Are Slots Really Random? Understanding RNGs

Imagining winning one of the many progressive jackpots offered on slots can be mind-boggling. Slots attract millions of players every year on both land-based and online casinos. However, you should keep in mind that winning on slots depends on luck. The outcome of each spin is entirely random and is regulated by programmes known as Random Number Generators or RNGs.

What are RNGs?

Learning RNGs is like understanding the maths of gambling. Back when slots were the newest games in the industry, the machines used mechanical concepts to randomly generate numbers. Thanks to technology, the random number generation process is now digitised, on a computer chip. In short, RNGs determine which symbols will appear on your reel.

How do RNGs work?

The computer chip runs the RNG program, thus triggering numbers to correspond to the symbols on the reel of the slot. The RNG selects random numbers between value 0 and 4 billion. The random values are then translated into a particular set of numbers to correspond to the symbols on the reels.

RNG supplies the game with several random numbers before the game can express the numbers in slot machine symbols. Therefore, Random Number Generators are entirely separated from the game itself.

Randomization always begins with a ‘seed number’ which is then used to create a new random number. Random Number Generators uses an advanced and quite intricate algorithm and randomization doesn’t stop. In fact, the Random Number generation proceeds even when no one is playing. Note the numbers are rather huge, usually with more than 200,000 digits.

Why is winning or losing random but RTP is definite?

As a slot player, you might wonder why RTP (return to player) is constant but winning or losing is random. Well, by definition, RTP  is the money a casino will pay you back over time and is determined by the gaming provider. For instance, a casino with 94% RTP will give you 94 cents for every $1 that you use to play.

Some people have different rituals that they perform before spinning the wheel for a progressive jackpot. While some players kiss their palms, others hold on to a luck-object and even mutter a short prayer.

Now, you know that slots are all about lady luck and thankfully, in this case, the lady smiles more than twice. Meaning you still have many chances of winning a jackpot.

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