The best online casinos are constantly finding new ways to make the gaming experience as exciting and realistic as possible for customers. A relatively recent development in online gaming is the introduction of live dealer casino games; these have proved to be incredibly popular with players. They really help to bring an online casino to life.

As they have been such a big hit, it's no surprise that more and more casino sites are offering live dealer games. If you are interested in trying them, you have plenty of options. Take a look at our rankings for the best below; these are currently our top recommendations for 2015.

• Bet365 Casino
• Bovada Casino

There are an increasing number of online casinos getting in on live dealer action, and most sites now offer at least a small selection of these games. This makes it easy to find a place to play them, but we must stress how important it is to sign up with a reputable site. We strongly suggest that you stick with those listed above. These are all high-quality online casinos: safe and reliable for enjoying live dealer games.

How Do Live Dealer Casino Games Work?

Live dealer games are one of the most exciting developments in gaming since the first online casinos were launched. If you enjoy gambling games and haven't yet tried live dealer options, then you really are missing out. Not only are they great fun, but they are so realistic that it almost feels like you are actually there.

These games work by streaming live footage of real dealers using real casino equipment directly to your computer. They are played in exactly the same way as in a real casino: you just have to make your bets and decisions by using your computer. You can usually play them directly through your web browser, although some casinos do require you to download some software first.

There are a number of different games that live dealer casinos offer, with the two most common being roulette and blackjack. With roulette, you'll see video of a croupier and a roulette wheel; you simply place your bets as you normally would. You'll then be able to watch as the croupier spins the wheel and you'll get to see where the ball lands. Please take a look at our live dealer roulette page for more information.

For blackjack live, you'll see video of a dealer and a card table. Again, you just place your bets as usual. The dealer will then deal the cards and will act upon your instructions accordingly. The rules of the games remain the same as normal, and you can even chat with the dealers in some places. Visit our live dealer blackjack page for more details.

Features of the Best Live Dealer Casinos

There are certain qualities that we look for when recommending the best casino sites for live dealer games. Many are the same as those that we take into account when rating the best overall casino sites, but there are certain factors that are specific for these rankings. These include the availability of the games and the standard of the video streaming.

When playing normal online casino games, availability is never an issue, because there's no limit to the amount of people that can play. However, with live dealer games, the casino will only have a certain number of tables and seats. If all are filled, you have to wait until someone leaves before you can start. This can be really frustrating if you are looking forward to playing, so we make sure to only recommend sites that have plenty of dealers and tables that can cope with high levels of demand.

The standard of the video streaming is important as it can affect your enjoyment of the games. Live dealer casino games have many advantages, but one of the minor drawbacks is that the games are a little slower than the standard ones. This is understandable given that there are real dealers involved and the action (such as dealing cards or spinning a wheel) has to physically take place instead of graphical representations.

If the streaming is of a poor quality, then the games will be even slower, because there will be delays between the action and your ability to view it. The best live dealer casinos use the latest technology to ensure that the video streaming is of the highest quality and runs very smoothly, thus ensuring that you can play your favorite games at a decent speed.

A particularly appealing aspect of playing casino games online is the size of the prizes on offer. All of the leading casino sites have a range of jackpots that can be won playing a variety of games. It's not uncommon to see prizes amounting to millions of dollars, and often you don't have to risk much money at all to have a chance of winning.

On this page, we look at online casino jackpots in more detail, including our rankings for reputable casino sites that frequently have large jackpots.

Best Casino Sites for Jackpots

If the idea of playing for a huge prize appeals to you, it makes sense to use a casino site that has plenty of big jackpots up for grabs. We have compiled the following list of casino sites that are reputable, high quality, and also have a decent range of jackpots on offer.

• Bovada Casino
• Planet 7 Casino

When we rank gambling sites in any category, we take a number of factors into consideration. We carry out extensive researching and testing to ensure that we only recommend the very best around. The sites we list are top quality, have some excellent big prizes on offer, and are reputable and trustworthy places to play.

Casino Jackpot Games

When most people think about big casino jackpots, they generally think about slot games. While it's certainly true that the majority are from slots, there are a number of other games where jackpots can be won as well.

Video poker games typically have jackpot prizes available, as do many table games. Caribbean Stud poker almost always has one, along with several other casino poker games. A lot of online casinos have their own unique jackpot versions of traditional games such as blackjack and roulette.

Types of Jackpot

Jackpots can be broadly divided into two categories: fixed and progressive, and most casinos offer both. As the name suggests, fixed jackpots are prizes that are fixed at a specific amount. These are usually smaller than progressives, but they can still be very sizable indeed.

Progressive jackpots keep on growing until they are won. The size of the prize increases as people play the relevant game or games; and when it's won, it will be at rest. Progressives can grow to incredible sums of money, some of them frequently in the millions of dollars; and these tend to be the prizes that everyone wants to win.

Jackpot Terms & Conditions

If you decide to play a casino game specifically to try your luck at winning a jackpot, it's a very good idea to check out any terms and conditions involved. You may find that there aren't any, but you want to be sure. It would be incredibly frustrating to win a massive prize, only to discover you were not eligible for some reason.

There are a few rules that are particularly worth looking out for. For example, most slot games allow you to adjust the number of coins you stake per spin and the number of pay lines too. With a jackpot slot game, you'll often find that you have to play the maximum number of coins and/or lines per spin to be eligible to win the big prize. The value of the coins doesn't usually matter, so you don't necessarily have to risk a huge amount per spin; but you should check the rules to be clear.

