The best US live dealer casino games and sites [2023]
ONLINE casino play has been available in the US since 2013
About a decade later, new things, such as live dealer casinos, are being added all the time to improve the experience.
With live dealer casinos, you’re getting as close to the in-person thrill as possible while online. It works when you log into the site, select a live dealer game, and the stream opens.
You’ll be greeted by a host and play against other real players — it’s the same as the in-person experience except that you’re at your house or on your mobile device somewhere else.
Best live dealer online casinos in the US
- DraftKings - 100% match bonus up to $2,000*
- BetRivers - Up to $500 bonus money**
- BetMGM - 100% match up to $1,000 + $25 on the house***
- Unibet - 100% match up to $1,000****
In which states can you play live dealer games at online casinos?
As of October 2023, there are seven states with legal online gambling.
These states include Delaware, New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Connecticut, and most recently, Rhode Island.
Are US live dealer casinos legal and safe?
Yes. live dealer casinos are safe, legit, and authorized by the Gaming Control Board, Lottery, Gaming Commission, or other regulatory body that oversees online gambling in the seven legal states.
You can visit these sites and play them with absolute confidence.
What live dealer games can you play at online casinos in the US?
With live dealer games, you’ll play table games such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and more. These are also available to play outside of live dealer games as regular casino games.
But live dealer games were created to replicate that table game experience. At retail casinos, slots are a solo game. In contrast, table games feature multiple players, and live dealer casinos help bring that to your device or desktop page.
Below, we’ll go over some of the games you can expect to see when playing at live dealer casinos.
Live roulette
With live roulette, you’ll load the game and find a live dealer responsible for inserting the ball and spinning the wheel.
However, some games might have the ball inserted automatically. Either way, you can place wagers on your device by choosing from the collection of chips and the Roulette wager you’d prefer making, whether that’s red, black, 1-18, or more.
Live baccarat
When playing most versions of live baccarat, you and the host (the banker) will receive two or three cards depending on the hand's value, per standard rules.
Of course, the goal is to get as close to a value of nine as possible. Face cards and 10s have a value of 0, and other cards have their face value. You’ll be wagering on whether your hand wins, the banker or if there’s a tie.
Live blackjack
Like any blackjack, the goal is to get as close to a value of 21 without going over and having a better hand than the dealer.
Like all table games you play at live dealer casinos, numerous types of Blackjack might be available, such as different minimum bets, Classic, Infinite, Lightning, Speed, and more.
Live craps
In our experience observing live dealer craps, you might just have one lobby available, and it’s standard craps.
With this game, you’ll bet on the pass line or don’t pass line, and the dice is rolled. A 7 or 11 on the first roll wins the Pass Line Bets, and a roll of 2, 3, or 12 on the first roll is a loss for Pass Line wagers.
If another number is rolled, the dice are then rolled to hit that number again before rolling a seven. This also results in a win for Pass Line bets.
Live poker
A popular example of live poker we often see as the best live dealer casino is three card poker.
With this, payouts go as low as 1:1 for a straight and up to 40 to 1 for a straight flush. Online poker is also available, but that’s not necessarily linked to the online casino as Online Poker has its legalization process.
You’ll also see another version of online poker, including Texas Hold‘em.
Live sic bo
Sic bo is a dice-based game where you bet on the outcome of the roll of three dice.
You’ll place wagers on specific numbers to be rolled, the total, “Big and Small,” Combo Bets, Triple Bets, Double Bets, and more. Sic Bo isn’t as common as the other games mentioned above.
Live game shows
A popular example of a “live game show” is Dreamcatcher. Others include Live Dealer or No Deal, Lightning Roulette, Mega Ball, and many others.
For a game like Dream Catcher, you’ll wager on a spinning wheel with a chance to have your wager multiplied by up to 20,000x. However, the game concept is simple: you’re predicting where the wheel will stop.
It’s divided up into 54 parts. Of the 54, 52 are marked with numbers, and the other is marked 2x or 7x. You'll receive the corresponding payout if you bet on the correct number. So, if you bet on ten and it lands, your payout is 10x your wager.
How do live dealer games compare to games played at brick-and-mortar casinos?
With live dealer games, you don’t run into the issues you would at a live casino, including waiting for a table and traveling to the casino. There are also other games available, such as the game shows.
This is also quite personality-based. If you’re more introverted, live dealer casinos are for you as you get that socialization, but online as opposed to being “in the thick of things” at a real, land-based casino.
How to register at live dealer casinos in the US
- Click the link for the casino to get the best promos.
