Access to Live Online Dealers is Expanding in the New Jersey Market

Evolution is adding a second live dealer studio to the Ocean Casino Resort—here’s how New Jersey gamblers can get in on the action.

• The New Jersey Live Casino Market is Expanding
• Live Online Casinos Explained
• The Pros and Cons of Live Casinos and Your Questions About Them Answered

New Jersey was the first state to authorize live dealer casino studios, which by law must be located within Atlantic City casinos. Now, online casino servicer Evolution is expanding its New Jersey live dealer presence for online gambling operators.

Documents from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) show that this second studio is located at the Ocean Casino Resort. The original live dealer studio is in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City.

The Atlantic City Hard Rock studio opened in August 2018, and recently underwent updates, according to the DGE documents. This first live dealer studio in New Jersey was also the first in the US.

Evolution CEO North America Jacob Claesson said of the new facility, which went live November 10,

“It will give us the space needed to continue bringing new games to players in New Jersey. More tables and games will be launching in the coming weeks and months as we continue to hire additional people, continuing to build our incredible team in North America and offer exciting new opportunities to both operators and players.”

As Evolution noted on Oct. 27, its live dealer business grew by more than 45% in quarter three of 2022, when compared to quarter three of 2021. While random number generators are the largest vertical of the online casino market, to a large extent growth is driven by live casino having grown in importance for most gaming operators. Thus, live casino growth has become an integrated and strategically important product for them.

The Ocean studio is Evolution’s fifth US live dealer studio, which the company says is a response to bettor demand in “the fast-developing US iGaming market.” The other three are in Connecticut, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The studio in the commonwealth streams live dealer games to West Virginia.

Evolution also recently received live dealer competition from Playtech, and may soon see some from Light and Wonder (LNW). Evolution CEO Martin Carlesund said on Oct. 27 that,

“We continue to see very strong global demand for our new as well as existing products and we are increasing market shares and our distance to competitors. The roll-out of the full product suite to all regulated markets continues.”

Regarding future North American growth specifically, Claesson promises that,

“We are progressing with our plans for new dedicated studios, both for operators with already existing studios in New Jersey which now need more space for growth, as well as those that we don’t yet have that dedicated touch with. All this and more will be enabled with this additional space. We’re also looking forward to creating more headroom for the rest of our innovative portfolio and to many more exciting years ahead working with our operators in North America.

How Do Live Online Dealers Work?

Online gambling websites are always looking for new and creative ways to engage their clients. Delivering the live casino experience at your home is something that online casinos now strive for. Live dealer casino games are a popular betting option to enhance the feeling that you are at a brick-and-mortar casino while still playing from home.

The original online casinos felt more like a video game than a brick-and-mortar casino, and therefore didn’t evoke the most confidence in gamblers. Online casinos have since come a long way in gaining gambler confidence, and live online dealers are another step in that direction. A real person dealing cards is a much more satisfying and trustworthy experience for many than randomly generating cards.

Live online dealers essentially work the same as they would at a brick-and-mortar casino. Blackjack, for example, is by far the most popular live dealer casino game. Blackjack and baccarat live online also generally have the highest player odds, so those are two great online card games to start with.

Instead of depending on an RNG (Random Number Generator), live online dealers deal real cards. The most common practice is to use cards that have chips in them, which are swiped and then presented on your screen. The dealer uses a monitor to keep track of the players in the game. If you are interested in a friendly conversation during play, there is also generally a chat box that the dealer access on his or her monitor.

Live Online Dealer Games

Jacob Claesson anticipates a wide variety of live dealer gaming options at the new Ocean Casino Resort studio, stating that:

The new studio in New Jersey has more than twice the floor space than our current live dealer studio there. It’s an exciting new build and was put into action for the simple reason that we wanted further opportunities to expand our offerings to our operators. This means more games for players and a variety of content that will appeal to all game type preferences.

Blackjack and baccarat certainly aren’t the only options for players looking to engage with live online dealers. Two other common choices include live dealer Texas Hold’em and Live Casino Hold’Em, which is a variation of Ultimate Texas Hold’Em Poker. Some less traditional games may include Quantum Roulette and Blackjack, Lightning Dice, Infinite Blackjack, and Monopoly Live. 

In fact, Evolution says that Garden Staters using the second New Jersey live dealer studio Staters will see a brand-new product, Football Studio. Evolution calls it “the first live dealer variant of a top card game available in North America, following the first-person launch of the game back in September this year.”

