Is Online Blackjack Rigged and How to Know For Sure
14 minutes
Last Updated: January 24, 2022
Is Online Blackjack Rigged and How to Know For Sure
Online blackjack is undoubtedly great and convenient. It combines the exciting experience of this game with the advantage of playing from the comfort of your home.
Still, with everything being so technical and impersonal, it’s easy for players sometimes to assume that the game is rigged against them.
While this is a serious accusation against online casinos, some online gambling sites over the years have been found to engage in not-so-transparent activities and sometimes even rig games.
On this page, we’ll examine all of the facts to determine if online blackjack is rigged. We’ll share with you tips that will help you know how to tell for sure and what to do about it if the answer to this question is positive.
Is Online Blackjack Rigged?
The online gambling industry is still fairly young compared to its brick-and-mortar counterpart.
Because of this, it’s normal for many people to have their apprehension when it comes to online gambling, especially games like online blackjack.
However, we want to assure you that the overwhelming majority of online blackjack games aren’t rigged.
White label online casinos and casino game developers take extensive precautions to prove that their games are fair and safe for the players.
From specific laws that govern each country they operate in, to gambling licenses and independent audits, blackjack game developers have to jump through many hoops before they can publish their games for gamblers to bet real money on.
Having said that, this is a very complex topic that requires detailed conversation in several directions, all of which we’ll focus on in this detailed article.
Why Do So Many Players Think That Online Blackjack Is Rigged?
The biggest reason why many online blackjack players suspect that the game is rigged against them is that they can’t see what’s happening behind the game.
Unlike traditional blackjack in a real land-based casino, you can’t see the cards in front of you. So, if you fall into a losing streak, it’s easy to assume that the game is programmed to cheat you.
The reality is that most blackjack players that think this often have unrealistic expectations.
According to various online gambling stats, blackjack is one of the more volatile games, and players only have a winning probability of around 42%.
In other words, this number implies that you’ll more often go on prolonged losing streaks than winning ones when playing online blackjack.
Additionally, some blackjack players believe that online casinos would fix online blackjack games to protect themselves from the losses card counters can bring them.
This has been a big problem for land-based casinos over the previous decades. Thus, many casinos go to great lengths to discourage blackjack players from counting cards.
That said, there’s no proof of this theory that would suggest that online blackjack players could also engage in card counting activities.
The reason for this is very simple. This is that the deck in online blackjack games is shuffled after every game.
This completely eliminates the chance for players to count the cards. They don’t have any information they could use to assess whether a low or high card is coming up next.
Online Casinos Don’t Create Their Blackjack Games
If you think that an online casino can simply fix the game by quickly adjusting some settings and mechanisms, you’ll be surprised to find out that these gambling platforms aren’t the ones responsible for the blackjack game’s integrity.
This is because the online casinos don’t actually create the blackjack games they host on their website.
They merely license the finished games from casino software companies that develop them from scratch.
With this in mind, it’s normal to pose the question – how to be sure that the game developer isn’t rigging the game?
This is a perfectly valid thing to be concerned about, but something you don’t have to worry about.
Online casino game developers make their living from licensing games to many different casinos. If one of their games is proved to be rigged, they would lose their reputation and, with that, their business with all casinos they work with.
Lastly, these game developers must meet strict industry requirements and pass independent tests and audits to prove that their online blackjack games are fair and random.
The Casino Does Actually Have the Edge in Online Blackjack
So, if online blackjack isn’t rigged, how does the online casino ensure steady profits? The answer is simple.
Online blackjack is “rigged” in a way, and that is to provide the online casino with a certain percentage of profit over time. This is what is known as a house edge.
The house edge makes sure that the online casino always comes out on top. This number ranges between one and a half and two percent.
Even with an optimal blackjack strategy, you can lower the house edge only to a half of percent. You can never play the game so efficiently to have the edge over the casino.
In a way, this does make blackjack rigged, but in a transparent and legal way that all of us accept when we wager on the game. After all, the online casino is still in the business of making money, and the house edge helps it do so.
How to Tell You’re Dealing With a Suspicious Casino Site
If you stick with recommended, well-known, and proven online casinos, the odds of running into a site that rigs blackjack games are minimal.
However, on the off chance you do come across such a website, it’s crucial to know if the site is worth your attention or if it’s best to avoid playing at it.
Here are a handful of parameters you can use to tell that you’re questionable online blackjack platform:
- The Platform is Not Licensed – The top online blackjack sites and casino sites are all licensed by reputable gambling authorities like the UK Gambling Commission or the Malta Gaming Authority. If the site is missing licenses, it probably failed the required criteria because of some issues.
- The Site is Not Very Transparent – If the online blackjack site doesn’t list its privacy policy, qualifications, and software providers transparently, they are likely purposely hiding something. In this case, it’s best to avoid the site altogether.
