This live dealer guide explains how streamed casino games work: a real dealer runs blackjack, roulette or baccarat on camera while you place bets through an on-screen panel. Live tables play slower than software tables, so they often cost less per hour, but bonus play rarely counts on them, and among our partners, live dealer availability is reported inconsistently or not at all.
Live dealer games stream a human dealer; your bets go through a digital interface.
The house edge is the same kind of edge as on software tables, but slower play means fewer bets per hour.
Reviewers disagree on whether SlotoCash and Decode have live tables; five other partners are reported to have none.
Bonus wagering on live games is often excluded: Silver Oak's terms list live dealer among excluded games.
Basic strategy lowers the blackjack edge; betting systems such as Martingale don't beat it.
What it is
Real dealer streamed on video, bets placed online
RTG live studio
None listed in RTG's catalog
Partners with confirmed live tables
None confirmed; reports conflict
Studio named at other offshore sites
Visionary iGaming
Bonus play on live tables
Often excluded (check terms)
What live dealer casino games are
A live dealer game is a table game hosted by a real person in a studio and streamed to your screen. The dealer shuffles real cards or spins a real wheel, and you place chips through a betting panel on your phone or computer. The result comes from the physical cards or ball rather than from a random number generator.
The usual lineup is blackjack, roulette and baccarat, sometimes with game-show formats added. It sits between software table games and a land-based casino: you see the action, but you can't talk across the table the way you would in person. For a one-line definition, see our live dealer glossary entry, and for more how-to pages, browse our casino guides hub.
Who makes live dealer games
Live tables come from specialist studios, not from slot developers. That matters here because most of our partners run RealTime Gaming software, and RTG's catalog as listed by SlotCatalog contains video slots, card games, roulette and a few others, with no live studio among them. So an RTG casino needs a second supplier to offer live tables at all.
How live dealer games work: studio, stream and betting window
Every live round follows the same loop. Knowing it helps you avoid the most common frustration, which is a bet that didn't go in.
The betting window opens and a countdown appears on screen.
You choose a chip value and place it on the layout before the timer ends.
The window closes and the dealer deals the cards or spins the wheel.
Software reads the physical result and settles every player's bets.
Your balance updates and the next window opens.
In blackjack you also get a decision timer for hit, stand, double or split. If it runs out, the table applies a default action, and the rules for that vary by studio and casino, so read the game's help screen before you sit down. In software blackjack the game simply waits for you, which is one reason beginners often start with RNG tables. Our how to play blackjack guide covers the rules for both.
Live dealer vs RNG table games: the real differences
The two formats deal the same games under different conditions. Here's how they compare on the points that affect your money.
Live dealer and RNG table games compared
Feature
Live dealer
RNG (software) table
Result comes from
Physical cards, wheel or dice
A random number generator
Pace
Slower: fixed betting windows
As fast as you click
Minimum bet
Usually higher, set per table
Often lower
Shuffle
Shoe used for several rounds
Reshuffled every hand
Bonus wagering
Often excluded
Often weighted low or excluded
Connection needed
Stable video stream
Light data use
Available at RTG-only casinos
No, needs another studio
Yes
The shuffle row is why card counting gets mentioned with live blackjack. It's theory more than practice: studios can shuffle whenever they choose, and online RNG blackjack reshuffles every hand, so counting has nothing to work with there. The card counting online guide explains the history and the limits.
Fairness works differently too. RNG games depend on tested software, which our RNG guide covers, while live games depend on the studio's procedures and camera setup. Either way, offshore casinos aren't overseen by a US state regulator.
Live dealer guide to costs: the house edge per hour in dollars
The average cost of any casino game is total amount staked × house edge. Live games don't change the edge on a given bet, but they change how many bets you make in an hour, and that changes the hourly cost.
Single-zero roulette has 37 pockets and pays 35 to 1 on a single number, which gives a 2.7% house edge. GamesHub lists RTG's European Roulette at 97.3% RTP, which matches. The paces below are examples to show the arithmetic, not measured figures.
Average hourly cost of $10 roulette bets at a 2.7% edge (example paces)
Format
Spins per hour (example)
Total staked
Average cost per hour
Live roulette
40
$400
$10.80
RNG roulette
150
$1,500
$40.50
RNG roulette at $2 a spin
150
$300
$8.10
The slower game costs less per hour at the same stake, but a higher table minimum can cancel that out. Results also swing widely around these averages: a short session can end well up or well down. What doesn't change is the direction over time, because the edge applies to every bet.
Do our partner casinos offer live dealer games?
No partner shows a live dealer section on its own website in the pages we reviewed, and third-party sources disagree about two of them. Here's the record, with where each claim comes from.
