Creating and using random numbers is a task that has become far more important over time, as different types of technology have emerged that require unpredictable outcomes. How does this work and why is it such a crucial part of the latest technology?Â
Fair Games of Chance
Random number generators (RNGs) are at the heart of the majority of games of chance in online casinos. This is a piece of software that tells the game when to put a wild symbol on the screen of a slot machine or when to draw an ace out of the deck of cards. It’s vital to ensure that every player has a fair, random chance of getting a winning spin or hand every time they play.
The arrival of live casino games might make it seem that RNGs are no longer relevant. If we look at the Paddy Power live blackjack lobby, we can see games played with a live human dealer who handles a physical deck of cards. However, versions like Quantum Roulette introduce a random multiplier that has to be generated randomly every time.
Cryptocurrency and Security
Random number generation is also crucial in the world of cryptography, which is where information is hidden and can only be revealed to the person that it’s meant for. This has become a huge part of our online lives, as secure passwords and two-factor authentication are now widely used to keep our most sensitive information away from prying eyes. Â
Perhaps the best example is with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, which use encryption keys from seed phrases that are calculated using entirely random numbers. This is the process that makes it virtually impossible to hack a crypto wallet. This high level of security is also partly responsible for the fact that up to 25% of all Bitcoin could have been lost forever due to owners losing their original password, according to this report from CryptoVantage.
Why This Matters
To better understand why random number generation is so important, we can look back at the famous Enigma device that the German military used to send coded messages during World War II. It was originally considered to be unbreakable, but as the 2014 movie The Imitation Game shows, Alan Turing and his team of code-breakers worked out that certain words and phrases were used repeatedly, allowing them to break the code.
The truth is that people aren’t very good at creating random details. They’ll tend to always lean towards their favorite words or things that mean a lot to them. This is why so many passwords can contain birthdays, names of pets, and so on. By using cryptography, we can get the benefits of truly random sequences that can’t be broken.
As we rely more on complex technology and a bigger percentage of our everyday lives go online, expect to find RNGs playing an even bigger role in keeping us safe. This technology isn’t always obvious to the end user, but it will continue to work behind the scenes to create the random numbers we need.
