The ‘Rigged’ Myth: Separating Rant from Fact in Online Casino Fairness

In today’s vibrant world of online casinos, a major source of debate amongst players is the fairness of gambling sites. Many individuals, from newbies to seasoned players, think that “online casinos are rigged” and are not shy about spreading their belief. This “rigged” rant often sparks heated debates across online forums within the iGaming community.

However, is there any truth to this major accusation? Or is it just a “rant” fueled by misconception, misunderstanding, and frustration? This article examines the long-standing debate about casino rigging and fairness, separating fact from myth.

The Psychological Factor: Why People Feel Online Casinos are “Rigged”

The simple truth is that most people believe that online casinos are rigged due to frustration when certain situations occur while playing games. Below are some of the reasons why many have come to the “rigged” conclusion:

Near-Miss Effect: Some casino games, like slots or the Aviator game in India, often create the impression of near misses. For example, you can land two jackpot symbols and almost snag a third only for it to be replaced by another icon. While random, such near-misses often feel intentional.
Losses feel intentional: With casino games, it’s only natural to win some and lose some. However, when they start to lose repeatedly, players will begin to feel that there is a pattern to it. This often results in the conclusion that an outside force is influencing the negative outcome.
Confirmation Bias: When players have strongly formed the opinion that online casinos are rigged, all they will often notice are the significant losses and missed opportunities. This will only further solidify their belief, even if they’ve enjoyed great winnings in the past.
Lack of technical understanding: Most players lack a basic understanding of the technical aspect of what drives casino gaming results. Many don’t know what RNG (random number generator), RTP (return to player), and house edge mean in games and how they influence fairness.

Understanding the Random Number Generator

At the heart of every casino game on legit gambling sites lies an innovation called the random number generator (RNG). This is a complex, sophisticated computer algorithm designed to determine the outcome of every game round, from slot spins to dice rolls and card deals. RNG constantly generates long, random sequences of numbers that are impossible to predict or manipulate. As such, it helps ensure that every game round in casinos is unique, with independent results that don’t affect others.

Interestingly, another exciting fair play innovation that has recently emerged within the online casino gaming world is the provably fair system. This innovative system not only ensures the randomness of game results but also allows players to verify the fairness manually. Ultimately, due to these features, it’s impossible to rig online casinos or manipulate game outcomes.

The Watchdogs: Licensing, Regulation & Auditing

You may want to ask how you can be sure that an online casino utilizes the random number generator system. The answer to that is a valid license. Legitimate online casinos are required to obtain licenses from reputable authorities, such as the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), and the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, among others. These authorities ensure that their licensed online casino only offers RNG-generated games and enforce penalties on any platform found to be in violation.

Some online casinos go a step further by utilizing third-party auditors to verify the fairness of their games. These auditors test the RNG algorithm through millions of simulations to ensure it is functioning correctly and producing truly random outcomes. Some of the most notable fairplay testing agencies include:

eCOGRA
iTech Labs
GLI (Gaming Laboratories International)
BMM Testlabs

The Reality of Rogue Operators

While online casinos themselves are not “rigged,” it’s not uncommon to find some rogue sites. Today’s increasingly digitized world has led to the rise of criminal elements who set up clone or dummy websites for malicious purposes. Such websites operate without valid licensing and outside regulatory oversight. As such, anything can happen on such platforms, from rigging to identity theft. This is why it is important to only play at legitimate, licensed, and reputable online casinos to avoid falling victim to rogue operators.

Conclusion

The “rigged” myth is nothing but a rant, a byproduct of players’ misconceptions, misunderstandings, and frustrating experiences while playing games. While rogue operators do exist, the mainstream online casino world is heavily regulated with strict watchdogs at its helm. With the random number generator behind its games, the industry is designed with fairness as a primary priority.

However, fair play is not a guarantee of winning. It only ensures that everybody has a fair shot at winning based on clearly outlined odds. So, both wins and losses are a natural part of online casino games.