Live dealer availability at our partners, as reported
Casino
What sources say
Source type
SlotoCash
LCB lists live dealer and Visionary iGaming as a provider; PokerListings says no dedicated live section; the casino's site doesn't mention it
Third-party (conflicting); primary silent
Decode
LCB's listing says yes but its review says no; VegasSlotsOnline says none
Third-party (conflicting)
Silver Oak
LCB says no; the casino's terms list live dealer among bonus-excluded games
Third-party; primary terms
Miami Club
Not mentioned on its site; LCB says no
Primary silent; third-party
Planet 7
LCB, casino.guru and Blockonomi all say no
Third-party
Royal Ace
LCB says no
Third-party
Slot Madness
esports.gg says not offered
Third-party
So we can't confirm that any partner has live tables today. SlotoCash and Decode are the only two with any report of live games, which is why they're the offers on this page, and you should check each lobby before depositing for that reason. The best live dealer casinos list is updated as this changes.
Live dealer studios US players will see named
When a casino names its live supplier, you learn a lot: the table types, the limits and how the studio handles disputes. These are the studios that appear in the casino records we hold.
Live dealer studios and where they're named
Studio
Where it's named
Source type
Visionary iGaming
Cherry Jackpot's terms; El Royale (review last updated 2023); SlotoCash (LCB listing)
Several sweepstakes sites, such as WOW Vegas and RealPrize
Varies by brand (see each review)
Fresh Deck Studios
No source we hold confirms it at any partner
Not found
The non-partner names above are for reference only. Cherry Jackpot and El Royale have their own reviews, and the Michigan Gaming Control Board named El Royale in its April 9, 2025 cease-and-desist release. Sweepstakes sites are a different model; our sweepstakes vs real money guide explains it, and several states now ban them. Fresh Deck's studio page notes what is and isn't known.
Live dealer bonuses: why wagering rarely counts
Most casino bonuses are built for slots, and live tables sit at the bottom of the list. The published terms we hold show the pattern clearly.
Silver Oak: its terms list live dealer games among those excluded from bonus play, alongside roulette, baccarat, craps and others (Silver Oak terms (opens in a new tab)).
SlotoCash: welcome bonus play counts only on slots, Real-Series video slots, keno and scratch cards, and play on other games voids promotion winnings.
Miami Club: blackjack counts 5% and video poker 10% toward wagering, and roulette is forbidden while a bonus is active.
Weighting changes the math sharply. If blackjack counts 5%, every $100 you bet clears only $5 of wagering, so a $1,000 requirement would take $20,000 in blackjack bets. The game weighting guide shows more examples, and the table games bonus page covers the rare offers aimed at table players.
How to check a casino's live dealer games before you deposit
Because reports conflict, confirm live tables yourself before you fund an account for them. This checklist uses only information the casino has to show you.
Ask support in writing whether the casino offers live dealer games to players in your state, and which studio runs them.
Read the terms for any rule on live games: bonus exclusions, disconnection rules and max bet limits.
Check the table minimums and make sure one session fits your budget at that stake.
Work out your hourly cost using stake × rounds per hour × house edge, and set a session limit.
Test your connection on a stable network, because a dropped stream can leave a decision to the table's default.
Set a deposit limit with the casino if it offers one, before your first live session.
If support can't name a studio or point to live-game rules, treat that as an answer. The how to choose an online casino guide lists the other checks worth running.
Live blackjack and roulette strategy: what helps and what doesn't
In live blackjack, basic strategy is the one tool that reliably lowers the house edge. It's a chart of the best play for each hand against each dealer card, and the blackjack basic strategy guide explains how to use one. It reduces the edge; it doesn't reverse it.
Roulette has no equivalent. Every bet on a single-zero wheel carries the same 2.7% edge, and progressions don't change that. Martingale, for example, doubles the bet after each loss: starting at $10, six losses in a row means a seventh bet of $640 and $630 already lost, all to win back $10. Table limits and budgets end the sequence long before the math turns. Our roulette strategies guide works through the main systems, and how to play baccarat covers the third live staple.
Real money live dealer casinos in the USA: the legal picture
Real-money online casinos, live or software, are licensed by the state only in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Delaware, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Maine legalized tribal-run online casinos in January 2026, but nothing had launched by October 2026. Elsewhere no state licenses them; see states with legal online casinos.
Our partner casinos are offshore and not licensed or regulated by any US state. That means no state regulator to take a complaint to, no state-backed protection of your balance, and live-game rules the casino sets. Your state's law decides whether playing is legal for you, so check it first. The Michigan Gaming Control Board has named five of our partners in cease-and-desist actions: Silver Oak and Planet 7 on April 9, 2025, Miami Club and Slot Madness on August 14, 2025 (opens in a new tab), and SlotoCash on October 8, 2026.
Live dealer troubleshooting: common problems and fixes
Most live-game problems come from timing or connection. These are the usual ones.
