Introduction
Just like any other business, casinos have had to protect themselves and their users from fraud and manipulation. Both online and offline gambling entities need to have business security systems in place to protect their interests. Land-based establishments have casino security cameras to catch cheats, but they have invested in more sophisticated software as frauds improved. The online space also has options, ranging from algorithms to select winners to restricting players from certain parts of the world when they are suspected of orchestrating fraud.
Here are four of the best-known ways the casino industry is using to protect itself and its users.
Random Number Generation – RNG
You will see sites mentioning the RNG software all the time. It emulates a roulette wheel, the shuffling of a deck for a game of Blackjack, and the spins of a slot machine to formulate a winning combination without human interaction. Think of rolling dice, and you can envision how this system works. This software performs thousands of cycles several times per millisecond to stop at the number it is cycling when the roulette ball stops or the user presses ‘deal,’ or any other gambling scenario.
Though it works perfectly, this software must be balanced to ensure fair odds. This is why casinos have to be audited regularly to ensure the games are fair. Players are usually urged to ensure their sites of choice have certificates of fairness on the homepage. This applies to all games, including progressive jackpot slots.
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS)
SSL is so prevalent in today’s casinos that players know better than to play at an online casino without a certificate. In the simplest terms, this system is an agreement between the server and the client. It ensures that any communication that takes place between these two stays with them. The best online casinos UK has this in place because it validates their business. Usually, sites display this certificate on their homepage to let everyone visiting know they are compliant.
What guarantee does SSL give? That nothing leaves the site without encryption, so you can trust the details you share not to fall into the hands of identity thieves and other frauds. Transport Layer Security (TLS) digital encryption works similarly, but it is a little more modern than SSL. These two are common with social sites too, and they are updated regularly to keep up with changing times and fraudster tactics.
Profile Analyzers for Land-based Casinos
Online casinos protect underage people by asking for a government-issued ID when one registers an account, but that doesn’t prevent kids from accessing accounts through someone else’s account. Well, they can only do so much here. Land-based casinos are mandated in order to prevent underage people from getting into their premises, and they now use profile analysers for that. These cameras look into a person’s features and analyse their age and other details. They are not always accurate, but they do better than humans can.
Card Shuffling Machines
Still, on land-based casinos, players get to use free decks of cards that dealers shuffle. Usually, they are expected to be trustworthy – players and dealers – but sometimes the house gets an urge to go a little further to check the cards for theft protection. They are scanned for any malice that could sway the game in favour of a player or dealer. A small device called Shark Trap is used to check cards for wear and tear and any cheating. This means that players cannot rub cards while playing as they would be flagged as tampered with by the device.
Is there a Perfect System?
Loopholes exist even in well-executed casino security systems, but these options have worked for most gambling houses. Players will still count their cards, but that is now more mental than due to card tampering. It also works well for players because you want to ensure your money and personal information are safe where you gamble. Encryption and RNG are two inventions that genuinely changed the way a casino works for good. That said, players should also be diligent when selecting a casino. They should read the terms, read each negative review by fellow users, carefully look at the bonus information to avoid falling into a casino’s freebie trap, and not trust each site that pops up without closer scrutiny.
