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November 24, 2021

Can Online Roulette RNG be Manipulated?

Online roulette can be played in one of two ways. You can play on a physical wheel in a studio, or at an actual land-based casino even from the comfort of your home. This method is the live dealer option.

Can Online Roulette RNG be Manipulated?

A webcam or a group of webcams is used in both scenarios, and you place your bets online on a simulated table. Online roulette can also be played on a virtual game (often found in a casino’s table games section) powered by a Random Number Generator (RNG).

If you've ever been to a real-world casino, you know that the main floor is usually occupied with blackjack, roulette, and baccarat players. Slot machines and video roulette machines are typically located on the sides of the casino floor.

Virtual roulette on the internet is very similar to playing on one of these devices. In essence, they're simulations of a real roulette wheel's behavior that play like a video game.

Random number generator

In land-based casinos, external factors influence the outcome of spins on a roulette table. These include the physical force a player uses when tossing the ball, the resistance, and friction.

For online casinos, fairness is determined by random number generators. Instead of physical force, the software starts with a seed value as a reference point. Then, it builds long sequences of random numbers as a result of complex mathematical calculations. Each long sequence becomes a seed value, another initial number to generate other number sequences.

One fact about RNG is that the software never stops generating numbers even when no one is playing the game. Thus, if a player decides to load an online roulette game, the outcome will depend on the sequence the software is generating at the moment of input.

Can you manipulate random number generators?

With the right computation and the correct value of the initial seed number, it is possible to manipulate an online roulette game. Fortunately, these values are in the possession of game developers who keep them secret.

Several game developers like Microgaming and Playtech bear responsibility for their systems and games. Therefore they audit and verify their random number generators and their return percentage through reputable testing agencies like eCOGRA and technical systems testing.

This service uses several means to ensure that the RNG is not rigged to favor any card number or symbol on the reels. Once these external bodies conclude their assessment, they provide online casinos with a verification certificate as proof that the games are fair. In simpler words, it means that all players have equal chances of winning or losing.

Conclusion

No online program is perfect, and as such, there could be cases of manipulation of online casino games. Therefore, before playing Roulette online, ensure the games have licenses from testing bodies like eCOGRA. This will give you confidence that the game’s outcomes are fair and free from fraud dealings.

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2021-12-01