The Random Number Generator (RNG) is the technical feature that is widely used in the recent gambling industry. It allows generating random outcomes and replaces mechanical game of chance approaches like cards’ shuffling or dice rolling. Except for the ability to bring accidental outcomes, RNG helps to deal with huge amounts of numbers, statistics and define casino games’ return rate. Login Casino explains everything you need to know about this technology broadly used in gaming.
RNG meaning and how it works
As it was stated a bit above, RNG is the abbreviation for Random Number Generator. Even though there are a lot of ways to receive accidental outcomes, the digitization of this process was a technological breakthrough. People know how to get an unexpected result with the help of unpredictable mechanical actions like throwing the coin, rolling the dice, or shuffling the deck of cards (excluding card-sharper who can mix in the needed order).
However, when it comes to the need to get a huge amount of random results, the mechanical approach isn’t effective. Just imagine how many people have to work in the backside of an online casino to reproduce every digital activity in the comprehensive list of the appropriate online games. Just to remind, digital casino global leaders offer dozens of blackjack games and roulette wheels, numerous slot machines, and hundreds of poker tables simultaneously. It means that thousands of people can be present on the online gambling platform, and replacing their digital button clicks is impossible with the real mechanical action at the backside of a casino.
Here the Random Number Generator comes to the rescue. In simple words, that is an electronically-based algorithm that allows generating as many random results as needed. In general, there two primary types of RNG, which are:
- True Hardware Random-Number Generators or simply HRNGS. This approach of creating an accidental outcome is based on some independent value from the natural environment (real-time temperature or atmospheric pressure fluctuations), which cannot be predicted or forecasted precisely.
- Pseudo-Random Number Generators or simply PRNGS. That is a digital-based approach that uses complicated algorithms to generate a numbers’ row. As algorithms can be defined, this kind of RNG adds a random stop that depends on the button push time, which adds unpredictability to the whole process.
Of course, that is only the tip of the iceberg of how the RNG works, but a more detailed explanation requires much more in-depth knowledge and mathematical understanding. The only thing one should know is the term “seed.” That is a fixed number that defines the series and overall outcome, or in other words, seed allows to control the gamble process’s return rate. Interestingly, but this digital feature plays a vital role in the recent casinos that declare return rates at the level of 95%. We will explain this aspect in more detail below.
What is the role of RNG in recent casinos?
Currently, all the casinos, including the mortar-and-brick venues, are using RNG to run slots, at least. When someone is pushing slot buttons sitting in the comfortable home chair or enjoying the land-based casino’s bright atmosphere, both results depend on the particular RNG realization. Only the earlier types of slot machines are based on mechanical randomization, while now everything relates to the Random Numbers Generator.
What relates to other casino gaming specifics, almost the whole online gambling relies on RNG variations. Even online poker sites and remote tournaments cannot be held without a digital generation of random numbers that define every poker player’s hand and the following card on the desks. Nothing to say about the games that imitate rolling of the dice or where the ball will settle on the roulette.
Why is choosing the right RNG vital for the casino business?
The essential aspect for every online casino that pretends for the leading roles is choosing a reliable software, and RNG is included in the list of critical digital elements. Moreover, before the online gambling venue receives legal permission, it has to pass the thorough testing of its soft functioning.
As hardware and software testing is a complex procedure, every detail should be prepared carefully. Thus, before sending an application for license receiving, the future digital casino owner has to present the return to player (RTP) rate for every game that will be present on the platform.
If the testing discovers the inconsistency in the declared and real RTP, the licensing body can refuse to give permission for a gambling venue. At the same time, every legislative application costs a considerable amount of money, and repeating the whole paper procedure because of unreliable RNG will hit the budget. Login Casino recommends contacting only official technical providers that can help in applying and testing an RNG as it will save the money of the business owner.
What is RTP, and how does RNG influence it?
The Return to Player (RTP) rate is the mathematical representation of the winning probability in a particular casino game like roulette or traditional slot. It is like a coefficient that varies from casino to casino. The current leaders in the market suggest an RTP of about 95%. Of course, every particular game is fully random, but all casino games work like a statistical series in the distance. For instance, a concrete slot returns to players $950 for every spent $1000. At the same time, a punter should push the button 1000 times as every spin costs $1. Far not everyone is ready to push the button 1000 times (numbers are contingent). Nevertheless, those who know this feature prefer to gamble the same slot and wait until the big win comes, as 95% RTP is not an advertising promise that never happens.
When it comes to programming return rates, the RNGs come to the rescue. Of course, there is no need to invent something new for the games where people compete against each other (like poker), but for the game of chance RTP should be set. The modern Random Number Generators are beneficial as they can be programmed to bring the fixed RTP to the players. As mentioned above, this procedure’s key feature belongs to “seed,” which defines when the series should guarantee to win the slot’s jackpot. It makes the modern RNGs a multifunctional programming feature for every casino.
How do bonuses influence casinos’ RTPs?
A common approach of the recent online casinos is bonuses and free spins, which sometimes reach thousands of dollars. The simple logic prompts that depositing $1000 and receiving the same bonus sum, for instance, guarantees the return at the level of $1900, which is 95% from $2000. If one gambles on the particular slot, of course.
However, the situation is not so evident. Digital gambling venues usually set complicated conditions that must be met before the bonus is active for withdrawing. Thus, if one relies on the $1 spin-cost and $1000 deposit, he or she has to push the button a few thousand times, which decreases the RTP. Other casinos can force the punter to play several games on the platform before the withdrawal can be possible.
Also, one has to remember that some countries have blocked the use of bonuses in online casinos. It means that legal digital venues cannot suggest welcome or registration bonuses, which is a powerful weapon to conquer a new gambling audience. All these make the situation with the RTP not as simple as it might seem, so everyone should carefully read terms and conditions before passing the registration procedure because of seeing the four-digit bonus.
