This might sound like a rather silly question, but are live dealer casino games really “live”, and are there occasions when they aren’t? After all, there are clearly times when digital cards or dice are used, and that opens live games up to RNG (random number generator) elements. How prevalent are RNGs in live dealer games, how much of the action really uses a real live dealer, and under what conditions is it okay for a game to call itself a live casino title, even if it features RNG elements? I want to reveal all.
Live Games May Still have Random Number Generators
First, let’s be clear about something. Live casino games get their name because they feature a real-to-life human dealer and because the game is streamed from a real brick-and-mortar casino or studio floor. They aren’t given their name because they may feature RNGs. It is, therefore, wrong to assume that a game is no good simply because it has RNG elements.
RNGs are widespread. Almost every live dealer game will have some form of RNG elements woven into their design. For instance, it is perfectly possible for live games to have RNG elements dictating the outcomes of bonus rounds, qualifiers, and so on. The key thing is that there is still a human dealer controlling some of the action somewhere.
Some Live Games Allow You to Switch Gameplay
While you may not notice which elements are RNG-based and which are “live” very often, there are some live casino games where this is blatantly obvious – enter Evolution’s First-Person games. In live casino games such as these, you’ll be able to actively jump from the live casino action to an RNG interface. This is great if the live atmosphere is too much for you or if you simply fancy playing without video.
Are Live Games with RNGs Certified as Fair?
The next thing you want to ask is whether live casino games that feature RNG elements are certified as fair. The thing is, most casino games are audited regularly, as are the operators offering them and the providers behind them. If a casino has a certificate to showcase that its games are RNG-certified, this would naturally imply that any live dealer games with RNG elements have also been approved. In most cases, you just have to trust that this is the case.
What About Live Crash Games?
It’s an entirely different story when it comes to most live crash games. While some titles, such as Evolution’s Cash or Crash, still have human dealers, many do not. These may still be billed as live games, but the reality is that they are not live dealer games. They are almost always RNG-based, even in Evolution’s titles, so calling these games “live” feels a bit disingenuous.
When Is It Okay for Games to Call Themselves Live If They Aren’t?
On balance, we’d argue that “most” live dealer casino games feature RNG elements at some stage or another. However, the best live casino titles will keep their presence minimal and instead ensure that the human dealer controls the outcome (which should still be random) in games.
I, personally, as a player and a reviewer, don’t believe a major change is needed to clarify that most live dealer games feature RNG elements, although I would stress that crash games and other titles where there is clearly no human interaction between the host and a game’s players should, perhaps, be classified as another genre.