Dream Catcher is an exciting live casino game based on the classic Wheel of Fortune games that can be found in larger casinos across North America, Europe, and Macau. It was launched in 2017 by Evolution Gaming as a new and interesting addition to its large portfolio of standard live dealer tables for blackjack, roulette, and baccarat.
However, with its massive spinning wheel, elegant dealers, and extremely simple rules and gameplay, Dream Catcher is a completely different type of game. The classic Money Wheel games, also known as Wheel of Fortune, Lucky Wheel, or the Big Six, have been popularized for decades in land-based casinos and television game shows. They are entertaining and easy to play, completely based on chance, and can offer huge jackpots to lucky players.
With Dream Catcher, Evolution Gaming has brought this fun format to online casinos, and now it can be played for real money from any computer or mobile device. It is streamed in real time from the company’s professional studio, where lights and multiple cameras are installed to deliver an immersive experience to every player. The wheel, crafted exclusively for Evolution by TCSJOHNHUXLEY, is in the center of the studio.
Basic Rules
The rules and gameplay of Dream Catcher are extremely easy, which makes it the ideal choice for players who are trying a Live Casino online for the first time. The game allows multiple players and is hosted by an Evolution dealer. Note that, unlike most live casino games, Dream Catcher is available 24/7, so it can be accessed by players from all around the world at any time. The wheel has 54 sections, marked with different numbers from 1 to 40, and some numbers appear more frequently than others. Two of the segments are special, however: they display 2x and 7x and represent additional multipliers that apply to the standard payout.
The game session starts when the small tab above the Virtual Board turns green and displays Place Your Bets. Players choose their stake and place it on any of the six options: 1x, 2x, 5x, 10x, 20x, or 40x, spread across the 52 main sections. Each of these represents the true value of the payout, that is 1, 2, or more times the amount of the bet. Once the tab deactivates, the betting time is over, and the dealer spins the wheel manually. When the wheel stops moving, the tab bar turns yellow and displays the outcome. All players who placed a bet on the winning section receive the respective payout.
But what happens when the wheel stops at the multipliers? This is when the game gets really interesting. When this occurs, all bets remain in place and the dealer spins the wheel for the second time. The final payout is the stake multiplied by one of the six options (from 1 to 40), which is then multiplied by either 2 or 7. When the wheel stops on multipliers twice or more in a row, the payout will be multiplied by the product of all multipliers that have appeared in this round.
The payouts are extremely important, but before that, it is essential to understand that players do not bet on particular sections of the wheel. Rather, they bet on one of the six possible values represented by each pocket. In other words, if they bet on 5, they will have seven opportunities to win, as the wheel has seven sections marked by 5.
Live Dream Catcher Money Wheel Gameplay
Payouts and RTP
- 1 – 23 pockets in yellow, odds 23/54, pays out 1:1
- 2 – 15 pockets in blue, odds 15/54, pays out 2:1
- 5 – 7 pockets in purple, odds 7/54, pays out 5:1
- 10 – 4 pockets in green, odds 4/54, pays out 10:1
- 20 – 2 pockets in orange, odds 2/54, pays out 20:1
- 40 – 1 pocket in red, odds 1/54, pays out 40:1
- Multipliers 2x in silver, 7x in gold, odds 1/54
The odds displayed above can be, in fact, quite misleading because they cannot fully describe the likelihood of winning or losing each bet. If there were no multipliers, the math would be quite clear and the expected returns of the game would not be attractive enough to make it so popular. The two multipliers, however, allow players to win more on average.
For instance, we bet on 10, and when the wheel stops spinning, it hits the 7x multiplier. This means we neither win nor lose the bet; it simply remains for the next spin.
As these multipliers can appear consecutively an infinite number of times, researchers have concluded that we need an average multiplier on every bet, represented as 52/45, or 1.5555. In order to calculate the RTP (Return to Player), we need to use each bet’s probability of winning and its potential payout in an equation. Let’s see the RTP for the bet on the value 10: its probability of winning is 4/52, while the potential payout will be 10+1 (the winnings plus the original stake, which is returned to us).
