Whether you’re an experienced gambler or a curious novice you must have been wondering how all those casino games work. What keeps them moving and what brings coins closer to your wallet? Another question would be how? Well, as you might have guessed, it’s always a machine responsible. Much like a lot other social aspects of modern humanity, entertainment joined technology in order to make our lives easier and better adjusted by the day. We’ll try and reveal some of the most important characteristics of the software organism that powers all-time casino games like roulette, table card games and slots – the Random Number Generator.

A Bit of History

Back when only land-based casinos existed there were only real machine slot games. It was all about mechanics – handling proper timing with special brake systems to produce symbol combinations across the reels. Randomness depended mostly on the timing so players who operated mechanised slots had their chance of fair winnings. As time went by, mechanised slots slowly switched to computer management, and finally announced the appearance of digital online slots offered at qbcasino.com and hosted on the web.

Despite the effort of developers to make virtual games look like actual machines, the inner process had to be completely replaced and modernised. What once was the job of time-limited mechanical brakes now is the task for micro-chips to perform. Software programs are creators of random combinations these days, and they are referred to as Random Number Generators. These programs are versatile and not used exclusively inside the realms of gambling. The ones used by online casinos specifically, though, are called Pseudo Random Number Generators.

What do RNGs do?

The truth of the matter is that functioning of these programs can only correctly be described by introducing a bunch of technical and mathematical terms. For the time being, we won’t go that deep. Consider our text an initial guideline and a reference when attempting to familiarise yourself or anybody else to what are the basics of RNG technology.

Operations carried out by the Random Number Generator revolve around two important points, a starting number labeled as the ‘seed’ and a designated algorithm. The program starts with the seed number and applies a series of mathematical operations – an algorithm, to produce the next random number that automatically becomes the next seed. The software then proceeds to use the algorithm again and again and recreates the action countless number of times. Each number marks a specific combination, and even if it is based on the previous number, chances of predicting its creation are slim to none unless the original seed number is disclosed.

New outcomes get produced every millisecond, and numbers in question are huge. Most common RNG programs produce random numbers with more than two hundred thousand digits in sequence. The arbitrary number combinations decide when the reels on the screen should stop spinning. In a nutshell, this would be the process that ensures online customers have the same fair chances at winning as they would in a brick-and-mortar casino establishment.

What Proves RNGs are Fair?

There is always room for skepticism, especially when someone’s money is at stake. This directly applies to RNG technology; we cannot help but wonder is it as bullet-proof as casinos present it to be? Now that we know it is based on mathematical algorithms, it might seem not that hard for someone to investigate mathematical operations and tamper with a Random Number Generator. However, this is prevented by hiding the other crucial element. Even if a mischievous player tried to beat the system with getting to know the algorithm, he wouldn’t be able to know the seed numbers. These are kept in strict secrecy.

Another possibility where RNG wouldn’t be completely random and fair would be the situation where the casino itself rigs it and make it favour the house. A way was established to avoid these scenarios as well, by hiring third party companies to do the auditing. It is a fact that most casino software gets regularly tested by independent third party companies like Technical Systems Testing (TST) as a subsidiary of Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), for example. Their job is to make sure online casino software produces random outcomes and casino machines meet minimum payout percentages in case they are determined by legal regulations.

Summary

Random Number Generators are an essential component of any online slot game. The software’s purpose is to guarantee fairness, stay verified by third parties, and provide customers with a realistic chance of winning. Now that you understand it better, maybe you’ll find it easier to observe combinations of icons on the reel grid and develop some kind of gameplay strategy. Even if you don’t win big, it is very important to know you had a fair shot at it. That kind of trust makes a player return to the casino website and have another go, which motivates casinos to keep their RNG programs in top shape.