Wherever you have an internet connection today, you can get online and start playing casino games. There are so many different online casinos now in operation and each of them offers their players a choice of hundreds of different games. All the casino classics – such as baccarat, roulette, blackjack and slots, as well as other table games such as poker and craps – can be played online at sites such as 32red and Mr Green Casino. What was once a niche hobby – for those who lived close enough to a land-based casino or who were willing to make the journey to one in order to play – is now enjoyed by millions on a daily basis.

So how is it that we as players can feel confident that we’re getting a fair chance of winning? How do we know that the games aren’t fixed in the casinos’ favour? Of course, every casino game has a house edge. That’s how the industry makes its money and there wouldn’t be any point to the business otherwise. But the thing that gives us confidence in the online sites is their simulation of the element of chance through the use of Random Number Generator (RNG) systems, so that the games give players a fair chance, however slim, of winning. RNG is what ensures that when you play slot games online the reels will stop on a random combination of symbols, and that when a roulette wheel comes to a halt the numbered pocket that the ball lands in is random. It’s also what guarantees that the hand of cards you are dealt in a game of online blackjack or poker is a random one.

RNG adds the ‘chance’ element to online casino games (image courtesy of banspy).

The way RNG works in online casino games is as follows. RNG systems are applied to the gaming software using algorithms which are applied to produce a set of calculations. This process produces a group of numbers, which are then reduced down to the appropriate number for each game. In online roulette, for instance, only one number needs to be generated per spin. This prevents the possibility of games being fixed in any way so gaming operators are able to reassure players that, whatever game they are playing, the return to player odds stated in each game’s rules is accurate.

The RNG isn’t supplied by the casinos themselves, but by third parties, which gives players greater reassurance. Added to this, all reputable sites are regulated by independent bodies such as eCOGRA, which audits different websites, carrying out independent reviews and providing reports on payout percentages at each site. These are then available to view on the host website. There’s also another layer of reassurance, through the fact that online casinos have to have a license to operate within a country, and meet certain criteria to retain that license.

The size of the online gambling industry has increased massively in the past few years, and is still on a growing trend. This makes it imperative for all casino sites to do what they can to ensure they capture their share of the market, and to retain customers, they have to not only offer realistic player return odds on their games, but also give players the reassurance that their games are trustworthy. RNG plays a crucial part in doing that.