Live Streams and Cryptos: How Has Blackjack Evolved in the Digital Age?

Alt text: A robot dealing blackjack hands looks at the cards on the table.
Image – AI-generated

To find out about the history of blackjack, we need to look back to Europe in the 18th century. While this game reached the US about a century later, the first tribal casino didn’t appear in North Carolina until the end of the 20th century. Since then, we’ve seen explosive growth in the game, as it’s entered the digital age in various ways. 

The Introduction of Random Number Generators

When blackjack and other card games arrived from Europe to the Appalachian Frontier and the Wild West, they were mainly played in private residences or taverns at first. Whist, piquet, and versions of poker were all popular at the time, with blackjack being particularly popular in New Orleans and other cities with large French populations.

One of the reasons card games were so popular in early America was the easy portability of decks. Players could quickly set up games anywhere and start playing without losing any time. However, skilled players were few and far between, although the legendary Eleanor Dumont moved from New Orleans to San Francisco, carving out a reputation as one of the best blackjack players of the time. When casinos began to spring up, they used the classic gameplay, but with professional dealers who ensured fair play at all times.

The move to online blackjack meant that a new mechanism was needed to let players take part in virtual games, while being sure that the result was always fair. This came in the shape of the random number generator (RNG). In this way, we still get fair games with a completely random outcome, as this piece of software ensures that every time the cards are dealt, the results are unpredictable. 

Bonus Rounds and Features

This list of varied blackjackl online versions shows how this move to online play has allowed the range of online blackjack games to grow in new directions. Games like 21 Burn Blackjack, 22 Blackjack Free Bet, and European Blackjack are all based on the classic gameplay, but with tweaks that make each of them unique.

This has also led to interesting features being added to the basic idea of getting closer to 21 than the dealer. For example, Dragon Blackjack includes a guaranteed multiplier on every hand. This additional prize is fired out by the on-screen dragon once your cards have been revealed, giving a multiplier of between 2x and 50x that gets applied if you win the hand. Meanwhile, 21 Burn Blackjack has a mechanism where players can choose to burn their second card and get a fresh one.      

And of course, it’s not just blackjack that has seen a variety of twists and developments. This announcement of a free poker tournament from Bodog shows how this card game is also evolving online, with new ways of playing that have added to the traditional approach. 

Live Dealer Games

Since the development of the games mentioned above, another interesting change has started taking place in the wider blackjack world. The RNG games are still popular, but game creators have realized that the emerging live streaming technology can be used to add a personal touch to the game.

This has led to the emergence of live dealer games, where a human presenter deals the cards and then calls the result. The gameplay is usually of the classic variety, although the bonus rounds and multipliers we looked at earlier may also be added in some cases. These games provide a social aspect too, with the chance to chat to other players or the dealer.      

Bitcoin Blackjack Versions 

The other big change we’ve seen is in the way that funds can be added and withdrawn from the casino account. The earliest American gamblers often used gold dust, nuggets, and other valuable objects to gamble before dollars became the only way of buying chips in casinos. It was the switch to online play that led to the need for new ways to pay for a game of blackjack. 

Wallets like PayPal and Apple Pay have long been accepted by online casinos, but the introduction of cryptocurrencies has helped make the deposit process faster and safer. Bitcoin and other coins like Litecoin and Ethereum have become widely accepted because they move instantly and securely across the blockchain to allow players to start gambling right away.

The classic image of a cowboy biting a gold coin during a card game to check if it’s real is now a relic of the past. Bitcoin betting sites use the blockchain to guarantee transparency, as well as safety. If you claim winnings from your blackjack games, you can withdraw directly to your crypto wallet without any fuss.

These changes have led to blackjack evolving in fascinating ways, while still being the same game that’s been loved by so many people over the years.