Ask the Experts: How do we avoid RNG system configuration errors?
See what Bulletproof had to say about our system, in their independent review.
There are different kinds of RNG system errors. Here we concentrate on system configuration errors, which have been seen repeatedly within last years with other certified RNG systems.
In our system configuration errors are mitigated by RNG design and process: the configuration is set up, verified, tested and securely stored by us before deployment, and cannot be changed by a third party or lottery personnel. To avoid risks, configuration is done early in the delivery process to allow for ample testing, and it is not changed.
- We believe that configuration problems can occur due to oversights in RNG design and configuration processes:
- Risk 1 – example pick3, pick4 – Three or four independent numbers between 0 and 9 are generated. With this design, an additional parameter identifies whether or not the numbers should repeat. This parameter may be set incorrectly. Since pick3 and pick4 are played with repeats, we configure these games such that we generate a single number from the range [0,999] for pick3 and [0,9999] for pick4 game.
- Risk 2 – A party other than the RNG vendor has ability to change the RNG generation criteria. If this does occur, it introduces both security risks and operational risks. Draw criteria can be changed by mistake, misunderstanding, or maliciously. On our system, only Szrek2Solutions can change game parameters. Only a single (experienced) party is responsible for the setup. Other parties may only review the setup and test it.
- Risk 3 – In many RNG systems there may not be an easy way to trace any changes in the configuration. Our system is designed as a transaction processing system – like a gaming system or modern event and transaction processing system. Every change in the configuration is a transaction that can be traced. One can review changes, review who made them and when.
The Szrek2Solutions’ RNG has been certified by several independent U.S. and international labs and deployed successfully since 2005 by numerous lottery operators and state licensed lotteries in the world. Customers include IGT Global Solutions; Texas Lottery, Oregon Lottery, Georgia Lottery, Kentucky Lottery, New York Lottery, Rhode Island Lottery,and Iowa Lottery in the United States; Scientific Games International in Austria; ONCE in Spain; Lottomatica and Sisal in Italy; Loterie Nationale in Luxembourg; and Ithuba in South Africa.
In addition to Trusted Draw™ and Trusted Audit™, Szrek2Solutions’ Product Suite includes Trusted Play™, a high performance RNG server for generating outcomes for e-instant games and multiplayer games, Trusted Transactions™ for securing lottery transactions, and Trusted Ticket™ for authenticating lottery tickets. Headquartered in Rhode Island (USA), with a European office in Portugal, Szrek offers reliable RNG product implementation, deployment, and support.