Provably fair gambling explained: What it means and how it works
Provably fair refers to the system commonly used by crypto-first casinos that allows players to mathematically verify that a game’s outcome wasn’t manipulated after their bet was placed.
While online licensed gambling platforms must adhere to strict customer care regulations, it’s natural for users to occasionally question the mathematical fairness of the casino game they’re wagering on. Verifying that an outcome is random and not manipulated is particularly important in online gambling.
With in-person interactions, a player can verify whether the deck of the playing card pack has been fairly shuffled or whether a coin has been tossed. Online, such processes can feel more ambiguous.
So, what is provably fair gambling? Which platforms use the cryptographic feature, and how can players verify a provably fair result?
Key Findings
- Provably fair lets players verify a single round wasn’t tampered with after betting closed. It doesn’t test overall randomness.
- RNG certification is mandatory for UKGC-licensed casinos and is third-party audited. Provably fair is optional and mostly used by crypto-first platforms.
- A platform can be provably fair and still unlicensed, with no guarantee of safer-gambling protections.
- Crash, dice, blackjack and roulette are the main use cases, with Stake and Spribe’s Aviator as leading examples.
- The hash proves the fairness of the process, not player advantage. The house edge is unaffected.
What is provably fair gambling?
Provably fair gambling uses cryptographic technology to allow players to verify that a game’s outcome was generated according to a predetermined process.
Before a round begins, the gambling provider generates a secret server seed and creates a cryptographic hash of it, which is shared with players. This hash acts as a commitment that prevents the provider from changing the server seed after bets have been placed.
Once the game is settled, the original server seed is revealed, allowing players to verify that it matches the published hash and confirm that the outcome was generated fairly.
How does the verification process work?
Before the provably fair casino game’s results are published, several steps are taken to ensure players receive a transparent gambling experience:
- The gambling provider generates a server seed: Provably fair casino platforms create a random, non-published value known as the server seed, which is used to determine future outcomes.
- The server seed is converted into a hash: The provider applies a cryptographic hashing algorithm (such as SHA-256) to the server seed, creating a unique hash value.
- The hash is published before betting begins: Players can view the hash before placing a wager. Because hashes cannot realistically be reversed to reveal the original seed, the server seed remains hidden while the provider is locked into that value.
- The player places a bet: The game outcome is generated using the server seed combined with other inputs, such as a player-controlled client seed and a nonce (a number that tracks how many rounds have been played).
- The outcome is revealed: After the round finishes, the provider reveals the original server seed.
- The player checks the hash: The player runs the revealed server seed through the same hashing algorithm and compares the result with the original published hash.
- The result is verified: If the two hashes match, the player can confirm that the provider used the same server seed from the beginning and did not alter it to influence the outcome.
Provably fair vs RNG certification: What’s the difference
The intention of both provably fair and random number generator (RNG) certification is the same: to provide users with a fair gambling experience that isn’t rigged in favour of the operator.
While provably fair casino games allow a player to verify whether an isolated game was tampered with, RNG certification relies on a third-party audit from independent laboratories such as eCOGRA, iTech Labs and GLI, which test gambling software to assess whether outcomes are random over a large sample size.
RNG certification is a regulatory standard for United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC)-licensed casinos that rely on random outcomes. To legally offer random outcome casino games to UK players, software providers must have RNG certification that demonstrates their technology produces random results.
While RNG must be tested by an independent third party on all random outcome UKGC-licensed platforms, cryptographic proof is not mandatory. Users could be playing on a provably fair casino site which is unlicensed and fails to meet other safer gambling regulations.
Where is provably fair used?
Provably fair technology is most commonly used on crypto-first casinos, particularly in the crash game and dice game formats, as well as blackjack and roulette.
BGaming, an online casino developer launched in 2018, were among the pioneers of provably fair gambling.
Two of the provider’s top three games in terms of gross gaming revenue (GGR) are supported by provably fair technology, a trend the Malta-based organisation finds unsurprising.
Provably fair games are popular among operators because they help to build consumer trust. Beyond BGaming’s services, there’s plenty of evidence for this elsewhere in the industry.
Stake, one of the largest crypto-based casinos by traffic, receives an estimated 100+ million monthly visits according to third-party web analytics, with its in-house ‘Stake Originals’ games supported by provably fair technology.
