Animo Studios

The appearance of Animo Studios on the international online casino scene in 2022 made quite a wave and even sparked heated discussions among industry participants.

Focused on the live casino vertical, this Australia-based software provider offered something entirely different from what players and operators are used to. Despite live entertainment being a relatively young sector, people at Anima Studios saw it “stagnating for too long”. They decided to completely reimagine the way live dealer games are played.

The goal was to bridge the gap between gaming and iGaming, as the company saw enormous potential for further development in the sector that could attract new audiences. Namely, a new generation of players who prefer the format of video games and immersive experiences provided by virtual reality technology.

While all other live casino software providers use real human dealers and presenters to conjure up the authentic brick-and-mortar atmosphere, Animo Studios transforms them into different characters, putting them directly in front of players and using real casino equipment.

Experience Animo, Live Today

The technology used by this up-and-coming studio dissolves the barrier between digital and physical worlds, making seamless, human-led live entertainment a reality while keeping trust and integrity at the core.

In simple words, when you play their live dealer games, you are interacting with live-action animated hosts created with the use of advanced motion capture and machine learning instead of classic human dealers.

That was actually the reason why the company faced criticism, as many believe that AI is taking jobs away from people, a very hot topic nowadays. However, it is not exactly the case with Animo Studios since they anyway use real dealers for content production; they run the tables wearing special motion capture suits.

To make things even more exciting, the company plans to allow influencers and celebrities to introduce their own intellectual property-based characters into these environments. That feature could let public figures expand their personal brands and connect with audiences in innovative ways through casino platforms, live game shows, and other interactive formats available in the future.

Who Is Harley Fresh

It is always interesting to discover who is standing behind a software provider, but in the case of Animo Studios, the figure of its founder is crucial because it explains the choice of a totally new concept.

This software developer is the brainchild of Harley Fresh, a prominent livestreamer and Fortnite champion who rose to fame in the early competitive days of this hugely popular multiplayer video game. Known for his high-level mechanics and engaging gameplay, Harley quickly captured the Oceanic region's streaming scene and later expanded his footprint in the iGaming and entertainment industry.

The transition from pure competitive play to content creation was a natural move, letting him demonstrate that innovative use of software and hardware can push the player experience to the next level, literally. It is also worth noting that Harley’s first “partner in crime” became EasyGo, the Australian technology firm behind the famous Stake Casino.

Blending Virtual with Physical for Most Immersive Live Casino Experience

Without a doubt, the highlight feature of Animo’s platform is its ability to blend virtual and physical elements in real time for an incredibly thrilling player experience.

Using a combination of advanced motion capture, live broadcasting, machine learning, and proprietary software and hardware, the studio transforms human hosts into live-action characters with unique names, storylines, and personalities.

Animated dealers are able to interact with tangible objects within different immersive backdrops, while online casino players can directly communicate with them. This two-way interaction is also aimed to foster trust and connection, qualities that are sometimes lacking in digital-first gaming environments. The opportunity for operators to create their own branded characters comes with endless possibilities for unique settings and gameplay.

What’s more, Animo Studios’ proprietary technology is designed to scale, with ambitions to extend beyond live dealer tables and into live game shows, with other state-of-the-art products in development. There is vast potential for IP and branding in the live sector, so the company rushed to join forces with IP veterans, who have executed campaigns with Netflix, Warner Bros and Universal Studios, to cite just a few.

Animo Studios Portfolio

Animo Studios is focused on the live casino vertical, without ambitions to grab their share of the industry’s flagship online slot niche or engage with other types of products such as RNG table games or instant-win games. At least, for now.

As a relatively young software provider, it still cannot brag about a large and diverse portfolio, currently offering an interesting live roulette range. The latter debuted in September 2025 with the launch of Sky Roulette at Stake Casino, which remains the exclusive partner of Animo.

Live Sky Roulette

With Sky Roulette, players were first introduced to the unique experience featuring live broadcasting and animated hosts. This live game takes players on an anime-inspired sky-theme journey enhanced with the use of machine learning.

With motion capture, you can get the full view from all angles, which adds to the authenticity. It is important to note that no AI is used; it is all streamed in real time thanks to cutting-edge VR technology.

Sky Roulette comes with a very broad betting range, starting at $ 0.10 and going to the maximum stake of $10,000 per round. Just like all live games, it does not use a random number generator (RNG); instead, things are kept provably fair with live spins of the roulette wheel.

The theoretical RTP of this game is set at 97.30%, while the maximum payout is 35x bet.

Live Port Roulette

Released in October 2025, just a month after the Sky variant, Port Roulette is an entertaining, fast-paced game show with a beautiful beachfront view and an adorable anime character as a live dealer.

As already mentioned, while the live dealers may appear to be animated, they are, in fact, real people using VR technology to appear as the sweet and cheery heroes on your screen. The game is set in a studio, and the wheel being spun is, of course, 100% real.

The range of stakes caters to all styles and budgets, running between $ 0.10 and $ 10,000 per spin, while the payout percentage is 97.30% and the maximum multiplier is 36x bet.

Live City Roulette

Released in March 2026 exclusively with Stake, City Roulette delivers a gameshow-style experience unlike anything currently on the market.

Players can win up to 500x their bet, enjoying immersive settings spiced up by billboards featuring Stake co-founder Ed Craven as the “Mayor of Stake City”, with in-scene placements dynamically integrated to reflect the casino’s brand and new initiatives.

Similar to its predecessors, City Roulette is the product of Animo Studios’ proprietary technology stack, combining live broadcasting, machine learning and bespoke software to transform human hosts into live-action animated characters in real time.

Rather than featuring a rendered simulation or an AI shortcut, all games are hosted by a live human being, delivering the energy and authenticity of a real presenter inside a world that has never existed in the live casino space before.

Interestingly, in his interviews that followed the launch of this live dealer title, Harley Fresh stressed that it is “an early example” of the company’s possibilities and that features like dynamic in-game content and evolving worlds are only “the starting point”, with more innovative discoveries waiting in the wings.

City Roulette uses a European roulette wheel but offers a very interesting twist. At the start of each round, between 1 and 5 numbers are randomly chosen. These numbers will each receive a multiplier bonus of between 50x and 500x, which can significantly boost payouts on straight-up bets.

The game includes many standard wagering options, such as Inside Bets and Outside Bets. There are also Neighbor bets available and a Racetrack that offers sectors such as 0 Game, Voisins, Orphelins, and Tiers.

Streamed from the live-action studio with real dealers and high-tech avatars, it lets players win as much as 499:1, while stakes can reach staggering 50,000 per round. This is definitely about moving beyond traditional formats and creating experiences that feel immersive, social, and unique.

As for the payout percentage, it is somewhat lower than on Sky and Port variants, being set at 97.01%, which still makes the house edge look player-friendly.

Animo Studios creates top-notch real-time live casino content that has a special appeal to all fans of multiplayer video games. The company successfully merges groundbreaking live gaming and storytelling into seamless, interactive realities.

The advantage of using virtual characters instead of human dealers is the complete elimination of such key hiring constraints as beauty standards and age. Instead, this approach allows this software provider to prioritize experienced talent that delivers authentic and trustworthy experiences in every session.

Taking pride in pushing beyond the current limitations of traditional online casino products, Animo Studios follows a clear goal to advance live entertainment. And the gambling community looks forward to their future releases.

External Links

• Animo Studios Official Website
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