It’s been a long time coming, but craps is now available as a live casino game, and it is an excellent product as well.
Set in a speakeasy type of setting with a prohibition vibe, it’s one of the more atmospheric live casino games out there, and perfectly bridges the gap between the real thing and the few RNG options out there.
The game of craps actually lends itself perfectly to live casino play, because not a lot has to change to accommodate the live element.
The dealer can control the game as usual but obviously, instead of players throwing chips down onto the table this is done digitally using the software interface.
If anything it’s much less chaotic and much more efficient, although of course for many players this is one of the things they love about craps – the excitement and the hustle and bustle.
Nevertheless, for craps fans this is a brilliant way to get instant access to the game they love without having to travel far and wide to find a table.
How Does it Work?
Assuming you already know how to play craps, getting to grips with playing it in a live casino shouldn’t be too strenuous at all.
There is nothing new to learn in terms of gameplay, although some of the payouts might be a little different, but mainly it’s just a case of figuring out the interface and getting used to a slightly different pace.
The studio and everything happening inside it is live streamed to your computer, then clever software overlays the digital elements on top so that you can play the game and interact with the dealer.
If we look at the studio first you will see the table, the dealer, and a few boards on the wall behind him. These boards show top numbers and most popular bets, and change in real time as people make their bets.
This is only there for interest and aesthetics really, and has no impact on the game.
Onto the interface itself then, and you will see a few buttons at the top of the screen where you can adjust settings, open the chat box, get responsible gambling info etc; and you can also trigger a drop down of the pay table.
Down the bottom is the betting area, which is designed to look just like the surface of the table, and a roll history plus a ‘my numbers’ bar. This shows you which numbers you have covered with the bets made on the table plus what you stand to win or, and can also be used to make bets directly.
The only other thing you might notice is the scrolling list of winners to the left of the screen after each round finishes.
Placing Bets
Each round starts with betting time lasting around 15 seconds. The betting board is live during this time only so you have to get your chips down quickly.
You do this be clicking on the chip value you want to use from the different coloured chips available, and then clicking on the area of the board which corresponds with the bet you want to make.
Once betting time is over the betting board becomes inactive and the game starts.
Pay attention to the button above the board which will either be black and say off, or be white and say on. This tells you what stage the game is at; black/off indicates the next roll is the come out roll, while white/on indicates the point roll.
Very important to know especially when you first open the game.
Once your virtual chips are down a mechanical arm will throw the dice, which is one of the biggest differences between live dealer and real life craps – there can be no shooter if only the dealer is present – and camera close ups show this in action.
The game continues this way until the round is over, with further 15 second betting rounds becoming available after each roll until the point is hit and the game resets.
Bet Limits
The great thing about craps is that you can build your stakes across the course of a game, and at just 50p per bet it’s pretty affordable too.
There is an upper limit too though, and it stands at £1,000 for most bets, and £250 or £500 for a few with longer odds.
Because live craps is still fairly limited there are no alternative tables with higher or lower limits either.
Nor are there any special side bets, jackpots, or game variations – live dealer craps is pretty much exactly as you will find it in a real casino.
The RTP can be anywhere between 83.33% and 99.17% depending on the bet and the circumstances.