Provably Fair Crypto Games

Learn how provably fair crypto games work and how to verify results yourself. Understand house edge, RTP, and fairness verification for Crash, Plinko, Mines, Dice, and Slots.

What is Provably Fair?

Provably fair is a cryptographic system that lets players verify each bet's fairness. Unlike traditional online casinos where you must trust the operator, provably fair games use algorithms that make cheating mathematically impossible.

How Provably Fair Works

  1. Server Seed: The casino generates a random seed and hashes it (encrypts it). You see the hash before betting.
  2. Client Seed: You provide your own seed (or the casino generates one for you, which you can change).
  3. Nonce: A counter that increments with each bet.
  4. Result Generation: The game combines server seed + client seed + nonce to generate the result using a cryptographic hash function (usually SHA-256 or HMAC-SHA256).
  5. Verification: After the bet, the casino reveals the unhashed server seed. You can use a verification tool to confirm the result matches the seeds.

Why It's Fair: The casino can't change the server seed after you bet (you'd see the hash change). You can't predict the result because the server seed is hidden. The combination of both seeds ensures neither party can manipulate the outcome.

Popular Provably Fair Crypto Games

Crash Game

How it works: A multiplier starts at 1.00x and increases. You cash out before it crashes. The crash point is provably fair.

House Edge: Typically 1-3%

Strategy: Set auto-cashout at low multipliers (1.5x-2x) for consistent small wins, or risk higher for big payouts.

Popular at: Stake, BC.Game, Roobet

Plinko

How it works: Drop a ball down a peg board. It lands in a slot with a multiplier. Each bounce is provably fair.

House Edge: 1-2%

Strategy: More rows = higher variance. 8-12 rows for balanced risk/reward.

Popular at: Stake, BC.Game, Duelbits

Mines

How it works: Click tiles to reveal gems. Avoid mines. Cash out anytime. More mines = higher multipliers.

House Edge: 1-3%

Strategy: Start with 3-5 mines for lower risk. Increase mines for higher payouts but more risk.

Popular at: Stake, BC.Game, Rollbit

Dice

How it works: Roll a number between 0-100. Bet over or under a target. Adjust target to change payout.

House Edge: 1%

Strategy: Lower targets = higher win chance, lower payout. Higher targets = lower win chance, higher payout.

Popular at: Stake, Primedice, Wolf.bet

Crypto Slots & RTP

Most crypto casino slots are not provably fair in the same way as Crash or Dice. They use RNG (Random Number Generator) systems certified by third-party auditors like eCOGRA or iTech Labs.

What is RTP?

RTP (Return to Player) is the percentage of wagered money a slot returns to players over time. A 96% RTP slot returns $96 for every $100 wagered (on average, over millions of spins).

High RTP Crypto Slots

  • Blood Suckers (NetEnt): 98% RTP
  • Mega Joker (NetEnt): 99% RTP
  • 1429 Uncharted Seas (Thunderkick): 98.6% RTP
  • Jackpot 6000 (NetEnt): 98.8% RTP

Important: RTP is calculated over millions of spins. Short-term results vary wildly due to variance. A 96% RTP slot can still have long losing streaks.

Provably Fair Slots

Some crypto casinos offer provably fair slots where you can verify each spin's fairness using seeds. These are rarer but offer the same transparency as Crash and Dice games.

Live Dealer Crypto Casino Games

Live dealer games (blackjack, roulette, baccarat) stream real dealers from studios. These are not provably fair because they use physical cards/wheels, but they offer transparency through live video.

Best Live Dealer Crypto Casinos

  • BitStake: Evolution Gaming live dealer, BTC/ETH/USDT accepted
  • CryptoWin Casino: Pragmatic Play live dealer, instant withdrawals
  • USDT Casino: Multiple live dealer providers, TRC20 deposits

House Edge: Blackjack (0.5-1%), Roulette (2.7% European, 5.26% American), Baccarat (1.06% banker, 1.24% player)

How to Verify Provably Fair Results

Step-by-Step Verification

  1. Before Betting: Note the hashed server seed displayed by the casino.
  2. Set Your Client Seed: Change the default client seed to your own random string (optional but recommended).
  3. Place Your Bet: The game generates a result using server seed + client seed + nonce.
  4. After the Bet: The casino reveals the unhashed server seed.
  5. Verify: Use the casino's verification tool or a third-party verifier. Input:
    • Unhashed server seed
    • Your client seed
    • Nonce (bet number)
  6. Compare: The verifier calculates the result. It should match your actual bet result.

Third-Party Verifiers

Most provably fair casinos provide built-in verifiers, but you can also use independent tools to double-check:

  • Provably Fair Verifier (various open-source tools on GitHub)
  • Casino-specific verifiers (Stake, BC.Game, etc. publish their algorithms)

Red Flags

  • Casino doesn't reveal server seed after bet
  • No verification tool provided
  • Hashed server seed changes after you bet
  • Verification tool gives different result than actual bet

House Edge Comparison

House edge is the casino's mathematical advantage. Lower house edge = better odds for players.

Game House Edge RTP Provably Fair?
Dice 1% 99% Yes
Crash 1-3% 97-99% Yes
Plinko 1-2% 98-99% Yes
Mines 1-3% 97-99% Yes
Blackjack (optimal) 0.5% 99.5% No
Roulette (European) 2.7% 97.3% No
Slots (average) 4% 96% Usually No
Slots (high RTP) 1-2% 98-99% Usually No