Randomness in land-based casinos is seen in chance-based games such as roulette when the ball lands on colors or numbers after spinning the wheel. This is what makes the game fair so that all players have a chance to win. To replicate that in online casinos, they use random number generators (RNG).
A random number generator is a type of computer program that generates random numbers. Online casinos utilize this program to make their games behave the way they do when played in real life. RNGs help online casino gaming software to artificially reproduce game outcomes similar to that of brick and mortar casinos.
RNGs have been a part of every online casino to ever exist for many years and is treated as an essential part of their operations. This article is about understanding how this computer program works at online casinos and answers questions that gamblers have about it.
How RNGs are used in online casinos
RNGs are used in virtual games, where there are no dealers present. The RNG generates numbers that will be displayed as the outcome on the screen of your device using graphics. The online casino’s gaming software communicates with the RNG when it needs to reproduce a random outcome.
Whatever number the RNG comes up with is then forwarded to the online casino’s software and will be displayed as the card/s that you’re dealt with or the numbers that spun on the virtual roulette wheel. This back and forth repeats itself until the game is finished.
Most popular online gambling markets, such as online casinos in the Philippines, use the pseudo-random number generators. This type of RNG is commonly used by online casinos and doesn’t require external input to produce results. All it needs is an algorithm and a seed number, which is any number used to initialize the generator.
How RNGs produce random outcomes
Results and new seed numbers in RNG games are produced every millisecond. The RNG does this by taking the last digit or two of the previous outcomes and then uses a mathematical operation to create another random outcome. This process is repeated throughout every single game.
To have a better understanding of how RNGs produce results, let’s use slots as an example. Let’s say that there are 12 symbols per reel in a 5-reel slot machine. The RNG would then come up with a value of 1 to 12 for each of the 5 reels, which means the result would be the five different symbols out of a maximum of 12 assigned values.
Can a player cheat RNGs?
In theory, it’s possible to cheat RNGs to win more bets than usual, but not everybody is capable of doing it. It can be done by tracking your wins and losses over a specific duration or using a formula to compute the probability of how often a value would appear, but these would take a while, even for someone who has the expertise.
RNGs can be hacked, though, since it’s a computer program that runs using an algorithm. This is why online casinos are tested by third-party companies to ensure the fairness and randomness of their games.
Can online casinos use RNGs to cheat?
Technically, yes, online casinos can do this to manipulate the RNG algorithm to decrease players’ chances of winning. However, there’s no reason for them to do so. Even in online casinos, the house edge is present, which means they already have an advantage over players.
Not to mention the third-party companies that conduct the tests on online casinos can and will find out if they’re cheating players using RNG. It’ll only cause them trouble and put their operations in jeopardy.
Conclusion
As long as RNGs are not compromised by hackers or by the online casino operators themselves, it’ll remain to be random and fair to all gamblers. They’ll continue to be the standard of fairness in playing casino games as long as they’re tested, and the people that use it do so with integrity.