Can be the true Random Number Generators cheated and why?
One of the most exciting questions concerning the RNGs (especially PRNGS) is if they can be cheated. At the early stages of using random generators in casinos, they could be beaten by smart mathematicians who were able to define the sequence, periods, and seeds. However, recent RNGs use unpredictable numbers’ orders and diverse protection methods to save critical data.
There are five primary ways to protect the functioning of RNG:
- Mixing of the sources that provide numbers’ generating procedure and seed determining.
- Generation of passwords using a protected source with unpredictable algorithms.
- Utilize encryption protection with the ability to check its functioning.
- Maintain the random generation from the unspecialized hardware (like sound cards or webcams) that don’t attract attention but can be used for producing unpredictability by utilizing the additional software.
- Using separate hardware that cannot be reached and cheated from outside.
Despite the fact that beating any of those methods is almost impossible, one can still combine a few methods simultaneously. Such an approach transforms the Pseudo-Random Number Generators into an impregnable digital fortress.
How can RNGs be tested before implementation?
Despite using all the variety of RNG protection from cheating, such a technical feature should be checked for its right functioning. The possibility of cheating an RNG is obligatory tested by special companies.
However, even more important is the need to check the RTP rates for every game by the offshore firm. This obligatory procedure should be made by the authoritative technical providers that have appropriate experience in the gambling market. This is vital for every new casino that wants to receive a license. Even countries with no so strict permission procedures like the Curacao gambling license center check RNGs’ functioning and can refuse if the technical aspects don’t function properly.
The most authoritative auditors of Random Number Generators
The most popular auditors of the technical side of casinos, including RNG and RTP, are listed below:
- TST (Technical Systems Testing was founded in 1993 in Canada, while today it has offices globally and is recognized by the international Accredited Testing Facility);
- eCOGRA (eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance bases in London and is also a globally recognized testing agency, especially in the gambling industry);
- Verisign (a multifunctional platform that is widely known for its security services and ability to cope even with DDoS attacks and cyber cheating);
- Gaming Associates (another international organization that offers a wide range of digital services, including Anti-Money Laundering regulation and RNG & RTP testing).
How does the Generator of Random Numbers influence the game plan?
It is natural for a punter to try to beat a casino. Moreover, most of the gambling addicts believe they know better how the software for online casinos works or when the series should bring a high return rate chance. Usually, problematic punters tend to apply apophenia or gambler’s fallacy while gambling. Moreover, those psychological behaviors are the core reasons for uncontrollable gaming in a casino, betting shop, or poker room.
How is RNG related to apophenia and gambler’s fallacy?
Apophenia is the psychological feature, which shows that the person believes in the meaningful connections in chaotic and unrelated occasions. Another similar behavior that should be mentioned is the gambler’s fallacy, which is the belief that the frequency of former events influences the frequency of future ones.
Both those terms are closely related to the addictive gambling process and the game of chance understanding and perceiving. Thus, apophenia is often met in the behavior of addicts that try to analyze the massive number of lottery draws to define some logical connections between the balls’ numbers appearance. The same effect can be noted in other casino games like blackjack or roulette, in which players try to define some logic in the random outcomes.
What relates to gambler’s fallacy, it has rather similar symptoms (yes, both apophenia and gambler’s fallacy are illnesses). However, compared to apophenia, players with fallacy just try to bet on the outcomes that rarely happened in the past. To some extent, apophenia can be considered as the derivative of the gambler’s fallacy, but the ability to see the order in the chaos is not always related to former events and occasions.
The technology of randomness that is digitally realized shows that both apophenia and gambler’s fallacy are totally wrong psychological effects. Even though the statistics can be collected at a huge distance, the interpretation of massive data is something that people are still doing frequently wrong. Also, all the entertaining games in casinos or lottery are built by applying deep knowledge in this sphere. For instance, if someone noted that numbers 3 and 17 hadn’t been drawn in the lottery for a long time and they suddenly appear in the new game, a punter has to guess another three or four numbers, which is impossible to predict due to the RNG effectiveness.
Can an understanding of RNG help to deal with gambling addiction?
As one can see, RNG is the technical feature that helps to make the game fairer and cannot be analyzed or predicted. It means that knowing how the Random Numbers Generator works should not influence the gamble plan. The desire to win should not overwhelm the understanding that money can be lost. Actually, those who are able to control their spendings on gaming as some sort of excitement and adrenaline rarely become gambling addicts. They usually perceive casinos, poker, or lottery wins as a huge lack, and they are happy when winnings come from time to time. That is probably the best advice on how the person should perceive RNG and casino overall.
At the same time, knowing that the Random Number Generator is an unpredictable element of every casino can help to beat the gambling addiction. Those who have read the previous topic about apophenia and gambler’s fallacy are much closer to understanding that modern casinos are entertainment places but not the way of earning money regularly.
The only gamble activity that can bring stable revenue is, probably, poker, but that is why these playthings are often perceived as the game of skill but not the game of chance. Nevertheless, even professional poker players cannot be fully sure that they can win the particular tournament, while their knowledge of theory and psychology can bring some positive financial balance on the distance.
Conclusions
What should one remember about the RNG? First of all, this technical feature cannot be beaten or cheated recently, and that is why it is used in modern casinos. Also, this software helps to bring many random results simultaneously and control the return to player rates, which now are on the level of 95% or close. Gambling platforms use RNG as it helps to exclude analyzing the appearance of the occasional numbers, even though people still tend to be affected by the apophenia and gambler’s fallacy that lead to ludomania.
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