Genie Answers:
The answer is simple, no fair and legitimate online casino will stand for a rigged or unfair game on their platform. The important thing for players is knowing how to tell a safe casino from a potentially dangerous one, which is the key focus of this article.
Are online casinos fair?
Fair online casinos are those that are licensed and regulated by a local and recognized Gambling authority. As a general rule of thumb, the top regulators are the UK, Gibraltar, and Malta. If you want to know if the casino you’re intending to play as is licensed just scroll to the bottom of the page and you should find all the relevant information.
Playing at a licensed casino is important if you want to play safely as only fair and above board online casinos will be accredited with licensing. To retain their licence the online casino will need to be audited regularly to ensure they are still up to standard. This is great because it means that when you’re playing at a licensed online casino you know that their standards are both high and up to date.
Are online slots really random?
Yes, in order to live up to fair play standards all online slot games must use a random number generator (RNG) in their programming to ensure that all outcomes generated by their slot are completely random and devoid of any pattern. This makes the slot fair because it means that aside from the theoretical return to player (RTP) applied to all slots, the outcome of every game is totally random.
What Makes an Online Casino Trustworthy?
There are now estimated to be over 1000 online casinos out there, so while players are spoilt for choice, there is a greater chance of stumbling upon an untrustworthy website. Therefore, in order to be deemed trustworthy, you should make sure your chosen casino website offers the following:
- An up-to-date licence: An active licence is the number one way that an online casino can show it is trustworthy. A licence shows that the casino is complying with current laws and regulations and has been tested to promote fair play.
- Frequent Game Audits/Third-Party Testing: This shows that the games on offer on the site have been checked; ideally by a third-party and are deemed as fair.
- Good Online Reputation: No site can hide from reviews, and luckily there’s a dedicated community of online casino fans who will always spill the beans if a casino is under par. You should always check the reviews of a site before playing as this can reveal some disappointments that are best avoided.
- Top Customer Service: Nowadays having an email and a number open during business hours simply isn’t acceptable for a help service. Online casinos are enjoyed by players non-stop, around the clock, so the help on offer to players should always match this. In general if a casino doesn’t have a live chat help feature, it isn’t recommended.
- Promoting Responsible Gaming: Reputable online casinos will always promote safe and responsible gambling practices to their players and will provide links and resources to safeguard their player base.
- They Give you the Facts: A good casino will always make sure that the theoretical return to player (RTP) is clearly displayed on all their slots. This gives players an idea of the percentage they can expect to receive back when playing a slot, and makes it clear to players which games may be deemed high risk, high reward; otherwise known as high volatility slots.
- They Protect Your Personal Data: A good online casino will highlight that your data is protected by advanced encryption and firewalls, meaning your personal information is in safe hands.
- They Offer Games From a Range of Well-Known Providers: Well-known and established providers such as Barcrest, Red Tiger Gaming, Pragmatic Play, and Play’n Go, will only license their games to recognized and reputable online casinos.
What are the signs of a rigged online casino game?
While rigged casino games are rare, the most common scams used are tampering with the RTP (return to player) and the RNG (random number generation) software used by the game. Let's take a look at how this might work so you can spot a scam from a mile away.
RTP is a statistic that indicates your expected long-term returns from playing a slot; with the leftover percentage being the house edge.
This statistic shows an average value; so, depending on players' luck, not everyone will have the same return; this is accounted for in the maths model as slots are games of chance and can therefore produce fluctuating outcomes which level out when viewed at a larger scale.
Rigged casinos can lower the RTP of the game, thereby reducing your odds of winning and placing more of the odds in their favour.
Usually, rigged online casinos and gaming environments would provide RTPs so low that winning is impossible, but others might lower the percentage by a few extra percent. To avoid this, check the RTP range stated by the game provider, to make sure the percentages presented match up.
Another casino fraud involves manipulating RNGs. Every casino game must include random number generators as they decide the outcomes such that they do not form predictable patterns. Rigged casinos, however, might alter the RNG of the game, therefore eliminating any chance of winning and any element of luck. This can be hard for the average player to spot, so look out for these additional factors which indicate a slot might be rigged:
- Playing a low volatility slot game and having few wins compared to the expected average payout rate.
- Outcomes exhibit predictable trends such as finding the same symbols and patterns appear spin after spin, or with online table games, repeated outcomes, which suggests the machine is repeating itself and isn't randomised.
- General malfunctions are common with tampered slots. The game might not let you change your stake or stop features like autoplay or become unresponsive.
- If the casino itself seems shady, then their games can also be drawn into question. One big red flag is if a casino hides information from you or makes it quite tough to locate. Transparency is critical; if the casino does not provide it, go elsewhere.
Why legitimate casinos don’t rig their casino games [Hint: It’s Not Worth It!]
We’ve explored the question ‘Are online casinos rigged?’, but the final nail in the coffin for why so few online casinos are actually rigged is the fact that from the casinos’ perspective, it simply isn’t worth it! Gaining licences, retaining them, and building a brand and positive reputation takes a lot of work, and with the house edge already paying the casino's way, there’s no reason to risk it all in exchange for a few extra pounds from rigged games.
We live in an internet age, where word can get around at lightning speed. With tons of online forums and review sites, gamers are connected like never before. Therefore, if a site develops a bad or fraudulent reputation you can be sure that netizens will hear about it, spread the word and essentially blacklist the site in question.
The success of an online casino also relies on a good relationship with top developers who will then permit their games to be permitted on the site. No popular developer will want their name muddied by a scam site, and can therefore refuse access to their games for the site. With so much competition out there, the lack of popular games from beloved developers can be all the reasons a potential player needs to look elsewhere.
Play at the Fair And Safe Spin Genie Online Casino
Safety, responsible gaming, and fair play practices are at the heart of all we do at Spin Genie. We’re proud to treat our players as members of a respected community, which is why we’re dedicated to ensuring each and every safety procedure is in place when you choose to play one of our resumes of over 1500 games. Come and play today.
