Random number generators (RNG) are one of the cogs in the multibillion-dollar gaming industry. Many of us will only see the fascinating result of game designs, some of which have been years in the making. If it wasn’t for cutting-edge technology and true innovators within the sector, then the development of the games wouldn’t be anywhere near as impressive as it’s been since the beginning of this century.
RNG software ensures that each number selected is truly random. The obvious use case for this is casino gaming, but RNG is also implemented in video gaming. It’s not simply used to create random numbers; it’s also used to create a series of random outcomes.
Casino games have been using RNG technology for over half a century. The first implementation occurred in video slot games in land-based casinos. However, as the iGaming industry was born and non-live dealer games emerged, such as virtual roulette and blackjack, a variety of casino games incorporated this technology. As the investment in this software grew into the millions, it rightly came under greater scrutiny and more rigorous testing. Below, we review what this looks like in practice.
Testing RNG in casino gaming
Few pieces of software carry the importance that RNG does in the casino gaming world. When the switch occurred from land-based companies to digital services, the most frequent question asked of those in the industry was how they could prove that the games they used were fair.
In a casino, some measures counteract any concerns of foul play, such as:
- A pit boss
- CCTV cameras
- Swapping decks of cards and dealers regularly
Virtual casino games also provide the same safety guarantees in the modern day, but this is solely thanks to RNG technology and its validity. Slot machine gaming companies must ensure that their games are completely random. Otherwise, they will not pass the benchmark to publish their games on prominent casino platforms.
While some exploratory testing is involved, there are also tried and tested methods like the monobit test, which simply maps out the number of zeroes and ones that appear in any random set of numbers to ensure that it churns out the exact number you’d expect from an entirely random sequence.
Any software must pass a set number of RNG tests before being given the industry green light. If it does not work effectively, it could cost gaming companies millions of dollars and bring their project’s reputation and viability into disrepute, so they must cover all the angles. Some of the types of testing include:
Birthday spacings
This involves choosing random points on a large interval. The spacings between the points should be asymptotically exponentially distributed. It’s based on the birthday problem theory.
Monkey tests
No, this doesn’t mean monkeys are used to test casino games. The infinite monkey theorem is the belief that, if given enough time, a monkey would eventually type out any body of text from human history. RNG monkey tests apply this same logic to number testing to ensure the total randomness of each number that appears in a sequence.
The craps test
A casino testing analogy we can get behind. The craps tests involve two million games of craps and measuring the number of throws and wins per game. However, in casino gaming testing, RNGs will be put through their paces, such as a slot game spinning tens of thousands of automated spins. The data is then analyzed to ensure that there’s no pattern to the rate it’s paying out and that there are no issues that impact the house edge or RTP of the game.
Second-level testing
Once an RNG software provider has had their work extensively evaluated and put through a number of these tests, they pitch their software to gaming companies. This could be ones in the iGaming world that specialize in virtual roulette, blackjack or slot gaming design or companies that use RNG in their home video console games. Some of the most prominent uses of RNG in video gaming include:
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- Destiny 2
- Borderlands 2
- EA Sports FC 24
- NFL Madden
Once the technology has proven robust enough, game designers who work for these colossal companies put it through their paces. As you can see, these games differ wildly in their themes, user experience and storyline. In EA Sports FC 24, for instance, an RNG will determine whether a shot that the computer takes against you will go in from 25 yards out or not.
In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, RNGs generate the world where the game is set, including how often an animal might appear in the wilderness or whether it’s raining or a clear day.
All of this is determined by RNG software. If at any point it is found that the results aren’t entirely arbitrary, it will be sent back to the drawing board. This can sometimes occur months into testing or in the latter stages of a game, so the stakes are enormous.
Final thoughts
Gaming is a popular pastime for so many of us, and for us to fully let go and immerse ourselves in these gaming ideas or worlds, we need to believe and witness that a game is unequivocally random. If there’s a mere suggestion that an RNG is not generating random outcomes, then it brings the whole game structure into disrepute.
While this wouldn’t be the end of the world for console gaming, so long as the storyline and the overall playability remained solid, it’s the entire fabric of the casino gaming industry. If the RNG falls into a pattern, it’s a lose-lose for the casino. If the RNG results in players winning more than the house, it could result in a real money loss that balloons into the millions of dollars.
Likewise, if the game is unfair and doesn’t pay out at all, then the casino can suffer significant reputational damage, which can cost it even more in the long run. Extensive testing in RNG helps keep the industry fair, which is why it’s so robust and thorough.