When the subject of online casino games is brought up, there are usually lots of discussions. One of the biggest topics mentioned is the fairness of their games. How fair are they? Is there any chance that it might be rigged to favour the casino? What is the mathematics behind the games and does it work in favour of the operator?
However, it is absolutely essential that a casino doesn’t have any unfair games… because if they are found out then they would lose their licence to operate immediately and indefinitely. These are signs of reassurance for players.
What Makes a Game Fair?
A fair game isn’t necessarily a game that gives you the same chance of winning as the casino. In fact, these games don’t exist because every casino game gives the casino a slight advantage, which is known as the House Edge. This is important because a casino is a business… and it needs to make money in the long run.
A fair game may have a house edge, but it will be open and transparent about that house edge by advertising its RTP. It will also make sure that every single round or spin is completely random… and no one – not the casino, the software provider or the player – can manipulate the outcome.
Can Online Casino Games be Rigged?
A good online casino will offer games that rely purely on luck – games where there is a set probability of a player winning… such as roulette, blackjack and baccarat. Because these are games that have results which rely on the basic laws of probability, whether you win or lose is simply based on whether Lady Luck is on your side. These games can only be rigged if you are playing at an unlicensed scam site.
All online slot machines use an RNG – a Random Number Generator, which will decide the outcome of the game. In order to guarantee their fairness, the casinos are legally obliged to have these RNGs tested independently and provide them with a report on their findings. This is to make sure that every single game on the site is fair, not rigged and trustworthy.
Provably Fair
If you are playing at a crypto casino, then it’s better still as these games use blockchain technology which offers gamers a provably fair game system. This allows players to check for themselves how random and fair the outcome of the game was.
Ultimately, a casino is a business and to succeed it needs to make sure that it has a decent reputation. Any sniff that it has been offering unfair games and unfair practices and it can lose its license and its reputation.
How to See Whether a Game is Rigged
We live in the real world – and there are all different types of people, with some being a lot more questionable than others. There are some that will be more than happy to scam players out of their money and you need to be able to spot these people before they get to you.
A scam site will never be able to get a licence from the UKGC. Any good casino will have a UKGC licence logo in its homepage footer. This is the first way to spot that the games on the casino site are fair. No licence? Don’t trust it.
Also, you can also feel pretty confident that games from software providers such as NetEnt and Microgaming are tested, safe and fair.
It’s All About Research
Ultimately, knowing whether or not an online game is fair is all about doing your own research first. Just because a site claims it has a licence, this may not be the case. If you are in any doubt you should check out their licence number and make sure for yourself. Also, look to see whether it has been checked over by third-party testing agencies such as eCOGRA or iTechLabs.
As long as you research thoroughly before you play and know you are playing a game from a good provider in a licensed casino, you should feel confident that you are playing a fair game.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
