Random Number Generator (RNG) and Shuffling

Creating a fair and quality gaming experience for our players is our highest priority at Sportsbook.com. The solution chosen for RNG/Shuffling is critical to ensuring a fair game for all players. Consequently, Sportsbook.com investigated many systems and algorithms before deciding on implementation of what we believe is a superior solution.

Sportsbook.com’s RNG solution ensures the even distribution of cards whereby no sequence or relationship can be discovered in any way. The RNG solution is unaware of what’s going on in the game itself, so when the game requests a random card, the RNG has no idea of whose turn it is nor how the game is being played. We believe this is the ultimate impartial tool, better than the physical shuffling of cards.

Sportsbook.com uses the cryptographically-secure RNG system found in Microsoft’s CryptoAPI. "Cryptographically secure" means that the RNG is so completely random that even a large amount of computer analysis cannot predict or detect patterns in the output, a fact that has been validated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Microsoft CryptoAPI RNG

Microsoft’s CryptoAPI RNG complies with Federal Information Processing Standard 186-2 appendix 3.1, using SHA-1 as the G function. It has been validated by the NIST’s Cryptographic Module Validation Program. Details on this may be found at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/security/topics/issues/fipseval.mspx.

It is important to note that computers are deterministic machines, and as such, they cannot produce truly random numbers. For this reason one often refers to Pseudo Random Number Generators (PRNG). Pseudo implies that a PRNG does not produce truly random numbers, but numbers that are random enough for a specific practical use.

The validation of Microsoft’s CryptoAPI by the National Institute of Standards and Technology proves the PRNG system used is highly random and highly secure as it is a critical building block for the CryptoAPI. For more information on NIST processing standards and security validation, please visit:

• Federal Information Processing Standards 140-1 and 140-2: http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips/index.html
• Cryptographic Standards Validation Program at NIST: http://csrc.nist.gov/cryptval/
• Computer Security Resource Clearinghouse: http://csrc.nist.gov/index.html

If you require any further information about the fairness of our games or Sportsbook.com’s RNG/Shuffling implementation, please contact us at support@sportsbook.ag.