Ezugi is a relatively young casino software company that specializes exclusively in providing live dealer games. The company focuses on creating highly engaging live gambling solutions that serve as an alternative to visiting brick-and-mortar casinos.
It offers a highly customizable platform that each casino brand can tailor to its specific needs and goals. Players, in turn, benefit from an intuitive user interface and a seamless streaming experience across both mobile and desktop devices.
To date, Ezugi has launched a variety of classic live casino games, such as blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, but its portfolio also includes unique offerings that no other live casino supplier provides. In this article, SuperCasinoSites reveals everything you need to know about Ezugi, its live dealer platform, and the games it offers.
Ezugi Studios and Regulatory Compliance
Ezugi continues to work tirelessly to provide gaming operators with the most engaging live dealer solutions on the market. The company has consolidated its global presence, operating nine live studios across Eastern Europe, South America, and the Baltic region. We briefly cover some of them below.
Studio Locations
Licenses and Regulatory Compliance
Studio Locations
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- The Bucharest studio is located in the Romanian capital of the same name and began operations in November 2018. The studio is divided into three main sections, each dedicated to a specific selection of live dealer games. A training center is also included, where newly recruited dealers are put through their paces before they join the live tables.
- In the summer of 2015, Ezugi launched its first European studio in Varna, one of the largest cities in Bulgaria. The studio hosts various live roulette, baccarat, and blackjack games around the clock. Due to high demand, some tables are hosted in Turkish, while the rest are available in English.
- For regulatory reasons, the company also established a dedicated studio in Belgium to legally serve players from this market.
- Ezugi also launched a dedicated studio in Costa Rica. Located in the country’s capital, San Jose, the building houses various facilities, including the company’s offices, a training center, an IT control room, and, of course, a streaming area with tables.
- The company has established a solid presence in Asia, following the launch of its Cambodia studio at the start of 2015. All live games are hosted by professionally trained personnel who follow the best Asian traditions. Some live tables are reserved for special games that are particularly popular in Asia.
- Ezugi further expanded its operations, becoming one of the few operators to legally enter the young New Jersey market. The company streams from Atlantic City’s Golden Nugget Casino and offers more than a dozen live games to New Jersey residents, including American Roulette, Casino Hold’em, OTT Roulette, and American Blackjack.
Apart from these, Ezugi has studios and registered offices in Colombia, Malta, Spain, the UK, and Latvia. Its Maltese offering features a selection of OTT roulette games streamed directly from the floors of the local Oracle Casino and Portomaso. Live roulette is also broadcast from the brick-and-mortar Royal Casino in Latvia.
Licenses and Regulatory Compliance
US Entry
Ezugi complies with the regulatory frameworks of some of the biggest iGaming markets in the world. The company beat many other major software suppliers to the punch, becoming one of the first providers to legally launch live casino games in the US market.
In 2016, Atlantic City witnessed the launch of live-streamed games from the floors of the Golden Nugget Casino, with software supplied by none other than Ezugi. The company expanded its US operation in May 2018 by partnering with the land-based gambling operator MGM Resorts International.
The latter introduced its live casino offering through its locally licensed sites PlayMGM.com and BorgataCasino.com. Ezugi’s Atlantic City services fall under the oversight of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.
Curacao License and Other Certifications
Apart from this, the company has obtained a license from the Curacao eGaming Licensing Authority. Its services have been verified by the Bulgarian State Commission on Gambling, the Australian RSG Eclipse (Responsible Service of Gambling), iTechLabs, and BMM. For the record, the latter is the world’s oldest independent testing facility for gaming.
MGA License
In 2020, Ezugi further consolidated its position by entering some of Europe’s most important gambling markets. The live software provider acquired a license from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), enabling it to supply its products to Malta-licensed live casinos.
South Africa Entry
The company presently operates in several regulated European markets, either through a direct license or a partnership, including Belgium, Hungary, and Romania. The provider also plans to enter the Spanish, Italian, Danish, and Swedish markets in 2020. Ezugi has also received a manufacturer license from the Gambling and Racing Board of the South African province of Western Cape.
