The history of live Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games of all time. Dating back to the 18th century, the game is said to have originated in French casinos. It was originally known as Vingt-et-Un, which translates directly to ‘Twenty-One’, and only developed the name Blackjack due to a promotion that took place in America, in the 20th century.

After standing the test of time, Blackjack is now available in casinos all over the world, proudly attracting avid gamers with its low house edge and easy-to-grasp gameplay. Join us as we travel through time, right back to the origins of the game, to see its journey into popularity, and to the heart of our homes through live casino gaming.

Where Blackjack came from

As previously mentioned, Vingt-et-Un originated in the 1700s. It’s thought to have been derived from other popular card games at the time, such as Chemin de Fer, which was frequently played at the French Court during the reign of King Louis XV.

The popularity of Twenty-One rose as the game expanded through North America, after having landed on American shores in the 18th century, thanks to French colonists. In 1820, gambling halls had been legalised in New Orleans, and so the game spread amongst enthusiastic gamers at the time.

The game remained popular as, whilst it was still a game of chance, Blackjack seemed to have more options involved, allowing the player to feel as though their choices during gameplay could influence the outcome more so than a game of absolute chance – like Roulette, for example.

Online casinos

In 1996, the first online casino to allow automated payouts was opened, and naturally, Blackjack was amongst the first games available to play. As more and more people gained access to home computers, travelling to a venue in order to brush up on your Blackjack skills and be in for the chance of boosting your bankroll was no longer required.

Casinos became more accessible than ever, and Blackjack continued to soar in popularity, becoming a firm staple in both land-based, and online, casinos all over the world.

As technology advanced and more people were able to access smartphones, greater bandwidth and better internet speeds paved the way for online casinos to revolutionise gameplay. Faster, smoother graphics provided a more interactive experience, but as new technology was introduced, so was the next feat in online gaming… the live casino.

Live Blackjack

Live casinos would allow players to play live Blackjack, and a variety of other games, from the comfort of their own home, in real time, but with a real-life dealer shuffling the cards instead of a Random Number Generator (RNG). The authentic casino experience was now just a click away, and players could socialise with the real-life human dealer, as well as other players, as the game was streamed live to their device.

In the modern day, live casinos offer more games than ever, with variations of Blackjack, Roulette, Poker, themed games, and so much more available to play right at the tip of your fingers, in real time!

You can experience now Blackjack in all its glory almost anywhere, whilst exploring all the betting options and its rich history. Once you’ve mastered Twenty-One, whether it be at a brick-and-mortar establishment, virtually, or even live at an online casino – you’ll see for yourself just why the classic game has stood the test of time.