Is Online Blackjack Rigged?

Online blackjack, played at licensed casinos in the U.S., is not rigged.

Licensed online casinos are legally obligated to ensure fair play – or face consequences, such as loss of license, fines, and criminal charges.

The results of video blackjack games are determined by random number generators (RNGs), ensuring the results are random; live dealers at online casinos are audited to ensure they’re not employing any shady tricks to cheat players out of their winnings.

That being said, there are a lot of concerns about online blackjack being rigged. Probably because of the age-old adage “the house always wins”.

But while the house may always win, it doesn’t mean the results are rigged. In fact, it just means that the house is more likely to win overall.

There are many famous big blackjack winners in history, including Kerry Packer ($40 million), Don Johnson ($15.1 million), and the MIT Blackjack Team ($50 million to $100 million).

So why are players always wondering if online blackjack is rigged?

Let’s break down the most common concerns about rigging, how blackjack game results are determined at online casinos, and how house edge actually works.

Common Concerns About Rigging

The House Always Wins: There’s a saying in the casino industry that the house “always wins”.

Overall, this is true. Because the odds of games like blackjack favor the dealer, casinos are pretty much destined to profit off of these games – but that doesn’t mean they’re playing unfairly.

Odds of games are determined by RNGs and return-to-player percentages (RTPs) and are calculated over time.

This means that the house will always win more than players do, but these statistics are calculated over time.

Just because the house “always wins” over time, doesn’t mean it’s impossible for players to win at online blackjack.

Game Results Are Determined by Unfair Algorithms: A lot of players surmise that algorithms at online casinos are simply unfair and favor the house over the player.

There is no game at any casino that favors players over the house, and the RNGs that determine the outcome of games are not “rigged” or “unfair” in any way.

In fact, online casinos post the RTPs of many of its games, including slots and some table games.

They undergo audits, performed by third parties, to ensure that the RTPs are accurate and RNGs are fair.

Playing Games at Certain Times Can Affect Results: A lot of players also surmise that playing games at certain times (i.e. non-peak times) can affect results.

Since the results of games are determined by RNGs that don’t favor games played at certain times over others, this is simply untrue.

Though you may feel as if you win more during certain times of day, it’s most likely a cognitive bias that’s leading you to this conclusion.

Games “Must” Pay Out After So Many Bets: We all remember the days of watching slot players stick to just one machine at land-based casinos or hover around other players, waiting for them to abandon games to “get their chance” at winning.

The idea was that if a game hadn’t paid out a big win over a long period of time, that game was “due” for one at some point.

Yet, this isn’t necessarily true – and it’s not true for online casinos, either.

The size and frequency of wins is determined by RTPs, which calculate theoretic wins over time.

A game simply may not pay out big wins as often or it may be programmed to pay out small wins more often.

Just because you haven’t won anything “big” after playing a game consistently, doesn’t mean you’re “due” for a big win at some point.

And it definitely doesn’t mean that the blackjack game is rigged. It simply means that the RNG hasn’t paid out any wins in your favor.

Dealers Can Change Game Outcomes: A lot of players believe that dealers can somehow change the outcome of blackjack games – but this simply isn’t true.

Of course, the house has an edge in every game dealt. This isn’t the dealer’s fault.

Dealers don’t have any motive to cheat or rig blackjack games. In fact, many are happy when players win.

They must abide by similar rules and regulations players abide by. They must shuffle cards, either by hand or with a machine.

If they are caught cheating (and let’s be honest, why would they?), they could face fines, loss of employment, and criminal charges.

How Blackjack Software Works

There are two types of blackjack games available at online casinos: table games and live dealer games.

In this section, we’re going to cover how table game blackjack software works in both categories.

There are several components to blackjack software that determine the outcomes of games, including RNGs and OCR technology.

Random Number Generators: RNG stands for random number generator and it’s the algorithm that determines the outcome of an online casino game.

This is how the outcomes of table game blackjack are calculated.

If you’re playing a blackjack game online that has an RTP of 96%, it should return $0.96 for every $1 bet playing that game over time.

RNGs determine what the outcome of the game will be, based on the odds of the game.

Online casinos specifically use pseudo random number generators (PRNGs), which use a seed number to predict the outcome of the game.

These algorithms are constantly running, even when no one is playing the game. Once you click the play button, you’ll see the results of the random numbers the algorithm generated at that moment.

OCR Technology: Because blackjack is a game of skill, in addition to a game of chance, online casinos also use optical character recognition technology to keep track of the card decks.

This is the technology that keeps track of which cards have been played and which remain in the deck and is used in live dealer games.

