Whether online casinos are rigged is a question often asked and completely reasonable: you work hard to earn money and don’t want to risk losing it on something doomed before you even start. If this question has come to your mind, you’ll be relieved to hear that no, legitimate and regulated casinos are not rigged.
In fact, these casinos are tested for what’s called fair play; in other words, they’re tested precisely to ensure that they aren’t rigged for the house to win. However, the reality is that you’re still unlikely to win a casino game.
Since the casino isn’t rigged, but you probably still won’t win, what’s going on? To understand, we need to look at how casino games work and, more specifically, the odds of winning them.
Understanding the Odds of Winning
If you feel like you’re on a losing streak and worry it’s because the casino is rigged against you, it’s not. It means the odds of winning just aren’t in your favor.
The odds of winning are impacted by what’s known as the “house edge” or “casino advantage.” These terms refer to the odds of the casino keeping your wager. Each game has its own house edge that cannot be impacted by the casino (this means they’ll be the same odds at every casino you go to).
Table games usually offer players the best odds of winning, though some games have better odds than others. For instance, for the game blackjack, the house edge is 0.28%, while keno has an edge of 25-29%. So, knowing the house edge can help you make more informed decisions on which games to play to have the odds in your favor.
The odds of winning are often identified as an RTP (return to player) percentage. This percentage considers how much of the wagered amounts are returned as wins or prizes over a set period. It’s essentially the inverse of the house edge. If the house edge is set at 2%, the RTP will be 98%.
The trick with an RTP is that it’s not a percentage for one player playing one game. It’s established by a much longer time span than a single game. For instance, most slot games provide the RTP based on the lifetime of a game.
How Game Outcomes Are Generated
All those odds of winning (and losing) have something in common: random chance. With in-person casinos, seeing how cards, dice, and even slots can be randomized is easier. But, when it’s all computer generated, how can you trust that the random chance is actually random chance?
That’s where RNG programs come into play.
RNG, which stands for Random Number Generator, is what casinos use to ensure fair gameplay for their games. An RNG generates outcomes randomly without following patterns or favoring a player or casino. Just like you’d shuffle a deck of cards before dealing for a game, a random number generator shuffles the possible outcomes to distribute them randomly for slot games, dice games, and even card games.
Most legitimate and regulated casinos will not only state their use of an RNG but also have an independent third party validate the RNG program they use.
Pro tip: if you ever want to test a game’s odds in practice before wagering real money on it, quite a few games, particularly slots, have a demo mode that lets you play for free.
Qualities of a Legitimate Online Casino
The advent of online gaming is a double-edged sword. It’s made it easy to gamble, but it’s also made it easy to fall victim to a risky online casino that may be rigged or doesn’t protect its players. To be sure you’re playing through an online casino that isn’t rigged, there are a few elements that you should look for before registering or making any deposits.
A Connection to a Regulatory Body
If an online casino is legitimate, it follows the regulations set out by gambling regulatory bodies. To see if the casino you’re considering gaming with is legitimate, look for your state’s gambling regulatory body’s logo and license number. Alternatively, use the regulatory body’s website for your area to see if they offer a list of regulated online casinos.
Information on Responsible Gambling
Part of protecting players is providing information about responsible gambling best practices and links or phone numbers for additional support relating to problem gambling.
Self-Exclusion Tools
These tools are invaluable to helping players gamble responsibly, and a legitimate casino will offer tools to enhance responsible gameplay. This can include setting time limits for gameplay or suspending access to a player’s account for a predetermined amount of time.
Deposit & Wagering Limits
This is another component of gambling best practices, and any online casino you’re using should allow you to set deposit and wagering limits to help you stay within your budget and avoid financial distress.
Clearly Outlined Terms & Conditions
A legitimate casino needs to have easy-to-find terms and conditions for using their website and playing their games, taking advantage of bonuses or incentives, and outlining withdrawal minimums or limits. These allow you to know what you can expect from an online casino, so you aren’t surprised by unexpected costs, rules, or an inability to withdraw your winnings.
Statement of Fairness
As mentioned, most regulated casinos will test for fair gameplay, often with a separate entity testing on their behalf. A regulated and legitimate casino will make it clear to its users how they’ve ensured fair gameplay and who has tested this for them.
Secure Payment Options
This sounds obvious, but anytime you’re putting your financial information online, you want to feel confident that it will be protected. Ensure that the online casino you’re playing with protects any and all personal information you provide.
Online Casinos Aren’t Rigged, They’re Just Playing the Odds
In every game played at a casino, whether online or in person, the casino has some form of edge on the game. This is why it feels like a casino is rigged and why the saying “the house always wins” has become so prevalent.
The odds of getting a big payout while gambling are slim, but that’s part of the thrill of the game – there’s an element of risk. But that risk shouldn’t be wasted on a questionable online casino or with the intention of earning an income. When it comes to online casino games, it’s best to gamble for the thrill of the game and to find a reputable casino you can trust.