- Create an account. Use promo codes if necessary for redeeming a welcome bonus.
- Deposit funds while being aware of the requirements of the welcome bonus.
- Head to the game library.
- Find the live dealer game library.
- Open the game and start wagering and playing.
What software providers have the best live dealer games?
There’s no better live dealer game software provider in the United States than Evolution.
Evolution is pretty much synonymous with live dealer games as of October 2023. They developed almost every online casino game you’ll play at legal US-based casinos and created games like Dream Catcher.
Can I play live dealer games for free in demo mode?
No. Demo mode isn’t available for live dealer games since it features other players and a live host.
However, there are numerous tutorials and videos available that you can watch to get the gist of how it works in real time.
Can you play live dealer games on mobile devices?
Yes. Most online casinos have adapted their game libraries to be playable on mobile devices, including live dealer games.
So, you can play at your house or within the confines of any legal online casinos in the United States.
Is there a table limit for live dealer games?
Each live dealer game is different. Some may come with limits, including minimums.
For example, at DraftKings Casino, numerous versions of Blackjack exist, but with different minimum requirements.
What’s the advantage of playing live dealer games?
Live dealer games allow you to have that in-person casino experience without being at the retail site.
You get to play with other players, and it also helps you develop strategies that are particular to playing against other players instead of the other versions that aren’t live dealer games.
What casinos have the best offer of live dealer games?
There are numerous online casinos throughout the United States, but there are a few sites in particular that stand out from the rest.
Below, we’ll go over our top three live dealer casinos, explain why they’re some of the best, and provide a list of three “pros.”
1. DraftKings
At DraftKings Casino, there are 42 online casino games, including blackjack, baccarat, roulette, craps, Dream Catcher, ultimate texas hold ‘em, and Football Studio.
As a new player at DraftKings Casino, you’ll receive a 100% deposit bonus worth up to $2,000. Each live dealer game here has an informational section showing the various jackpots and the limits for each game.
- Great welcome bonus.
- 40+ live dealer titles to choose from.
- Casino Education Hub teaches you tips and strategies for all types of casino games.
2. BetRivers
BetRivers is an online casino with a unique user interface design that makes navigating the site easy. Its menu has icons for all the casino games at the top of the page.
The Live Dealer portion of the casino has 17 titles, including blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, three card poker, and more.
Where BetRivers excels is its rewards program. There are 11 tiers, and as you rank up, you unlock new rewards.
From the jump, you’ll have access to the bonus store, which allows you to earn bonus credits for live dealer casino play.
- New players play the first 24 hours and receive their net losses back at a 100% rate up to $500.
- An excellent rewards program that provides several perks and benefits.
- Happy Hour promotion where you earn 2x the points on Slots, which can benefit live dealer play.
3. BetMGM
If you’re looking for a massive welcome bonus, BetMGM has you covered. Here, you’ll earn $25 in FREEPLAY Credits and a 100% deposit bonus worth up to $1,000.
A link to the live dealer casino page is at the top of the page, and here, you’ll find 13 titles, all from Evolution. These titles include blackjack, three card poker, roulette, texas hold’em, baccarat, and more.
BetMGM Casino is best known for having short-term promotions that typically last 24 hours, three days, or a week. These can sometimes feature things involving live dealer casinos.
- Massive two-part welcome bonus.
- Numerous short-term promotions.
- It's 13 games from Evolution.
What bonuses are the best for live dealer casino games?
When retrieving bonuses and promotions for live dealer casino games, you’ll need to check the terms and conditions, as some offers may not be relevant to live dealer casino games.
For example, if there are wagering requirements, you may be unable to fulfill them with live dealer games, or the game contribution percentage is low at around 10%.
That said, we’ll go over some of the best welcome bonuses to look for.
- Deposit bonus: A typical deposit bonus is a 100% match up to $1,000. With this offer, your first deposit is matched 1:1 up to $1,000. The matched funds are for bonus credits and will come with wagering requirements. These wagering requirements must be completed to withdraw the bonus funds you receive as cash.
- “Risk-free” play period: With this offer, you’ll play at the online casino and receive your net losses back up to a specific amount. For example, a 24-hour period where you receive 100% of your net losses back up to $500.
Other than these two offers, something else you might find is free spins, but these aren’t relevant to live dealer games as free spins are used on slots.
Responsible gambling
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressed
- National Council on Problem Gambling – https://www.ncpgambling.org/
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 1-800-522-4700 or go to ncpgambling.org/chat