mobile apps provide the best gaming experience — not only do they make it faster and easier to access your favourite games, but they also have push notifications to alert you to the latest bonuses and promotions.

Enjoy Immersive Gaming at Top New Casinos

It’s not just the best established online casinos that host live dealer games. You can also enjoy a more realistic casino experience at many of 2024’s best new casinos. Not only do new casinos offer a fresh new feel, but they often also have exciting new features, such as player-friendly bonus deals. This is why we compare both the top new sites and the biggest online casino brands when creating our list of the best live dealer casinos so you can take your pick of the bunch.

Enjoy Playing at High Stakes VIP Tables

If you’re a high roller looking to bet big, then live dealer games provide the highest bet limits of all casino games. Most of the UK’s top live dealer casinos offer high stakes VIP tables, such as Evolution Gaming’s Salon Prive games. These provide a more exclusive high stakes experience, just like you’d get in a real casino. They also offer the highest betting limits — as much as £20,000 on some blackjack games, while some roulette tables allow you to bet as much as £100,000 per hand. Of course, make sure to stay within your limits and always gamble responsibly.

Live Casino Payment Methods

Top live dealer casinos offer players plenty of choice when it comes to banking options. Below, you’ll find an overview of some of the most common ways to deposit and withdraw:

Play Live Casino Games

Ready to try out live casino games for yourself? Find your perfect place to play with the help of our list of the UK’s very best live dealer casinos. If you want to learn more about each site, you can compare the games, bonuses and payment methods on offer using our expert casino reviews. Finding your perfect live casino has never been so easy! Simply sign up, claim your exclusive welcome bonus and immerse yourself in the best online experience possible.