The role that Testing Agencies have on Jackpot Slots

Published on the 2021-03-16

Even the most experienced and seasoned gamblers may not be aware of every facet of the gambling industry, because of the fact that there are so many factors to consider. In most cases, players are concerned with the type of games on offer, welcome bonuses, and the size of the prizes for jackpot slots.

However, there are a lot of other things that many will not have considered or perhaps even heard of, especially relating to the regulatory aspect in the industry. While in the UK market especially, all online casinos and software providers need to be regulated by the UKGC (United Kingdom Gambling Commission), there are other markets around the world that are unregulated.

The mandate of gambling commissions is to introduce legislative measures into the industry for that particular market, which are designed to protect the players and as a result, every gambling company that wishes to operate in that particular market are then the subject of ongoing scrutiny to ensure that they are upholding the legislation.

What this does is protect players who are vulnerable and make sure that the information available on each site and the conduct of each site is as ethical as it can be.

However, as well as gambling commissions, there is another entity that is just as, if not more important. Testing agencies.

What is a testing agency in the gambling industry?

A testing agency or test house is fundamentally an independent company that are organisations and teams that analyse and test games and gambling products to ensure that they are both fair and unbiased from a player’s perspective. For example, they make sure that the Randon Number Generator (RNG) - an essential component of games such as slots, works properly in terms of the results based on the algorithmic probability.

Here at DivineJackpot.co.uk, we make sure that every jackpot slot that we recommend has been the subject of thorough testing. Because we predominantly cover NetEnt jackpot slots who are one of the leading software providers in the online gambling industry, this means that you can rest assured, this company consistently receives the seal of approval for their games.

One of the things that test houses do which are arguably the most important is test each game for thousands of spins, hands, and turns, to go beyond the statistical probabilities to obtain extraordinary results which ensure that the players have a fair chance of winning the different of prizes that the game advertises.

Therefore, this means that test houses run the rule over all sorts of games such as slots, table games, and even live casino games with a dealer. Because it’s their priority to only allow fair and unbiased games to get to the market.

Most test houses will offer their services for the following gambling products:

  • Casino Games
  • Slots Games
  • Multiplayer Games
  • Mobile Games
  • Financial Market based products
  • Integration of Different Games


The key differences that a testing agency has on jackpot slots

For jackpot slots, testing agencies are fundamental, especially because there is so much at stake. It means that these have to be tested and forensically investigated in as much detail as they possibly can be, before being released to the market. 

NetEnt, have long held a reputable standing in the online gambling industry and work (and have worked) with some of the biggest testing agencies in the world. As a result, each of the games and slots that they have developed over the decades, have passed with flying colours and this can also be said the same for their highly popular jackpot slots.

Due to the amount of time that goes into the development of jackpot slots, the NetEnt team know that it would be a shame to put so much investment into one, only for it to fall at the last hurdle, which is why their experts are so well-respected in the industry. When it comes to programming the random number generator (RNG) to a point where there is absolutely no sign of any obvious bias, the developers know what they are doing and this is arguably one of the most painstaking and hardest tasks in the creation of a jackpot slot at NetEnt.

Below is an outline of the two main functions in a jackpot slot and the methodology that testing agencies use when looking at jackpot slots.

RNG Testing

In this process, which is arguably the most important part, test houses make sure that the RNG is working properly. To do this, they verify that all reel numbers, cards, dices, balls, jackpot triggers, die numbers, and more are truly random, and hence, completely fair.


This process has several other sub-processes, and these are the main ones:

  • Verifying statistical randomness
  • Analysing the internal state of the RNG
  • Cycling, seeding and re-seeding
  • Verifying unpredictability
  • Ensuring non-repeatability
  • Confirming the usage of random numbers for all the processes of the game
  • Run Die-hard and Chi-square tests on RNG results

Part of their job is to detect any code issue in the aforementioned processes, to correct it, and compile the RNG code properly in order for a fully-compliant game to be released. 

The RTP

Testing agencies will also be able to define and confirm a specific RTP (Return to Player) for each game. This in turn lets all gamblers know their approximate probabilities of getting money back from the game each time they place a bet and how much they can expect to receive based on how much they wager. 

What Are The Main Test Agencies in the Industry?

If you see that a casino or game is accredited by any of the following test houses, you can go ahead without worries because it means it’s a reputable casino that meets all the standards of fairness and randomness.


eCOGRA


eCOGRA is the abbreviation for e-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance, which has become one of the best test houses in the world. They started operations in 2003 and they have their headquarters in the UK.
They’ve tested and certified several of the most important companies in the industry such as Bet365, 888 Casinos and Ladbrokes. 

Therefore, if you see a casino or casino software provider that includes the eCOGRA logo or badge, then you can rest assured that it is legitimate.


SQS


SQS stands for Software Quality Systems. They’ve been in the software testing industry for over 30 years. It started operations in 1982 in Germany. Their main market is not particularly casinos or gambling products, but they have tested and certified some of the biggest brands in the industry.


iTech Labs


iTech Labs started operations in 2004 and since then they have become one of the top test houses in the industry. They are based in Australia and, as a resut have tested several casinos and games in the UK thanks to their UKGC certification.


GLI


GLI stands for Games Laboratories International. The company started its operations in 1989 in the USA and its main market were offline casinos, however, since then they have evolved and began testing online casinos and games as the iGaming industry started to gain traction. As such, they have become especially popular in the UK and you can see their logo on many online casinos that operate in this territory.


Technical Systems Testing


Technical Systems Testing has been a GLI company since 2010 however they actually started their operations in 1993. They service online and offline casinos, and they have gained an excellent reputation in the industry thanks to their detailed processes to ensure the quality and fairness of all of the casinos and games that they test.


Gaming Associates
 

Gaming Associates has been a test house since 1990. They are one of the most reputable companies in the marketplace, especially thanks to their services to poker sites. On top of testing RNG games and ensuring that they are fair, they also protect casinos against collusion attempts thanks to their advanced processes.