This is how our equation for the RTP of the 10 bet looks like:
(4/52) × (10 × (52/45) + 1) = 96.58%
In fact, this is the bet that has the highest RTP in Dream Catcher. To explain it another way, this bet has the best risk-to-payout ratio, and players can expect to win back 96.58% of their total wagers on average. The difference from 100% would be the house edge of the bet, and in this case it is 3.42%. Depending on the bets players prefer to make, the game has an RTP ranging from 90.57% to 96.58%. These are the house-edge percentages for all possible bets in Dream Catcher:
- 1 – 4.66%
- 2 – 4.49%
- 5 – 8.76%
- 10 – 3.42%
- 20 – 7.26%
- 40 – 9.19%
How to Play Dream Catcher?
For example, if we opt for 2, 10, and 20, we cover 21 sections, or 38.89% of the wheel. The key is to adjust our stakes properly. Because 10 and 20 have a lower probability of hitting, we need to make sure that a winning bet on 2 will compensate for our losses. This is why, on 2, we bet as much as we bet on 10 and 20 combined. If we place a $5 chip on each 10 and 20, we should place a $10 chip on 2. When the wheel stops on 2, we lose the $10 staked on 10 and 20, but we receive $30 ($20 payout plus our original $10 stake). If 10 or 20 hit, the profits will be even greater.
Combination bets are very useful when playing Dream Catcher, but players with limited bankrolls should stick to the 2 and 10 sectors, and even to the 1 sector, as it brings the lowest risk (even though the payout is even). Those who have a greater tolerance for risk and can afford to lose multiple spins in a row may opt for betting on 10, 20, and 40. Betting on 5, however, is not recommended because this option has a high house edge without offering an equally good payout.
Last, but not least, although the potential winnings are theoretically limitless because multipliers are stacked, there is a maximum payout allowed in the game: $/£/€500,000, depending on the currency players have chosen.
Choosing Where to Play Live Dream Catcher
Checking whether the casino operator is fully licensed should be done first and foremost. An operating license from a respectable institution like the Malta Gaming Authority or the Gambling Commission in the UK indicates that the casino and its managing company comply with the relevant legislation and meet high standards for security and fairness. As Dream Catcher is available only in real-money mode, players will need to make a deposit before trying their luck with it. Therefore, the speed of the payments is essential, as is the presence of safe and reliable payment methods that are suitable for the player.
In addition, the usability of the casino platform should be taken into consideration: whether it is a Flash casino or requires a software package to be downloaded, whether it is mobile-friendly and Dream Catcher can be played from phones and tablets, whether the casino functions well and is easy to use, and so on. Last, but not least, players can also look for gambling sites that offer exclusive bonuses for live casino games.
Popular Live Dream Catcher Casinos
As we mentioned above, there are many online casinos that have fantastic Live Casino sections powered by Evolution Gaming. Not all of them, however, offer Live Dream Catcher, as some operators focus on providing classic games such as blackjack, roulette, and poker. Still, players can choose from a large number of casinos that give access to this entertaining, Money Wheel-style game. Below, we have picked several casinos that come with exceptional gaming content, tempting bonuses, and a Live Casino product that stands out with the beautiful HD quality of the streams.
PlayFrank
Finding a good, reliable, and fun online casino to play Live Dream Catcher may not be an easy task, and this is why PlayFrank Casino is our first choice. From the moment you open the site on your computer or smartphone, you can tell that the gambling platform covers all the bases and much more. It is fully regulated and licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority; it works with only trusted, independently audited software; and it offers a diverse collection of virtual casino games, slots, progressives, and live dealer games.
Leo Vegas
Having one of the largest and most diverse Live Casino offerings today, LeoVegas is certainly among the best bets for those who want to try their luck on Dream Catcher or on any other live dealer game. With a vast array of live casino tables for blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, the casino is dedicated to bringing the best of land-based casino action to its desktop and mobile platform.
With its mobile-first approach, LeoVegas has created a smooth, interactive, and truly state-of-the-art Live Casino for all iOS and Android devices. But its Casino and Sportsbook sections are equally diverse; members have access to more than 1,000 slots, virtual card and table games, video poker variations, and nearly 40 progressives. Sports betting fans can enjoy competitive odds on multiple sports and thousands of markets.
Karamba
Launched in 2005, Karamba is yet another online gambling platform that has created premium-quality Casino, Live Casino, and Sportsbook products. Its Live Casino, in particular, is quite impressive, offering various games from Evolution Gaming, including the fun and exciting Dream Catcher. Using the latest technologies in this industry, Karamba manages to offer fast, TV-quality streaming of live roulette, blackjack, and baccarat games to desktops and mobiles.
