Live Casino Online

Canadian Live Casino 2024 Guide

Online live casinos offer a truly authentic gaming experience to Canadian players, and live dealer tables are soaring in popularity. Players now have more choice than ever, both in the number and variety of games on offer, and in the different new online casinos that provide a live dealer casino section.

In fact, the growth of live casino online in Canada has been the most significant online gambling trend since the explosion of the mobile casino Canada gaming scene. Live casino games account for around a quarter of gambling site revenue, and this is expected to increase as technology improves.

In our live casino Canada guide we will provide you with all the information that you need to find the best live casino games and sites. Stay on this page for details about:

• The technological features of live dealer casino games
• The advantages of playing at live casinos
• Types of live games available
• Where to find the best live casino sites
• Operators offering the best online casino payouts.

What are Live Dealer Casinos?

A live dealer casino provides an immersive and authentic alternative to a brick and mortar casino. In essence, a live casino online is a portal that allows players to interact with and play casino games in real time and with a real human dealer.

• Unlike virtual casino games, live tables recreate exactly how games are played at a land casino.
• The game is controlled by a dealer rather than a random number generator.
• Players can interact with the dealer via a live chat function if they wish, and play against either the dealer or the other players at the table.
• You can play for free or take your talents directly at real money casino tables.

All this is achieved via some sophisticated technology that brings a true casino experience into your own home.

Technology Behind Live Casinos

Live casinos are usually housed and broadcast from special purpose-built studios. The tables can be joined through an online casino site, and the dealer and table are streamed in high definition to a PC or mobile screen. Live dealer casinos rely on the best live casino software providers to bring you an impeccable gaming experience!

OCR Technology

Simply filming and streaming a game is not enough, and the interactive element is made possible through the use of optical character recognition (OCR) technology. This is software that can instantly convert visual information, such as the value and suit of a playing card, into electronic data. This can then be interpreted in real time to give the result of any single move in a game. Thanks to the OCR software, live casino games are fast, dynamic and completely accurate.

Live Casino Equipment

The equipment in the studios of the live casinos is also very sophisticated. High definition cameras allow the action to be captured and transmitted in the best possible quality. Several cameras are used, to capture different angles and close-up shots.

How Live Dealer Casinos Employ the GCU Technology

Also essential to the functioning of live casinos is the game control unit or GCU. This component is fitted at each table, and encodes the video data to help the dealer run the game. A variety of sensors are also employed to help automate some of the processes and avoid errors. The dealer has their own monitor displaying the screen names of players and their bets, and the web chat.

User Interface of Online Live Casinos

On the player’s screen there will be little sign of the backstage technologies such as the GCU. Instead, the user interface will include:

• The live stream of the table and dealer
• A live chat box, where the dealer can be addressed directly
• A field for placing bets
• A timer to show when bets are open or closed

As you can see, the equipment and tech needed for live casino online is much more sophisticated and complex than for virtual casino games. As well as these aspects, each game is run by a highly trained and professional dealer. The overheads and running costs of live casinos are considerably higher than for a completely virtual gambling site.

Online Live Casino: Pro’s

The experience of playing at a live casino online is quite unlike that of playing new slots, for example. There are multiple reasons why patrons of online casinos are increasingly opting to play these live games. Here is a look at some of the advantages to live casino.

It is authentic. Live games are run in real time, and the player is fully involved in the action. Dealers are not actors but highly trained professionals who conduct the games as they would in a land casino. The supporting technology is very much behind the scenes, so what the player sees is a convincing portrayal of an authentic casino.

It is accessible. Canadians are very enthusiastic casino players, but not everyone has convenient access to a good local gambling establishment. Live casino Canada, on the other hand, can be played by anyone with a PC or mobile and an internet connection.

It is secure. Safe online casinos with live dealers employ high level data protection and security technology to ensure that players are protected and games conducted fairly. The tech also allows players to see in detail every action made by the dealer. All games are overseen by managers as well as the dealers, to add an extra layer of security.

It is fully interactive. Not only are the table games conducted in real time, but players can interact with the dealer and often with their opponents. The live chat feature makes for a more personal and realistic gaming experience.