Ezugi Live Casino Software Features
Although not as impressive in terms of interface and features as Evolution Gaming’s software, Ezugi’s platform still stands out for its functionality and usability. Players can access Ezugi’s live games at any time, from anywhere.
The platform is cross-compatible and works across all devices. The desktop version is built on Flash technology, whereas the mobile catalog relies on the newer HTML5. Either way, players can expect a seamless experience regardless of the devices they use. Let’s examine some of the key features up close.
Player History
Multilingual
Player Chat
Statistics
Baccarat Roadmaps
Side Bets
Racetracks
Full Screen Mode
Unlimited Players
Player History
The Player History panel contains in-depth information about your hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly results, along with the number of rounds you have played, your overall profits, and the total amount you have wagered. The Round ID can be used for future reference if you get disconnected or wish to dispute the validity of a round’s outcome.
Multilingual
The platform offers a solid selection of languages, catering to players from numerous markets. Most live games are hosted in English, but you can switch to 13 other languages, including Bulgarian, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Arabic, French, Turkish, Vietnamese, and Danish, among others.
Player Chat
The Player Chat feature is self-explanatory, letting you communicate with other players and dealers. Here you can post comments on the gameplay, congratulate winners, and discuss anything related to the live game. If socializing is not your cup of tea, you can hide other players’ chat from the Settings in the main menu.
Statistics
Statistics on previous rounds’ outcomes are available across all Ezugi live games. The displayed information is naturally game-specific. Roulette tables show you statistics on previous winning numbers and the percentages of winning outcomes from different categories, such as the three Dozens, Columns, Red/Black, Odd/Even, and High/Low. The panel can also expand to display a graphical representation of the outcomes’ distribution. Hot and cold numbers are, of course, included.
Baccarat Roadmaps
Baccarat tables feature roadmaps such as the Bead Road, which show valuable information about the percentages of winning Tie, Player, and Banker bets. You can click or tap the charts to zoom in for a clearer view.
Side Bets
Side bets are offered at many of Ezugi’s blackjack and baccarat tables, including popular options such as Perfect Pairs, 21+3, Big/Small, Either Pair, Player Pair, and Banker Pair.
Racetracks
Racetracks are featured at many roulette tables. This oval-shaped section of the layout lets players conveniently place exotic combination wagers such as Tiers, Orphelins, Voisins, and Jeu Zero. Betting on up to nine Neighbors (your chosen number and the adjacent numbers to its left and right) is also possible via the racetrack.
Full Screen Mode
We recommend that players switch to Full Screen mode; otherwise, it is difficult to see the buttons, odds, and statistics. This was probably the only issue we encountered with Ezugi’s software. In fact, the platform itself prompts you to go full screen for the optimal playing experience.
Unlimited Players
Some of Ezugi’s live tables have been optimized to support an unlimited number of players. This is the case with Unlimited Blackjack, and the live roulette, poker, and baccarat tables also allow unlimited players to join the gameplay.
Ezugi Live Roulette
Although not as extensive as Evolution Gaming’s selection, Ezugi’s roulette catalog features roughly a dozen tables. There are no restrictions on the number of players who can join simultaneously. However, it is worth mentioning that each player has a limited time between rounds to place their bet(s).
Betting closes after the No More Bets notification appears (in 15 or 25 seconds, depending on the table). Once the time is up, you must wait until the ball comes to rest in the winning pocket before the table opens for betting again. Some tables feature three cameras rather than two for a highly immersive experience. Dealer tipping is also an option.
General House Rules and Theoretical Return
Recommended Live Roulette Tables
General House Rules and Theoretical Return
Ezugi’s live roulette games utilize the single-zero layout and play under standard European rules. This means you have a wheel with 37 pockets and face a house advantage of 2.70%. Accordingly, the average theoretical return stands at 97.30%. Players can choose from various games, including some that stream from land-based casinos like Portomaso and Oracle.
The standard set of inside and outside bets is supported, paying at their usual casino odds. However, the La Partage and En Prison rules are unavailable, meaning you lose your full outside wager whenever the ball lands on zero.
