This article was originally posted on Medium.
Bringing verifiable fairness to traditional online gaming
An insight from the team at PBSA who have represent the Peerplays blockchain-based RNG; a decentralised RNG can help smaller games creators build trust, differentiate and future-proof their operations.
Blockchain-based random number generation has been at the core of the crypto gambling movement for a few years now.
Provably fair gaming — where every action is immutably stored on the ledger — is a central tenet of the leading blockchain casinos.
But while these forward-looking and innovative operators have been showing some encouraging growth of late, it is fair to say that blockchain gaming remains a fairly small section of the wider online gambling industry.
This will change over time, as adoption of cryptocurrencies further scales and this technology continues to enter the mainstream.
In the meantime, however, there is a significant opportunity to implement blockchain technology within the traditional online casino space.
It is clear that there is a crisis of trust facing the online gaming industry. Casino players across the world regularly doubt games are fair, and this is impacting their willingness to participate.
There was a widespread belief that trust in casinos would increase when several major jurisdictions — including the UK, Spain and Italy — re-regulated their online gaming frameworks.
And while independent regulatory bodies such as the UK Gambling Commission do some fantastic work protecting customers and ensuring online gaming is fair, the unfortunate reality is that this has not translated into an uptick in trust.
To the average player, the work of regulatories is just as shrouded in mystery as the inner operations of a casino.
Building trust
We see an opportunity to change this by bringing blockchain technology into existing online casino infrastructures.
And random number generation, or RNG, is a great place to start. It is, after all, the very essence of the majority of casino games, and the point at which the result of games is determined.
Blockchain technology can add a layer of transparency to the RNG process, by providing verifiably random number generation.
In simple terms, it is possible for both player and operator to independently check that the result of a spin or draw was not tampered with.
This is a powerful trust-building tool as a time when players’ confidence in the veracity of online casino games is on the decline.
It is also a unique opportunity for emerging games creators to differentiate against more established competitors.
Integrating a blockchain-based RNG solution within games offers something to both players and operators, be it greater transparency or protection against potential fraud.
Online casino forums are already awash with conspiracy theories around rigged games. Players are already beginning to demand a peak behind the curtain.
Operators are looking to adapt, but are understandably unwilling to overhaul entire platforms. Integrating blockchain-based RNG is an easier fix, and I expect to see it become industry standard over the next couple of years.
And therein lies an opportunity for games creators to stand apart from their competition in what is a particularly crowded marketplace.
Offering slot games with in-built fairness verification is a powerful marketing tool for operators in the current climate.
And anything that helps our sector build trust at a time when it is severely lacking must be seen as a step in the right direction.
