Playtech’s new Live Casino Games Studio now Open

Last month, leading interactive games developer Playtech announced it would be opening a new Live Casino Games studio from Riga, Latvia. The company already operated live dealer games from a smaller location in Riga, but this new location in Riga Old Town was to become the “world’s largest next generation casino studio”.

When the plans were originally announced, the company offered very little information as to what games would be available, or when we could expect the new tables to go live. That information was finally revealed when the new live dealer games were launched earlier this month.

Playtech’s latest addition opened its virtual doors on Wednesday, March 1, 2017. While the posh tables and background décor are notably more opulent than the original studio, the current list of live casino games leaves something to be desired.

Live Dealer Games from New Studio

There are currently just four live dealer tables operating in Playtech’s new studio. That seems a bit low for the world’s largest live casino studio.

They include two variations of blackjack, one roulette table, and one baccarat table. Not only is the table variety low at the moment, it was a bit disappointing to see that all four games mimic tables already provided in the original Riga location.

It goes without saying that Playtech will be launching additional tables in the near future. The company is obviously pushing ahead with the launch of a few games with proven popularity, just to get things underway and alleviate the growing anticipation of its players.

Current size and innovation issues aside, here’s what the new live casino games studio has to offer at the moment.

Live Dealer Blackjack Tables

Playtech opened a pair of live blackjack tables this month. They include Grand Blackjack and Royal Blackjack. Both games exhibit the exact same house rules and side bets as their predecessors, found at the old Riga location. The bet behind feature is also available.

Both live dealer games are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and are played on elegantly designed tables with deep, earthy tones, perfectly offset by the each dealer’s shimmering gold attire and gold beaded curtains in the background. That same description applies to all of the games at Playtech’s new studio.

Live Dealer Roulette

The menu also offers streaming of Grand Roulette, a European version of the classic favorite. The table features multiple cameras, streaming from different angles to provide a more realistic, live casino games experience.

While it doesn’t quite compare with Evolution Gaming’s ‘Immersive Roulette‘, where the cameras alternate dramatically from real time to slow-motion cinematics, it’s definitely more appealing than a single camera perspective.

Playtech’s Grand Roulette is not currently streamed 24/7. The live roulette table goes offline somewhere between 3-6am, and reopens at 9:00am GMT each morning. Knowing Playtech, it will join the other live dealer games in being offered 24/7 before long.

Live Dealer Baccarat

Playtech’s Grand Baccarat mirrors the same Punto Banco tables at its original Riga studio. The rules, basic bets, side bets, and payouts are exactly the same.

More To Come…?

It would certainly seem that Playtech is working to get the most basic live casino games on the market before going ahead with the launch of additional tables. It will be interesting to see what games, if any, are eventually provided in new variations, such as Speed Baccarat or French Roulette.