It is instant. At a land casino, players often have to wait around to play their preferred game. Most live dealer casino games are available to play as soon as you enter the site. In some cases live blackjack tables have a seating limit, but even then there is usually the chance to bet behind.

It is flexible. The best live casino selections have a wide variety of table limits. This means that both high rollers and casual players are catered for. Minimum bets can be as low as a few cents, with the maximum all the way up to several thousand dollars.

Payouts are fast. Long withdrawal times are a thing of the past. Play at Canadian fast payout casino sites to cash in your winnings immediately!

Cons of Live Dealer Casinos

There are a couple of less positive points to make about live casinos. We firmly believe that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, but the following should be considered:

Slower than virtual games – the pace of a live casino game is fast, but cannot compare to RNG games for speed.

Smaller game selection – many live casino online sites offer only a limited number of tables, although this is improving rapidly.

Chance of technical issues – technical difficulties are usually due to internet connectivity rather than a problem at the casino.

No free play – many RNG games can be played for free, either for fun or to try before you buy. This option is not available at most live casino online.

The advantages and disadvantages of live casino also depend on if you are comparing the experience to virtual RNG games or to land casinos. For example, the most popular virtual games are online slots Canada which have no live equivalent.

Bonuses at Live Casinos

New account holders at a live casino Canada may be disappointed to see that casino bonuses are geared towards the RNG slot games rather than live tables. In many cases, the live casino games do not count towards the wagering requirements of the bonus.

HINT: in case you want to play completely hassle-free, we recommend that you sign up at one of our recommended no wagering casinos.

But no need to worry! Many of the best live casino sites offer exclusive live casino bonus schemes that are designed especially for the live tables. Please consult our reviews to see which Canadian gambling sites have special separate welcome casino bonus promotions for live dealer tables. Look at the list below and see if you spot something that tickles your fancy!

• Match deposit bonus: these offers give the players an additional amount of funds on top of their deposits. This amount usually ranges from 50% all the way up to 200% (or more) of the original deposit. Normally, match deposit bonuses are offered as part of a welcome offer for new players.
• Free spins: the name is quite self explanatory! Free spins are the most sought-after bonus for slots players and will give you a chance to spin the reels for free for a given amount of times. Bonus spins are rarely offered as stand alone bonuses and they are most commonly found as part of bigger bonus packages.
• Cashback: most players love themselves a nice cashback offer. The reason is very simple, with a cashback bonus you get a certain percentage of your losses back in the form of a refund. A great consolation prize for those times when Lady Luck is tough to beat!

Live Dealer Casino Games

When live casinos first appeared, the number and variety of games was very limited. Back then only one or two companies had live studios and distributed games, and live dealer casino was considered a niche or a novelty.

All that has changed considerably. These days there are multiple providers competing in the market, providing a huge range of high quality games. Here is an overview of some of the most popular live casino games found in Canadian live dealer casinos.

Live Dealer Blackjack

Live blackjack may just be the number one game to play at a live casino. This is the perfect game for the format, since it is always played against the dealer more so than the other participants at the table. Blackjack is also a good blend of luck and strategy, and when played with a bit of knowledge has about the lowest house edge of any game in the casino. Most live casinos have several blackjack tables available, with a range of table limits. Start out with a lower table limit if you are a less experienced player.

Live Roulette

Another perennial favourite, the iconic roulette wheel cannot truly be replicated in a virtual game. Live casino is the only real way to play this pure luck game, and it is brought vividly to life with close-up cameras and ball drops in high definition slow-mo. Once again, there will usually be several different live roulette variants to choose from (European Roulette, Lightning Roulette, Double Ball Roulette and so forth). Speed versions allow players to fit in many more rounds for an ultra exciting and fast paced game.

Live Dealer Poker

Often thought of as the ultimate casino card game, poker has been adapted to be played at online casinos. The live dealer casino versions of poker pit the players against the dealer, so that the game can be enjoyed just as much as if the players were all sitting together in the same room. Casino Hold’em reigns supreme in live casinos, the adapted version of the famous Texas Hold’em Poker. Players will also find Caribbean Stud, 3 Card Poker and many more variations.

