September 2nd, 2008

Casino Gaming

Guaranteeing Fair Casino Gaming
Millions are spent everyday by online casinos gamers……slipping virtual coins into slot machines, placing wagers at the roulette table and piling up the poker chips. However – how can you be sure that you’re getting a fair deal?

RNG technology
In 1994, Microgaming launched the world’s first, genuine online casino – meaning for the first time computer gamers could enjoy fair casino payouts and a real chance to hit the jackpot. Since that time, online gaming has exploded and become a highly successful and reputable industry. It’s fair to say that away from the slick graphics, real-feel gaming interfaces and broadband technology – much of the success has been down to a geeky piece of technology known as a random number generator (RNG). In layman’s terms – an RNG is a piece of software programmed to flicker through billions of numbers every second. When linked up to online casino games, the RNG is capable of triggering completely random outcomes – such as slot icons, shuffles and jackpots. The RNG software can be compared to a constantly spinning, land-based roulette table and shutting your eyes and randomly shouting, ‘stop’.

The RNG is the biggest reason why most casual gamers experience so called ‘hot streaks’ and ‘dead sessions’ – but still commonly end-up with long-term payouts of 95-98.5% and over.

Guaranteeing jackpot payouts
While not everyone’s lucky enough to land a 750.000.00 slot jackpot, which have become a reality with Progressive Jackpot games such as Major Millions – RNG technology guarantees you always have a chance to win the ‘big one’. Somewhere in the huge range of random numbers sits an array of numbers that trigger jackpot payouts. For example, maybe the numbers 23456, 76564 and 765542 all trigger a jackpot icon. The nature of random number generation means that during every ‘spin cycle’ the jackpot will statistically be won.

100% Verified RNG data
Such is the reputation of the online casino industry, that fair gaming has become the number one priority for every leading gaming vendor. Every casino worth playing on the web employs external auditors such as Pricewaterhouse Coopers to independently verify payout results and RNG performance. This data should be freely available on a casino’s website, showing typical payouts in the golden 95-98.5% zone.

RNG technology for different gaming niches
All random number technology works in a similar way, however there are distinct differences in how the software is used from game to game. For example, slots rely very heavily on the power of random numbers, because every icon is linked to a group of random digits. Every spin made on a slot machine is at the mercy of the RNG. In contrast, card games such as video poker use random numbers to control the deal. However, once the deal has been made the games do not rely on the RNG until another deal is required, allowing gamers to integrate independent elements of skill-play into the games.