One of the main challenges that the online casino industry has had to overcome over the past few decades is a question of trust.
Some players aren’t familiar with how slots and table games are programmed, which can leave them questioning the fairness and integrity of their chosen titles – particularly, as human nature dictates, should they embark on a losing streak.
Of course, the games available both at independent and sister casinos like 32Red sister sites are all hard coded with a random number generator (RNG), which ensures that every spin of the reels – or turn of the roulette wheel, or blackjack hand – is unpredictable, fair and wholly independent of those that have gone before.
But still, even with this knowledge, some doubts can persist.
‘I only believe in what I can see.’ Some casino players want to see the mechanics of their games unfolding in front of their very eyes, which perhaps helps to explain the popularity of live dealer games…
Seeing Is Believing
The psychology of casino gaming is unique, to say the least. For the layman, a winning streak can simply be good fortune – right place, right time. But a losing streak can, in the minds of some, be the outcome of ‘rigged’ games or cheating software code.
The nature of all casino games, no matter which you prefer, is that the action is random and impossible to predict: if it wasn’t, would you even play in the first place?
But there is still a disconnect in the minds of some as to how random number generators work in slots, table games and the like. This is confirmation bias: ‘if I lose and I can’t see the cards being shuffled, there must be something fishy going on.’
In live dealer games, of course, all of the action is streamed live and in real time from a working casino studio. Players can see the cards being shuffled – and the sound of chips being moved around the felt – as the game plays out in front of them.
This in itself builds trust and transparency: should players lose a hand of blackjack in this environment, they are far more willing to accept the result as ‘well, that’s just how the cards landed.’
The Human Touch
For a similar example, we can look out how many of us react when, after contacting the online customer support department for a particular brand or product, we are greeted by an AI chat bot, as opposed to human personnel.
Research studies confirm that there is still a general sense of mistrust in AI, with many preferring human interaction in their online communications.
Perhaps that explains why there’s a greater degree of trust in live dealers than RNGs, too. Players can interact with the dealer in many live dealer games, talking about the game’s rules or even just chatting about their day.
That creates an emotional connection, through empathy and shared experience, which leaves players feeling like they can place their trust in the dealer – they are, after all, just human like the rest of us.
No casino games, at least those provided by reputable, licensed operators, are ‘rigged’ or a scam – whether they are governed by an RNG, or if the actions (shuffling/dealing cards, spinning a roulette wheel etc) are undertaken by a human dealer.
But there’s just something about that human touch that builds trust; as alluded to earlier in this article, ‘seeing really is believing’.
Beating the House
For a game like blackjack, it can often feel like a personal battle between the player and the dealer.
This unleashes a competitive streak in some players; beating the dealer – and thus the house – is what keeps them coming back for more.
This is, in itself, trust building. Players understand that their win/loss record is determined by a) the cards they are dealt, but also b) how they play them and c) how the dealer plays theirs.
Winning or losing, in this context, feels fair… that’s the nature of true competition.
But when playing an online blackjack game determined by its RNG, for some individuals winning a hand can feel hollow – like the outcome is merely the result of fortunate coding, rather than their own skill and judgement.
The bottom line, of course, is that all online casino games can be trusted. Online blackjack, roulette slots etc are all hard coded with a randomised RNG that cannot be manipulated or changed in any way… but not being able to see the inner workings can lead to a lack of trust and transparency.
Looking a live dealer in the eyes as the game unfolds… it doesn’t get any more trusting than that.
