Online casino software is used by millions of people all over the world. A glitch in the software can have unimaginable monetary repercussions and can also damage the credibility of the software provider. Therefore it has become a standard practice in the online casino industry to have the software tested by independent and expert accredited agencies. This creates a second opportunity for locating any bugs that may be still present in the software after it has passed the internal inspection of the software provider. The independent testing also enhances the comfort level of the players who are waging at the online casinos using the software.

The testing of online casino software is very comprehensive. The most important aspect of the testing is the evaluation of the random number generator. All online casino games are based on the random number generator. These games are games of chance and the random number generator simulates the element of chance. Random numbers are generated and then linked to the outcomes in various casino games. For example in blackjack the random numbers will be linked to the cards in the deck. In craps the random numbers will be linked to the dice combinations. In roulette the random numbers will be linked to the numbers on the wheel. Therefore the outcomes in the casino games will be random only if the random numbers generated are truly random. It is for this reason that the evaluation of the random number generator gains importance.

Two critical factors need to be evaluated in the random number generator testing. One is that the numbers need to be unbiased and the other is that the numbers need to be unpredictable. All random numbers should have equal probability of being generated. Bias is introduced if certain numbers occur more frequently than others. In practical terms this would mean that certain cards will appear more often in the game of blackjack than other cards. Such an eventuality would be unfair to the players who wager on the assumption that all cards have equal probability of being dealt. Unpredictability ensures that there is no sequence in the generation of the random numbers. If such a sequence exists then there will be a corresponding sequence in the cards dealt or the roulette numbers called. The expert players who track histories will be able to latch on to the sequence and make unfair winnings.

The second important aspect of software testing is calculating the average payout percentages of the various games. The average payout percentage is the amount that a player can expect to win in the long run by wagering 100 credits. When players want to choose between different online casino software providers they do so on the basis of the average payout percentages reported. Hence it is essential that not only are these reports authentic but that they are certified by independent agencies. These independent agencies study the gaming operations of online casinos for the entire month and evaluate the actual average payout percentages delivered by the online casino. Usually the independent agency reports the average payout percentages separately or different categories of online casino games. The best online casinos get these reports generated month after month and put them up in the public domain for all present and potential customers to read.

Two of the most reputed inspection agencies are eCOGRA and Technical Systems Testing (TST). eCOGRA was established in 2002 and today is involved in dispute resolution along with software testing. TST was established in 1993 and does the testing for land casinos as well as online casinos.