Introduction
Random Number Generators (RNG) are a core piece of modern casino gaming technology and ensure gambling fairness. No matter which online casino game you’re playing, whether it is slots, table games, video poker, or even, in some instances, live games, an RNG is required to create the game result.
That result must be random and fair, so how is all this achieved? Especially considering that computers generally work based on giving reliable and predictable outputs.
That’s the subject we will thoroughly examine in this article, as it’s important and something that most players should know and comprehend. Not only will it help give you a better understanding of how the games work, but it also teaches you what to look out for and which casinos you can trust.
What Is An RNG?
A random number Generator is a piece of software (an algorithm), hardware, or a combination of these that generates a result that cannot be predicted. Random Number Generators are usually run by game providers, with online casinos only having their own RNGs when they offer exclusive games. The result of these is then used in casino games to determine the outcome of the round, whether that’s a spin of the reels, a dice roll, or the spin of a roulette wheel.
What is a Remote Gaming Server (RGS)?
An RGS is what houses the RNG. This isn’t necessarily a physical machine in a set location, especially in this age of cloud-based computing. It is best thought of as a platform that handles the back-end processing of casino games.
Old Mechanical Slots versus Software Slots
The first slots released over a hundred years ago did not use anything technological, with Random Number Generators being a relatively recent development since the era of computers.
So, what did they use back then, and how did they ensure random results?
The old mechanical slot machines used moving parts like levers, gears, notches, and discs. We’re not going to go through the sequences here, but pulling the lever set everything in motion, loading a spring that determined how long the reels spun.
In very early machines, you could affect the outcome depending on how fast or slow you pulled the lever, but this cheat was removed by adding mechanisms that made the stop time unpredictable. The randomness was not so much a result of the perfection of machinery as of imperfections within. This, coupled with the force of the pull, switches and gears, and other machinery, resulted in the desired unpredictable results that followed the payout tables.
Types of RNGs
When it comes to online casino gaming or random number generators in general, there are just two types that you need to know about: True RNG and Pseudo RNG.
True RNGs
Also known as a hardware Random Numbers Generator, True RNGs derive their name from using actual hardware to capture information from a physical process. There are a variety of methods and devices that can be used for this.
Typically, this is done by listening to “noise.” The word noise does not refer to sound but rather information or signals. One such example is atmospheric noise, mainly from lightning strikes. This creates radio waves, which can be monitored and is an excellent source of randomness.
Of course, any such noise is run through devices and algorithms to produce the final result, but it’s the original source of randomness that matters. However, such methods are expensive and not as efficient as pseudo-random number Generators, which we’ll look at next.
Pseudo RNGs
The Pseudo RNG produces random numbers directly through algorithms or mathematical models. Instead of using random sources, they use seed numbers. Knowing the seed number and the formula used, it is possible to reproduce the seemingly “random” values. This is a fast and efficient method for creating sufficiently random values, which makes it a popular choice.
How RNGs Work In Online Gambling
Random Number Generation Process
The process for generating random numbers and using them in casino games relies on two main pillars: seed values and algorithms. These two components create the final random value.
Seed Values
The seed value is the starting point when generating random numbers. Seed values aren’t usually pre-determined numbers but are taken from a secure source.
Algorithms
Once the seed is set, the RNG uses a mathematical algorithm to create the result or results, usually a sequence of numbers. Several algorithms have been developed for this purpose, although the exact algorithms, methods, or origins of seed numbers have never been disclosed. Such information is kept to the game developers, casinos, testing agencies, and the authorities.
However, if you are mathematically inclined, you can read more about Mersenne Twister, an algorithm that is commonly used in pseudo-random number generators.
How The RNG Is Applied In Casino Games
Now that we understand how RNGs generate random numbers let’s look at how this process is applied to real online casino games. Here are some examples of how RNGs are used to determine the outcome in popular games:
Slots
There is no feasible method of doing things the old way with online slots, as you physically can’t put levers and discs on a game to come up with the hundreds of thousands of changing payways of Megaways games, for example. Software RNG is required for this.
The function, however, is simple. You hit spin, the software connects the command to the server, and a random number is generated, which then determines the result of the spin. This method applies to both free demo slots and real-money games.
Live Games
Live games use a mix of setups. A roulette wheel in a live dealer studio doesn’t require a random number generator. But if the game has additional modifiers and features, such as the multiplier reel in Crazy Time, it needs to be determined with a Random Number Generator.
Card Games
For card games like blackjack or poker, the RNG shuffles the virtual deck and deals the cards randomly. Every time you play, the deck is shuffled to ensure no one can predict what cards will be dealt next. This randomness helps maintain fairness, making sure that each hand is independent of the previous one and based purely on chance.
Why RNGs Are Essential For Fairness
Without RNGs, there would be no casino games, and gambling would be impossible online. Random Number Generators have nothing to do with the payouts; instead, they give every player an equal chance of winning one whilst also ensuring no third party can alter the results.
Impartiality & Fainess
Every player is equal in the eyes of the RNG. Not only does this mean that the casinos cannot change winning rounds into losing ones, but they cannot direct winning or losing rounds to segments of the player population. It doesn’t matter where you play or who is playing; the result will always be random.
This is probably the most crucial piece of the puzzle. The only way players can trust casinos to be fair, is to know that the RNG used is certified and produces genuinely random results.
