The Best Provably Fair Casino Games

The provably fair game variants we find on crypto casinos are simpler than their centralized RNG-based equivalents. Many also use simple graphics in comparison to RNG versions, but what they lack visually they make up for in RTP, often with a house edge around only 1%.

As most casino games rely on a random draw of some sort, they could in theory be developed on a provably fair algorithm, but complex games like slots which rely on fancy features are not that well suited to use it. There are provably fair slots, but they are pretty lame.

Let us look at a typical provably fair game selection and how it relates to the provably fair random draw.

Provably Fair Blackjack

Blackjack using standard rules. With Split and Double options available. Usually, we are restricted to one hand at the time. Provably Fair blackjack works by generating a maximum amount of possible cards for the player and the bank, but the final outcome will of course depend on when we stand pat.

Provably Fair Dice Games

Bet if the next dice roll will be over a certain number, typically a number between 0-100 with payouts adjusted according to the likelihood of the roll. This is arguably the original provably fair game and very well suited for the format. While based on one simple random roll it is still flexible as we can adjust our risk tolerance.

Provably Fair Hi/Lo Games

A playing card is shown, and we bet on if the next card will be higher or lower (we are also paid if the next card shows the same value). Payouts depend on the currently shown card and the likelihood of winning. Also well suited for the format as we only need two simple draws (mapping cards to numbers).

Provably Fair Poker

Here we are usually talking video poker: Get five cards, chose how many to keep and hope you make a hand. Payouts typically go from 1x the stake for a JJ or better pair up to some 500x-800x for a Royal Flush.

There are also versions of Casino Hold’em. Bitsler has a good in-house version if you want to check it out (see pic to the right or below if you are on mobile).

Provably Fair Crash Games

This is basically a dice game with a forced bet on lower, but with a visual slapped on top and dynamic gameplay: A counter starts and our job is to pull out our winnings before something crashes (i.e. the number of the dice roll is reached). In other words we decide on our bet while the game runs, although already decided by the algorithm.

Provably Fair Limbo

Limbo works in a similar way to a Crash game, but without the dynamic game play. Here we instead set a target multiplier (i.e. betting on that our chosen multiplier is lower than the roll). A roll is then made, hopefully higher than our target multiplier which means we win (our set target amount).

Provably Fair Roulette

A regular roulette game with all that it entails, typically played with European rules (0-36). Roulette, with its 1-step betting format and straightforward numerical correalation, is well suited for Provably Fair gambling.

The Best Provably Fair Casino Sites

Provably fair games make use of cryptographic algorithms (in particurlarly hashing functions, usually SHA256) in a simple yet sophisticated way that guarantees to the player that they can verify themselves that the outcome of the game was not messed with in any way. This is achieved in many different ways, so let’s take a look at the core principles that define provably fair games.

1. When you start a provably fair game, the casino creates what is known as a “(server) seed”, or a “secret” - a unique code for each game round. The server seed is then encrypted using cryptographic algorithms that generate hashes (alphanumeric strings of fixed length), making the seed completely unique and secure.
2. You are then given a client seed, a string of letters and numbers that is usually automatically generated for you when you start playing. Some provably fair games allow you to edit or create your own client seed, which ensures completely that the casino does not know your seed in advance. The client seed is then also encrypted, just like the casino seed.
3. Using a process called hashing, the two seeds are combined with other information in order to produce a final result - a random number generation process that will dictate the game's outcome.

Somewhere around here is where your game happens - you see the reels turn, the dice roll or the cards unfold, and you find out whether you have won or lost.

Note that the result was already decided in step 3, during the hashing process!

4. After the game, the player gets access to the random number generated, as well as the server seed.
5. To verify that the game's result was not manipulated in any way, the player can use the two seeds created in order to try and recreate the outcome. If the random number generated is the same, then you know that your game is fair.

Now that we know a bit more about how everything works, let’s take a closer look at how you, as a player, can verify that your game is fair.

There are two ways to do this, so you can choose the method that works best for you. This will depend on the game you are playing, the provider and the casino itself.

1. Native verification tools

Some casinos offer built-in tools that you can use to verify your game’s fairness, especially if we’re talking about exclusive games. These may include slots, but these tools are mostly found in branded minigames (e.g. plinko, crash games, mines and simple dice games).

As the word built-in implies, you can do the verification on the spot. Let’s use Bitsler as an example to see how this can be done. They offer two ways to use their built-in provably fair tools.

Let’s say you’re playing Bitsler’s own Plinko game and you want to check that the last round’s outcome truly is fair and random. You can access the verifier straight from the game’s interface, where at the top, you can see the results of all the rounds you’ve played so far, marked in red.

Note: At this point you may be prompted to reveal your server seed. You can do this by going to the linked Provably Fair Settings and clicking Use new seeds. After you do so, the “unhashed” version of the server seed will be revealed. Without copying anything, you can navigate back to the screen shown above. Navigate to Provably Fair, and all the needed information will be displayed automatically, as shown below. Then click the Provably fair verifier button at the bottom.

The Provably fair verifier button will then bring up a new popup to the site’s built-in verifier, that checks whether the two values match. If they do, the game’s outcome is proven to be untampered with.

More built-in options It’s good to note that Bitsler also offers you the option to check a game’s result through the verifier. This is a more roundabout way to achieve the same result, but for some it may feel slightly more secure.

To do so, you can go directly to the Verifier, choose the game and then fill in the info requested:

1. The hashed server seed
2. The revealed server seed (which, as mentioned in the note above, only appears after you change your seeds)
3. The client seed
4. The last/specific nonce (this can be found in the same field as the client seed, divided with a comma - see Step 2)

You can find all of this information inside the bet you want to check out, as can be seen in Step 2.

Once all the info is in place, you will get an automatic result.

2. Third party verification tools

For those casinos that don’t offer built-in verification, or if you want to be sure you’re getting objective results from an independent source, you can use third party verification tools. There are many services out there that you can use, just make sure you do some research to figure out the best ones. A quick search online will help you with many resources and user reviews.

The provably fair concept has revolutionized online crypto gambling and promoted trust between casinos and players around the world.

In today’s world, transparency is more important and accessible than ever, and we here at cryptogambling.com are excited to see how the future unfolds and what new technological advancements will bring to the world of online crypto casinos.