The Appeal Of Live Casino Game Shows

When you hear the words “live casino” you might think it just means blackjack, roulette, baccarat and so on but with a real live dealer instead of the computer calling the shots. But now there’s a new type of game that has been growing in popularity in the UK (and worldwide) over the last few years, and that is the live casino game show. These games are attracting a whole new class of players who would not previously ever have thought of trying live casino.

What are live casino game shows?

Live casino game shows are so-called because they bear quite a resemblance to certain TV game shows. In both cases, there’s a game show host who spins a giant wheel (or carries out some other game mechanic) and entertains the audience at the same time. In live casino game shows, however, the audience can get properly involved by placing bets on the outcome of the wheel spin (or whatever it is) and there’s also a chat window where they can send messages, making the entire experience into a social one.

Although placing bets on the outcome of a wheel spin sounds very much like roulette, these games look and feel very different (especially when CGI is involved as it often is) and the vibe is far removed from that of a traditional casino. Another big difference is that players are allowed and even encouraged to bet on every possible outcome.

Why have live casino game shows become so popular?

In the UK, there are millions of people who play the lottery, bet on the horses when they go to the races, visit bingo halls, play in seaside arcades and so on but don’t consider themselves to be gamblers. Live casino game shows are all about entertainment and spectacle and to these types of players, feel much less like gambling than playing roulette or even slots. Once upon a time, such players might have gravitated towards online bingo or Slingo, but live casino game shows now provide an exciting and engaging alternative and many operators are now showcasing these games to their bingo and slot players.

Live casino game shows also appeal to players who enjoy the thrill of roulette but would like a few extra layers of complexity. The possible stake levels which range from 10p to hundreds of pounds cater for all budgets. And finally, there's the convenience factor; in the UK, slot game autoplay has been banned since 2021 so playing a slot game requires mashing the Spin button repeatedly, but this doesn’t apply to live casino game shows where you can buy in to as many as 100 rounds at a time.

Which are the most popular live casino game shows?

Check out the player numbers on all these game shows (you can see this in the lobby) and you’ll find that by far the most popular is Evolution’s Crazy Time with its spin the wheel plus bonus round mechanic. This formula has been successfully copied by Pragmatic Play and Playtech and in each case resulted in their most popular game (Sweet Bonanza demo and Adventures in Wonderland respectively).

Games like Mega Ball and Monopoly Big Baller which are based around a lottery/bingo machine and bingo cards rather than a wheel also attract thousands of players, although not quite on the same scale as Crazy Time. It’s highly likely that these games in particular are causing players to switch away from online bingo as they offer a similar type of experience but are visually much more exciting and have a better Return to Player.

On the other hand, games that are either too simple (e.g Dream Catcher) or too complex (e.g. Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt) have far fewer players, though this can still be hundreds more than you’d find in a typical bingo room.

Who makes live casino game shows?

Although Evolution are the best-known supplier of live casino game shows, two other big names, Playtech and Pragmatic Play have also released some very popular games of this type and some canny casino platform providers such as Skill On Net have a live casino offering that includes games from all three.

Live casino game shows can be quite expensive to make, especially when they have the sort of visual effects seen in games like Cash or Crash (where there’s a multi-level CGI city visible out of the windows of the airship), so when smaller providers make their foray into the genre it tends to be with far simpler draw-based games such as Ezugi’s Live Keno.

The future of live casino game shows

Live casino game shows are being rolled out to more and more regions worldwide. For example, Evolution have recently done a deal to supply their Mega Ball game to the British Columbia Lottery. But there are a couple of obstacles. One is bandwidth; live casino games shows are graphics-heavy and may not be suitable for play on older devices or in locations where the data service is slow and/or expensive. The other, of course, is local gambling legislation; more and more countries are moving towards regulation but this does not necessarily cover live casino games.

A temporary fad, or the future of online casino? Only time will tell.