A big concern for many players when they enter a casino or join up to play online poker or casino games at any of the numerous sites on the Internet is whether or not they can trust the operation to be fair. After all, none of us will participate in a private game if we believe that one of the participants or the host will have an unfair edge owing to a predetermined strategy designed to diminish our chances of winning.
We are all aware that the casino or house will take its cut. It is common knowledge that many games are designed such that the house would win in the long run, but we’re discussing something more direct.
We hope to provide you with a comprehensive picture of what to anticipate when you enter a casino, sit down at a video slot or poker machine, or log in to your online casino or poker site. On our blacklisted sites, you will discover further information, including examples of online and live casino rigging, as well as a summary of site security and rules aimed to ensure the safety of online poker gaming.
Is Online Gaming Rigged?
Is internet gaming rigged?
Websites for online gaming are companies. Their ultimate objective is to generate a profit while enticing users to return and spend more time and money on the game. To allow their customers to enjoy the game, the players must feel safe and secure. There are laws and rules in place to guarantee that the games are conducted ethically and lawfully.
Because the objective is to earn a profit and not every participant can win every game, there are accusations that the games are rigged. Popular theories for proof include the number of bad beats, the notion that wins are structured to keep people playing longer [if lower-quality players win a few games, the theory goes, they’ll stick around longer in the hopes of winning again], and the idea that hands are dealt so as to increase the size of the pots in order to entice players and generate a greater profit for the casino.
Rigged games – roulette
Roulette games are easier to rig offline than online, but when they do exist online, the entire casino system is usually rigged, not just the roulette game.
While the claim is that games are rigged such that the player never wins, the fact is that the casino must have an edge or it would fail. A house edge does not, however, mean that a game is rigged. In addition to the randomness embedded into the game, individual players may also have terrible luck streaks. Even though the hands feel non-random, this is not evidence of a rigged game.
There have been examples of rigged games throughout history. In January 2013, it was discovered that Reel Deal and Hi/Lo Gambler were operating coin flip games that did not provide players with a reasonable chance of winning. Despite claiming a payout rate of 100% to participants (which indicates no advantage or cut for the casino). Unsurprisingly, the payoff was only 96%.
Legally, this was evidence of fraud. The error was detected when a player was provided a fair game in free play mode. Once she switched to a money game, she recorded her performance. After playing tens of thousands of hands of Hi/Lo Gambler, she sent her brother with the logs, which he studied. He determined that the game was not compensating her appropriately.
Blackjack features a mathematical percentage that favors the house, but the payoff % fluctuates according on the player’s degree of competence. The use of random number generators (RNGs) ensures that the odds of online games match those of land-based casinos. An examination based on mathematics should imply that the dividend will average over time.
Unfair contests – binoculars
Over the years, there have also been suspicions that online poker sites are rigged by allowing another player or observer to see everyone’s cards and relay this knowledge on to an active player.
Accusations of manipulated games are particularly prevalent in card rooms. There is a perception that poker tables are rigged to increase profits, such as when novice players are given disproportionately favorable odds. Alternately, an edge may be granted to tilt all-in circumstances in the underdog’s favor. According to one idea, odds that should fall 78-22 would be altered to 80-20. A fraud of this nature, however, would be too easy to detect. In this scenario, the odds might alter in favor of the player who called an all-in wager as opposed to the person who wagered the all-in wager. This may possibly be too simple to identify. The alternative is to change non-all-in hands in favor of the player who called the bet.
The implications of this are readily apparent. It provides players with access to information that would not otherwise be available to them. Observant players will be able to detect this sort of manipulation if they have a thorough grasp of game mechanics and wagering trends.
During a tournament at Absolute Poker in 2007, attentive players questioned the tournament winner’s game play, resulting in an investigation that uncovered a conspiracy in which online players were defrauded of up to $1 million.
Safety and the prevention of manipulated games
Rigged – Governmental authorities conduct an audit
Observed by government auditors
First, every publicly listed online casino is subject to rigorous monitoring. They are routinely evaluated by government agencies and third parties to guarantee that all of their online casino games are fair and that their random number generators are truly random. All of these online casinos constantly interact with government organizations to verify compliance with the laws and regulations of operating a white-listed casino.
Independent Testing Independent Reputation
If you are unclear of whether casinos have a good reputation, ask your friends and relatives that play. They will likely provide you with a wealth of information on sites with a terrible reputation and those with a better reputation. Stick with those who have received positive feedback from reliable sources.
