How to choose a live dealer platform for your own tables (2026 guide)
The short answer
The right live dealer model depends on whether you already have tables and dealers. Without them, you license a live-casino studio provider's shared tables, usually for a share of gross gaming revenue (GGR), or rent dedicated branded tables in its studio, usually for a fixed monthly fee, often on top of that share. With your own tables, dealers or studio, you need a live dealer platform instead: software that captures round results, streams the video, settles bets and connects your players. elite by EWIN GAMING is built for this case: you keep your tables, dealers and brand, and pay a fixed fee per table plus streaming by the GB, with no revenue share. Building in-house suits groups with an engineering team to develop and maintain the platform.
Four ways to run live dealer games
This guide is published by elite, one of the platforms in model (d). It compares categories, not vendors; pricing reflects common market patterns, and contracts vary.
| Model | Who owns the tables and dealers | Typical pricing basis | Branding and control | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) Shared tables from a live-casino studio provider | The provider; the same tables serve many casinos | Usually a share of GGR | The provider's tables and brand, aggregated into your casino | Online casinos without a studio wanting a full live lobby, usually around the clock |
| (b) Dedicated tables in a provider's studio | The provider, with tables reserved for you | Usually a fixed monthly fee per table, often on top of a revenue share | Your branding at the table; the studio and dealers stay the provider's | Larger operators wanting exclusive branded tables without a studio of their own |
| (c) Building your own platform in-house | You | Development, then ongoing maintenance, hosting and streaming costs | Full control and full responsibility | Groups with an engineering team and needs that no platform meets |
| (d) Your own tables and dealers on a self-service platform such as elite | You | A fixed fee per table plus streaming by usage; no revenue share | Your tables, dealers, limits and brand; the platform supplies software and video delivery | Casinos, card rooms, VIP rooms and studios that already have tables and dealers |
The models can be combined, for example a provider's shared tables alongside your own. The deciding question is who supplies the tables and dealers.
What to check before you choose
Ask every vendor the same questions; the last column shows elite's answers.
| Criterion | What to ask | How elite answers |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing and revenue share | Is there a GGR share, a setup fee, a minimum or a contract? | None of these: a monthly fee per table offered to players plus streaming per GB, deducted daily from prepaid credit (USDT top-ups) |
| Ownership | Whose tables, dealers and brand do your players see? | Yours. elite is a technology provider, not an operator |
| Round results | How do results get in, and how are mistakes fixed? | A dealer tablet with a card-reading shoe or manual entry (supervisor PIN for voids and corrections), EWIN AI VISION camera recognition (baccarat, dragon tiger), RoadMapServer, or your own system over the signed GFI API; results are checked against the cards |
| Streaming | WebRTC (real-time) or HLS (segment-based, usually seconds behind)? Who pays for bandwidth? | Two WHIP feeds per table (desktop, mobile) from OBS Studio 30+ or a WHIP encoder; low-latency WebRTC playback, no CDN of your own; billed per GB watched, pushing not billed |
| Games and variants | Which games and bets? Does a new game need a new integration? | Baccarat (classic, no-commission with Super 6, competitive squeeze), dragon tiger (optional big/small, odd/even), Texas Hold'em (player vs dealer, player vs player, on-site seats) and Niu Niu; one API, one table price |
| Integration | Seamless or transfer wallet? Signing, webhooks, sandbox? | A transfer wallet API with HMAC-SHA256 signing and bet sync; webhooks on the Production plan; a sandbox; OpenAPI and Postman downloads |
| White label | Can players see only your brand, even without developers? | Your logo in the lobby, at the table and on loading screens; players enter from your site via the API or from a branded login site on your own domain (four templates, Production plan) |
| Languages and currencies | Which player and back-office languages, and which currencies? | Player screens in 9 languages, back office in 7, and 10 currencies with bet limits per currency |
| Onboarding | Self-service, or sales calls and manual approval? | Self-service: your account, API keys and sandbox are created at sign-up, with no sales call or manual review |
| Trial | Can you test with your own table before paying? | Yes. The free Demo plan covers tables, tablet pairing, video and rehearsals (capped, with a demo watermark), and the sandbox is never billed |
Cost example: two tables for a month
elite charges a table fee and streaming. Streaming is billed only for the video your players watch (0.45 = 3,600 seconds ÷ 8 bits per byte ÷ 1,000 MB per GB):
GB ≈ bitrate (Mbps) × viewer-hours × 0.45Example, at prices as of October 2026: two tables, an average of 20 viewers watching at the same time across both at about 1.5 Mbps, 12 hours a day for 30 days. The table fee is 0 USD during a limited-time promotion (regularly 100 USD per table per month); streaming is 0.09 USD per GB.