- It Has Fairly Poor Online Reviews – All online casinos have at least a small percentage of bad reviews for disgruntled customers. But, if these reviews are overwhelming or speak negatively about the site’s games, the online casino is probably rigged.
- It has a History with Payout Issues – Problems with paying out winning customers is a telltale sign of a suspicious casino site. Fraudulent online casinos often employ this tactic as a way of refusing payments to those customers who manage to win something playing on their platform.
- The Support Is Missing or Disappointing – The online casino’s customer support service is an essential aspect. It builds rapport with the users and establishes good relations with the site and the user. If the support is unavailable or doesn’t want to answer important questions, the site might not be legit and might be fixing its blackjack games.
Extra Tips to Help Get The Most Out Of Your Online Blackjack Games
Knowing everything we’ve discussed, it’s safe to say that the vast majority of online casino sites are safe, especially those licensed by renowned and trusted gambling authorities.
Still, with all of the above in mind, losing players won’t find much comfort in this fact. It’s in our nature to think that the odds are rigged against us when we fall into a losing streak.
While there aren’t any foolproof blackjack strategies you can employ to ensure you win all of the time, there are some things to implement to help you eliminate the feeling that the casino is rigging your online blackjack results.
This is by getting the most for your money and betting intelligently. Here are the best tips that will help you ensure you’re doing precisely that:
Learn Basic Blackjack Strategies
Blackjack is inherently a very simple and straightforward game. That said, there are different ways to ensure you bet optimally and have the maximum possible success.
The best way to go about it is to use a blackjack strategy chart. This chart covers all of the possible card combinations and the recommended moves you should make based on what hand you have.
Have a Bankroll Management Plan
A bankroll management strategy is key if you want to minimize the amount of money you spend and know exactly where you are with your overall blackjack profits/losses.
Not only this, but calculating your bankroll against how much you play and how much you bet will allow you to understand how long your bankroll is supposed to last you depending on your results.
Knowing this, you won’t be so skeptical and think that the online casino is cheating you on your profits.
Take Advantage of Bonuses and Promotions
One of the greatest advantages of playing online blackjack are all of the bonuses and promotions you’re eligible for simply by playing at the casino site.
These bonus deals provide you with extra value for the money you deposit.
In other words, they help you get more winning chances than you would have for the same amount of cash playing blackjack in a land-based casino. So, make sure to make the best use of them.
Just be certain you understand all of the bonus terms and conditions before you claim the bonus to avoid any unpleasantries down the line.
This is because blackjack bonuses generally have stricter wagering requirements than offers on online casino games like slots.
Are There Any Examples of Online Blackjack Being Rigged?
Like most online casino myths, the “online blackjack being rigged” one is also mostly based only on theory. That said, in every business, there are examples of underhanded companies trying to scam their customers.
Probably the most famous example of an online blackjack game being fixed is the BetOnline scandal that happened a few years ago.
In this case, the casino’s customer noticed that the live dealer blackjack employee was cheating by second dealing. This move includes taking the second card from the top instead of the top one.
But, as we previously mentioned, this cheating incident was the software provider’s fault, not the casino’s fault. This is because the software company was the one hosting the game from its studio.
While this incident involved a live dealer blackjack game and not a regular online blackjack game, it is still one of the most notorious cheating scandals in online blackjack.
Is Online Blackjack Rigged? – Key Things to Remember
With everything we’ve discussed on this page, you can firmly believe that online blackjack games aren’t rigged.
Even though online casinos technically can rig blackjack games, they are kept under tight control by the appropriate industry governing bodies.
Every online casino that wants to stay in business must offer fair games for blackjack players that aren’t rigged in any way.
Of course, if you suspect that the online casino is rigging its blackjack games, you can follow our pointers to be certain if this is the case.
Moreover, even when playing on a completely legitimate site, you should remember the additional tips that will help you make sure you get the most value from the blackjack bets you place.
Still, the chances of running into an online casino that rigs its blackjack games are very slim. The risks associated with doing so are very high, and the payoff isn’t very rewarding for the operator.
Knowing all of this, as long as you stick with a licensed and proven online casino, you can relax and enjoy your favorite blackjack games without worrying whether or not they’re fixed.
Online Blackjack Fairness FAQ
Is every online blackjack game fair?
Yes, all online blackjack games are fair, provided you’re playing them on a trustworthy platform.
A few decades ago, while the online gambling industry was young and unregulated, rigged blackjack games weren’t such a rare occurrence. While there are some exceptions today, the vast majority of blackjack games are fair and safe.
Can online live blackjack be rigged?
If you primarily like playing online blackjack against live dealers, you’ll be glad to hear that fixing live blackjack games is much more challenging than fixing regular online blackjack and, therefore, much less common.
Still, the principle for checking this remains the same as for regular online blackjack games. As long as you make sure you’re playing at a licensed and regulated casino, the online live blackjack game is fair and not rigged.
