Who Develops Live Dealer Slots?
Slots are becoming more and more popular every day. There are so many online casino slot games out there by so many brands. There is cutthroat competition and everyone is trying to innovate. First, they came up with video slots. Then, they came up with progressive jackpots. Now, they have come up with the next big thing – live dealers. Of course, many feel puzzled when they first hear about slot games having live dealers. They often ask, “Is this even necessary?”. Well, we are yet to find that out. The truth is that this development is still in its early stages.
How Does the Live Dealer Work?
When the slot game has a live dealer, this is what actually happens:
- The player decides how much they will bet.
- The dealer gets an update from the player via chat.
- Once the dealer gets the player’s permission, he spins the reel.
- A random combination of symbols is flashed on the screen.
The player is able to constantly chat with the dealer online as the game goes on. This added element of human interaction makes the game even more enjoyable.
What to Choose?
As of now, there is only one slot game where you get the chance of playing with a live dealer. The name of the game is Mermaid’s Fortune and it has been developed by Evolution Gaming.
| Return to Player Rate | 97% (approx.) |
| Number of Paylines | 20 |
| Number of Rows | 3 |
| Number of Reels | 5 |
The game has a Caribbean theme. Every time you land 3 or more scatters in a payline, you get to collect 1 pearl. Once you are able to accumulate 50 pearls, you can unlock the bonus round. The live dealer is a lady dressed in the costume of a mermaid. She appears in the bonus round and lets you try your luck at the spinning wheel. If you are lucky, you might land the golden mermaid on the 3rd reel and get rewarded with 50 pearls in one go.
What Do Critics Say?
Some scepticism has indeed been noticed among a few. Many critics consider live slots irrelevant. They believe that you can have live poker and live blackjack but not live slots. Evolution Gaming has come forward in an attempt to prove them wrong. Nevertheless, Mermaid’s Fortune was released in the year of 2010. Many years have passed since then but other companies like Net Ent and Microgaming are still not hopping on the bandwagon.
Final Thoughts
Live slots are yet to take off but we did see Mermaid’s Fortune carve out a niche for itself in the market. Some players were absolutely delighted with the new feature. They loved the opportunity to interact with a dealer live while playing the game. It made the rounds much more realistic. They felt as if they were in a real casino and not just online. Obviously, the trend is taking more time than expected. This does not necessarily mean that we should give up on it because it has some potential.
