How the Random Number Generator Makes the Reel Go Round

The top-rated question on the minds of people who are looking to get started as online casino players is, "Are online casino games fair and safe?" It's a reasonable question given the fact people can't physically see cards turning, dice rolling, or reels and wheels spinning.

To answer the question, yes, there is strong evidence that most online casino games are fair and safe. The evidence comes from the fact that most if not all jurisdictional regulators require that all online casino games be audited and tested for fairness and random results.

Fair gaming results are mandatory in the iGaming community. If there is even an inkling that operators are manipulating gaming software, their reputations will suffer greatly and they stand to get bit by the teeth of law enforcers.

To ensure nothing goes awry, online casino software developers use a software mechanism called a "Random Number Generator" (RNG). This is a software mechanism that is charged with protecting online gamblers from rogue iGaming operators. Given the importance of this mechanism, a discussion about it seems to be in order.

What is a Random Number Generator?

As indicated above, an RNG is a software mechanism that is embedded or programmed into a piece of developed iGaming software. It's the job of the RNG to create random numbers and spit them out as gaming results. The randomness is what ensures games cannot be manipulated by outside forces like iGaming operators.

An RNG is controlled by an algorithm that holds all of the result possibilities for specific games.

For instance, craps is a dice game that features the rolling of two (2) six-sided dice. The number of possible results on any given dice roll is 36. That is calculated by multiplying 6 possible results on one six-sided dice times 6 possible results on the second six-sided dice (6 x 6 = 36). A craps RNG will hold all 36 results in its algorithm as both dice are rolled simultaneously. It's the job of the RNG to make sure outside forces like a casino operator cannot manipulate the results, assuring randomness.

RNG software can be used for any kind of online casino game. That includes video slots, all standard table games (minus live dealer games), video poker, and arcade-style games. An RNG is not used for live dealer games because the action is streamed live from a studio or retail casino, making the gaming results visible to players. It's just like standing at a table in a retail casino.

Note: Random results are created within milliseconds. The speed ensures there is no time for result manipulation.

About the Auditing Process

Before a new online casino game can be released for public consumption, regulators will typically require that the game go through a statistical auditing process. It's the responsibility of software developers to submit their games to licensed auditing firms for testing. The world's three (3) leading auditing firms are eCOGRA, TST, and GLI (Gaming Labs International).

When presented with a new game to audit, the auditing firm will take the game and connect it with auditing software. This software can run iterations of the game in question thousands if not hundreds of thousands of times in a short period. When the testing or auditing process has been completed, the results are measured against expected statistical results to see if there are any aberrations that warrant concern.

If any aberrations occur, they will rerun the auditing process. If the aberrations continue, the game is deemed unacceptable and sent back to the software developer for reprogramming. If the results align with the expected statistical results, the randomness of the embedded RNG is confirmed, and the auditing firm will certify the game as safe and fair.

Once a game is certified, it can be released to iGaming operators. Operators can then add the game to their gaming libraries, providing access to registered players.

Why Online Casino Players Need to Use Licensed iGaming Sites

Most iGaming sites are licensed in at least one viable regulatory jurisdiction. The jurisdiction of choice would depend on which country the applicable software developer has developed the software or wants to sell its games to operators. The world's top regulators include:

• The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC)


• The Malta Gaming Authority


• The Government of Curacao (Curacao iGaming)


• The Government of Gibraltar

Note: In the U.S., iGaming operators are licensed at the state level by predetermined regulatory bodies. Yes, they do require that licensed operators only offer access to online casino games that have been audited and certified as fair. Failure to abide by this rule could result in stiff fines and/or the loss of their iGaming licenses.

It's incumbent on online casino players to stick with licensed iGaming operators. Otherwise, they might be playing online casino games on a rogue site that isn't interested in playing by the rules. Players should be especially wary of unlicensed operators that are offering access to online casino games that they themselves have developed. Those kinds of games are ripe for manipulation.

Understanding the House's Advantage

iGaming sites are in business to make money. They can only do that if they offer access to online casino games that favor the "house" or online casino. As a player, it's your responsibility to understand that the odds are always in the casino's favor. It would not be appropriate to blame your losses on cheating by your online casino of choice. As long as you are using a licensed iGaming operator, cheating is very unlikely.

The odds that favor the casino can vary by the type of online casino game. The odds can further vary based on the types of wagers that you are placing within a particular game.

If you are wondering, the online casino games that offer the best odds for players would be blackjack and baccarat. Most variations of these games only favor the house by 1%-2%. At the next level would be table games like roulette and craps. These two games favor the house by as low as 1.5% to as high as 17%, depending on the type of wager.

Are you a video slots enthusiast? Did you know that every video slot being offered has the casino's advantage clearly stated somewhere within the game's rules?

A video slot's odds are referred to as the slot's "Return to Player" (RTP) percentage. The RTP percentage represents the percentage of every dollar wagered on the slot that will eventually be returned to players in aggregate over a predetermined period. If a video slot has an RTP percentage of 96% (the normal average), that means the game is going to pay out 96% of everything that is wagered on it. Conversely, that means the iGaming operator will be keeping 4% of all wagers as its profit. Yes, that's the casino's advantage. For what it's worth, video slots typically fall in the 85% to 97% range as it pertains to RTP percentages.

Conclusion: If you are asking if online casino games are safe and fair, the answer would be yes about 99% of the time. That should make you feel confident that you are going to be treated fairly by your iGaming operator choice. That's so as long as you do your due diligence and avoid rogue operators that will gladly steal your money in the blink of an eye.