You may have seen the term ‘provably fair’ on a few gambling sites and be wondering about what it actually means. The intricate technology behind this system has become quite the trend in both gambling games and non-gambling games, and if you’re unfamiliar with it, strap in because we’re going to give you a deep dive into what provably fair actually means.
This technology is becoming more and more prominent in the industry – at the minute, you’ll find it mostly on skin gambling sites like CSGO Luck and casinos that accept crypto. To describe the provably fair concept in very simple terms, it’s basically an algorithm that will verify and check the result of any game, meaning the players can actually check the results for themselves and verify the fairness of the casino. This is a great method for the casino or gambling site to allay any fears for the players and add an extra layer of transparency.
The way the provably fair systems is through three different variables:
The server seed – This is a variable that is provided by whatever site is using the provably fair system.
The client seed – This is a variable that is supplied by the player’s browser and can actually be adjusted or changed by the player.
Cryptographic nonce – This is a number that counts up in parallel to all of the bets a player makes on the site.
The whole process that determines provably fair is quite complicated, especially so if you’re not well versed in the technology behind cryptocurrencies or Bitcoin. To start the process, the site will create a seed number that will be hashed and then sent to whoever is betting on the site. A hash function or ‘hashing’ is a way to convert a long string of numbers into a shorter and more manageable one.
Both the hashing process and the fact that the server seed will be random make rigging these numbers hard for the casino. The fact that the seed is actually encrypted adds another layer of protection for the player. After this, the player’s browser will then generate its own random seed number, which can be changed by the player themselves.
Once both of these seed numbers have been generated, they are matched together and start the process for creating the result for the bet. It’s now that the cryptographic nonce comes into play. The number for the nonce will start in either a 1 or a 0, depending on the site. This number will increase every time the player makes a bet, and it’s the nonce number that is used in conjunction with the seeds in determining the randomised action in whatever game the player is playing.
Whenever the player has finished betting, they can get hold of an unencrypted version of the seed that is created by their browser – the client seed. They can then use this to verify that the result of the game was totally random and fair. All they have to do is enter any unhashed seed number of theirs and double-check the value is the same one as the game.
So why is provably fair gambling viewed as such a good thing?
Playing on a probably fair site comes with a whole host of advantages including:
The site is transparent – This is the main reason players want to play on sites with a provably fair system. This can verify with their own eyes and diligence every single result for the games they want to play on, making sure the site isn’t interfering and is totally fair.
No reliance on third-party verification – When it comes to online gambling, many games are subject to testing by a third party to ensure their games are totally fair. Provably fair gets rid of this third party element, allowing the players to become their own auditors of fairness
Uses Blockchain technology – The way provably fair games work is by using blockchain technology. This innovative technology is used by cryptocurrencies and helps keep both the creators of these currencies and the gambling sites accountable by making the blockchain ledger totally transparent. The codes of blockchain are also self-executing, which makes all results unchangeable – so gambling sites can’t change things in their favour.
Higher RTP – Being one of the most important factors when choosing what game to play, a high RTP is incredibly important for any player on a gambling site. This number is a signifier of the chances for a player to win any game and is based on data from previous wins by that player. Through the maths of the blockchain, when playing on a site with provably fair the maximum RTP players can get is 99%, instead of 99.5%.
But probably fair gambling sites aren’t always legitimate. Some fraudulent gambling sites actually find ways to rig games through extensive knowledge of the blockchain system and by changing some very minor details. Therefore it’s always important to check and verify the seed numbers and make sure they match exactly.
