Slots - Keeping it Reel

Chances are, if you have ever shaken the hand of a one-armed bandit in a Vegas-like casino, or at any of the hundreds of online casino websites, you've probably wondered just how random the winning combinations actually are. And as much as we would love to provide a straightforward answer to a straightforward question, we can't; the science behind generating random numbers is an intricate one requiring a deep understanding of both statistics and mathematics.

Without random number generation (RNG), modern casino games wouldn't exist as we know them today. Accurate random number generators created by gambling software creators now enable gaming website operators to provide consumers with very realistic, and more importantly, legit online casino games.

Fair Gaming or Fair Game?
So how exactly can you know whether or not the slots and other random games you are playing at online casino sites and traditional venues are in fact fair? Well, like any industry, your best bet is to begin with the top companies. Now we're not suggesting that because they are big, they're naturally on the up and up. But chances are they are more responsible than say a start-up that's been in business "almost a whole year."

If you've been involved in the online gambling scene to any extent, say as a player, operator or affiliate, you are probably familiar with the names of the big gaming software providers, such as Playtech, Microgaming, Random Logic, and Cryptologic, just to name some. These chief industry players - as well as the website companies providing the games to players - are regularly subjected to stringent certification processes.

Playtech's poker, bingo and casino games, for instance, are certified by Technical Systems Testing (TST). Founded in 1993, TST ranks as one of the world's leading gaming labs. Thus Playtech enjoys the status as a globally recognized Accredited Testing Facility (ATF) which continues to work with industry operators, suppliers, manufacturers and regulators to ensure that gambling devices function in fair, safe and auditable ways, and in compliance with the most comprehensive regulatory standards in the world.

The ‘House' Edge
It should come as no surprise that, in the long run and under normal conditions, the casino or "House" maintains an advantage over its players. Otherwise one bet is certain; they would be out of business before you could say ‘craps!' But have you ever wondered how this works? Or when online casino sites, or magazine reviewers, advertise that certain slot machines offer payback percentages of say 97% or 98%. What exactly do they mean?

Really, Really Random
First of all, for a random number generator to function properly, the following two rules must be followed:

Rule #1: Each number (or slots symbol) in the number range must have an equal chance of being chosen.

Rule #2: Each number (or slots symbol) picked must be done independently of all prior number/symbol selected.


It is critically important to distinguish between the chances of a number coming up, as opposed to the number actually being selected. With respect to the first rule, each number must have an equal chance of being selected. The second rule demands that every ensuing selection be independent of all prior picks, instead of each number being selected the same number of times. The logic here is that if every number was certain to come up the exact number of times, the numbers generated would not be random.

Case in point: Say you have a random number generator that's programmed to generate random numbers from one to three, and the first two numbers picked are one and two. Would the next number to come up be three? If the two rules mentioned above are adhered to, the chances of 1, 2 or 3 being picked would be identical.

According to Rule #1, each number must have an equal chance of being chosen. Rule #2 ensures that the previous numbers have absolutely no influence on any ensuing results. Thus, we cannot possibly predict which number or symbol will come up next. Conversely, due to these rules, it's quite possible - and highly probable that - over time, numbers shall be repeated, even many times successively. Go figure. What is certain is that the rules behind random number generating are the same for online casino websites and conventional land-based venues. Well, at least they ought to be.