A racetrack is also featured, showing you the sequence of numbers as they appear on the wheel. This is where exotic combination wagers like Voisins du Zero, Orphelins, Tiers du Cylindre, and Neighbors can be placed with a few mouse clicks.
Recommended Live Roulette Tables
Ezugi streams live roulette around the clock from its dedicated studios in Bulgaria, Cambodia, New Jersey, and Costa Rica, among others. The company currently offers more than a dozen tables. In some cases, players can even request music on demand. SuperCasinoSites has handpicked three of the most appealing options for roulette aficionados.
- Auto Roulette lets fans of the game enjoy the action whenever they wish, for as long as they wish. One interesting aspect is the absence of a human dealer. Instead, the table uses a fully automated roulette wheel yet still offers a more realistic experience than RNG-based games. Players have about 30 seconds between rounds to place their wagers. Other than that, the functionalities coincide with those in other Ezugi live roulette games.
- Speed Roulette is a great choice for players seeking more dynamic gameplay. Here the betting window between rounds is reduced to 15 seconds. Another peculiarity is that the dealer tosses the ball onto the wheel shortly before the table closes for betting. This increased speed has its disadvantages as well because you play more rounds per hour and potentially lose more money over the long term.
- OTT Roulette is broadcast via a multi-camera live feed from the floors of various land-based casinos such as Oracle and Portomaso in Malta and the Latvian Royal Casino. The high-definition cameras are installed directly over the tables, giving you a closer glimpse at the dealers and the land-based players. Online players cannot communicate with the dealers or the patrons seated at the land-based tables, though.
Ezugi Live Dealer Roulette Gameplay
Ezugi Live Blackjack
Ezugi provides a range of table games, but the company’s collection of live blackjack variations is definitely a highlight. The blackjack action is hosted in Ezugi’s studio in Atlantic City as well as from South American and European locations. Each table’s felt has a unique color corresponding to its location.
Table limits vary widely from one table to another. The available betting ranges include $1–$1,000, $5–$1,000, $20–$2,000, $50–$5,000, $40–$40,000, and $100–$100,000. The limits are customizable and may differ between casinos. It is clear that Ezugi provides options both for high rollers and for players on a shoestring budget.
General House Rules and Theoretical Return
Recommended Live Blackjack Games
General House Rules and Theoretical Return
The standard blackjack tables seat up to seven people at a time, although there are options that support unlimited players. The entire selection consists of shoe games that use eight 52-card decks shuffled manually by the dealers.
The dealer stands on soft 17, and players may double down on any two cards, including after splitting a pair. Drawing to split aces is impossible, and resplitting is not allowed. You lose your entire bet against a dealer blackjack.
Speaking of blackjacks, they pay the standard casino odds of 3 to 2. Players can purchase insurance whenever the dealer exposes an ace. Some tables support late surrender against the dealer’s ace.
Perhaps more interesting is that Ezugi is one of the very few software providers to offer blackjack games with early surrender, where you can forfeit a hand and get half of your bet back before the dealer checks for blackjack.
Many of the blackjack tables feature additional side bets like Perfect Pairs and 21+3, which can yield payouts of up to 25 to 1 and 100 to 1, respectively. The majority of the games follow US rules, meaning the dealer receives one exposed and one hole card.
The house edge under the above-described playing conditions is 0.44% (with an RTP of 99.56%) unless early surrender is available, in which case the percentage drops to 0.11% with optimal basic strategy. The side bets carry higher house edges. Perfect Pairs yields an overall casino advantage of 4.10%, whereas the house edge for the 21+3 wagers increases to 6.29%.
Recommended Live Blackjack Games
Ezugi’s blackjack selection is richer than its baccarat or roulette catalogs, giving players around twenty different options. We find the three variants described below the most appealing.
- Unlimited Blackjack with Auto Split has no restrictions on how many players can join the action. The game is available on both desktop and mobile devices. Another peculiarity is that the dealer automatically splits the following player pairs: 2/2, 3/3, 6/6, 7/7, 8/8, and A/A. The player can decide whether to play one or two hands.