A DGE document dated Oct. 26 says the Ocean studio housed one “top card table” and two blackjack tables when it was a 425-square-foot temporary space. (Blackjack is the most popular live dealer game in Evolution’s regular and branded live dealer studios).

Operators pay Evolution extra money to create and operate studios bearing an individual operator’s branding on the walls, floors, and tables. Logos also appear on the tables and table felt.

Evolution tells the DGE its broadcasts will work the same way as the Hard Rock ones do now.

Another DGE document from Oct. 21 shows Evolution sought permission to “rotate” a live dealer table and to install an access door at the New Jersey live dealer studio at Hard Rock. The door will “provide easier access for gaming personnel in the expanded studio.”

Some Pros and Cons of Live Casino Games

Live Online Casino Pros

Adding a live element to your online casino experience is generally positive. Here are some of the pros that might tempt you to try live online dealers:

• The Social Aspect – Many table game players like to interact and make gambling a social activity. Live dealer casino games offer a chance to chat with your dealer and other players. So long as you don’t get rude or aggressive in the chat box, most dealers will be happy to respond to your questions and comments.
• No Random Number Generator – Gamblers often prefer table games over the machines because they don’t want a computer determining the result. None of the live dealer games use an RNG. Instead, there is a sensor or chip to determine what cards are in play or the spin of the wheel.
• Low Limits Compared to Local Casinos – Live table games at brick-and-mortar casinos often have lower-end stake limits of around ten or even twenty-dollar minimums for games like blackjack. Online casinos buck that trend, so you don’t need as much money in your online casino account to have fun in the live dealer casino. 

Instead, online casino limits tend to be lower, with roulette bets available for less than a dollar at some online casinos. In contrast, as a result of COVID-19 limitations on capacity and lost revenue, brick-and-mortar casinos have had to increase their limits in most states.

However, if you are a high roller, there are also high-limit games available with live dealers.

• Variety of Bets and Games – There are so many different bets to make in the live casino online such as different side bets that you won’t find in your local casino, games like Quantum Roulette and Lightning Dice that aren’t generally available in a Las Vegas casino, and new offerings, such as Evolution’s Football Studio, are all options to play online.

Live Online Casino Cons

Like all things in life, you have to take the good with the bad. While the live online experience is a positive one overall, here as some potential negatives to consider:

• Can Be Addictive – It’s not a secret that online casinos want to draw you in and keep you gaming. Live dealer casino games are especially fun and have the potential to get gamblers hooked. Always go in with a set bankroll you are comfortable with and determine what you can afford to lose before playing.
• Live Dealer Mistakes – Mistakes are not exclusive to brick-and-mortar casino dealers. Humans are prone to err, and this is going to happen with live online dealers as well. Raising a complaint if it does happen, and successfully prevailing, might be easier at your local brick-and-mortar casino.
• Automatic Shuffler – When it comes to live dealer blackjack, they use an automatic shuffler for all their games. So, if you were thinking about counting cards, you can forget about it.
• Technical Issues – If your internet cuts out or the power goes off in the middle of a hand, then tough luck. This could cause you to lose a game that you would have otherwise won. However, this is a similar risk to random number generator games online, and really is more of a disadvantage when compared to brick-and-mortar casinos.

Frequently Asked Questions About Live Dealer Casino Games

Are There Live Casino Bonuses Available Online?

Making sure you are getting the most bang for your bankroll is always a good idea, and the live casino realm should be no exception. The good news is that the answer is yes, the best live dealer casinos have free casino bonuses available. This means potential free bonus cash that you can use to bet on your favorite live casino game. 

Can live dealers see me when I play these games?

No, live dealers will not be peaking in on you at home. Even if you have a webcam that is turned on, the dealer won’t see you. You can only see the dealer. What the dealer can see is the chat box and the players in the game. So, don’t be shy and strike up a conversation if you are in the mood. 

Are Live Casino Games Rigged?

Nothing in life is completely foolproof.  However, so long as you play at a trusted online casino then you shouldn’t have any worries. These casinos are upheld to the highest of standards online.

Can you count cards or be an advantage player on live dealer casino games?

It would be extremely hard to find small edges and deficiencies in a live online game. Live dealer blackjack uses an automatic shuffler, so that removes most advantages gained by counting cards, and advantage players often operate in teams to exploit small holes at brick-and-mortar casinos. This is much more difficult to manage when playing online.

All and all, live casino games are an exciting new addition to the online casino market that are expected to grow significantly in the near future. So, get in at the ground level and give them a try!