Players and game developers must understand how slot algorithms and random number generators affect payout. Whether you want to understand slot technology to boost your winning strategies or you are in the process of creating casino slots, this article will help. This blog focuses on the science behind Random Number Generators (RNGs) in slots and how they influence payouts. Along the way, we highlight examples of the best online casinos the UKGC allows to host RNG slots.
What are Random Number Generators?
A Random Number Generator (RNG), is an arithmetical algorithm that generates unpredictable and completely random numbers. After you hit the SPIN button, the RNG will stop on a specific set of numbers corresponding to the symbols on the slot’s grid.
|n online slot games, the RNG continues producing a sequence of numbers even when the game is not active or played.
The RNG system is at the centre of all action on a slot. Its complex and sophisticated algorithm ensures that every spin on the reels is entirely random and independent of previous outcomes.
Types of Random Number Generators in Casino Slots
There are two major types of RNGs in slot machines.
- TRNG – Electric appliance that produces random outcomes. It uses unpredictable variables like air temperature, atmospheric pressure, airwave static and decay of isotopes to produce random values.
- PRNG – A software algorithm that uses a ‘seed’ value, a key that determines possible outcomes by the RNG. PRNG systems only need the algorithm and seed to work. Most importantly, the outcomes are not expressed in numbers. In slot games, the value corresponds to an image and the result on the player’s screen.
The secret mechanism of RNG
Random Number Generators (RNGs) are the unseen puppeteers of online casino slots. The RNG continuously weaves intricate mathematical formulas in every slot into an alarming succession of number sequences. It is a beautiful arithmetic symphony that orchestrates the results of spins on a slot through random numbers.
The types of symbols on the grid at the time, where the symbols are on the grid and how often they show up are all randomly influenced by RNGs. Therefore, the irregular mathematical sequence also orchestrates the patterns that form winning combinations.
The role of the algorithm on a slot’s payout
- Random Number Generators
- This is the core of a slot’s algorithm.
- The RNG ensures the outcome of each spin is entirely random.
- Remains active, continuously generating numbers, even when no one is playing the game.
- Reel Mapping
- Every reel in the slot has a sequence of symbols, also known as a reel strip.
- The RNG software selects numbers corresponding to positions on these reel strips.
- The selected symbols will align to create the outcome of the spin.
- Payline calculation
- All online slots, including megaways, have predefined pay lines, where a combination of matching symbols must align to form a win.
- The slot’s algorithm checks the spin’s outcome against these pay lines to determine whether there is a win.
- What about the Payout?
- Each winning combination has a payout assigned to it.
- The algorithm calculates your payout based on particular combinations of the bet made.
|ALL Slots have a paytable visible to all players. The paytables indicate how much each symbol will reward if you win with your current bet. Players should always look at a slot’s pay table before deciding how much to bet.
- RTP (Return to Player) configuration
- The RTP indicates the average amount a player will win from the slot over time.
- Slot algorithms ensure that the payouts align with the RTP percentage, even over many spins.
- Volatility configuration
- Volatility is the frequency of payouts on the slot.
- The algorithm is adjusted to have high, medium or low volatility. However, this does not affect the RNG.
- Activating bonuses
- Most online slots have bonuses like free spins, transforming wolds, expanding symbols etc.
- The slot algorithm applies RNG to activate these bonuses, ensuring they are entirely random.
Are RNGs trustworthy?
Yes, if they are licensed, regulated and approved by authorities like the UK Gambling Commission. Cracking an online slot’s RNG algorithm is impossible, and casino operators have no power over how frequently a slot wins or how much it pays out.
According to UKGC regulation on Random Number Generators, all licensed casino software companies in the United Kingdom must ensure their slot algorithm is tested and certified. Additionally, operators must perform audits and have sufficient reports to ensure the games meet regulatory standards.
In simple terms, RNG is an indispensable technology that ensures all online gambling games are 100% fair. So feel free to try out some of the most popular slots online, like Book of Dead, which can reward upto 5,000x your bet on a single spin!