- Blackjack with Bet Behind supports up to seven betting spots, but you can bet behind seated players whenever the table is full. In fact, this is possible even if you are already seated at the table.
- Hybrid Blackjack is streamed live from Ezugi’s Latin America studio, combining the live and virtual casino experiences into one. This happens via an add-on that enables an unlimited number of participants to join players who have already taken their seats at the table. A Random Number Generator simulates the hands of such players simultaneously with those dealt by the live dealer.
Ezugi Live Dealer Blackjack Gameplay
Ezugi Live Baccarat
Baccarat is always in demand and is particularly popular among Asian gamblers. Ezugi caters to these preferences with feature-rich live baccarat variations that support countless participants, several side bets, in-depth statistics, and roadmaps that help you track trends based on the results of previous coups.
General House Rules and Theoretical Return
Recommended Baccarat Variants by Ezugi
General House Rules and Theoretical Return
Ezugi’s baccarat offering follows the standard rules of the player-favorite casino classic. The rules look complex at first glance, but the game is simple to play because the only decision you must make is whether to bet on a Tie, the Player, or the Banker hand. This is a highly dynamic game where the betting window between rounds is only 15 seconds.
Other than that, the main wagers in Ezugi’s baccarat pay their normal casino odds as follows: 1 to 1 for the Player hand (with a casino advantage of 1.24%), 0.95 to 1 for the Banker hand (with a lower house edge of 1.06%), and 8 to 1 for the Tie bet. Avoid betting on ties, though, because it will cost you roughly 14 cents per dollar wagered in the long run.
Ezugi also provides baccarat lovers with several additional betting options. These are not obligatory and are settled independently of the main wagers. You can place side wagers without making the main bet if you wish. Ezugi’s platform offers the following options to baccarat side bettors:
- The Player Pair wins at odds of 11 to 1 whenever the first two cards in the Player hand form a pair. The house edge is 10.36%.
- The Banker Pair wins at casino odds of 11 to 1 when the first two cards dealt to the Banker hand form a pair. This bet gives the house an advantage of 10.36%.
- The Big side wager succeeds when the overall number of cards dealt to the Player and Banker hands is either 5 or 6. It pays 0.54 to 1 and has a house edge of 4.35%.
- You win a payout of 1.5 to 1 with the Small side bet when the overall number of cards in the Banker and Player hands is 4. This bet yields a house edge of 5.27%.
- The Perfect Pair side wager wins whenever the first two cards dealt to the Player or Banker hand are of the same rank and suit. The casino odds are 25 to 1 for a house edge of 13.03%.
- Finally, there is the Either Pair bet. It wins when the first two cards in either the Player or Banker hand pair. The payout is 5 to 1, whereas the house edge stands at 13.71%.
Recommended Baccarat Variants by Ezugi
Ezugi offers an appealing set of options for baccarat fans, and the great thing is that they largely play under uniform standard rules, so you will have no difficulties switching between tables. SuperCasinoSites recommends you start with the following three variants.
- In No Commission Baccarat, there is no 5% commission on winning Banker bets. Instead of paying at odds of 0.95 to 1 when the commission is deducted, the Banker hand pays even money.
- Baccarat Super 6 follows the standard rules but has a slightly different payout structure, which increases the house edge to 1.46%. Winning Banker hands pay even money rather than 0.95 to 1 unless their total is exactly 6, in which case the casino odds drop to 0.5 to 1. Another feature that makes this game stand out is the Super 6 side bet, which wins at odds of 12 to 1 whenever the cards in the Banker hand total 6. This is a bad bet with a house edge of 29.98%.
- Knockout Baccarat supports a host of side wagers, seven to be exact. To collect a payout, you must correctly guess the exact winning total for the Player or Banker hand. The casino odds are as follows: 7 to 1 for totals 1 through 4, 3 to 1 for a total of 5 or 6, 4 to 1 for a total of 7, 3 to 1 for a total of 8, and 2 to 1 for a total of 9. A natural win for the Player or Banker results in a payout of 4 to 1.
Ezugi Live Dealer Dragon Tiger Gameplay
Ezugi Live Dealer Dragon Tiger Gameplay
