(Newswire.net — June 11, 2021) — Have you played slots online and wondered whether the operator could rig the odds against you? It’s a thought that has crossed the mind of many avid gamblers – and some opportunistic criminals in the past – but you can rest assured that any regulated and reputable online casino is safe and fair for you to use.
Why? Because of RNGs. Random number generators – to give them their full title – are complex pieces of software that use mathematical equations to produce seemingly random numbers, which help to define the outcome of slot reels. But how do they work? And can they be tampered with? Read on to find out.
Unpacking RNGs
If you’re a keen follower of the developments in the world of aviation, you may have noticed that several years ago, the Transportation Security Authority (TSA) in the USA acquired a “randomizer” app for use in over 100 of their airports. This computer program comes up with a seemingly random direction (left or right) to split people into two different queues at customs, theoretically reducing congestion.
The principles behind the randomizer are exactly the same as those used in an RNG. However, when applied to the world of online casinos, the software simply assigns numbers to the reels on a slot (instead of the arrows on a signpost) and generates random combinations of them every time the lever is pulled. If a winning combination is generated, a payout is given to the player in question.
This arrangement maximizes the safety of the game and makes sure that a casino cannot interfere with the odds on a slot or rig it against the audience. Indeed, it’s similar to the way in which a password manager can help bolster your cybersecurity credentials by generating long and strong passwords that are all but impossible to guess. That’s how RNGs work in a nutshell.
Can RNGs be hacked?
Anyone who paid close attention to mathematics at school will be well aware that while these computer programs purport to produce random numbers, the code which goes into them is never actually random in a literal sense. Indeed, if someone was aware of that code (and in particular, the algorithm and the seed number that a casino RNG used), they could theoretically hack the system.
It has happened before, although very rarely. In the 1990s, a man named Ronald Harris was working as a software engineer for the Nevada Gaming Board. He modified the programs he was working on to pay out large sums when a certain number of coins and a particular sequence of reels were hit. He successfully stole thousands of dollars from Vegas casinos until his arrest in 1996. He was given a seven-year sentence in jail (of which he only served two), but he still remains on the excluded list for all Nevada casinos.
In the online sphere, there have been no major documented events of an RNG being hacked. In fact, all regulated sites are thoroughly vetted by national and international authorities to ensure that their RNGs are working properly, that they offer fair odds to their customers, and that there is no monkey business involved in how their site operates. So the next time you visit an online casino, you can rest assured that the RNG is preventing the house from ripping you off.
RNGs are complex computer programs that help to keep online casinos safe and fun to play – just make sure you sign up to a regulated operator and you can enjoy the gameplay with peace of mind.