If 2015 was a casino game then whatever game it was, be it blackjack, roulette or baccarat, it could have an actual face. On reflection on the biggest iGaming trends during the last 12 months, the proliferation of live dealer casino games was by far the biggest.

Thanks to the mix of emerging platforms making the medium their primary focus, and established online casinos integrating options alongside their virtual games, live dealer tables became big business for everyone.

Of course, feelings aren’t enough to define a trend and simply because live dealer games became more visible in 2015, it doesn’t necessarily mean they were successful with players. Fortunately for the operators that experience taken of venture at the latest iGaming technology, the stats appear to suggest they've been a hit.

Profits Up for Live Casino Creators

According to a contemporary financial report by EvolutionGaming, some of the leading live dealer casino software suppliers within the industry, profits soared in 2015. Way to a surge in interest from operators, Evolution’s Q4 revenues increased by 62% to €22.4 million in 2015.

That performance follows similar ends up in Q1 through Q3 and sits as a testament to the growing acclaim for the live dealer casino genre.

Another software company that loved a profitable 2015, thanks partially to its live gaming options, was NetEnt. Currently the supplier of live online casino games (blackjack and roulette) for sites reminiscent of Smart Live Casino, NetEnt saw its annual revenue increase by 33% in 2015.

In fact, way to the NetEnt’s growing influence within the live casino market, 2016 will see the corporate pour more resources into its mobile solutions for live gaming.

According to the NetEnt’s President and CEO Per Eriksson, his team is currently harnessing the ability of HTML5 and dealing on mobile solutions with a purpose to make live gaming at the go a more accessible option for operators and players. Expanding at the topic, Eriksson went directly to say that the expansion of the live casino product segment is “very interesting going forward.”

Technology Changing Our View of iGaming

Online gaming has always been an industry that ebbs and flows with the tide of technological innovation and the appearance of live dealer games is unquestionably an example of that. Way to the ability of RFID chips, web streams and clever engineering at the software side of things, casino gaming has become a way more engaging experience for the typical player.

In fact, while you have a look at the evolution of virtual reality technology in other areas of the gaming world (think Oculus Rift et al), it’s clear that folks now want total immersion in whatever game they’re playing.

Live dealer casino games will not be quite as immersive as virtual reality games reminiscent of Arizona Sunshine; however, they're certainly more engaging than traditional online casino games.

By replacing virtual dealers with an actual person, players now have a lot more reference to the games they’re playing and that makes the experience feel much more real and, therefore, much more enjoyable. Indeed, as we head further in 2016 it’s highly likely the live casino will keep growing and reshape the way in which we view online gaming.

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