Random Number Generators & Fair Play in Online Casinos

Random Number Generators (RNGs) are the technology behind the fairness of online casino games. They ensure that every outcome — a spin on a slot machine, a roll of the dice, or a hand of cards — is completely random.

This is essential to fair play, as it guarantees that neither you nor the casino can control the result. Without RNGs, you can’t trust the fairness of online casino games.

In this article, we’ll explain what RNGs are and how they work in different games, such as slots, roulette, card games, crash games, and dice games. We’ll also discuss how RNGs ensure fairness and transparency, and debunk some common myths surrounding them.

By the end, you’ll understand the importance of RNGs in providing a level playing field for everyone.

What Is RNG?

At its core, an RNG is a software-based system designed to produce random outcomes. This ensures that the results of any game are unpredictable and fair for all players.

RNGs use complex algorithms to generate sequences of numbers that do not follow any pattern. At online casinos, these numbers correspond to specific outcomes, such as the symbols appearing on a slot machine or the cards dealt in a blackjack game. The RNG generates a number that dictates the result for every game round played.

There are two types of RNGs commonly used in online casinos:

• Pseudo-Random Number Generators (PRNGs): This is the most common type in online casino games. PRNGs use an initial value, called a “seed,” and a mathematical algorithm to generate a sequence of numbers. While PRNGs are technically not “truly” random, the sequence they produce is unpredictable because of the algorithm’s complexity. The key to fairness is that it mimics true randomness, making it impossible to predict or influence.
• True Random Number Generators (TRNGs): In some high-end systems, TRNGs are used. They generate randomness from physical processes, like electronic noise or atmospheric activity. These are more common in physical equipment, like at a land-based casino, but can also be found in advanced online casino systems.

Ensuring Fairness With RNGs

The inability to predict or influence the result of an RNG is what ensures fairness. Every outcome is always independent of the previous one. For example, if you’re playing a slot machine, the RNG ensures that each spin is random and doesn’t “remember” what happened in previous game rounds.

So, even if a jackpot has just been won, the next spin is just as likely to trigger the jackpot again.

Third-party auditors test RNGs to ensure they are producing random outcomes. Organisations like eCOGRA, iTechLabs, and Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) run various tests to verify that the RNGs generate results without bias.

In addition to testing, RNGs are regularly recalibrated and updated to maintain integrity.

If you’re playing at an online casino licensed by a reputable gambling authority, you know they use a certified random number generator. This is a licence requirement, and this is how you know the games offered are fair.

It’s also a good reason you shouldn’t play at unlicensed casinos, as you can never know if their games are truly fair.

How RNGs Work in Games

In casino games, Random Number Generators (RNGs) work behind the scenes to ensure fair and unpredictable outcomes. Let’s have a look at how it works in various games.

• Pokie machines: For online pokies, the RNG decides the outcome of each spin. When you press “spin,” the RNG selects a random number for each reel. These numbers correspond to the symbols you see on the screen.
• Roulette: In online roulette, the RNG generates the number the ball will land on. This replaces the physical spinning wheel used in land-based casinos, ensuring that results can’t be predicted.
• Card games: For card games like blackjack or poker, the RNG shuffles the virtual deck. It determines which cards are dealt to players, just like a real-life dealer would shuffle and deal cards randomly.
• Crash games: In crash games, the RNG decides when the game will “crash” and stop multiplying players’ bets. This makes the game unpredictable and fair, as no one can know when the game round ends.
• Dice games: For dice games like online craps, the RNG simulates the roll of a die by generating a number that mimics a fair, physical dice roll. Each roll is random, meaning it’s independent from previous rolls.

RNGs’ Role in Ensuring Fairness and Transparency

The role of Random Number Generators (RNGs) in ensuring fairness and transparency at online casinos is crucial. Since players are not physically present, they must rely on the casino’s systems to trust that the games aren’t rigged. RNGs play a major part in maintaining that trust by ensuring that every game result is completely random and unbiased.

Fairness

Fairness in online casino games doesn’t mean you have a 50% chance of winning against the house. If this were the case, casinos wouldn’t make any money. Fairness means that no player has an unfair advantage over another and that the casino can’t manipulate outcomes in its favour.