When the live dealer deals the cards, OCR technology can recognize which cards are dealt and convert that information into data.

OCR can help reduce human error in live dealer blackjack games, as well as communicate results to players.

Regulatory and Fairness Checks

The benefit of playing at a licensed online casino in the U.S. versus an offshore casino is that all stateside casinos must abide by state gambling authority regulations.

They are regularly audited by third parties and by the state to ensure fairness.

Types of Casino Audits

Online casinos undergo several types of audits, including financial and fairness audits.

For the purposes of understanding how blackjack isn’t rigged at licensed casinos, we’ll just focus on fairness audits.

Game Return Audits: Online blackjack games played against a computer have set odds or RTPs. This is how much a game pays out in winnings over time. Online casinos undergo third-party audits to ensure the posted RTPs of each game accurately pay out winnings.

RNG Audits: Online casinos also undergo RNG audits to ensure that the outcomes of games are, in fact, random and do not favor one player over another – or do not unfairly favor the house for that matter.

How Casinos Are Audited

Casinos may choose to perform their own internal audits, but they’re required to undergo audits performed by third parties.

Most online casinos hire companies to audit their casino game RNGs and RTPs on a monthly basis and some must also undergo audits performed by state regulators.

Penalties for Unfair Play

It’s within an online casino’s best interest to comply with state laws and regulations. If they don’t, they face consequences, including:

• Fines

• Revoked License

• Criminal Charges

The bottom line? Online casinos want players to win.

Since games are designed to favor the house, online casinos still make money when they pay out winnings.

Some players will win and some will lose; casinos still come out on top.

Player Reviews and Experiences

There are a lot of opinions about how blackjack works at online casinos and if it is, in fact, rigged.

At the end of the day, these opinions come from personal player experiences.

A lot of players worry that they’re not winning at online casinos because of rigging, but there are so many factors to consider when determining the outcomes of blackjack games.

One Reddit user showed a screenshot of their winnings at BetMGM, claiming they won $400,000 on blackjack. (Granted, the OP admitted they first lost $30,000 on blackjack before recouping their losses and then winning the $400,000.)

But it doesn’t take too long to find the other side of online opinions about blackjack – the ones that veer toward the “negative” side of playing casino games. The stories of players who’ve lost.

There are also posts from online casino dealers on Reddit. These claim that dealers have no way of rigging the game. They’re just dealing the cards. No tricks. These posts even claim that the dealers actually root for the players, wanting them to win.

We can also assume that more players are going to turn to sites like Reddit to complain about their losses than the ones who are ready to jump on to boast about their wins.

House Edge: How Casinos Profit from Blackjack 

In casino blackjack, the house always has the edge or the advantage.

There are several different factors that can contribute to house edge, including game variations, the number of decks used, and the casino you play at.

Dealer Plays Last: The house always has the edge in blackjack because the player is always expected to make the first move. If the dealer were to go first, the player could use information from the dealer’s play to determine their next move. But since blackjack players are required to make the first move, they forgo that information.

Blackjack Variations: The house edge also varies across different variations of the game. Classic blackjack has a house edge of 0.50%; European blackjack has an edge of 0.40%; switch blackjack has an edge of 0.58%. Of course, online casinos can all have different blackjack house edges.

Number of Decks: If you want better odds of winning at blackjack, play variations that only use one deck. Some online casinos use more than one deck blackjack to increase the house edge.

Blackjack Rules That Can Affect the House Edge

6:5 or 3:2: Casinos will either pay out odds of 6:5 or 3:2. This basically means that you’ll either get paid out $6 for a $5 bet or $3 for a $2 bet.

This detail may seem insignificant, but it will affect your winnings, as the payouts of 3:2 games are better than those for 6:5 games.

Dealer Hits on Soft 17: In blackjack, a soft 17 is a hand that adds up to 17 that doesn’t contain an ace that counts as 11.

Pretty much all online casino dealers are required to hit on a soft 17, as it increases the house edge, which is good for them – but not so good for you.

Splitting Hands: Making two hands out cards of the same value is called splitting. This can be beneficial, as you’ll have two hands to play against the dealer.

Doubling Down: In classic blackjack, you’re allowed to double down on some card totals (usually 10 or 11) or after a split; some casinos also allow you to double down on any card total.

The general “rule” is that you shouldn’t double down if your cards add up to more than 11 or if the dealer has an ace.

But otherwise, doubling down strategically can help decrease the house edge – especially if you double down after a split.

Hit Split Aces: Some online casinos allow you to split aces or receive two hands of 11, offering a better chance of reaching 20 or 21.

