The gambling industry continues to grow and thanks to its online adaptation it is now quite difficult to keep up with all the things that are happening. But players have only one concern. Are the systems fair and who regulates casinos?
Just because we are talking about an industry where the power of dominance can be strongly abused to take advantage of players, casinos must follow certain rules and obligations in order to get their operating licenses.
In other words, you cannot expect that every other “Bob” (no offense if your name is Bob) is allowed to open an online casino and the fairness of the games lies in his hands. We have regulatory bodies that do random checks and analyze casinos before and after they get their license.
But we’ve all been through that moment where casino games somehow feel suspicious. You play a slot game, win two small jackpots, and all of a sudden you are hooked to the game, but you are not winning a single spin after the small bonus you received.
This leads people to question themselves, are casinos rigged? Well, this is highly unlikely just because casinos, even social free to play ones like Billionaire Casino, need to follow strict guidelines and they are regularly audited by third-party companies to ensure their fairness and transparency.
The Importance of Licensing and Regulation
As we mentioned before, the gambling industry is too powerful to be left in the hands of a regular person and their beliefs. That’s why we need licensing and regulation. Many different authorities can give you a license to open a casino, and some of the well-respected ones are the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and the UK Gambling Commission.
Their job is to ensure standards, requiring casinos to prove that their games are fair and that all of their operations are transparent.
If you think licenses are handed lightly, think again. These regulatory bodies want to ensure that each casino follows certain rules and they must demonstrate adherence to rigorous criteria, including things like financial stability, robust player protection mechanisms, and fairness of games.
This is not just a one-time operation just before casinos obtain their license. They are the subject of constant and random regular audits and inspections, and if these regulatory bodies find out that the casino has implemented practices that might negatively affect players or the fairness of the games, their license will be revoked.
They also have many other practices like the KYC (Know Your Customer) verification processes, which ensures that players are who they say they are and prevents fraud. Casinos also must implement Anti-Money Laundering (AML) practices to prevent criminal activities, and they have to get the fair play certification from regular game audits.
Random Number Generators (RNGs)
If you still don’t feel safe engaging in casino games, let us tell you about the algorithm called RNG (Random Number Generator) that casinos use to ensure that their games are fair.
RNGs are algorithms that are designed to produce a random sequence of numbers with every spin of a button. Each combination in the slot game has been translated into numbers. Then the RNG goes through all the numbers and picks one, which eventually becomes the slot result.
This happens instantaneously and within seconds, so that slowly spinning reels on slot machines are just as an effect, the machine already knows the result.
Each outcome that the RNG picks is totally independent of previous or future outcomes. Therefore, it can be the same outcome multiple times, it all depends on the software.
This technology is mostly used in slots, but we’ve also seen RNGs used in other games like digital roulette.
But who ensures that the random number generator is actually fair and that it truly picks a random number? Well, we have testing agencies like eCOGRA and iTech Labs. These companies frequently audit RNGs by running millions of simulations just to confirm that each outcome is truly random and unbiased.
Once they are done with the testing, they usually publish the results publicly, which provides transparency to players about the fairness of games.
So, if a casino has a good RNG, games cannot be rigged.
Ensuring Fairness of Games
The RNG isn’t the only thing that is audited at a casino. There are many things like routine general audits and RTP transparency checks that keep casinos in line.
These routine audits are often done by independent firms and audit different things at a casino including RNGs.
When it comes to return-to-player (RTP) percentages, they are also often tested by independent companies, and casinos often provide the RTP percentage on their website, which adds another layer of transparency and gives people somewhat clear expectations.
The Role of Game Developers
All of these wouldn’t be possible without the masterminds behind every casino game. We have game-developing companies that are reshaping the future of casino games. Companies like NetEnt, Microgaming, and Playtech.
These companies often spend a lot of time ensuring that every game is fair. After all, their reputation is on the line.
They are always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the gambling industry, and they are investing millions of dollars into developing RNGs that make the system more transparent and fairer for everybody.
It is safe to say that they are the driving locomotive of the online gambling industry, and seeing a game developed by a high-end company will probably tell you that the game is fair and follows the latest standards.