Rigged – PR Good PR
Finally, one must recognize that it is in fact in the best interests of online casinos to have large winnings. It provides them with beneficial PR and word-of-mouth promotion.
Erroneous – Reputation
Independent Testing
Independent testing is conducted to ensure game fairness and random number creation.
Poker sites have a greater than average likelihood of collusion, but no more danger of being rigged than casino sites. Collusion happens when players communicate information about their hands outside of the game. This form of online poker cheating is grounds for at least mild worry. Using instant messaging programs or a telephone would facilitate this form of cheating.
The age of super users and cheating scandals organized by operators is likely over, but players should be vigilant and keep an eye out for questionable activity on the part of operators.
Documented Examples of Rigging
Video Gambling Machine Rigging Video Gambling Machine
There are several situations in which video slot, poker, and other casino and bar gaming machines might be rigged to the benefit of the owning firm. The first incidence of rigging has been well documented and includes many controlling entities. It is a condition that first may not appear criminal and may be anticipated. This situation is known as the “Near Miss” scenario. In this instance, a machine is configured to display a near miss to the player.
For instance, it will produce two sevens on the pay line and a third seven slightly above or below the pay line. This result has the propensity to convince the player that a large payment is imminent. Consequently, they continue to feed coins into the machine. Upon research, it was shown that certain machines generated this “near miss” scenario up to one thousand times more frequently than the payoff scenario. On a genuinely random program, this would never occur. While this scenario just encouraged players to play longer and did not alter their odds, it is now unlawful in Nevada to purposefully build games to produce the “Near Miss” situation.
Another more direct instance of rigging that was reported was influencing a player’s odds of winning. In the 1980s, there was a stir in Nevada about the idiosyncrasies of slot machines and other video gambling equipment found in casinos and bars around the state. Everything culminated with the American Coin Scandal. The incident constitutes the most coordinated plan of fraud ever documented in Nevada. According to documents, American Coin modified the programming in their machines’ chips to prevent players from drawing a royal flush or winning the Keno jackpot. This manipulation directly defrauded participants out of possible payments. As a result, over a thousand devices were confiscated, and the corporation was finally required to pay fines over $1 million.
As a result of these and other cases of rigging or tampering, the Nevada Gaming Control Board has established stringent controls for all video gambling machines in the state. All games are examined. The installation of chips is contingent upon their approval. In casinos, top-paying machines are frequently protected from tampering by permanent camera surveillance. Numerous certified chips are permanently installed on the motherboard of a computer, preventing their replacement or modification. As a result of these security initiatives, video gambling machines are now more controlled and should provide players with a much safer playing venue than in the past.
Fraud and Rigging Online \sFraud on Video Gambling
As we entered the new century, internet poker was seeing a boom. Card players from all over the world were flocking to online poker sites. AbsolutePoker generated a substantial amount of income, and several players participated in everyday play and tournaments on their website. AbsolutePoker, a Canadian firm situated outside of Montreal, Quebec, hosted a Hold’em event with a top prize of $30,000 in 2007. It was a competition similar to others staged in locations across the world. At least, so it appeared. Marco Johnson, a 21-year-old card player from Las Vegas, observed unusual cards and game play occurring far more frequently than expected at the final table. We all anticipate the occasional unusual hand or surprising move, but Johnson believed there was more to this than he could justify. After finishing second in the event, he phoned AbsolutePoker to get a printout of his hand history. What he received in exchange far exceeded his expectations.
In lieu of a simple printout of the hands Johnson played, he received a spreadsheet that included each hand, the table lineups, and the players registered at each table. Johnson began a closer examination of the data after receiving far more information than he had asked. His discovery was surprising. The guy who ultimately won the tournament and its $30,000 prize appeared to have a history of playing illogically. According to Serge Ravitch, a skilled poker player and poker website administrator, this suspect player, who used the alias Potripper, exhibited nothing but poor play. The paper, which includes email addresses and the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of participants’ machines, quickly led to a more sinister discovery. Potripper’s success at each table appeared to correlate with the appearance of a user designated as #363. While other players looked to be unable to view card #363, he appeared to be able to see the cards being held by all other players. Potripper was observed folding early to the flip before #363 joined the table, but he folded less frequently once #363 was there.
The IP address 363 was tracked back to the Kahnawak Gaming Commission, which runs AbsolutePoker servers. Further investigation revealed that the IP address of #363 may be tracked to the computer of co-owner of AbsolutePoker, Scott Tom, and the account of Potripper to former AbsolutePoker operations director, AJ Ripper. It is anticipated that this insider manipulation at AbsolutePoker caused the corporation to steal between $500,000 and $1,000,000 from its players.
