Are online casinos rigged?

How are licensed online casino games tested?

Michigan shows how it works. Its rules require operators, platform providers and suppliers to comply with GLI-19, a technical standard for interactive gaming from Gaming Laboratories International. A platform must be certified before it goes live, and each game needs written approval from the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

GLI says multiple regulators have built GLI-19 into their rules, and regulators can adopt it as they see fit. We have read Michigan's rules in full, not those of all seven states, so check your own regulator for local detail.

What does return to player mean?

Return to player, or RTP, is the share of all money wagered that a game is designed to pay back over a very long run of play. A game with a 96% RTP keeps an average of $4 from every $100 wagered. It says nothing about any single session, and you can win or lose far more than that in a short run. Our RTP calculator turns a percentage into an average dollar cost.

Michigan requires house-banked games to return at least 80% and no more than 100%, unless the board authorizes otherwise.

If games are tested, can you beat them?

Testing checks that a game behaves as approved. It does not remove the house edge, which is built into the game. Our online casino games page compares the edge by game, from under 1% on some table games with best play to as much as 15% on some slots.

Are live dealer games checked too?

In Michigan, yes. An operator needs written board approval to run live games, the live game provider must be approved, and the studio must be in Michigan in an approved location unless the board agrees otherwise in writing.

What about offshore and sweepstakes casinos?

No US state tests or approves games at offshore casinos. In 2025, a coalition of 50 attorneys general described offshore sites as having limited or no consumer protections. Sweepstakes casinos are not licensed as casinos by state gaming regulators either, so state casino testing rules do not cover them in the same way.