Live dealer problems and what to do
Problem
Likely cause
What to do
Bet not accepted
Betting window closed
Place chips earlier in the countdown
Stream freezes
Weak or busy connection
Switch to a stable network or lower the video quality if offered
Hand played without you
Decision timer ran out
Check the table's default-action rule in the help screen
Bonus winnings removed
Live games excluded from bonus play
Read the eligible-games list before playing with a bonus
No live lobby at all
Casino doesn't offer live tables
Ask support; don't deposit for a feature you can't see
If a dispute over a live hand can't be settled with support, the casino complaints guide explains your options with an offshore operator.
Partner offers for live dealer players: what to know
We can't confirm a live dealer section at any partner, so the two offers below are from the only partners with a third-party report of live games. Both casinos are offshore and not licensed by any US state; check your state's law before signing up, and expect the house edge to cost you over time.
SlotoCash Casino: $6,000 Welcome Bonus + 60 Free Spins, via our link (new players, 21+ or 18+ where allowed, terms apply). The casino's own welcome page lists a different package, $7,777 + 300 spins over five deposits, with 25x wagering on deposit plus bonus, a $20 minimum per bonus and no max cashout, and only slots, Real-Series slots, keno and scratch cards count. The terms shown at sign-up apply, and LCB's SlotoCash listing (opens in a new tab) is where the live dealer report comes from.
Decode Casino: $5,000 Welcome Bonus + 50 Free Spins, via our link (new players, 21+ or 18+ where allowed, terms apply). Decode's site advertises a $111 free chip and crypto bonuses without visible terms; third-party reviews report other offers, including DECODE111 at 111% up to $1,111 with 25x wagering and a $25 minimum. VegasSlotsOnline's Decode review (opens in a new tab) says the casino has no live dealer games, against LCB's listing, so check the lobby first.
Free spins and match bonuses at both casinos are for slots; table and live games are often excluded or weighted lower. If live play starts costing more than you planned, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).
Ad21+ (18+ where allowed). Ranked by us in a commercial order; we earn commission from these links. Advertiser disclosure
No partner publishes a live dealer section on its own site. SlotoCash and Decode are shown because third-party listings report live games at each, though other reviewers disagree. Offshore, not state-licensed; 21+ (18+ where allowed), terms apply.
SlotoCash Casino#1 on our listBiggest bonus on our list
Published terms (casino terms): SlotoCash advertises up to $7,777 + 300 spins over five deposits on its own site. Eligible games: Slots, keno and scratch cards (progressive jackpots excluded).
Who runs it: License not shown on its site; reported as a Deckmedia N.V. brand (Curaçao). Regulator notes: Named in a Michigan Gaming Control Board cease-and-desist release, October 8, 2026.
21+ (18+ where allowed). New players. Min deposit $20 per bonus. Wagering 25x deposit + bonus. Max cashout: None stated. Withdrawal cap $5,000 / week. Terms source: casino terms. Terms apply. Offer checked October 28, 2026.
Published terms (reported): Decode advertises a $111 free chip and crypto bonuses on its own site; deposit-bonus codes and terms vary. Eligible games: Mainly slots; check each code.
Who runs it: License not shown on its site; third parties report Curaçao. Regulator notes: Third parties report it refuses players in MD, NJ, NY and WA.
21+ (18+ where allowed). New players. Min deposit $25 (reported). Wagering Varies by code (25x–35x reported). Max cashout: Varies by code. Withdrawal cap $2,500 / week (reported). Terms source: reported. Terms apply. Offer checked October 28, 2026.
These casinos are offshore operators. They are not licensed or regulated by any US state, and state consumer protections do not apply. Check the law in your state before you play. Terms marked “reported” come from third-party reviews; the terms shown at sign-up apply.
21+ (18+ where allowed). Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: responsible gambling tools and free help. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).
Frequently asked questions
What is a live dealer casino game?
A live dealer game is a table game run by a real dealer in a studio and streamed to your device, with bets placed through an on-screen panel. The cards, wheel or dice are physical, so results don't come from a random number generator. Blackjack, roulette and baccarat are the most common tables. Our answer to what live dealer is gives a short version for quick reference.
Do RTG casinos have live dealer games?
Not from RTG itself, because RealTime Gaming's catalog lists slots, card games, roulette and specialty games but no live studio. An RTG casino can add live tables from another supplier, and LCB lists Visionary iGaming at SlotoCash, but the casino's own site doesn't mention live games and another reviewer says there's no live section. See do RTG casinos have live dealer for more.
Which partner casino has live dealer games?
None of our partners is confirmed to have live dealer games. LCB reports live games at SlotoCash and in one listing for Decode, but PokerListings and VegasSlotsOnline say otherwise, and neither casino's own pages mention live tables. Silver Oak, Planet 7, Royal Ace, Slot Madness and Miami Club are reported to have none. Ask support before depositing, and see the best live dealer casinos page for updates.
