How We Rate & Review Live Games

What makes the best live casino games – best?

The short answer is that the game has to look good, play well, offer good odds, and ultimately provide an enjoyable experience to anyone playing it.

However, things are a lot more complicated once you start seriously rating and ranking titles as we do. A lot of details go into making a live dealer table, and it’s often these details that make the difference between a great game and a mediocre one.

We’ll now go through the most important factors for reviewing live casino games. We’ll explain why every factor matters, how we rank a game’s performance in that aspect, and how our reviews examine these characteristics.

Note that these factors are not listed in any particular order. Different players value different things in their games, so we can’t rank them by importance. However, they’re all important for providing a positive live gaming experience.

  1. Game Fairness and Integrity

The first thing we ensure before featuring a game on our site is that it is indeed a legitimate, fair, and working gambling game.

Broadly speaking, games made by licensed, trusted live casino software providers all satisfy these criteria. However, this trust doesn’t happen by magic. Online gambling is a highly regulated market, and both casino operators and game providers have to adhere to legal and industry standards, which largely exist to protect players.

Some of these standards include:

• Randomness checks – Casino games are always tested to ensure that results are fair and not influenced by outside factors. For example, if some pockets of a roulette wheel seem to win more often than others, it means that the game is less random than it should be. As far as our reviews are concerned, we always check whether the game’s result statistics align with its theoretical probabilities, which ensures the game is not rigged.
• Monitoring real-time dealer actions – Live casino croupiers have to act professionally and clearly demonstrate that everything is “above board”, so to speak. For example, good dealers move their hands and operate games in a very specific fashion that allows players to clearly see what they’re doing at any moment. This ensures both fairness and a more transparent and enjoyable gaming experience.
• Independent audits and certifications – A national gambling license typically means that the games made under it are tested and vetted for fairness. However, independent organizations such as eCONGRA also perform their own third-party audits. These audits and certifications further ensure that everything works as presented, allowing for a bit of peace of mind.

All in all, you’ll never find a game you can’t trust to be fair in our review database. We only ever work with trusted providers and operators, and we would never recommend a game unless we’re completely sure that it’s safe and fair.

  2. Software Quality and Reliability

No matter how you look at it, online casino games are all just pieces of software. Live dealer tables are no different. Even though there are real tables and real game props in the broadcast, they’re still delivered to players as apps and programs.

As you’re probably aware, not all software is created equal. Here are some of the factors that contribute to the quality of a live game and to your experience as a player:

• Stream stability and smoothness – The video stream is the heart and soul of every live dealer table. As such, the broadcast has to be clear, functional, and without any lagging and stuttering that can mar your play time or your view of how the game is progressing..
• Reliability and responsiveness of interfaces – A good game UI can make the betting process a lot faster and easier, which further improves the time you spend playing. On the flip side, sluggish or unoptimized interfaces can prevent you from betting how and when you want, which can be incredibly frustrating.
• User-friendly navigation and clear instructions – Top game providers further improve their games by adding extra options and quality-of-life features that help them stand out from the competition. ‘Favorite bets’ and ‘auto-play’ options are common examples of advanced UI tools. Moreover, well-made games take the time to explain their rules and features to players through handy, accessible, and well-written tutorials and help screens.

Beyond that, we also expect live dealer games to be stable and functional pieces of software. That means that they need to run well regardless of hardware, connection speeds, or other factors. After all, nothing can ruin your game as quickly as a crash or unexpected connection break.

  3. Dealer Professionalism and Engagement

One could argue that the dealers are what truly make live casino games authentic. They’re the ones that make these online games look and feel as if you were playing at a real, brick-and-mortar casino.

As such, a good dealer can turn a solid game into an incredible, immersive experience. This is especially true for complex games, such as blackjack, or entertainment-style products in which the dealers act as hosts and presenters.

Either way, their contribution to live gaming and how it actually feels to play should not be understated. Here are some of the dealer-related factors and details we look at while reviewing games:

• Friendliness, professionalism, and clarity in communication – Communicating with players is a huge part of every dealer’s job. As such, it stands to reason that they need to be friendly, approachable, and eloquent. Most dealers are trained professionals, so this point is rarely an issue. However, a particularly friendly or communicative dealer can make your time with the game feel a lot more engaging and interesting.
• How well they manage games and handle potential issues – Additionally, properly operating a table takes no small amount of skill. Experienced croupiers can handle cards, wheels, dice, and other game props with incredible finesse and grace. Additionally, trained dealers know that things sometimes go wrong even if you’re amazing at what you do. The way they handle such problems is a good indicator of their overall competence and professionalism.

  4. Player Experience and Immersion

Since their inception, live casino games have strived to recreate the experience of playing your favorite games at an actual casino. This sort of authenticity is often what drives many players to play live games instead of more accessible RNG-based variants.

So, how do game providers make their titles feel more authentic?

Usually, by combining the visuals, user experience, and overall presentation in order to make them feel as immersive as possible. Naturally, this immersion can never be truly complete – one way or another, you’re looking at a screen and not a real table and croupier. However, technology has come a long way, and live tables can offer truly spectacular experiences if they’re made the right way.

