How RNG Slots Work
RNGs are an essential element for secure online gambling in today's industry. Almost every casino will list that they use an RNG to ensure safe and random results but many people do not actually understand what it means.
Do you want to understand how the results are kept random next time you play slots? Read on and we will explain it.
How Slots Evolved And The Need For RNGs
Are you a slot fan? If so, you may be one of the main reasons why slots make up to 70% of all casino revenues. Slots are currently the most loved and popular modes of gambling. Thanks to having different themes and exciting features that make gameplay unique, slots are often preferred by beginners looking for a simple game to while away the time.
However, as time has progressed, slot machines have had to evolve to catch up with technology. In the past, slot machines used mechanical reels. Today, slots are coming equipped with a complex microchip that makes the winning combinations you anticipate so much, appear in a random manner called a Random Number Generator.
All online slots today operate by use of a Random Number Generator, a microchip that is built to generate random numbers all the time, even when everyone is offline, and no one is playing. Regardless of the type of slot (video, progressive, classic), these generated numbers are the ones that decide the position of the reels. Understanding the functioning of the RNG is important in helping you fashion the best gaming strategy possible. Many players out there believe that a slot has a cycle that you can predict to help you know the best time to spin so you get a hit. The cycle myth could not be more wrong.
How the RNG works
Every time you pull a lever or hit the spin button, what the slot machine displays when the reels cease to spin is the position of the latest numbers generated, as the random numbers will correspond to positions on each of the machine's reels.
The RNG serves as the brains of the machine. For as long as the slot machine is powered up, the RNG keeps producing numbers every millisecond, and these numbers are translated into different symbol combinations that will then show on the reels. Each millisecond, the RNG chip generates a random number between one and four billion. The outcome of each of your spins is determined by this random number so that you do not have to worry about unfairness. The machine is accurate and impartial.
Types of RNGs
There are two types of RNGs:
- True Random Number Generators (TRNGs) - TRNGs use unpredictable physical occurrences to generate numbers, while PRNGs use a computer algorithm or a mathematical formula to generate sequences of numbers that will have the effect of randomness.
- Pseudo-random Number Generators (PRNGs) - Pseudo RNGs are given the Pseudo prefix because the sequence of numbers they produce are not exactly random but predetermined, while those of True RNGs are truly random as they are based on natural phenomena such as the waves of the sea.
It should be noted that machines use PRNGs - they are more efficient for slot use as they can generate a large sequence of numbers in one go, and do not require any external input apart from the algorithm.
Principle of the RNG and Reel Slot Machines
The working principle of the RNG can be rather technical. Here is a simplified way to help you understand the basics of how winning spins are determined:
Every reel-type slot machine has spaces on each reel that can either contain a symbol or a blank. These spaces are called physicals stops. While older machines had reels that could hold up to 20 stops, modern machines' reels have up to 22 stops. Today's microprocessing technology has made it possible for newer machines to have a larger number of virtual stops.
Imagine a machine with ten stops on each reel, and since there are three symbols on each reel, there can be 10x10x10 = 1,000 possible combinations. These 1,000 combinations are called a cycle, and this term can often be confused to make players believe that machines have winning and losing cycles.
The odds of a three-number combination being picked in such a machine would be 1 in 1000. Theoretically, if you spun the machine 1,000 times, you would expect to see each of these combinations at least once, though practically, that is rarely ever the case.
Think of the Daily Pick 3 lottery, where there are three glass bowls with each having balls numbered 0-9. During the draw, the balls are mixed up, and a ball will pop up through the tube to produce the first 'lucky' number. The procedure is repeated for the second and third numbers. This example will be helpful in understanding how the RNG works. Imagine now that the balls labeled 0-9 are symbols for a slot. In each bowl, there will be one jackpot symbol, two balls with bars, three with a cherry, and four blank ones. The RNG is the person who will oversee the draw.
Since the process of getting a ball out of the bowls is repeated three times, the breakdown probabilities of getting a winning combination are as follows:
- 3 jackpot balls: 1x1x1=1
- 3 bar balls: 2x2x2=8
- 3 cherry balls: 3x3x3=27
Total winning combinations where you get similar symbols on the reels: 27+8+1=36
The remaining 964 losing combinations out of 1,000 will include:
- 3 blank balls
- 2 blank balls plus a symbol
- 1 blank and 2 symbols
- 3 mixed up symbols
The RNG picks up such combinations of numbers thousands of times over in every second, only selecting one when you hit 'Spin' or deposit a coin.
The RNG cannot be influenced in any way
Many players out there have been swindled with the promise that they can purchase some sort of software that will swing the RNG in their favor. You must understand that it is impossible to affect the RNG's process of number generation as it is completely random. The hit frequency and payout ratio are set and cannot be changed by any software or tricks.
The link between RTP and RNG
Casinos use RNGs to bring in the aspect of randomness, which is vital in the casino world to add the element of chance or luck. RNGs are built to select a certain combination of numbers from its sequence to achieve the set RTP. Casinos are required to check their actual RTPs to ensure that the RNGs they use are not faulty by dividing the total payout amount by total turnover of the machine.