Game Integrity
RNGs are critical to maintaining the integrity of the game and the online gambling platform. If players felt that games were unfair, they would quickly lose trust in the platform, leading to negative reviews, legal trouble, and, ultimately, the collapse of the casino.
RNGs ensure that every game, from the spin of a slot machine to the shuffle of a deck of cards, is unpredictable and based purely on chance. This keeps the experience exciting, fair, and competitive. It also ensures that casinos have concrete and solid proof that the games of chance are indeed games of chance.
Regular audits, several levels of regulating bodies, and licensing ensure that players have the best chance at winning. More importantly, it means they can trust their random chance to be both random and fair.
Independent Testing Companies & RNG Certification
Most of the testing for online casino operators and regulators is done by independent testing laboratories. These companies assess and verify the RNG systems through a rigorous testing process to ensure fairness and transparency.
Trusted Testing Companies
Reputable independent testing companies like eCOGRA, GLI, iTech Labs, and BMM Testlabs assess whether RNGs function correctly. The usual steps to certification include the following:
- Ensuring statistical randomness.
- Security of seeding and reseeding.
- Use of random numbers.
- Evaluating documentation.
- Evaluating the coding itself.
This is essential in guaranteeing a safe, secure, and fair gambling platform. Of course, the steps are slightly different for hardware-based RNGs, but the end results are the same.
Frequency of Audits
Testing isn’t a one-time thing. Depending on the jurisdiction, regular testing and even constant monitoring are required. The same companies that do the testing conduct the audits. This is usually an annual business.
Maintaining these audits is essential for ensuring the continued integrity of the games. If a casino fails an audit, it could face penalties, including losing its license or being forced to suspend operations. Regular audits ensure that casinos remain compliant and maintain player trust over time.
RNG Certification
After a successful audit, the online casino receives an RNG certification. This accreditation verifies that the casino’s RNG system meets the required standards for fairness and randomness. In many cases, these endorsements are visible within the game’s information section. Casinos that run their own RNGs should have their certification visible either on their website or via their license.
An RNG certification is often accompanied by a compliance badge. These badges are important symbols for players as they provide assurance that trusted organisations have independently verified the RNG. By displaying these certifications, online casinos demonstrate their commitment to fair play, transparency, and legal compliance with their respective casino licenses, making them more trustworthy in the eyes of players.
Common Myths & Misconceptions About RNGs
Random Number Generators are a relatively unknown topic for online gamblers, not helped by the fact that things were still run by more mechanical methods not too long ago. And, of course, understanding the mathematics behind them would require a degree in the matter.
It’s no wonder the subject is home to many myths and misconceptions, most stemming from ignorance and pure suspicion. That is why we’ve written extensively about iGaming testing laboratories here on our platform, which are linked throughout this article so our visitors can see how they seek to make the industry transparent and why players can trust them.
Nonetheless, some of these far-out theories can be quashed using common sense. Let’s have a look at some of the most common misconceptions and maybe even a question or two you’ve pondered yourself in the past.
RNGs Are Rigged To Favour Online Casinos
This is one of the reasons testing agencies and licensing bodies exist. By checking statistical randomness, it is guaranteed that the games are not rigged in any way. Furthermore, why would a casino use a Random Number Generator to rig the games? They wouldn’t even have one.
More importantly, the RNG server is usually controlled by the platform or the game developer, meaning that online casinos cannot even affect it if they want to.
RNGs Aren’t Truly Random
This is simply a matter of semantics. With enough calculating power and knowledge, nothing can be proven to be genuinely random. If we know every force and every theory, we can calculate everything.
What RNGs produce is statistical randomness. The sort that is beyond anyone’s capabilities to predict. Whilst such things do follow a formula, there is no way to crack the formula or remove the unpredictable nature of pseudo-random number generators.
All Casinos Use The Same RNG Software
As we’ve mentioned several times, casinos share their RNG with game providers. However, they do not share results or use the same pool of numbers. Additionally, certain casinos run Random Number Generator servers when they have their own games, making that RNG unique to them.
Casino Games & Slots Have Memory Affecting Future Outcomes
False. Pseudo-RNGs use complex algorithms to generate numbers that are statistically random and independent of one another. This myth is based either on distrust or a misunderstanding of statistics and randomness.
If you think about it, there is absolutely no reason why a licensed casino, already guaranteed a house edge through return to player percentages, would risk losing its license by running rigged games. It is the first and the last thing tested with regular audits.
New Slots Payout More For Streamers
We’ve all seen online casino streamers playing new slots and hitting big wins or even jackpots, and then the mountain of accusations that later follow in the comments section of the games being rigged in their favour. We can understand how it does come across that way, but this is where you need to put your trust in the process of that slot making its way to the platform any streamer is playing on. If you think about it, there would have to be such a huge conspiracy involving gambling regulators, testing labs, game providers, and the casino, all in cahoots to ensure one or more streamers hit a max win on a new game. When you look at it that way, you can quickly dismiss that any such thing takes place.
Summary & Final Thoughts
Random and unbiased gambling relies on Random Number Generators. These, in turn, depend on the trustworthiness of regulators and testing laboratories, both of which would immediately lose all credibility if it came out that these devices were rigged in any way.
We hope that reading this article and the testing labs it links to has helped increase your understanding of RNGs so that you can have more confidence in the games you gamble on and the online casino platforms where you play them.