Since this can decrease the house edge significantly, it’s not common practice at a lot of casinos.

Resplits: This is when you split a hand more than once; some casinos allow you to split up to six hands, but this isn’t terribly common because it can decrease house by around 0.50%.

Surrender: Before the dealer checks their cards for blackjack, you can surrender half your bet if you don’t think you’ll win.

It’s a good tactic to use if you have less than a 50% chance of winning.

Some casinos also offer early surrender, which is when you’re allowed to surrender before the dealer looks at the hole card; late surrender allows you to surrender after the dealer has checked and is almost always allowed at online casinos.

Ιs DraftKings Blackjack Rigged?

DraftKings is one of the most well known and trusted sportsbooks and online casinos.

It’s licensed in the states where it operates and one of the conditions of its licensing is that it enacts fair play measures, so there is no chance that DraftKings rigs the results of its online casino games.

How Does DraftKings Ensure Fair Play?

By law, online casinos must enact measures to ensure fair play. Since DraftKings is also a publicly traded company, it must also undergo further regulatory compliance measures.

DraftKings ensures fair play by using RNGs to determine the outcomes of games and undergoing third-party audits.

Because this online casino is regulated by the states in which it operates, these measures are taken seriously and there is no possibility of rigging.

Here is a breakdown of some of the measures DraftKing uses to ensure fair play at its online casino platforms.

State Laws & Regulations: DraftKings must adhere to state laws and regulations in every state it operates online, including Connecticut, New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

By law, the outcomes of DraftKings traditional table blackjack games (played against a computer) must be determined by RNGs.

Random Number Generators: These algorithms determine the outcomes of blackjack games, played against a computer, ensuring that games are not rigged and outcomes are random.

Third-Party Testing: DraftKings must undergo third-party audits to ensure that RNGs are properly working and that RTPs are accurate.

Regulatory Compliance: DraftKings is a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange under the ticker DKNG, so it must adhere to regulatory compliance requirements.

Analysis of Game Fairness and RNG of DraftKings

DraftKings is regulated by the state gaming commissions of Connecticut, New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, including:

• Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Gaming Division

• Michigan Gaming Control Board

• New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement

• Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

• West Virginia Lottery

DraftKings uses Gaming Laboratories International, LLC (GLI) for third-party audits.

Ιs FanDuel Blackjack Rigged?

Another one of the most popular and trusted online casinos is FanDuel, which is also licensed in each state it operates.

Since states require all licensed online casinos, including FanDuel, to ensure fair play through a variety of measures, there’s no chance that any game rigging goes on here.

How Does FanDuel Ensure Fair Play?

FanDuel’s operations are overseen by the same governing bodies that ensure fair play at DraftKings.

Here is a breakdown of the measures FanDuel takes to prove the outcomes of its games are fair.

State Laws & Regulations: Like DraftKings, FanDuel must also adhere to state laws and regulations. It operates in Connecticut, New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, partnering with local-based casinos, and it must adhere to the regulations of each state.

Random Number Generators: All licensed online casinos, including DraftKings, use RNGs to determine the outcome of games played against a computer. These RNGs are programmed to award wins, based on the games RTP.

Third-Party Testing: FanDuel is audited by a third party to ensure that RNGs are working properly.

Regulatory Compliance: FanDuel’s parent company, Flutter, is a publicly traded company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker FLUT. As a publicly traded company, FLUT must adhere to even more stringent regulatory compliance requirements.

Analysis of Game Fairness and RNG of FanDuel

FanDuel is also regulated by the state gaming commissions of Connecticut, New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, including:

• Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Gaming Division

• Michigan Gaming Control Board

• New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement

• Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

• West Virginia Lottery

Is Video Blackjack Rigged?

No, video blackjack is not rigged. This game undergoes the same scrutiny other online casino games undergo to ensure fair play.

Video blackjack game results are determined by RNGs to ensure results aren’t tampered with.

Many video blackjack games also have predetermined RTPs that are posted on developers’ websites. You can look up these stats on developer sites, as well as many online casino sites.

Third parties audit video blackjack games, just as they do other computer-based online casino games.

Is Live Dealer Blackjack Rigged?

No, live dealer blackjack isn’t rigged either.

Although the results of live dealer blackjack aren’t determined by RNGs, online casinos use similar measures they would at land-based casinos to prevent rigged results.

Live dealers may manually shuffle cards or use continuous shuffling machines to prevent card counting and other fraudulent activity.

These games are streamed in real-time and recorded, so online casinos and auditors can keep a close eye on dealers to ensure there’s no foul play.