What are Random Number Generators? 

Random Number Generators are computational or physical devices that determine outcomes free of any pattern or statistical consistency. To do this, computers employ algorithms capable of generating possible outcomes that number in the millions.

However, after the sequence of possible outcomes reaches its end, the sequence will repeat itself. Though most players won't sit through enough hands or spins or rolls of the dice to ever see a repetitive sequence, it is possible.

Thus, there are very few true RNGS. More common are PRNGs, or pseud-random number generators, and as stated above, PRNGs are more than suitable for generating online gambling outcomes.

How Do Random Number Generators Work? 

RNGs are predicated on the notion of the "seed." A seed is an integer that is used to establish the starting point for generating random number sequences.

Some RNGs and PRNGs require the user to specify the seed. Others remove the human factor and set the "seed" according to a standardized value like Pi or a constantly changing number group like the seconds on a clock.  

For online casinos, random number generation is typically determined by a combination of the above two methods.

To start, the "seed" is selected according to the computer's clock. The "seed" then jumps into a number sequence - for example, Pi - at the number that corresponds to its value. Outcomes are determined according to the play that follows the "seed."

Random Number Generators in Slot Machines 

Today's slot machines use RNGs to determine game outcomes. The computer at which you are playing assigns a random number to each slot machine reel according to the precise millisecond (1/1000th of a second) at which you press the "spin" button.

The assigned number depends on the type of machine. It will be between either 1 and 32 or 1 and 64, with a different number given to each reel. Some numbers are assigned to symbols like cherries and bars, while others are assigned to the "blank" spots on the reels. The reels spin until they land on the space assigned for the given seed.

So....Can you cheat the RNG? 

In a word, no. There is no means of repeatedly recreating the same seed, and certainly no means of recreating the same seed as many times as would be necessary to figure out the number sequences used in online casinos. Too many variables. Too much trouble. And even on a nickel slot, too many losses on the way to cracking the code for your almost impossible "big win."

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