Live Baccarat

Baccarat is another card game that can only be properly appreciated in a live format. Several versions exist for live casinos, from classic to the faster and more dynamic Mini Baccarat. For the most realistic baccarat game in a live casino, choose 7 Seater Baccarat. This has the most interactive elements, both with the dealer and with the other players at the table.

Other Games at Live Casino Canada

The better-known casino table games are no longer the only thing to be found at a live casino online. As the format has increased in popularity, so have the different game types. Now most Canadian players can expect to find much more choice than they could have even a couple of years ago.

Live casino has introduced many Western players to Asian classic games like the luck-based dice game Sic Bo and the baccarat-like Dragon Tiger. The demand for live games has exploded of late, and so developers are coming up with more and more specialised live games, such as live online keno, or timeless classic like bingo. Almost every live casino now has some unusual titles, such as those based on gameshows or board games.

Top Live Dealer Casino Software

Since you got this far you might be asking yourself, who is behind the software that powers the best live casino online platforms? You will be surprised to know that the software companies who develop the best live casino software on the market are multi-million giants which employ thousands of workers. Let’s take a closer look at the top developers of live casino software:

• Evolution Gaming: this software company was the first make a big splash on the online live casino scene a few years back. Through time, they maintained their position at the forefront of the industry and developed live casino versions of popular games such as Dream Catcher.
• NetEnt Live: the live division of NetEntertainment was no doubt the biggest competitor for Evolution Gaming. They boasted fancy live casino studios, cutting-edge streaming services and an immense variety of live games. In December 200 however, NetEnt was aquired by Evolution itself, hence disappearing as a stand-alone software company.
• Playtech: here we have a casino software developer that has been around since 1999. The first online live casino powered by Playtech saw the light in 2003. Since then, Playtech have invested heavily in their live casino department and nowadays they are among the industry leaders. They have developed amazing live games such as Double Screen Roulette, a variation of the Wheel of Fortune game and many more!
• Microgaming: mainly known for their blockbuster slot games,live casino games are probably not the main focus of Microgaming, a software company founded over 15 years ago. Even so, Microgaming has been able to win the heart of many live casino fans, thanks mainly to their live variations of Baccarat, Roulette, Blackjack and Sic-Bo.

Find the Best Live Casino

Not long ago, live casino Canada was something of a rarity. Finding a gambling site that included live dealer games was a bit of a challenge, and even then the table choice was very limited. That has most definitely changed, and now Canadian players can afford to be selective. In fact, live casinos have multiplied at such a rate that the challenge now is narrowing down the search.

Here at LiveCasinoOnline, we test every live casino Canada and recommend only the best online casinos with live dealers. In order to find the right one for you, all you need to do is consult our honest reviews and select one of our approved sites. The best live casino providers all have the following in common:

• A full license from a recognised authority and the right to operate in Canada
• An excellent and varied selection of live dealer games from the top game providers
• Friendly and professional dealers
• High definition video streaming with no delays
• We feature several minimum deposit casinos which are ideal for new players
• They are fully compliant with Canadian gambling laws
• Non-live casino section with a vast assortment of games, including real money slots.

Some sites also have games offered in multiple languages including French, which is an advantage for Canadian players. Others provide exclusive tables that have been curated for that site only, in partnership with one of the game providers. These days most casino sites prefer to have live dealers from at least two different gaming studios, providing players with great variety.

How We Test Canadian Live Casinos

Now that you have an idea of what to look for when choosing the best live casino in Canada, we would like to tell you a bit more on how our staff at LiveCasinoOnline.ca reviews live dealer casinos. Our tests target all different aspects of the whole live casino experience offered by a given operator. These range from game selection to the number and reliability of payment methods offered, from bonuses and promotions to the payout speed and much more:

• License: we give higher scores to live casino operators which possess a strong license issued by the MGA, the UKGC and so forth. All out recommended live dealer casinos offer a safe and tested gaming environment to their players.
• Payment methods: we like to see Canadian live casinos offer a wide array of payments to players. From Canada-based solutions such as Interac to world renown e-wallets like PayPal, we also assign extra points for fast payout times. Win now, withdraw your money in minutes that is how it should always be!
• Fairness and safe gambling: we run extensive gaming sessions to make sure the operator’s RNG mechanisms are working properly and guarantee fair outcomes. Unlicensed operators are not supervised nor tested which is why 1) it is easier for them to scam players with fraudulent schemes and 2) they have no place on our website!
• Payout rates: live online casinos with the best payouts are our favourites! Simply put, when you play at casinos with higher RTP (return to players) rates, you are most likely to win. No surprise operators with higher RTPs are the top choice among Canadian players!
• Bonuses and promotions: another very important factor that can really make a difference is the quality of the promotions offered by a given casino. Ideally, a top-tier live casino online should have a welcome bonus for new players, dedicated promotions on select live games – with fair wagering requirements – and an amazing VIP scheme to reward loyal players. An operator that clicks all those boxes will get extra points in  our reviews!

So, those are the most important factors we keep into account when we test a new live casino operator. Make sure to read our casino reviews to get the full picture.

Best Live Casino – Top 8

After all is said and done, you may still be left with the question ‘what are the best Canadian live casino operators?’ – so we decided to put together our top 8 of the very top online live casino sites for Canadian players. This was not easy as we had factor in a multiplicity of considerations – without further ado, here goes out top 8 of the best live casino operators in Canada!

Live Online Casino Payments

A crucial aspect when it comes to rating and eventually choosing a casino is the payment methods it offers. There are players who prefer using their credit/debit cards, others are more inclined to use e-wallets, and then others will be more into blockchain-based payments such as Bitcoin. All in all, we prefer to list Canadian live casinos that offer wider arrays of casino payment methods such as:

• Debit/Credit cards – typically Mastercard, VISA, American Express. A good compromise between efficiency and safety, cards are used mainly by players who want top safety protocols at the cost of slightly longer times when it comes to processing payments;
• e-wallet – PayPal, Skrill Neteller and many more, e-wallets are at the forefront of the payment industry. They are fast, reliable, they can be used from any device and on any OS, they are practical, widely supported worldwide and much more. Also, withdrawal times are much faster if you use an e-wallet!
• eChecks – electronic cheques have long been a fave for Canadians and even though they are not exactly a novel payment method, many players still use them at online casinos. As a matter of fact, the majority of live Canadian casinos support eCheck payments.
• Cryptocurrencies – this is the new trend that is slowly establishing itself in the gambling industry. Even though it’s definitely too early to assess whether cryptos will manage to be the next big thing in the world of casino payments, we have seen more and more Bitcoin casinos being launched in Canada recently.

Best Live Dealer Casino Tech

All top live dealer casinos are equipped with the latest technology to ensure a seamless gaming experience to players. Not only that: live dealers are trained to the highest standards, the live studios are furnished to recreate a realistic casino ambiance and so much more. Let’s take a look at the key features boasted by the best live casino operators on the market! A live casino studio is a location that houses all the necessary equipment, staff and everything that is needed to ensure that the whole operation is run complying with top industry standards. The equipment that an online live casinos usually features includes:

• Cameras and video equipment: this is a key component on the technical side of things. HD streaming is paramount for most live casino studios. All cameras used to provide a top-notch experience should be able to record and stream in 4K. Also, portability is another key factor, which means they should be compact and easy to handle and mount on game tables and rigs. Keep in mind that most live casino tables have more than one camera in order to provide a multi-angle visualization to players.
• Furniture and game tables: all game tables (roulette, blackjack, baccarat and so forth) are of excellent quality and are normally provided by the leading manufacturers in the industry such as Abbiati and Cammegh. Roulette tables come with a pre-installed monitoring software.
• Dealer prompting: unlike in land-based casinos, where players and dealers have a direct interaction, live casino dealers have a screen that prompts their instructions as well as the actions players want to take. The dealers then perform based on the way they are prompted while the gaming action unfolds.
• Game results monitoring: another key element is the compliance of live casino games. All games need to be monitored very strictly to ensure a fair outcome on each and every round that is played. Every little thing that happens is recorded and stored and – at all times – there are several aspects that are being monitored such as: dealer mistakes, deviation from the norm and so much more. The level of control and monitoring in live casino studios is really impressive!

