Live Blackjack

If you've ever played blackjack online before, I think you'd agree that you're always wondering:

Is this game rigged?

How different is this compared to playing at the casino?

Well online casinos have heard your thoughts and have come up with a solution to ease your concerns by providing a much more transparent and real experience to substitute that annoying RNG dealer.

Live blackjack dealers.

In this article we're going to look at how live blackjack works, how they compare to RNG blackjack and where you can play safely for real money.

Live Dealer Blackjack Sites

Bovada Live Blackjack Screenshot
$3,000 Welcome Bonus
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BetOnline Live Blackjack
$7,500 Welcome Bonus
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BetOnline Live Blackjack
$3,000 Welcome Bonus
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Live Blackjack for US Players

Bovada

As seen in our complete review of Bovada, they are the most recommended casino for US players due to their longstanding reputation.

They currently use Visionary iGaming software to power their live dealers which has a decent selection of live games as well as mobile compatibility.

Ignition Casino

While we didn't review them as high as Bovada, Ignition Casino are a decent alternative and utilize the exact same software (Visionary iGaming). Established since 2013, they have 2 types of live blackjack tables:

With an impressive 32 available tables of varying betting ranges dedicated to live blackjack, it's easy to find a table you'll be comfortable with.

Their live blackjack options include:

They also offer a pretty substantial 300% up to $3,000 sign up bonus but only if you deposit using cryptocurrency. If you deposit with a regular credit card then it is 200% up to $2,000.

Slots.lv

We found the experience at Slots.lv to be a bit sluggish compared to the above two options. However, they still offer a decent experience and their welcome bonus is quite attractive.

The welcome bonus with crypto is $7,500 which is split into the following:

  • 300% up to $1,500 on the first deposit
  • 150% up to $750, on the next either deposits

They currently accept Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Tether, Ethereum and Litecoin. You can also deposit using credit card but the bonus is only up to $5,000 which is split into the following:

  • 200% up to $1,000 on the first deposit
  • 100% up to $500, on the next either deposits

Their live blackjack options include:


Is Live Blackjack Legal in the US?

Refer to this article.

£1,500 Bonus
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Evolution Blackjack Party
£200 + 200 Free Spins
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Live Blackjack for UK Players

888 Casino

One of the most reputable brands in UK since 1997, 888 casino uses Evolution Gaming software to power it's live dealers which allows them to provide an impressive 50+ blackjack tables.

888 also provide private blackjack tables to assure that no matter how busy their site is, there is always a table to play live blackjack on.

Their tables include:

Casino Cruise

A relatively new casino to the industry (established since 2014), we have decided to list them here because they have built quite the reputation for providing a great all around service.

They primariy use Evolution Gaming software to power their live dealer games however they also use Net Entertainment as well to add more diversity to their live dealer gaming catalogue

Their live blackjack options include:

£1,500 Bonus
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Mr Green Blackjack
100% up to $100
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Live Blackjack for Canadians

888 Casino

One of the most reputable global online casino brands, their presence in Canada certainly doesn't fall short from high expectations. 888 casino uses Evolution Gaming software to power it's live dealers which allows them to provide an impressive 50+ blackjack tables.

888 also provide private blackjack tables to assure that no matter how busy their site is, there is always a table to play live blackjack on.

Their tables include:

Mr Green Casino

Mr Green Casino is fast becoming one of the most popular live blackjack destinations for Canadian gamblers. Their slick and modern interface makes for a very seamless experience with a combination of multiple software providers bringing a large diversity of games.

Their live blackjack options are powered by both Evolution Gaming and Net Entertainment to bring the best experience possible for it's customers

Their live blackjack options include:


Is Live Blackjack Legal in the Canada?

Refer to this article.

$500 + 180 Free Spins
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Joe Fortune Live Blackjack
200% up to $1,000
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Live Blackjack for Aussies

BitStarz

BitStarz uses Evolution Gaming software and provides a great diversity of blackjack tables in a variety of betting ranges. Boasting over 50 tables for live blackjack alone, they also have live dealers for Baccarat, Roulette, Poker and various other novelty games. Their live dealer experience is top notch and they also have a if you want to try Their customer support is impeccable

Their live blackjack options include:

Joe Fortune

While not as entertaining as BitStarz, Joe Fortune provides an alternative live dealer experience targeted towards the limited Australian Market. Powered by Bodog software, they offer 19 different live blackjack tables of varying betting ranges as well as Roullette and Baccarat.

