How do you know if a casino game is fair and truly random? Who makes sure you are playing fair games that guarantee a random outcome in every single round?
Players, that’s what we call game fairness. It’s a notion that rests on several important factors – including Provably Fair technology, testing and certification, RNG, and gambling regulations.
What Does “Game Fairness” Actually Mean?
When players talk about online casino game fairness, they’re typically referring to how much they can trust the outcomes of the games they are playing.
In other words, they are thinking of their level of trust in spins, draws, and dice rolls and how random they actually are. Although technically, every casino game should be 100% fair, it’s not always the case. Scams exist, which is why games go through tests and checks to establish fairness.
In regulated markets, such as the UK, fairness isn’t a vague promise.
It’s a technical and legal requirement for software studios and casinos that is enforced through licensing, testing, and continuous monitoring. In other words, everyone who wants to be part of a certain market – from software suppliers to operators – must comply with fairness regulations.
But here's the bottom line. Fairness means that a player’s chances of winning are mathematically determined by the game’s design, not by any interference from the casino operator, software supplier, or anyone else.
A game that is fair will work the same way its rules and RTP say it will. The outcomes in online casino games are determined by a Random Number Generator (RNG).
Who Is Responsible – Casino, Supplier, or Regulator?
When it comes to security in the industry, it’s everyone’s job to ensure everything is running smoothly on their end. In other words, it’s a shared responsibility between casino operators, game suppliers, and licensing authorities (i.e. regulators).
- It starts with game suppliers, as they first develop the games and then submit them for independent lab testing before the games are officially released to casino. Every game has to pass lab tests and get certificates before being published.
- On the other hand, casino operators are responsible for deploying only approved and certified games. They are also under obligation to offer only the standard versions of the games supplied directly by the studio, without the right to change anything.
- Finally, licensing and market regulators enforce compliance across their respective markets by requiring testing and certification as part of their licensing obligations. No one can obtain/maintain a license if they are not complying with the rules.
One of the best examples is the UKGC, the licensing regulator for the UK market. As one of the strictest markets, it is continually releasing and updating its compliance guidelines for licensees. All operators and game providers with a UKGC license must abide by the clearly outlined rules: how to test games, what to test, and even how to relay RTP information ot the players.
Game Rigging VS RTP and the House Edge
Let’s answer the question as old as time: are online casino games rigged?
Every casino game has a house edge. The edge is a mathematical term that measures the profit that the casino will have from the game over time. The edge and the RTP (Return to Player) always go hand in hand.
Return to Player, on the other hand, is a margin that calculates how much the player can expect to get in return based on how much they’ve invested in the game over time. It’s expressed in percentages, like the edge, and almost always highlighted in game reviews and in-game at casinos.
Here’s how that works. Let’s say we have an online slot with a 96% RTP. That means that the game pays back around 96% of what was invested through bets to the players over time. The remaining 4% is the house edge or house advantage. For slots, RTP and edges vary from release to release, but for table games, the edge tends to be similar across game categories. For instance, European Roulette will likely have a 97.30% RTP, which is an edge of 2.70%. American Roulette has a 5.26% edge.
The fact that software providers set the RTP and edge during game development invites a lot of discussion about the fairness of the games. Many suggest that games can be rigged – pre-set to pay out a certain amount or provide specific outcomes – which is illegal in regulated markets. Labs and regulators that are overseeing the industry have to ensure that no one can rig – tamper with game results to change the math behind the game – any outcome or game. Certificates are a guarantee that this is not happening.
How Online Casino Game Testing Process Looks Like
Before a casino game reaches the casino lobby, it must first get approved. Basically, testing labs must confirm that the RNG in games (Random Number Generator) is indeed unpredictable, and that the payouts match the RTP that the studio stated for the game.
These tests are not optional. Almost every licensing body requires their licensees to get these tests before launch.
Moreover, testing is done by accredited labs only. These labs are eCOGRA, GLI (Gaming Laboratories International), BMM Testlabs, and iTech Labs, among others.
Some of the things that they test and analyze are:
- RNG, randomness and non-repeatability
- RTP data to ensure theoretical values match actual results
- Gameplay and payout tables
- The integrity of the source code
At the end of testing, every lab will issue a report and certificate when the game passes all checks. If it does not pass checks, the studio is alerted, and the game’s release is halted.
If you want to check these certificates, you can go to casino sites or even game studios and scroll to the bottom of their websites. Once there, look for eCOGRA stamp, or something that’s similar to ‘Certified by iTechLabs’.
Altering the Games: Can Casinos Change Outcomes?
Some newer casino games will state that they offer multiple RTP variants. That means that there’s one game but there are more than one versions of the payout framework – meaning that the edge Is higher is some versions, and lower in others.
Software studios typically allow operators they work with to choose the RTP variant they want to use in their lobbies before the game is integrated into the casino platform. Now, why does this matter?
This matters because the casino has only one chance to choose the version they want to use. It’s not possible to switch between variants and modify the game to fit their needs. This is strictly prohibited in regulated markets.
Once a game version is certified, it’s done – if there are any new changes or alterations, the game must be resubmitted for testing again.
But it’s not a one-time thing. Regulators and testing labs don’t do their job once and then that’s it. Instead, the games are checked regularly as a way to monitor safety and fairness.
Typically, regulators conduct these game tests annually, or they even use live RTP monitoring to ensure the games are performing exactly the same as they did when they were launched. If there is any change detected that is not announced, the game will be put under investigation and the certificate that the game received might be suspended.
RTP and Volatility
RTP (Return to Player), hit frequency, and volatility are the most important game stats that can give you insight into how the game will behave.
