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Online gambling sites spend the majority of their time creating a virtual world which imitates the experience of a land-based casino. This is especially important when you consider the need for realism in the games, which is where Casino Random Number Generators comes in to play. RNG as it is known in the industry has a huge affect on our online casino games and yet most players don’t even know what it is.
Playing online will never provide the full experience of being in an actual casino, but the sites have done a spectacular job in emulating the games. The need for realism is important to the player because you have not only lost the element of being in the building, but also the physicality of the card being dealt, the roulette wheel being spun, and the dice rolled. This is now done on your computer and as such is replicated artificially, which is why Random Number Generators are needed.
Most online casinos will provide the option for live casino betting, which will involve a live dealer. As you can imagine this is more alike a land-based experience and as such they work a little differently to the rest of the games. Because of this we won’t be including them in options which are influenced by RNG.
To begin with it’s a good idea to explore why randomness in casino software is needed, before we delve into what Random Number Generators are.
Why Do We Need Randomness in Online Gambling?
The enjoyment of playing slots and casino online is that thrill of never knowing if you will win or lose money. For many, the wins are believed to be luck, but the reality is that the result is random and purely based on odds. During your play, there is only a set number of outcomes, so it is complete chance if the one you need to win appears at the right moment.
It is a well-known fact that the casino known as the ‘house’ has a built-in advantage, which is called the house edge. In essence this means that the odds will be in the casinos favour in the long run. The key to a good gambling site is that they ensure integrity and fairness for both parties, meaning all results are completely random. If the house edge had the advantage in the long term, then players in the short term can win money by evening the odds out.
The use of odds against your game is a normal concept for most players. It is the addition of algorithms which are the basis of Random Number Generators, that make it seem more complex. If you’ve never heard of them before then you may be wondering how they work and how are they ensuring fairness, as well as a great experience for the online gambler.
What is a Random Number Generator?
The implementation of the RNG occurs during the design stage of the slot or casino game and it is hidden into the background. The basic premise is that it is an algorithm which produces results randomly and although there are various types of RNG’s, the ones used within the gambling industry tend to be pseudorandom number generators.
The interesting part of the RNG which creates the algorithms fairness, is the fact it simply requires a seed number. Because of this there is no external input such as numbers or data to deliver an output. Although rare, the designers must constantly be aware of changing security threats and hackers. This means adapting their software to stay ahead of any potential breaches.
Because the algorithm is a fixed formula, it means that the RNG is not totally random. It is the seed which adds that element of chance because it will change every millisecond. The seed alters by taking the last number, or the last two numbers produced and then uses a mathematic formula to create a new random outcome.
The reason we mentioned above that RNG’s can be hackable is because some formulas will always yield the same output, for example 1 and 1 will always equal 2, meaning they’re not random.
How Online Gaming Sites use RNG’s
As we stated above, the live dealer games on an online gambling site do not use RNG’s. But if you enjoy slots or table casino, then anything you play will be affected by the Random Number Generator. Essentially this should lead to the online experience being the same as if the player was in a land-based casino.
By hitting play on your game, you are indicating to the online software that it should trigger the RNG to generate a number. The production of that number will then determine a possible outcome which will show as a win or loss for the player. To give you an example, within blackjack, unlike at a land-based casino where a card is picked from the top of the deck, the RNG will instead choose a number which will dictate the card you receive. If you prefer roulette, then as the wheel spins the RNG will determine the landing number and again for slots it will affect the reels. All of this basically leads back to randomness, which is generated by the RNG, and which should lead to fairness on the games.
Although this article is focusing on RNG’s in online games, you will find them in one land-based option, more specifically video slot machines.
Can You Cheat RNG’s?
Not only is the ability to cheat the RNG incredibly difficult, but you also then have the constant changes and upgrades made by the games developers to enhance security. Players have adopted a monitoring method called volatility or variance, which means that they try and determine the patterns of the game by playing over and over for a long period of time. Although there may be some logic to this, your playing time is pretty long, and it can cost you a lot of money.
Are Random Number Generators Fair?
Even though the algorithm is coded by the designers, remember that they want people to play their games. There is an assumption that they would want the casino to win over the player, but if the game gets a reputation of being a constant loser, then people won’t play it. As such the games designers introduced the RNG to ensure consistent fairness and randomness, which will result in your play correlating in line with its true probability over a number of spins.
You also have the reliance that all game developers and gambling sites are regulated and as such they are tested by third parties to ensure they are fair. A reliable site will provide details on whether they have been audited via an independent auditor or certification programme. There is usually a ‘Seal of Approval’ logo on the bottom of the site, which gives you access to the outcome of the reports conducted during the audit.
Summary of Casino Random Number Generators – What is an RNG in online gambling
Now you should have the basics of what Random Number Generators are and the influence they have on your gambling. As you can imagine the precise details of the games coding are secret, which is how we want them to stay. Randomness is the key to the joy of the game, the ‘will we or won’t we win’? So RNG is essential to making online gambling fun!
Having knowledge about RNG means that you should feel more confident about your games being fair. Of course, there will always be unscrupulous sites, which is why we always recommend only playing on UK Gambling Commission licenced sites. If you have any concerns about the actions of a casino or betting site, then you can contact them, and they will investigate.