Here are some of the factors that we consider while evaluating a game’s immersion:

• Quality of video and audio streams – Games that look and sound good are more enjoyable to play, that much is obvious. Top-tier modern games often go a step further by providing multiple camera angles, moving shots, and focused camera angles that put you right into the action. Our reviews also focus on small details, such as how understandable the dealer’s callouts are.
• Authenticity and atmosphere provided by studios – The next piece of a game’s visual puzzle is the actual studio. Some games strive to be authentic, modelling their studios after real-life casino floors. Others, such as game shows, are more about providing a thrilling spectacle. Either way, the better a game is at translating the experience it wants to, the better we’ll rate it in our review.
• Interactive features like chat functions and player customisation options – Beyond that, many providers aim to make their games more interactive and further player participation through innovative features. Being able to chat in real time with dealers and players is common practice at this point, but it’s merely scratching the surface of what some modern live dealer tables can do.

Many would say that a game’s looks are purely cosmetic, and thus not as important as factors like odds and gameplay features. However, these small cosmetic differences often separate best-in-class titles from merely solid products, so they shouldn’t be overlooked.

  5. Game Uniqueness & Variety

Let’s be frank – most live casino games you can play follow very similar rules and game loops. For example, every European roulette table ever made works pretty much the same. The differences are largely in terms of visuals, immersion, and other such elements.

With that in mind, innovation is becoming increasingly important in today’s live casino landscape. Games that introduce unique rules, features, side bets, or other additions are not only more attractive to play, but also sometimes leave a mark on the entire industry moving forward. A common example of this is Lightning Roulette, which has spawned dozens of clones, variations, and competitors over the years.

Additionally, providers with strong game lineups offer their tables in multiple variants, such as with different table limits or varying features. All of these details contribute to the game’s appeal and tend to earn better scores in our reviews.

• Availability of multiple game variants – Many popular live casino games are available on multiple tables. For example, the same blackjack game can have multiple tables with different betting limits. Additionally, top providers offer localized versions of their games with native-speaking dealers who present the game in languages other than English. These options make the game more accessible to wider audiences, which is always a plus.
• Frequency of new game additions and exclusive releases – To be honest, live dealer games rarely receive major game-changing updates. However, we still enjoy seeing providers who make the time and effort to revisit older titles and update them in new and interesting ways. Also, some games are available in dedicated or casino-exclusive variants, which further tailor the experience to the casino you’re playing at.
• Free to play options – Most live dealer tables can only be accessed with an active, funded account at a real-money casino. Unlike slots and RNG games, demo versions are generally not publicly available. However, there are still ways to play live casino games for free. We often factor this free trial into our reviews and rankings.

  6. Mobile Compatibility and Performance

According to some estimates, mobile users account for over 65% of all casino game players. No matter how you look at it, mobile live casinos are becoming increasingly prevalent. This means that game providers have to account for the fact that many of their players will play these games on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

As such, the best releases can provide a premium gaming experience no matter which platform you run them on. This brings a specific set of challenges to the developers who make them. After all, mobile devices have different screens, controls, and usability features than computers and internet browsers.

As such, every time we test and review a game, we do so on multiple platforms. We do this to ensure that all of our readers understand what kind of experience they’re in for, regardless of the device they use.

Here are some of the factors our reviews consider in terms of mobile device compatibility:

• Responsiveness and stability on smartphones – The first thing we ask while testing a game on mobile is whether it runs well and with no technical issues. Much like on desktop, a smooth and consistent experience is crucial for your enjoyment of a game. Sadly, games that run well on desktop don’t always behave the same on phones, so it’s wise to cover all bases before we give a recommendation.
• Compatibility across different operating systems – The more types of devices and systems a game is compatible with, the more accessible it will be to players. Most modern releases are compatible with Android and iOS phones and tablets, but additional options are always welcome and appreciated.
• App experience – Mobile versions of live casino games often have to change their UI elements and control schemes compared to their desktop counterparts. Our reviews also note how well these controls were implemented, ensuring a seamless experience for mobile gamers.

  7. Customer Support and Responsiveness

Not even the best casino games and apps never run into any issues. Sooner or later, you may come across a problem that you’ll need to solve. In those moments, good customer support is a critical safety net that can save you tons of frustration and potentially money.

Most people associate casino customer support with the casino operator itself. However, if an issue is tied to the game rather than the gambling site, you’ll need to contact the provider rather than the site operator.

That’s why an effective customer support framework is essential for any casino game provider. Although many players overlook this aspect completely, it’s one of those things that you don’t need until you really need it.

That’s why our reviews also test and evaluate the support you can receive regarding a specific game. Here are some of the points we examine:

• Responsiveness, availability, and knowledgeability of support teams – Most importantly, customer support has to be informative, competent, and helpful. We always make sure to contact the service during our reviews, and we take their performance into account while giving our ratings.
• Accessibility of live chat, email, or phone support channels – The more channels you have to get in touch with customer support, the better. Additionally, the functionality and ease of use of these channels are also taken into account.
• Speedy and informed solutions – Finally, we also rate how effective the support solutions actually are. This point can be difficult to measure in a review unless we run into an actual problem, but it’s still something we try to evaluate whenever we can.