Every casino player deserves an equally fair shot of winning when playing online. How does an operator guarantee you have just as much chance of winning as any other member? The answer lies in random number generators, or RNGs, as they are known.
RNGs hold the key to ensuring that every spin on a slot, every hand played in poker, baccarat, blackjack or every revolution of the roulette wheel results in a truly random, unpredictable, and ultimately fair outcome.
Of course, even determining random outcomes requires some form of control; in this case, algorithms control the result of games. How much control do RNG algorithms have, and how do they ensure random outcomes? Let’s take you on a tour of random number generators at online casinos and explain why they are crucial for you today.
What Are RNGs?
The first question you will likely have is, what are RNGs? Described simply, an RNG is an algorithm that governs any bet’s outcome. They are built into the coding of the game and casino you’re playing and cannot be altered. Or rather, they shouldn’t be altered. To ensure that RNGs are persistently producing random outcomes with each bet, they are often certified by independent bodies – more on that later.
Of course, knowing that casinos use algorithms to ensure fair play doesn’t necessarily tell you how they work, so let’s look at that next.
How Random Number Generators Work
Think of any land-based casino game – let’s say blackjack. If the dealer consistently dealt the cards off the top of the deck and put spent cards underneath, it wouldn’t be long before you or the dealer identified a pattern in how the cards were drawn and dealt. In no time, you’d be taking advantage of this deck to influence the game and cheat.
For this reason, many land-based casino games use auto shufflers; dealers repeatedly shuffle the deck, and several decks are used. This is a type of control which ensures that each hand is genuinely random and that neither the casino nor the player can identify a pattern and cheat.
Save for some live casino games, this system will fail to work in online casino games. Therefore, an algorithm is used to imitate it, known as a random number generator. Here’s how it works:
- At a fundamental level, every symbol in a slot, card in a game, pocket on a roulette wheel, and so on is given a numeric value known as a seed.
- All these seed numbers are then scrambled, and one or several of these jumbled seeds, depending on your game, are chosen randomly.
- This seed number correlates to a card, slot symbol or outcome, which is then displayed on the screen.
- The outcome is determined by the numbers drawn, then measured against your bet. You’ll win if the seed number generated results in an outcome that matches your bet. If not, you’ll lose.
For instance, in a NetEnt slot such a Starburst, the random number generator will need to draw multiple numbers from its pool to cover the five reels and ten paylines with fifteen symbols. However, in a blackjack game, the RNG will select four numbers, two for the dealer’s cards and two for your own. Of course, additional numbers may be generated later to conclude a game, but that depends on what you’re playing.
This would still be relatively easy for someone skilled to crack – so additional numbers are needed.
Again, let’s look at blackjack. There won’t just be one number for “Ace” and one for “Six”, for instance. You also have to consider the different suits. There are thirteen cards and four suits, so the total will be 52 numbers. If you have more decks, that may mean more numbers are involved. Ultimately, you’re not going to honestly know how many combinations there are in an RNG algorithm – it could be thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions. Only its developers know that.
Why Are RNGs Important?
As you can see, RNGs are essential to anyone who values fairness when gambling. Why shouldn’t you? You’re risking your hard-earned cash to play. The least you should expect is a fair shot of success. Let’s continue by looking at the main reasons why RNGs are important. They include:
They Ensure Random Outcomes
Because you don’t have human dealers or auto shufflers capable of ensuring random outcomes for each bet, you need RNG algorithms to do it for you. Take Fluffy Favourites casino games, for instance. When playing for cash prizes, you want to ensure that the casino can’t stop you from landing big wins by fixing the outcome of spins. RNGs will help you do that.
Neither Players nor Casinos Can Cheat
RNGs are virtually uncrackable by using thousands, hundreds of thousands or even millions of possible numeric values. Players can’t cheat the casinos, and vice-versa; the casinos can’t fix the games. Thus far, RNGs have been in use for decades, and nobody has found a way to rig them. Moreover, many consider RNGs better at ensuring random outcomes than human dealers in land-based casinos.
They Are Used as A Barometer Of Fairness
RNGs can be a barometer of fairness in both sites and games. You may notice that trusted casinos feature RNG-certified hallmarks. This shows that third-party auditors have independently verified and certified the RNGs used in their games as fair.
These include established organisations such as eCOGRA, TST (Technical Systems Testing) and iTech Labs. They independently check the RNGs to ensure that the casino is complying with fair play rules and giving you a fair shot at success. By looking for RNG-certification hallmarks, you can effectively compare how fair one casino is against another.
RNGs in Live Casino Games
As you may have noticed, we’ve talked about slots and table games here. When we refer to table games, we’re actually talking about digital tables, where you take on an AI dealer with no other players present. These gambling games are now commonly referred to as RNG table games because they emphasise using random number generators to generate an unpredictable outcome with each bet.
In many cases, live dealer casinos support games which use real human dealers to control the action. Surely they don’t use RNGs, then? As it happens – some do. Many live casino games have bonus elements to them, which may require RNGs. If there is any part of the game which the human dealer can’t physically control to ensure random outcomes, you can bet that an RNG is being used in the background.
5 Fun Facts About RNGs in Online Casino Games
Before we go, let’s touch on some takeaways here. Here are some must-know facts about RNGs in online casino games.
- The best casinos will feature RNG certification from established independent and third-party auditors such as iTech Labs, eCOGTA and TST.
- You may see the term Provably Fair thrown around. This term is used as an equivalent for RNG certification in crypto games. It allows you to check the seed numbers to ensure that each result is fair.
- RNGs are found in more than just slots. They can also appear in table games, bingo, lottery, instant win, video poker and, in some cases, live casino games.
- RNGs aren’t limited to gambling games. They are commonly used in video games and other forms of entertainment.
- Sometimes, casino players may confuse RNGs with RTP. RTP is the theoretical rate at which a casino game pays out. It varies from casino game to game and site to site, while RNGs are fixed. You want RTPs to be as high as possible, while you merely want RNGs to be present and certified as fair.
Which Online Casinos Support the Best RNG-Certified Games?
Now that you know what RNGs are, how they work, and why they are important when playing online, you will want to join top RNG-certified sites. We can help you with that. Take a brief look at some of our trusted and reputable casino reviews. Each has been chosen because it excels in its service, and that involves featuring RNG-certified games that give you a fair and honest chance of winning. Our team approves all our featured casinos, and we recommend joining any of them if you believe in fair play.
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