Live slots are unique casino games that combine online slot machines with the community and multiplayer features of live dealer games. They're one of the newest forms of online gambling but have been steadily gaining popularity over the last few years.

Although live slots are not truly “live” and are determined by RNG, they bring a lot of novelty to the table. Specifically, the whole experience is enhanced through real dealers and presenters. In some types of live casino slots, players also win and lose together, which also lends itself to a sort of “community spirit.”

In this article, we'll take a look at what live slots are, how they came to be, and where you can play them. We'll also present some of the best live slots in online casinos, highlighting the best the industry has to offer.

What are Live Slots?

Live slots are online slot machines that are modified to include live casino elements. These elements can be different from game to game, depending on how the software provider chooses to implement them.

Most live casino slots are simply slots that are played with a real presenter. Every player essentially plays their own game, but the presenters are there to enrich the experience. Additionally, live dealer features such as a chat box and high-win tracking are there to connect the players in a way.

However, some online slots have much more complex rules and mechanics that often serve to bring the players closer together. The idea is for players to win together and lose together, which increases their engagement – sort of like in craps. It is all about adding a social element to a slot game. You have to admit, playing slot games is usually a solitary activity, and live slots aim to change that.

Although they have live elements, live slots are still decided entirely through RNG. This means that there are no actual reels involved like there are actual cards involved in a live blackjack game. Instead, the computer decides everything. If you want to know more about the differences between RNG and actual live games, check out this article.

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History of Live Slots

The online casino industry is ever-evolving with novelties introduced on a regular basis. It was more than 20 years ago when the first live dealer games appeared offering traditional casino games in a new yet familiar environment. It was groundbreaking back then when you could join a table hosted by a real-life dealer to play your favourite casino game on the web.

Over the years, more and more software providers have emerged in the market, offering live casino games that provide players with a realistic gaming experience. To feel genuine casino action, players don’t have to visit their local casinos as they can enjoy it from the comfort of their home or even on the go on their handheld devices. It seemed that the industry was moving away from RNG-operated games and turning to more challenging live casino technology.

However, there's no denying that slots are (and probably always will be) the most popular form of gaming in any casino, online or otherwise. This presents software providers with a unique challenge – how to bridge the gap between live players and slot fans. It's a potentially massive untapped market, so some of the top companies quickly started coming up with ideas.

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Live Dealer Games with Slot Elements

The first and earliest form of live slots was a direct blend of the two types of games. These games generally introduce slot-like features, often in the form of bonus rounds or similar rewards.

One of the most notable examples would be Playtech and their Age of the Gods Bonus Roulette. The themed Roulette table is linked to the four-tier progressive jackpot network offering players a chance to win one of them. As you play the game, you can also win a set of free spins on Age of the Gods slot machines. Given that Playtech progressive jackpots can grow to 7-figure amounts, the game provides players with an unparalleled gaming experience that takes the game of Roulette to a whole new level.

Another important piece of the story of live casino slots is game shows. Live casino game shows exploded in popularity, offering a whole new entertainment-driven way to play casino games. Much like slots, they were big, flashy, colourful, enjoyed themes and visual variety, and offered potentially massive prizes at the cost of high volatility.

If you want a specific example, consider the mega-successful Crazy Time from Evolution. Although the main game has no similarity to slots, some of its bonus rounds are actually mini-slot machines. As we'll see later, these same bonus rounds served as inspiration for several Evolution-made live slots.

“True” Live Slots

Today, we can say that the examples mentioned above were just an overture to what will come in the future. In December 2019, Playtech came up with a new live casino product like no other.

They launched Live Slots, a game where one of their most popular releases Buffalo Blitz is offered in a live studio environment. While other live casino games use certain slot elements, this one offers real slot gameplay with a live presenter hosting the show. We can safely say that Buffalo Blitz Live is the first live slot machine that saw any real success. You can check out our review of it here for more information.

Several years would pass after that until this style of live casino game started to really catch on. Spearheaded by industry giants such as Playtech and later Evolution, live slots popped up in several formats. Interestingly, there is no real industry standard for how they are supposed to work. Each title is innovative in its own right and plays by its own rules.

Best Live Slots to Date

Here are some examples of the best live slot games to be released in recent years:

If you want to find more amazing slot games and where to play them, check out our list of the top five live slots available right now. There's a lot of overlap with this list because there aren't many such games out there yet, but it offers more details.

Conclusion

That covers pretty much everything you need to know about live slots in online casinos. We've covered what they are, how they were created, and the most important releases to day. This should five you a solid understanding of the appeal of live slots and why they might be the future of online gambling.

We've also highlighted some of the best live slots available nowadays. If any of what we talked about sounds interesting to you, we strongly recommend checking out one of the listed titles.