I have been following a number of Forums (I think the plural is Fora?!) about the randomness of the National Lottery draw. It was interesting to see the debate unfold, and the passion with which some people are convinced it’s all a sham and a fiddle, while others scoff and snort at such an idea!  That sort of debate can also be seen in Bingo Forums and in chat rooms. There was a particularly fiery debate about whether numbers (for both online and live land-based bingo games) should be drawn by hand by a human from a machine or an opaque bag, or be generated by an electronic random number generator programme, without the “taint” of a human hand.  What about a compromise guys... a chimpanzee pressing the “enter” button on an RNG computer programme??!

An RNG is a computer programme that controls the outcome of most online and land-based games in a randomised fashion. They take account of various factors, which are pre-programmed and usually include; the statistics of each spin/roll/hand played, the number of coins that have been entered, the graphics, and a lot else besides. They are statistically accurate over time, and impossible to predict on an individual spin/roll/hand as the statistics play out over a given periods of time.

Now this is where it gets a bit heavy and I have to turn to my computer-whizzy son for an explanation.  The RGN involves hard-coded instructions in the form of a computer programming language, these codes are fixed and do not change, they act as the parameters from which all other information is generated. There is no option that allows the RNG’s to be changed by the online casinos in order to favour them or to change player’s odds. That’s a good thing folks!! RNGs are usually supplied by third-party companies who have a vested interest in ensuring both their own and the Bingo site’s sound reputation. The pre-programmed parameters will be consistent throughout the duration of the games play. What?? Consistent randomness?? It may get confusing when you try to understand how something pre-programmed can also be randomised, but it is within the structure of the parameters that the randomisation occurs. I guess I’ll have to take his word for it!

Now just before I go on my (random) way, I looked up what the word random means according to the concise Oxford English Dictionary:
> adjective
    1. made, done, or happening without method or conscious decision.
        * Brit. informal rather strange; odd.
    2.  Statistics governed by or involving equal chances for each item.
    3. (of masonry) with stones of irregular size and shape.
So now you know...and Good luck with your next Bingo game!