If you want to understand better each term, we invite you to check out our guides for slot volatility and the differences between theoretical and actual RTP rates.
In most cases, game studios release information about the game’s stats (RTP, volatility, hit rate, etc) upon the game’s launch. The RTP is a rate that is fluctuating, as it measures the rate of returns of all bets over time. That means that the advertised RTP (the rate the studio announces upon launch) should technically match the RTP of the game even later on. However, as that’s not possible 100%, there’s a range for divergence from the advertised rate to the one in real-time.
Some regulators impose these tolerance limits, others request live monitoring which tracks the actual game performance and compares it to the theoretical RTP in real time.
Live Casino Games and Fairness
Establishing fairness for RNG games that are digital only and rely solely on software, without any kind of human factor, seems easy. But is it the same for live dealer games? After all, they are a mix of both digital RNG gaming and actual, human real-world gameplay. Ensuring they are fair is equally as important, but regulations look a little bit different for these tables compared to online slots.
Who Regulates Studios and How Are They Audited?
Live studios – software companies who design and launch live dealer games – operate under licenses issued by regulators such as the UKGC, MGA, etc. In other words, these are must follow the same rules that any other software studio that owns a license from the regulator for a specific market.
Moreover, there are other standards that they must adhere to, such as the RTS 17 standard set by the UKGC for live dealer studios.
Everything in the studio is reviewed: from video recordings to the procedures for dealing, and all physical equipment such as cards, shuffling machines, and roulette wheels. Of course, no one, not even the dealers, can affect outcomes beyond normal dealing. Since all table activity is recorded, everything that happens at the table can be reviewed to ensure that everything is fair and according to the rules.
Gaming Fairness in the US Gambling Market
In the USA, gambling markets like New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania are among the rare states that allow online gambling. More and more states are legalizing online gambling by introducing regulation frameworks, too.
However, these three are also among the strictest markets out there, as is expected, considering they’ve championed regulations inthe US market. For instance, in New Jersey, the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) requires every single game, RNG, and even game update to be tested and approved by its internal lab. If not the internal lab, then a certified partner that’s working outside the division. Before the games can be published and go live at casinos, it’s necessary to get the approved certificate from the division. There’s a slight difference between online and live dealer games, though. Online-only games are server-based games, whereas live tables fall under the dealer-verified games. All must be certified before reaching the players.
Provably Fair Games How Do They Work?
Talking about the US market has led us to Provably Fair games, which are directly linked to cryptocurrency and Web3 platforms (which are present in the US market).
So, what are Provably Fair games?
Basically, Provably fair is the name of the algorithm which ensures that the games are fair that can be used by the players. essentially, it allows players to verify the status of the game by themselves. It’s a technology that is built on blockchain, a public ledger allowing a maximum level of transparency.
Provably fair allows every player to manually check the fairness of the game any time they want.
After a round in a chosen game, the player can match the encrypted keys given by the algorithm to see if there have been any alterations or tampering with the game outcome during the game.
Provably Fair gaming is therefore linked to cryptocurrency casinos. Crypto casinos with dice, table, slot, or crash games will use the algorithm to generate encrypted keys for every round and outcome of the games. Thanks to that, crypto casinos can offer an even higher level of security in the fairness of the results, especially in the unregulated or grey zone markets where laws are not as strict as they should be.
But it’s not a cure-all. Games that do not possess certificates are unsafe and should be avoided, even if they are labelled as Provably Fair. If you notice that the game is not certified or if the casino is not offering a license info, then it might be smarter to look for a different option.
Provably Fair Gaming and Regular Casinos: A Comparison
Here's a short list of differences between casinos with Provably Fair technology and regular online casino websites.
| Provably Fair Casino | Traditional Online Casino |
| Uses the algorithm to generate outcomes and keeps them in a hash that can accessed later by the players | Uses Random Number Generator to generate outcomes in the games that are played by the players |
| The blockchain is a public ledger, so there’s no need for a third-party check, players can do it on their own | Players cannot check the outcomes by themselves, they must rely on third-party testing labs to confirm |
| Associated with cryptocurrency casinos, because it’s built on blockchain and therefore works with crypto | Uses regular banking and does not have to be crypto-related, but it can offer crypto payments and games. |
Cryptocurrency casinos can have Provably Fair algorithms only, not regular casinos. However, regular casinos may offer crypto payments, but not necessarily.
How Can I Verify a Site’s Fairness?
Even without technical expertise, players can take several steps to ensure they’re playing at a fair and reputable casino.
1. Check License Jurisdiction and Named Testing Lab
Scroll to the footer of the casino website. You should see a valid license number (e.g., UKGC, MGA, NJ DGE) and one or more testing lab seals such as eCOGRA, GLI, or iTech Labs.
2. Find the Certificate
Clicking a lab’s seal should lead to a certificate page. Check that the supplier, game version, and certification date match what’s shown on the casino site.
3. Compare the Game’s RTP and Rules
Open the slot’s help or info menu and confirm the RTP value. If multiple RTP variants exist, ensure the one displayed matches the one you’re playing.
4. Run a Small Withdrawal Test
If you’re new to a casino, start small. Try depositing, playing, and withdrawing a modest amount to confirm fast and legitimate processing.
Final Thoughts
Online casino game fairness isn’t blind trust that the games will be random and unpredictable. It’s a science-based approach that relies on math and regulations.
But as you might’ve seen, despite the tight regulations, there are still cracks through which scam platforms slip through. At such venues, the games are not safe and fair, which means you are at risk of getting scammed big time. So, choose platforms that promote transparency, have licenses for regulated markets, and audits and certifications that ensure the fairness of each and every game. Don’t wait for the casino to put your safety first – play responsibly and protect yourself first.
