RNG: The Next Generation in Fairness

01 February 2012

When it comes to bingo it’s all about the little numbered balls. As much as you love your bingo, have you ever wondered what makes the whole thing fair? Type RGN into any search engine…..or is it RNG? Let’s start at the beginning.

The Random Number Generator (RNG) is the key to fairness in gambling. RNG is a computational device designed to generate a series of numbers that have no particular pattern. Simply put, RNG is a program used to generate numbers in a manner that is not only random but unpredictable.

In the land based world, each number is generated by the touch of a button by the caller. Again, this is simply a program used to create the series of numbers to be called. He has no control over what numbers are produced or which one of us wins. I must share a tidbit from my life. My mother-in-law has found an arch nemesis in one particular bingo caller named Paul. Whenever I go to our local bingo club, I cringe when I see him calling. Why? She actually believes that he controls what numbers called and prevents her from winning. There are several linked games of bingo played with the other clubs around the country. The caller always resets the RNG at the close of each linked session and makes a point to announce this all in the name of fairness. I’ve attempted to explain to her what RNG is and how Paul doesn’t have a clue what numbers are being called. She will forever insist that the game is fixed.

As for online bingo, the concept is the same. The program used involves an algorithm. What the heck is an algorithm? It’s an effective method expressed as a finite list of specific instructions for calculating a function. In our case this function is picking the numbers on free bingo night.

Many bingo sites proudly display the presence of the RNG representing randomness and fairness. Did you know that the RNG’s undergo rigorous testing? If the site isn’t tested, it’s shady. No doubt about it. When your favorite bingo site passes with flying colors you may be able to view these audit reports. The same bingo RNG principles apply to many aspects of gambling including slots. Each payout is meant to be completely random and unpredictable.

When the same player wins repeatedly we must have faith in the RNG. This is certainly a difficult pill to swallow when the winner is not you but long gone are the days of pulling balls from a cage. We want convenience to pave the way forward. With convenience comes RNG.