Is live dealer blackjack better odds than online blackjack?
Live dealer blackjack doesn't have better odds by default; the edge depends on the table's rules, such as how many decks are used and what blackjack pays. The main difference is pace: fewer hands per hour means a lower hourly cost at the same stake. Basic strategy lowers the edge in both formats. The blackjack basic strategy guide shows how to use a strategy chart.
Can I use a casino bonus on live dealer games?
Usually not, or only at a heavily reduced rate. Silver Oak's terms list live dealer games among those excluded from bonus play, and SlotoCash's welcome terms count only slots, Real-Series slots, keno and scratch cards. Playing excluded games with a bonus can void your winnings. Read the eligible-games list first, and see our game weighting guide for how partial weighting works.
Can you count cards in live dealer blackjack?
In theory a shoe dealt over several rounds carries information, but in practice counting isn't a workable plan online. Studios set their own shuffle points, and online RNG blackjack reshuffles every hand, so there's nothing to track. Casinos can also limit or close accounts they suspect of advantage play. The card counting online guide covers the history and theory.
Are live dealer games rigged?
There's no published evidence that the live studios named in our records rig results, but at offshore casinos no US state regulator oversees the games or handles disputes. Live results come from physical cards or wheels, which some players find more convincing, but the house edge still applies to every bet. Check who runs the tables and read the casino's dispute terms. The are offshore casinos safe answer covers the wider risks.
How much does live roulette cost per hour?
At $10 a spin on a single-zero wheel with a 2.7% edge, 40 spins an hour (an example pace) means $400 staked and about $10.80 of average loss per hour. A faster RNG game at the same stake and 150 spins would average $40.50. Real sessions swing widely around these figures. The house edge guide shows the formula step by step.
Can I play live dealer games on my phone?
Yes, live dealer tables are built to stream to a phone or computer, with chips placed through an on-screen betting panel. The catch on a phone is the connection: live games need a stable video stream, and a drop can leave a blackjack decision to the table's default action. Use a reliable network, and check the game's help screen for the decision timer and default rules before you sit down. None of our partners is confirmed to offer live tables, so ask support first. Our mobile casino guide covers phone play more widely.
What happens if my connection drops during a live dealer hand?
The round usually carries on without you, and in blackjack the table applies its default action when your decision timer runs out. What that default is varies by studio and casino, so read the game's help screen before playing. Bets already accepted are normally settled on the physical result. If you think a hand was settled wrongly, contact support straight away, note the time and table, and save the chat, since dispute windows can be short. Our casino customer support guide explains how to raise an issue clearly.
Does Miami Club Casino have live dealer games?
Not as far as the published record shows: Miami Club's own site doesn't mention live dealer games, and LCB says it has none. It runs WGS (Wager Gaming) software rather than RTG, and its bonus terms forbid roulette and weight blackjack at 5% while a bonus is active. Miami Club's Terms of Use (v2.1, September 28, 2026, section 1.6) list the US as prohibited, while the affiliate program confirms it accepts US players, so confirm at sign-up. Ask support about live tables before depositing for them. Our Miami Club review covers its game lineup.
What is Visionary iGaming?
Visionary iGaming is a live dealer studio that appears in several offshore casino records, though it isn't confirmed at any of our partners. Cherry Jackpot's own terms name it, a review of El Royale last updated in 2023 lists it, and LCB lists it as a SlotoCash provider, a report that SlotoCash's own site doesn't repeat. When a casino names its live supplier, you can look up that studio's table types, limits and dispute handling. Ask support in writing which studio runs any live tables you see. Our Cherry Jackpot review shows one casino that names it.
Do sweepstakes casinos have live dealer games?
Some do: Evolution and Iconic21 live tables are named at several sweepstakes sites, such as WOW Vegas, Stake.us and RealPrize. Sweepstakes casinos use Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins rather than direct real-money wagering, and several states have banned the dual-currency model, including New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut and Montana. Check whether your state is excluded before signing up, since bans and exclusions keep changing. The model has its own risks and rules. Our page on sweepstakes casino bans lists each state and its effective date.
Can I play live dealer games legally in New Jersey?
Yes, New Jersey licenses real-money online casinos, live or software, through Atlantic City casino licensees and their partners. The Division of Gaming Enforcement's list, updated September 22, 2026, shows 9 internet gaming permits held by 7 entities, and the state's casino age is 21. Licensed sites there come with a state regulator to hear complaints. Offshore casinos aren't licensed in New Jersey, which also banned dual-currency sweepstakes from August 15, 2025, and Decode is reported to refuse New Jersey players. See whether you can play online casinos in New Jersey.
We use no tracking cookies. We store one item in your browser to remember this notice. Casino sites may set their own cookies after you follow an advert link. Cookie policy
