Wherever casino games are hosted online, they use random number generation (RNG) to mimic the randomness of real life. This ensures that the action in games like roulette is fair, using complex third-party programs that are also getting better over time. Here’s a brief explanation of how RNGs work and why it’s an important technology outside of the online casino.

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Random Number Generation in Casino Games

At its simplest, a random number generator is hardware or software that produces an unpredictable sequence. In casino games, it’s used to determine the outcome of chance events like dice throws, pulling from a card deck, or where the ball lands on a digital roulette wheel. All three are popular on iGaming sites, alongside live-streamed versions of real-life games. When a site hosts live roulette online, the results of a spin are unpredictable to the host and everybody in the audience. RNGs help recreate this effect in the digital world – current RNG technology is unpredictable by human beings.

Whether it’s a six-sided die or a 52-card deck, RNGs produce results while also considering other facets of the game. For example, you can’t pull the same card twice from the deck if that card is already in play. Fortunately, iGaming sites license rigorously tested third-party software that ensures randomness for their customers.

How RNGs Work

Creating random outputs is a lot more difficult than it sounds. After all, it’s hard to determine if something is truly random or just subject to a method that we can’t see. This has caused some thought leaders to determine that the concept of randomness, even in the real world, doesn’t really exist.

We use two primary ways to create randomness – the first relies on measuring a physical event that cannot be predicted. This is where hardware is used to analyse complicated processes like the decay of background radiation and other examples of natural entropy. By measuring this, hardware RNG happens upon an unforeseeable output that can be reliably used.

However, that’s impractical for a lot of industries that work with randomness. As such, most modern RNG is performed by software called pseudorandom number generators. These are computational algorithms that generally don’t rely on physical processes. The prefix ‘pseudo’ is used because, as a computer algorithm, it reaches its outcome using predictable processes. As humans, we just don’t have the processing power to see or determine what those outcomes will be, making it fully random for most intents and purposes.

Why RNG is Always Getting Better

The tech used in RNG software is constantly improving, including the third-party software used by iGaming sites. This is because RNG is used for a lot more than determining roulette spins. When a password manager generates a password, it uses RNG software to produce its outcome. RNG technology is also at the centre of many proofing mechanisms, particularly secure encryption responsible for developments like the blockchain. When a computer runs an algorithm, there is always some method to its madness. If unsecured, that method may be determined using rival software.

This is why RNG is important for cybersecurity, as computer scientists aim to produce results that are unpredictable to both humans and rival computer programs. As those RNG methods get more advanced, third-party RNG providers adopt useful improvements to guarantee that their games stay random and unbreakable. This means iGaming and other pedestrian uses of RNG technology benefit from continued research into randomness and better ways of creating it.

The average game of roulette has a fairly low house edge. European games, with a single zero, have a house edge of 2.70%. American roulette, which has an extra number (38 in total), has a house edge of 5.26%. Even a small change in the games dynamics can have a profound effect on the house edge. This information is important because it dictates the potential return rate, otherwise known as the Return to Player (RTP) value. Therefore, we can use house-edge and RTP to assess the potential of a roulette game.

The Significance of RTPs in Roulette

Before we look at different types of roulette and what their potential payout rates are, we need to understand the theory behind RTP. To work out the RTP, subtract the house edge from 100. So, for European roulette, the RTP value is 100% 2.7% = 97.3%. An RTP of 97.3% tells us that, in theory, you’ll get $97.30 back for every $100 wagered. This doesn’t mean you’ll get a $97.30 return every time you wager $100. There will be times when your win rate is higher than 97.3% and times when it will be lower. In fact, it’s this variance that allows you to have winning sessions because, if you always got the exact RTP, you wouldn’t make a profit. But, because results can fluctuate around the expected norm, it’s possible to have winning sessions. However, over time, the RTP should hit 97.3%.

Different roulette variants have different RTP values. If you play Money Back roulette at Paddy Power, the RTP is 98.65%. The gameboard is identical to a European roulette gameboard i.e. it has 37 numbers running from 0 to 36. The payouts are also the same. The reason it has a better RTP than traditional European roulette is the fact you get a rebate on certain bets. Specifically, if you make an even money bet and the ball lands on zero, you’ll receive a 50% rebate. The addition of this feature reduces the house edge which, in turn, improves your potential return rate.

Roulette RTP Values Can Vary

We see a similar thing happen when you add or remove other features. So, to bring this roulette guide to a conclusion, let’s run through some of the most popular online variants and, importantly, their RTP values. Variants that use the European format, such as Instant Roulette, Lightning Roulette and 10p Roulette have an RTP of 97.30%. The same goes for variants that use two balls, such as Double Ball Roulette. Variants that have a cashback feature, such as French Roulette Gold, have an RTP of 98.65%.

As you can see, the average RTP is 97.30%, which conforms to European roulette’s value. Games with cashback, aka La Partage, offer better potential returns over the long term (aka expected value), but it’s important to understand that anything can happen in the short term. You might go on a run that sees you achieve an RTP of more than 100%. This type of run probably won’t last forever, which is why it’s important to consider the RTP values if you want to get maximum value when you play roulette online.