You may also find that you cannot win a slot jackpot if you're playing with free spins you have been given as a reward. This rule is reasonably commonplace, so again, it's worth checking. At some online casinos, you cannot win a jackpot in any game played with bonus money. This isn't as common of a rule, but some casinos do have it.

If you're playing a table game with a jackpot of some kind, such as Caribbean Stud, you generally have to pay a side bet each hand to have a chance of winning it. Typically such a side bet is only $1 (or currency equivalent), so it's often well worth the risk. Just make sure that you do pay it if you want the chance of landing the big payout.

Overall, playing jackpot games can be very exciting and a lot of fun. You may only have a small chance of winning, but people can and do win life-changing amounts of money in online casinos. You only need a decent slice of luck and you, too, could be one of them.

Craps is a popular dice gambling game that can be played against other players (street craps) or against someone playing banker (bank craps). The latter version is the most commonly played, and you'll find craps tables at most casinos in the world. The vast majority of online casinos offer craps too. The basic principle of the game is pretty simple; players make bets on the outcome of two rolled dice.

There are, however, also a few complexities involved, and it helps to understand them before playing. We have explained how the game works on this page, and we have listed the best places to play craps online. We've also provided some basic strategy advice and some tips on the proper etiquette for playing the game in a brick and mortar casino.

How To Play Craps

Craps can be played by just one single player against the house, but you'll typically see a few people at the table playing at the same time. The two dice are rolled by one of the participating players, known as the shooter. The game is played in rounds and usual process is for the dice to be passed to another player at the end of each round or when a player rolls a seven. This rule is obviously not relevant if you are playing online, as the virtual dice are rolled automatically.

At the start of each round, the shooter must place a bet on either the pass line or the don't pass line. They then roll the dice, in what is known as the "come-out roll". If the player rolls a 2, 3 or 12 then the round is immediately over, and any bets on the pass line lose. Bets on the don't pass line will win at even money, unless a 12 is rolled in which case it's a push (i.e. the stake is returned).

If the player rolls a 7 or an 11, then all pass line bets win at even money and again the round is over. Bets on the don't pass line will lose. If any other number is rolled (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10), then a point is established, equal to the number rolled. So, for example if a player rolls 9, then the point is established at 9. The player then keeps rolling, until they either roll the point again or roll a 7.

If the player does roll the point again, then the round is over. All pass line bets win, and all don't pass bets lose. If the player rolls a 7 before the point, then the round is also over. All pass lines bets lose, and don't pass bets win. When multiple players are playing, the dice are typically passed around when the player doesn't roll their point again, and the next player will make the come-out roll. If the player does roll their point again, then that player will usually be offered the chance to make the next come-out roll.

In addition to the pass line and don't pass bets, there are a range of other wagers that can be placed on rolls too. For a detailed look at the various wagers that can be placed, please see Types of Bet in Craps. You'll need to understand these wagers if you want to employ the best strategies.

Craps Strategy

Craps is a game of chance, because there's nothing you can do to influence what numbers are rolled, even if you are the shooter. All you can do is try to maximize your return by making the bets that have the smallest house edge. This isn't necessarily the most exciting way to play craps, and you are unlikely to ever win big unless you go on a lucky streak. However, it's the mathematically correct way to keep the house edge as low as possible.

Quite simply, you should always bet the don't pass line on come out rolls and then lay odds (at the maximum possible) after a point has been rolled. Laying odds basically means you are betting against the point being made. If you make just these bets, then the house edge is basically as small as you can make it in the short term. Luck is still the overriding factor though, and you may win or lose more than your fair share in the short term.

Most players actually tend to bet the pass line and then take odds (betting that the point will be made), and the house edge isn't much different. Betting the don't pass line and laying odds is slightly better for the player though. There's one rule that you should definitely stick to though and that is to never make a pass line bet after the come out roll. This is simply because after the point has been established it's considered a poor value bet.

Table Etiquette

If you are playing craps in a brick and mortar casino as opposed to at an online casino, then there's certain etiquette involved. These are some guidelines and some actual rules that you really should follow. It's unlikely that you'll upset anyone too much if you get something wrong, but it doesn't hurt to familiarize yourself with the etiquette before hitting the tables.

You shouldn't handle the dice with more than one hand at any time, and moving the dice from one hand to another is frowned upon. If you want to change hands you should set the dice down on the table and then pick them up with your hand. When rolling, make sure that you try to hit the opposite end of the table with your dice.

When you are at a table you need to remember that other players will usually be betting too, and craps players are notoriously superstitious. There are some things that are believed to bring bad luck, and it's best to avoid doing them. For example, don't say the word seven after a come-out roll. It's also considered bad luck for a shooter to change dice during a round, or to leave the table after a successful come-out roll.

If you are male and playing for the first time, it's probably not a good idea to mention this as first time male players are thought to bring bad luck. On the other hand, first time female players are thought to bring good luck.

Where to Play Craps Online

You'll rarely find an online casino that doesn't offer craps, so it's not really too difficult to find somewhere to play. It is, however, advisable to only play at high quality sites that are trustworthy and reliable. We have some recommendations for the best casinos sites for playing craps, and we have listed these below.

• Bovada
• Winpalace Casino