How Provably Fair Gambling Works

What Is Provably Fair Gambling?

Provably fair gambling is a blockchain-based system used in online casinos, enabling players to check the fairness of each game result. It utilizes cryptographic techniques like random seeds or hash functions. Thus, players can be sure that an online casino’s results are not manipulated. Since gamblers can verify the process manually, it guarantees that gambling is fair and transparent.

Provably Fair Casino Vs Regular Casino

How Provably Fair Technology Works

As we have worked with provably fair casinos numerous times, we understand all their technological nuances. So, we can explain the principle of provably fair gambling technology even for newcomers. Continue reading; here is a walkthrough guide on how provably fair gambling sites​ work:

1. The casino generates a server seed (a cryptographic simple hash), a unique string of random signs. The player will receive the hashed version before the game starts, ensuring the online casino has no chance to change it in the future.
2. Then, the player can enter their own seed to guarantee a high level of randomness. 
3. After that, the player places their wager just like in any regulated casino environment, and the client seed and server seed are combined to produce a random number. Some casino games also utilize a nonce (a unique number that boosts with each bet) to guarantee each round is unrepeatable.
4. Using a pre-game generated hash, the casino calculates the result (for example, slot spin, dice roll, etc.) based on the mixed seeds. The online casino cannot change the outcome since the player has indicated its seed.
5. When the game finishes, the gambling website uncovers the original server seed. The player may copy this seed into the special tool (like SHA-256) and compare it to the hash provided before the game.

Therefore, provably fair technology allows players to check the game’s results, ensuring transparency and fairness.

An Example of Work in Slots

To help you better understand how provably fair gambling solutions​ work, we describe the procedure for slots below:

1. You launch the game and should open the provably fair widget before you spin the reel.
2. At this time, the gambling website generates a hashed server seed. Then, you will receive it from the Hash (Result + Secret) section.
3. You may enter a client seed, ensuring randomness to the result (from 1 to 9 for each separate reel).
4. You spin the reel, tapping on the “Spin” button. The client seed, server seed, and nonce are used to create the random outcome of the spin.
5. After the spin, the online casino shows the original server seed. This allows you to check that the result was not manipulated. 

At the final stage, you may utilize a built-in verification function or a hashing tool to verify the slot’s result was fair and genuinely random.

How to Verify the Result

So, if a player wants to verify the fairness of a casino game’s result, they should follow several steps. Initially, after the round finishes, the user needs to receive the revealed server seed (that was hashed before). After that, they copy the client seed, server seed, and nonce. The next stage is to input this information into an SHA-256 hashing tool. 

Now, the player can compare the hash. The pre-game hashed server seed provided before the wager and the generated hash seed must match. If the seeds are identical, it proves the result was not changed, and the casino provides provably fair gambling​. Here is an example how it may look like:

Before the game round:

After the game round:

Is Provably Fair Hackable?

No, it’s doubtful that the provably fair technology can be hacked. You should realize that the server seed is an essential element of the provably fair algorithm. It is protected by ultra-modern hashing techniques that create a set of characters. Thus, reverse engineering cannot make the server seed visible even if the hash is captured. 

Experts say only quantum computers might achieve this and hack the server seed in the future. But it could happen only in decades. So, provably fair gambling websites are strongly protected, preventing third parties or hackers from interfering. This is an important consideration when choosing a jurisdiction for your gambling business.

Final Thoughts

It’s time to sum up. In our article, we describe provably fair gambling, explaining its operation principle and blockchain-based nature. Additionally, we defined cryptographic algorithms (random seeds or hash functions) and their tasks regarding the provably fair system. You can find detailed instructions on verifying your game results using the PF technology. We have also provided examples of what server seeds and client seeds look like. 

Based on the analyzed information, we may give you some recommendations. Initially, you should clearly understand the gambling website’s cryptographic function type. The most popular is SHA-256. On top of that, you should not forget to produce your client seed since this adds a supplemental layer of randomness to the outcome on provably fair Bitcoin gambling or traditional sites. 

And, of course, you need to verify the hash before you start playing. Remember that online casinos generate a hashed server seed before you launch the game. Thus, you can ensure that gambling websites cannot manipulate the result later.