Meanwhile, Spribe’s Aviator, a provably fair casino game, has over 77 million active monthly players worldwide, accounting for over 90% of the global crash-game market.
We asked Vegas Kings’ founder, Moshe Adir, what caused the rapid rise in popularity of provably fair casino games.
Three things pushed it, he told European Gaming:
- Crypto operators needed a trust story and couldn’t lean on a regulator’s logo, so they built one out of cryptography instead.
- Players got tired of being told to trust and were handed a tool that let them check.
- And once one operator put a verify button in the interface, everyone in that space had to, because the absence of it starts to look like an answer.
Moshe Adir added:
‘What gets missed is that provably fair is a fairness claim about one narrow thing, the outcome of the round. It says nothing about the house edge, nothing about whether you get paid, nothing about what happens when your account gets frozen. I’ve watched this industry for close to thirty years and the pain has almost never been rigged games. It’s been everything that happens after you win.’
How to verify a provably fair result yourself
This self-verification process means players don’t have to take the operator’s word for it. Before betting, players can view the cryptographic hash of the hidden server seed.
Once the cryptographic hash of the hidden server seed has been viewed, players should place their bets and wait for the original server seed used to generate the outcome to be revealed.
Users must then check whether the newly generated hash matches the version that was published before the bet was placed.
To confirm that the result matches the original outcome, players must use the revealed server seed alongside the client seed and nonce to recreate the game result through the provider’s verification tool or algorithm.
Common misconceptions about provably fair gambling
In all industries, not just casino gambling, 81% of consumers claim they must trust a brand before making a purchase.
Incorporating provably fair gambling technology is viewed as a trust-building activity, but can it be used as an isolated measurement of a casino’s reliability?
After all, in the UK and most European jurisdictions, there’s no requirement for casinos to integrate provably fair gambling to meet licensing requirements. The use of a provably fair casino system doesn’t prove that the house edge is fair.
A casino can theoretically use provably fair gambling as a means to appear trustworthy, while completing illegal practices elsewhere within its model.
For example, given that unlicensed and no-KYC casino platforms can use provably fair technology, an illegal site could prove that outcomes have not been manipulated, while simultaneously offering misleading promotions or not providing adequate safer gambling support.
Unlike RNG certification, provably fair gambling cannot be used to determine a casino’s trustworthiness, beyond how it calculates the outcomes of isolated games.
Provably fair gambling also provides players with no strategic advantage. While the outcome is generated through a predetermined process, it’s impossible for the player to know what the result is.
The hash doesn’t reveal the outcome, nor does it provide any subtle, analysable indication of what it might be. Simply, the hash is a cryptographic fingerprint of a hidden server seed. It confirms that the provider committed to a value before the game, but it does not reveal the seed or the outcome.
FAQs
What does provably fair mean?
Provably fair is the cryptographic technology that software operators, such as BGaming, use to allow players to verify that game outcomes have not been manipulated.
Before a game round starts, the gambling provider creates a hidden server seed and converts it into a cryptographic hash, which is made available to players. This hash serves as proof that the provider has committed to the original server seed and cannot replace it with a different value after wagers have been submitted.
What’s the difference between provably fair and RNG certification?
RNG certification is provided by a third party, which assesses whether outcomes are random over a large sample size and is a mandatory requirement for all UKGC-licensed casinos.
Which games typically use provably fair systems?
Provably fair systems are typically found in crypto-first titles like ‘Stake Originals.’ Similarly, the blockbuster crash game Aviator, which draws over 77 million monthly players, uses the technology to let users verify their own outcomes.
Can a provably fair game still have a house edge?
Yes. The incorporation of provably fair technology has no correlation with a user’s expected returns on licensed platforms. Provably fair technology only proves that the game outcome was generated fairly and was not manipulated after the bet was placed. It does not mean the odds are equal between the player and the casino.
How do I verify a provably fair result myself?
Players can verify a provably fair result by comparing the revealed server seed with its original cryptographic hash. If the hashes match, users can recreate the outcome using the server seed, client seed and nonce through the provider’s verification tool. This confirms the result was not altered after the bet was placed.
Is provably fair the same as being licensed and regulated?
No, a platform can use provably fair software but still be unlicensed. Provably fair can only be used to assess whether a game’s outcome was predetermined before a bet was placed, not to evaluate the trustworthiness of the overall business.
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