Exploring The Role Of The Modern Croupier In The Online Casino Experience
If you’ve ever been to a casino, you’ve likely seen someone in a sharp suit standing around the roulette or baccarat tables. You may have even seen them wielding a stick and raking in dice in craps. Those are croupiers! They manage the game play at some of the most popular casino games, making them an essential part of the casino ecosystem.
However, the casino industry, projected to be worth $226.90 billion globally in 2025, continues to shift online. That leaves the question, what role will croupiers play in the virtual, online casino experience?
Do Online Casinos Still Have Croupiers?
Whereas in land-based casinos you’ll often find yourself playing against the dealer, online casinos use random number generators to determine the outcomes of games. These help to ensure that the results are entirely random and fair, but for croupiers and dealers it eliminates a large part of their roles.
While the convenience of being able to play from anywhere at any time makes online casinos popular, some players find they miss the bustling atmosphere of real casinos. There’s no social element when you’re playing against a random number generator. And after all, what would Vegas be without the bright lights and buzzing environment of the casino floor?
That’s why live dealer games, where players interact with croupiers in real time using livestream, have become so popular. The croupiers work from studios where intricate set design helps to replicate the feel of a real casino. Just like in land-based casinos, they manage the flow of play for games like craps and roulette.
What’s The Difference Between A Dealer And A Croupier?
Before we dive into the role of croupiers, let’s clear up the divide between a dealer and a croupier. There’s quite a lot of crossover in the two jobs with both in charge of managing games and handling bets. The main difference is that dealers are usually associated with card games like poker and blackjack. Whereas if a casino game uses dice, it’s typically being managed by croupiers.
Spin The Wheel! – Running Roulette
Croupiers play a vital role in roulette; they’re in charge of throwing the ball, spinning the wheel and calling the winning number. They also make sure that players know the winning number and bets, so they can keep up with gameplay.
Betting in roulette can get quite complicated, making the role of the croupier even more important. Before the roulette wheel is spun, players place bets on where they think the ball will end up. There’s 37 Roulette Wheel Numbers in the European version of the game and 38 in the American version where double zero adds an extra pocket.
Players can place bets on individual numbers, or more frequently, on sections they think the ball will land in. The main types to be aware of are inside bets which cover six or fewer numbers and outside bets which cover more than six numbers. Some of the most common types of outside bets include betting on odd or even numbers or red and black. Beyond this is where things get more challenging with sector bets covering different areas. Each sector bet has its own number, such as neighbours which covers five consecutive numbers on the wheel and tiers which covers 33, 16, 24, 5, 10, 23, 8, 30, 11, 36, 13 and 27.
Controlling Craps
If you’ve seen a craps you’ll know things can get a little crowded with three or even four workers around one table. There’s the box person who’s in charge of managing the game and making sure that all payments and chip exchanges are accurate. Then there’s two croupiers who are responsible for accepting your chips and handing out any winnings.
The rules for craps can be slightly overwhelming, especially for new players, so croupiers also help players to keep track of gameplay. When a point is established, they place a puck on the number so all players know what it is.
In craps, croupiers also perform one of the most iconic jobs, raking in dice using a stick. This croupier, often referred to as the stickperson, moves the dice around the table returning them to players after their roll using a curved stick. If you’re playing a live online craps game, watch out at the end of each roll to see the stickperson moving the dice around.
Bossing Baccarat
The final game we’ll discuss the roles of croupiers in baccarat. Although this popular casino game uses cards, it is most often managed by croupiers. They play an essential role in the game, dealing cards for both the players and the banker. Croupiers also announce the results of each hand, determining which player got closest to the all-important nine or calling a tie.
As in other casino games, the croupier also manages the money in baccarat. They pay out chips and handle losses depending on the result. In baccarat, bets backing the banker to win face a commission of 5%. Croupiers keep track of this, making sure that players settle up at the end of a hand.
If you’re playing live baccarat, the croupier will also manage gameflow. They’ll handle the cards for you and help to create the competitive edge essential to casinos. For any players who fancy their chances of cheating the house, croupiers are also responsible for making sure you’re playing fairly and within the game’s rules.
Are Croupiers Important In Online Casinos?
Although they may not be as visually prominent as in land-based casinos, croupiers still play an important role in online casinos. They provide the vital human element for live games, helping to better replicate the iconic atmosphere of casinos. When playing popular live casino games like baccarat, craps and roulettes, you’ll also notice croupiers controlling play and managing money. While their role might look a little different in modern day online casinos, croupiers are still an essential part of the casino experience.