Their live blackjack options include:

How Does Live Blackjack Work?

The latest evolution of online casino gaming allows you to play blackjack against a real physical dealer which you can see over a live video stream in real time.

So just like visiting the local casino, the live action thrill is much more present as you can chat and interact with not only the dealer, but other players and viewers on the table.

All of this is provided to you through a live stream on your desktop or mobile device however the dealer, and any other players will NOT be able to see you which should ease any privacy concerns.

All of the actions the dealer makes are visible and as he/she deals the cards, you will prompted on your screen on what options to take. This is achieved through microchips that are attached to each card so the software knows what the values are and can track your chosen actions accordingly.

RNG Blackjack vs Live Blackjack

RNG Blackjack

RNG Blackjack RNG (Random Number Generated) blackjack are the standard computerised games that are found at all online casinos.

These are powered by software that perform intricate mathematical algorithms to simulate the shuffling of multiple cards so that the result is a fair system that mimics playing with actual cards.

The benefits of playing RNG blackjack is that you can play at a much faster pace (or slower if you prefer) than normal and most online casinos offer a multitude of variations to choose from.

Now is it possible for these type of games to be rigged? Absolutely. This is why we list reputable online casinos only on blackjackinfo where their games are audited by third parties to ensure fairness. However, the live blackjack option certainly does give more comfort because you can visually see the cards being dealt by a human dealer

Live Blackjack

Live Blackjack Live dealer blackjack allows you to play against a human dealer in real time so there is no RNG used. The gaming experience is much more realistic as you can interact with the dealer and other players on the table through a live chat function.

The negative aspect of live blackjack is that you can't decide how fast/slow a pace you want to play because there are other players on the table waiting for you to make a decision. Each casino will have some sort of visual indicator to show you how much time you have remaining to make a decision. If time expires then the lack of response is interpreted as a stand.

Also note that streaming the live feed of the dealer requires a lot of data so be sure to have a stable and fast internet connection or it may turn out to be a more frustrating experience instead.

Live Blackjack Variations

Just like in normal RNG online blackjack, the type of live blackjack variation and rules offered depends on the software provider the casino chooses to use.

Live Blackjack Software Compared

Playtech Live GamingEvolution GamingNet EntertainmentExtreme Live GamingVisionary iGaming
Tables100+100+10+20+20+
Blackjack Pays3:23:23:23:23:2
Decks886 (Mid-shoe machine reshuffle)86 (Shuffle Master i-Shoe)
Dealer Hits Soft 17
DoubleAny 2Any 2Any 2Any 2Any 2
Double After Split
Hit After Splitting Aces
Resplit Allowed
Surrender Allowed
Insurance Offered
House Edge0.48%0.73%0.44%0.62%0.69%
Min. & Max. Bet Range£/$5-£/$20k£/$3 - £/$20k£/$5 - £/$10k£/$5 - £/$10k$0.50 - $2.5k (early payout tables)
$5 - $100 (Blackjack HD & American Blackjack)
LanguagesEnglish
Russian
French
Spanish
Italian
Romanian
Mexican-Spanish
Mandarin
English
Danish
Swedish
German
Flemish
Finnish
Norwegian
French
Spanish
English
German
Dutch
Italian
Norwegian
English
Italian
German
English
Spanish
Studio LocationsSpain
Belgium
Latvia
Philippines
Romania
Live studios:
Malta
Latvia
Romania
Canada

Land Based Casino Stream Locations:
Belgium
Spain
USA
MaltaLondon
Gibraltar
San Jose
Costa Rica

Let's go over a few of the popular providers so you can see the difference

Visionary iGaming

Bovada Live Blackjack Screenshot
Visionary iGaming

Blackjack

Visionary iGaming

Early Payout Blackjack

Visionary iGaming is the only software provider that powers the live dealer games of all US casinos and interestingly uses only 6 decks as opposed to the usual 8 seen in other providers.