RNGs achieve this by generating outcomes that can’t be predicted. Whether you’re playing a slot machine, blackjack, or craps, the RNG makes sure that each spin, deal, or roll is independent and random. This independence guarantees that previous outcomes do not affecting future ones.

For example, just because a slot machine hasn’t hit a jackpot for a while doesn’t mean it’s more likely to hit soon. Each spin gives you the same chance of getting a specific outcome.

RNGs also protect the casino’s fairness by preventing tampering or rigging. The software is constantly tested and audited by independent organisations. If a casino’s RNG is certified, you can rest assured that the games are fair.

Transparency

Transparency in online gambling means that players understand how the games work and know that they are not being deceived. RNGs contribute to this by making the game outcomes transparent.

Licensed online casinos undergo regular audits by third-party testing agencies like eCOGRA or iTechLabs, in addition to the audits performed by the licensing authority. These audits verify that the RNGs are working correctly and delivering fair results.

While the RNG generates random outcomes, the Return to Player (RTP) percentage gives you an idea of the average return on your bets over the long term. This adds another layer of transparency.

At licensed and safe online casinos, you’ll always be able to find the applicable RTP within the game information in each specific game.

How RNGs Build Player Confidence

For online casinos, building player confidence is essential for long-term success. RNGs are at the heart of this, as they remove any possibility of human intervention or manipulation. Thanks to complex algorithms, you can trust that the results are fair.

In summary, RNGs ensure that online casino games are fair and transparent. They prevent rigging, guarantee randomness, and build trust by being regularly tested and certified by third-party auditors. This technology is vital to the smooth operation of online casinos and to maintaining a fair and enjoyable experience for all players.

Debunking Common RNG Myths

Myths about how Random Number Generators (RNGs) work in online casinos are numerous. If believed, they can cause you to doubt the fairness of the games. Let’s look at some of the most common myths and debunk them.

Myth 1: Casinos Can Manipulate RNGs to Favour the House

One of the most common myths is that online casinos can manipulate RNGs to ensure you lose more. In reality, reputable online casinos can’t interfere with RNGs. RNGs are tested and certified by independent auditors. These organisations ensure that the RNGs work correctly. The house edge, which ensures the casino profit over time, is built into the game itself, not the RNG.

Myth 2: RNGs Aren’t Truly Random

Some people believe that RNGs can’t be truly random because they’re based on algorithms and must follow some pattern. While it’s true that RNGs use algorithms, these are highly complex and made to simulate true randomness. Certified RNGs pass extensive tests to ensure they provide the randomness you’d expect from physical elements. The results are as unpredictable as physical game mechanics.

Myth 3: RNGs Can Be “Hot” or “Cold”

There’s a persistent myth that RNGs can go through hot and cold streaks, where you are more likely to win or lose. For example, after a losing streak, some players believe a win is due because the RNG must “balance out.” In reality, RNGs do not have memory. Each spin, roll, or card dealt is independent of previous results, meaning patterns or streaks can’t be predicted.

Myth 4: You Can “Beat” the RNG by Timing Your Play

Another myth is that you can outsmart the RNG by timing your play, especially in slot machines. The belief is that you can influence the outcome by hitting the button at the right moment. This is not true. RNGs generate thousands of numbers per second, and the moment you press a button, the RNG instantly picks a number. There’s no way to control which number the RNG will generate.

Myth 5: Certain Games Have Better RNGs than Others

Some players believe that certain games have better RNGs, offering more “fair” outcomes than others. In reality, all RNGs function on the same randomness. The difference between games is not in how the RNG works, but in the design of the game. For instance, slot machines have different RTP (Return to Player) percentages and volatility levels, but these factors are not connected to the RNG.

Conclusion

Random Number Generators (RNGs) are essential to ensuring fairness and transparency at online casinos. They create random outcomes in games like slots, roulette, card games, crash games, and dice games. RNGs work behind the scenes using advanced algorithms to keep each game fair and unbiased.

Certified and regularly tested by independent auditors, RNGs provide assurance that the games you play are fair. To make sure that the casino you’re playing at uses a certified RNG, simply choose a casino licensed by a reputable gambling authority.