Provably fair gambling is a concept that ensures transparency and fairness in online gambling. It is specifically applicable to games hosted on blockchain-based platforms, although some traditional online casinos have also adopted similar mechanisms.
In traditional online gambling, players rely on the trustworthiness of the casino or gambling platform to ensure that the games are fair and not manipulated in favor of the house. However, provably fair gambling shifts the trust from the platform to a cryptographic algorithm, allowing players to independently verify the fairness of each game outcome.
The core principle of provably fair gambling revolves around utilizing cryptographic algorithms, typically hashing and random number generation, to ensure that game results are random, tamper-proof, and verifiable. Here's how it generally works:
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Seed Generation: The platform generates a random seed, which is a long string of characters, and provides it to the player.
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Client Seed: The player also contributes a client seed, which can be generated by the player or chosen from a provided list. The client seed ensures that the player has control and can influence the outcome.
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Hashing: The combination of the platform's seed and the player's client seed is hashed together to create a unique game hash. The hash is displayed to the player before the game starts.
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Game Outcome: The game is played using the game hash, producing a result or series of results, depending on the game type.
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Verification: After the game, the player can view the original seed and client seed used, ensuring that the game hash matches the original one displayed before the game. This allows the player to independently verify that the game was fair and not tampered with.
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Randomness Check: To further validate the randomness of the game, the player can use the seeds to recreate the game's outcome. By comparing the recreated outcome with the actual result, the player can confirm the game's fairness.
Provably fair gambling provides players with a higher level of transparency, as they can audit the game outcomes themselves, eliminating the need to solely rely on the platform's integrity. It instills trust in the gambling process, offering a fair playing field for all participants.
It is important to note that provably fair gambling is specific to the game's fairness and randomness. It does not guarantee a player's chances of winning or losing, as the outcome is still based on chance and probability.
By embracing provably fair gambling, online gambling platforms promote a more transparent and trustworthy environment, attracting players who value fairness and seek a more secure gambling experience.