They have two variatons called Normal and Early Payout which also allow for Side Bets which can make things interesting. You can read more about Visionary iGaming here. They have a house edge of around 0.58% (RTP 94.2%) for their regular tables.

Evolution Gaming

Evolution Gaming

Blackjack

Evolution Gaming

Blackjack Party

My personal favourite, Evolution Gaming has live dealer studios based in Latvia and are known for providing highly energetic and entertaining dealers. Their platform was built specifically to provide casinos with live dealer games.

While Blackjackinfo is filled with information about strategy, sometimes all you want is fun and Evolution Gaming powered casinos are the best at providing an entertaining live blackjack experience.

They use 8 decks and have a house edge of about 0.73% (RTP 99.27%) with the options for side bets called Perfect Pairs and 21 + 3. You can read more details about their rules and variations in our complete review here.

Playtech

Playtech

Grand Blackjack

Playtech

Blackjack VIP

Playtech Lounge Blackjack Screenshot
Playtech

Lounge Blackjack

Playtech Blackjack Soho Screenshot
Playtech

Blackjack Soho

Playtech Soiree Blackjack Screenshot
Playtech

Soriee Blackjack

Playtech Royale Blackjack Screenshot
Playtech

Royale Blackjack

Playtech Transylvania Blackjack Screenshot
Playtech

Transylvania Blackjack

Playtech Unlimited Blackjack
Playtech

Unlimited Blackjack

Playtech have been a software provider for online casinos since 1999 and have rapidly expanded their catalogue to include live dealers.

To stand out from it's competitors, Playtech look to be the first in implementing live blackjack dealers for specific languages. They currently have a staggering 500 dealers who are well trained and cater to audiences from the UK, Italy, Spain and Romania.

They have several blackjack variations but their regular tables use 8 decks with the option to sidebet on Perfect Pairs.

Sparing no expense, Playtech built a large studio of 8,500 square metres in Latvia back in February 2017 and have clearly set their goal to be the leader in the live dealer space.

You can read our complete review of Playtech's live dealers here.

Extreme Live Gaming

Extreme Live Gaming

Blackjack

Founded in 2013, Extreme Live Gaming has a studio based in London and offers live blackjack with 8 decks similarly to other providers.

What sets them apart however is their "LiveBox" product which streams a feed from an actual land based casino where you can place bets alongside people inside the venue itself.

Unfortunately this is only available for their roulette games but it will be interesting if they ever provide this experience for blackjack at some stage

Ezugi

Ezugi American Blackjack Screenshot
Ezugi

American Blackjack

Ezugi

European Blackjack

Ezugi Hybrid Blackjack Table
Ezugi

Hybrid Blackjack

Ezugi Unlimited Blackjack
Ezugi

Unlimited 21 Blackjack – Auto Split

Offering a variety of different themed tables, Ezugi has some great options when it comes to live blackjack.

In fact, they are one of the only providers who offer the early surrender option which can be found in any of their American Blackjack tables with a very low 0.11% house edge

You can read more about Ezugi and their catalogue of games here

Is Live Blackjack Rigged?

Considering all actions the dealer makes is visible to multiple players/viewers, it would be extremely difficult for a casino to rig blackjack.

HOWEVER:

Having said that there was an incident that went viral in February 2017 where video footage of a dealer dealing cards in a peculiar manner lead many to believe BetOnline was intentionally cheating.

There is no concrete evidence that this was either an accident made by the dealer or purposeful second dealing. It does make you wonder though, since it's so easy to record video footage of gameplay, why would a casino even attempt to rig their games in a manner like this?

Live Blackjack FAQ

No. While they all practically offer the normal RNG style blackjack, it takes a lot of resources to provide a solution for live blackjack so many of the smaller casinos are unable to provide it

No. Casinos have shuffle policies in place to avoid players gaining any advantage through card counting. Blackjackapprenceship.com has a great article about this as to why it's not effective

Yes. Although the interface can get a little bit annoying on a small screen, there are several casinos that do provide live blackjack solutions for mobile

If you've ever been curious where twitch streamer sodapoppin plays, he plays at BetOnline which is a US casino brand.

While there is no definitive winning strategy, you can still apply our basic blackjack strategy charts to avoid any mistakes.