Randomness
All legalized gambling uses some way to generate random outcomes so you can’t predict what will happen next. In slot machines and VLTs, random results are produced by a computer chip called a random number generator (RNG). The RNG cycles through thousands of numbers a second. When a player pushes the “spin” or “deal” button, the number that was available on the RNG at that split second is converted to a corresponding symbol the player sees. Pushing the button a thousandth of a second earlier or later would result in a completely different outcome.
The RNG runs continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even when no one is playing. Some players mistakenly believe that if a machine has not paid out for a while, it is more likely to pay out or becomes “due for a win”. In reality, random number generators make it impossible for anyone to know what result will happen next. As such, machines are never “due to win” and your chances of winning do not improve the longer you play.
Numbers for most lottery games are selected using a Random Number Generator (RNG). When the draw attendant requests a number from the computer, the number on the RNG at that exact moment is provided. Just like slots/VLTs, requesting a number a thousandth of a second earlier or later would result in a completely different number.
In table games, it is the spinning of the wheel, the shuffling of cards or the roll of the dice that generates randomness in the game.