The transformation of Full Tilt Poker into an all-around online gambling site continues. On Monday, the popular internet poker room launched a Full Tilt-branded live dealer online casino.
That is right. Live dealer. Online casino. It really is just what it sounds like: there are live dealers stationed in front of cameras running the games as you would normally see at a brick and mortar casino. Players online can place bets just like they would if they were playing on a standard internet casino site. It is a hybrid. Full Tilt’s offering features three blackjack tables and a roulette table, all emblazoned with Full Tilt branding.
Live dealer online casinos have been attempted before, mainly by sites going in the live dealer route completely, rather than having it be just a part of their offerings. None of them have met with any success. But why would a site do this? Hands could certainly be dealt faster by a computer. I can think of a few reasons. First, it is simply a gimmick. A novelty with which to attract players. Second, those hesitant to jump into online gambling might like the idea of a live dealer; it might seem like more fun, like going to a real casino from the comfort of your own home. You won’t get to interact with people like in a brick and mortar joint, but it could be the next best thing. And third, there are many people who do not trust the random number generators of online casinos or even believe random number generators aren’t a real thing. The game is rigged, they say. Watching a real dealer deal real cards could get them to step up to the virtual table.
In a press release, Evolution Gaming, the company that is providing the live dealer gaming for Full Tilt, said that Full Tilt’s “live casino environment” will be staffed with over 50 dealers (not all at once, obviously). Full Tilt players will also be able to play what Evolution calls its “generic” or non-Full Tilt branded live games such as baccarat and casino hold’em.
The dealers are located in Riga, Latvia.
In said press release, Evolution Gaming’s Head of Account Management Sebastian Johannisson said, “This is a notable launch in that Full Tilt is highly committed to Live Casino as part of its offer to today’s and tomorrow’s multi-channel online gaming market.”
Ever since Full Tilt Poker was resurrected from the dead by PokerStars, it has been becoming more and more of a full-service gambling site, not limiting itself to just poker. That transition has appeared to accelerate since the purchase of Full Tilt and PokerStars’ parent, the Rational Group, by Amaya Gaming, which already had a massive stable of online casino games ready to go. In the fact, the transition has gone so far that Full Tilt Poker has been rebranding itself as simply “Full Tilt,” so as not to pigeon hole itself as just a poker site.