Viewer-hours = 20 viewers × 12 hours × 30 days = 7,200
Streaming = 1.5 × 7,200 × 0.45 = 4,860 GB
Streaming fee = 4,860 GB × 0.09 USD = 437.40 USD
Table fees = 2 tables × 0 USD = 0 USD (200 USD at the regular price)
Monthly total = 437.40 USD (637.40 USD at the regular table price)- The total does not depend on how much your players bet; under revenue share, it would rise with your gaming revenue.
- Pushing is not billed, and the table fee counts every day a table is offered to players, maintenance days included.
- Your own dealers, equipment, venue and upload bandwidth are extra.
Prices can change. Current prices and a streaming cost estimate are in the pricing section of the elite website; the method is explained in how to estimate streaming cost.
When elite is not the right choice
elite fits one part of the market. Look elsewhere if:
- You have no tables, dealers or studio and want ready-made tables running around the clock. elite supplies the platform, not tables or dealers; a studio provider's shared tables (model a) are the usual route.
- You need a supplier certified for a specific regulated market. If your licence only allows suppliers certified in your jurisdiction, choose one that holds that certification; elite makes no market-specific certification claims.
- You need a seamless (single) wallet today. elite currently offers a transfer wallet: your system moves funds into and out of each player's game wallet through the API.
- You want a sales-led relationship, with a negotiated contract, an account manager or hands-on onboarding. elite is self-service, backed by documentation, a sandbox and a public status page.
FAQ
Is there a live dealer platform without revenue share?
Yes. Platforms for operators that run their own tables can charge fixed fees instead of a share of GGR. elite, for example, charges a monthly fee per table plus streaming per GB, with no revenue share, setup fee or minimum.
Can I stream my land-based baccarat tables online?
Yes. Film the table, push the video over WHIP from OBS Studio or a WHIP encoder, and record each round on a dealer tablet with a card-reading shoe or manual entry. On elite, players bet on desktop and mobile, and every result is checked against the cards before settlement; see live baccarat software.
What equipment do I need to run my own live dealer table?
A camera, a WHIP-capable streaming PC or encoder (such as OBS Studio 30 or later) and a tablet for the dealer app; a card-reading shoe is optional. Add upload bandwidth above both feeds combined (more than 4.5 Mbps per table at the suggested 3 + 1.5 Mbps), dealers and a supervisor; see the equipment checklist.
How much does live dealer streaming cost per month?
It depends on bitrate, viewers and hours: GB ≈ Mbps × viewer-hours × 0.45. For example, 20 concurrent viewers at 1.5 Mbps for 12 hours a day over 30 days use about 4,860 GB, or 437.40 USD at elite's 0.09 USD per GB as of October 2026 (current prices).
Can I use my own dealers with a white-label live casino?
A studio provider's shared or dedicated tables usually come with the provider's dealers. On a platform for your own tables, such as elite, the dealers and studio are yours, the game screens carry your logo, and players enter from your site or a login site on your own domain.
Do I need developers to put my tables online?
Not necessarily. With developers, you integrate the transfer wallet API; without them, you create player accounts in the elite Console, and players sign in on your branded login site or on the public login page with your company code.
Learn more
- Live dealer platform for operators: overview
- How to set up a live casino studio
- Live baccarat software for your own tables
- Live dragon tiger, Texas Hold'em and Niu Niu
- Live casino API integration
Try it on your own table: sign up free, fully self-service.
elite provides technology services; operators remain responsible for complying with the regulations of the markets they serve.