Live Casino Game Shows

Live casinos are probably the most exciting places to spend leisure hours. What can be better than the online casino forms of the original and real-life games? With live games, real-time players, actual dealers and hosts, you can enjoy it all just from the safety and comfort of your house during these covid times.

Live casino game shows are widely famed for the wholesome thrill they offer and also for the exciting prizes they have to offer. Moreover, here people get to show more creative ways to win in different games, which is better than staying stuck in the old-patterned gaming modes.

Main Casino Game Shows

Here are some of the well-known game shows listed below

• Dream Catcher Live Game: This is one of the earliest game shows to come in the world of online live games. Dream Catcher live is more like a wheel of fortune constructed for slotting players and has rules that are very easy to follow, without any strategy. The live game depicts a stunning studio with a wheel of fortune and several cameras set up to capture the activities. Then the actual host will conduct the game and spin the wheel in real-time. Doesn’t all these sound exciting? If you succeed in guessing the correct number, you win and get a chance to earn the pre-planned amount of the game. Not only this. The wheel doesn’t just mark numbers. It also has two categories — ×2 and ×7 multipliers. And the real fun begins when someone bets on either of them.
• Monopoly Live Game: Surely you have played this worldwide popular game at least once in your lifetime. If not, here is a chance which you should not miss at any cost. Monopoly live is among the exclusive casino live game shows. This is the destination where technology and innovation truly merge. Like Dream Catcher, this also has a vertical spinning wheel that is colorfully decorated with numbers and segments. And all a player has to do is just guess the stopping point of the wheel. If the winning number has been correctly guessed, the winner will walk away with a lavish sum, and that round comes to an end there. But this also gives you the chance of accessing some of the best games that will give out the finest presents.
• Deal or No Deal. This game is based on a very popular British TV show of the same name, which went for a good number of years. You are probably someone who wanted to take part in it but ultimately didn’t end up doing so. But don’t worry. Here’s the Deal or No Deal live game to give you a similar kind of experience. Becoming the chief player of this game is right at your fingertips. Decision-making is an important asset required for winning this game as it has several rounds and is quite fast-paced. Now the rest is all up to you. You have to decide to accept the banker’s offer and guess the amount under one of the mystery boxes. In the end, your choices will show if you will carry away the huge winning amount.

Other Live Casino Game Shows

• Dragon Tiger Live
• Mega Wheel Live
• Lightning Dice
• Mega Ball
• Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt
• Crazy Time

Live Casino Game Shows Pros & Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of live game shows:

Pros

• Games in actual time with real dealers: Playing in real-time with real players and live dealers makes the game shows more attractive.
• Get casino game shows anywhere, at any time: With the digital world everywhere, you can play from any corner of the world at any time.
• Instantaneous access to live tables: No more waiting in long lines now, just for an empty table. With the online games at your fingertips, you can have instant access to live tables.

Cons

• The games are slow-paced: Live games require time as the players need to analyze different aspects and then put their best foot forward.
• Technical issues and errors can disrupt the game: In the digital world, these are common issues. Internet issues can put you off at any time.

The live game shows can open an entirely new world of games to you. They are innovative and exciting and can take your gaming experience to the next level. They give us the real-life gaming experience with their awesome gaming graphics. So, don’t miss this amazing chance to enjoy these reality game shows!

Live Casino Canada FAQs

• Are live casinos secure and fair?

  Yes, so long as they are fully licensed. Here at LiveCasinoOnline we review and recommend only live casinos with top-level security and fair play standards.

• Can I play live casino on mobile?

  Yes, now more than ever. When live casino gaming was first introduced, the games were only available on PC. Now most of the games can be accessed via mobile as well.

• Where are the live dealer studios located?

  The custom-built studios are located all around the world – in Europe, Asia and there are even some studios in Canada. These days some live games are also broadcast from land casinos, although the majority are still held in studios.

• Can I play live casino games for free?

  Not usually. The running costs of a live casino are much higher than for regular online casino games. The equipment, technology and staff must all be paid for, so it is not easy to find tables that allow free demo play.