BitStarz
BitStarz is a trusted, safe and entertaining online casino that accepts Bitcoin payments and allows players based in various countries to enjoy Dream Catcher at any time of the day or night. Welcoming players from nearly everywhere around the world, BitStarz is one of the few US-friendly casinos on the Internet. Its browser-based platform by SoftSwiss features gaming content from a wide variety of software providers, including Evolution Gaming, NetEnt, and Betsoft.
The lobby features more than 850 titles from over twenty different studios, which should be enough to satisfy even the most demanding players. For more convenience, players also have a large choice of payment methods and currencies. Deposits are instant, while withdrawals typically take up to three banking days to reach the customer. In addition, BitStarz has excellent customer support available 24/7.
Trada Casino
Established in 2011, Trada Casino has managed to gain popularity among online casino fans looking for a fun and reliable multi-platform gaming destination. Today, it is certainly among the top casinos to play Live Dream Catcher alongside more than 1,000 other games. The instant-play casino hosts popular online slots, card and table games, progressive jackpots, and video poker games by industry-leading gaming studios, including Microgaming, NetEnt, Yggdrasil, Quickspin, Pragmatic Play, and iSoftBet.
The online casino is fully optimized for mobile use and does not require a native app to open on your iOS or Android device. It even streams the live dealer games to players’ phones and tablets, so playing Dream Catcher from a smartphone will not be an issue. The website has a simple layout for easy navigation, a convenient Cashier section that is easy to use, and a Live Chat functionality that allows players to contact the support staff directly. Overall, Trada Casino manages to deliver its promise of a fun experience, fast payouts, and fair gaming.
888casino
With over 20 million registered members, 888Casino is among the most popular casinos on the Internet right now. It launched more than two decades ago, but it remains one of the most technologically advanced gambling platforms today: it features a modern, stylish, and functional design, a lovely app available for free download, and a smooth, sophisticated Live Casino section.
888Casino also promises fast payouts, reliable customer support, and a truly international platform available in a dozen languages. Last but not least, the casino has various promotions, and some of them are specifically designed for those who prefer to play in the Live Casino.
Yako Casino
Yako Casino is currently one of the most entertaining online casinos to play at, whether you are a fan of slots or table games, or you prefer the adrenaline rush from live dealer games. The casino launched in 2015, instantly tempting players with its simple design, vivid colors, and fun approach. Its gaming collection is massive, featuring more than 1,200 titles from the likes of NetEnt, Microgaming, NextGen, Bally, Thunderkick, Elk Studios, Amatic Industries, and more. Its Live Casino is powered by Evolution Gaming, and one of the most popular games in it is, of course, Dream Catcher.
Overall, Yako Casino is a great online gambling destination, and the only thing the operator might want to consider is including some bonuses for the Live Casino. Currently, there are several different promotions, but the live dealer games cannot be played with bonus funds.
Royal Panda
Players who are looking for a well-established, reliable online casino to bet on Live Dream Catcher should definitely take a look at Royal Panda. It features live dealer games from several providers, and players can choose from various blackjack, baccarat, and roulette tables with flexible limits and professional dealers. But there is much more to the casino than its selection of live games.
Overall, the casino maintains the best practices in this industry: it has bonuses with clear, easy-to-understand rules, it offers professional assistance and multilingual support, and it has a fantastic mobile platform for everyone who prefers playing casino games on the move. In addition, it is fully licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority.
32Red
32Red Casino is a trusted, award-winning online casino that is part of the Kindred Group Plc., one of the largest gambling groups nowadays. This alone speaks volumes about the quality of its website and gaming selection. It is fully powered by Microgaming software, but for its Live Casino it has partnered with Evolution Gaming. This successful partnership has led to the development of one of the best Live Casinos that can be found online; it features dozens of tables with different betting limits for roulette, blackjack, poker, and baccarat, as well as unique games like Live Dream Catcher.
Guts Casino
Guts Casino is a respected multi-platform online casino that was established in 2013 in partnership with several software providers, including NetEnt, Betsoft, and Microgaming. This is a modern, mobile-friendly site with a beautiful, polished look and intuitive design, created with functionality and user-friendliness in mind. One of the best things about Guts is that it manages to offer a Casino, a Live Casino, and a Sportsbook that are equally exceptional; despite the completely different offerings, the content is excellent and should appeal to most casino or betting fans.