Ensuring a Secure and Fair Online Gaming Environment
When searching for a place to play online poker, you want a reputable website. It is essential to locate a website having a track record of security. Notably, the most reputable poker sites are licensed by authorized gaming authorities across the world, such as Gibraltar or Malta, and impose stringent gaming rules to assure fair play.
These standards mainly rely on ever improving Random Number Generators and additional security measures. All of these safeguards and security procedures should be in place before the first game is dealt on the website. The security measures implemented by an online poker site should be displayed on the homepage of the casino. They will proudly show the logos of the independent auditors who will be evaluating their software. In addition, indicate whether the site has earned any e-Gaming awards or other recognition from respected organizations.
There are further actions you may take to ensure that the site you’re evaluating has security and fairness features that meet your standards. Does the website or casino have a positive reputation? Examine the internet reviews that have been posted. Additionally, examine unrelated sites whose purpose is to critique online casinos. Have complaints been lodged against the casino? You must bear the obligation of conducting your own research into a possible gambling website. Before investing your important time and money with a certain online casino or poker site, it is unquestionably in your best interest to check this information. Ultimately, once an issue manifests itself, it is too late to question its existence.
Next, carefully check all of the listed security policies of the casino. You should take note if their posted security and fairness declaration is difficult to find or to comprehend. If the security policy does not cover all of your concerns, feel free to contact the site administrator and observe how fast and thoroughly he or she answers.
If security information is not easily available, you should either send an email to inquire about it or locate another site. Although not in the same line as rigged, you should also be aware of how the casino receives funds. Ensure that the server is protected and that additional steps are in place to safeguard your financial activities. If you do not feel fully safe and secure, you should seek out an other casino or online poker site.
Ensuring the Randomness and Fairness of the Card Deal
Once you have completed your research, determined that the casino’s security measures are adequate, and opted to play your first games, you must ensure that the site’s software is set up for fair play. You would not participate in a private poker game if there was even the slightest possibility that the dealer or host was not playing fairly, so why should you expect anything different from an online game? Simply put, you shouldn’t. Once you have completed your research, determined that the casino’s security measures are adequate, and opted to play your first games, you must ensure that the site’s software is set up for fair play. You would not participate in a private poker game if there was even the slightest possibility that the dealer or host was not playing fairly, so why should you expect anything different from an online game? Simply put, you shouldn’t.
Concern has been widely expressed over the frequency of poor beats in online games. There are various reasons why poor beats may appear more prevalent. Online casinos utilize pseudorandom number generators (PRNGs) to generate pseudorandom numbers (PRNs) that give outcomes comparable to a live hand dealt at random. Due of the accelerated pace of online poker, it may appear that these terrible beats occur more frequently than typical. Therefore, many poker specialists and analysts think this idea to be untrue. Other experts have even suggested that, because to the randomness of the internet deals, the hands dealt online are more really random than those handed by human dealers.
Despite the security they provide, these PRNGs must be thoroughly tested on a regular basis to guarantee that no player can predict the game’s behavior. PRNGs are built such that their output is determined by the algorithm that created them. If the beginning information is known, it is theoretically possible to predict every output a PRNG will create.
In order to ensure fair game play, online poker sites and gambling casinos must utilize PRNGs that reflect the most modern and complex programming, and they must safeguard the original algorithm. Once these criteria are in place and safe, the site must handle how PRNGs transform PRNs into playable poker hands. If this transformation mechanism is not functioning as intended, the given hands of cards will not look random, with some cards appearing more frequently and certain hands or combinations standing out. Even when algorithms and transformation techniques have been selected and confirmed as secure as possible, they must be applied appropriately in order to avoid this sort of bias.
It is essential to recognize (and remember) that hackers, crooks, and shady players are dedicated and shrewd. They will investigate a site’s PRNG in an attempt to forecast how hands will be dealt. To prevent cheaters from engaging in predictable behavior, online gaming and poker companies regularly analyze and alter their PRNGs. Popular gaming sites are strongly encouraged to implement this proactive approach twice each year. The site administrators endeavor to thwart efforts to crack their system. Therefore, online gambling companies require a strong, comprehensive, and knowledgeable system administrator who is committed to ensuring fair play for site users. The site administrator is responsible for managing the algorithms, programs, and transformation.