Section 143. Electronic random number generator standards

A. Electronic random number generators shall not be sold, leased, or otherwise furnished to an organization for use in the conduct of bingo until an identical sample device containing identical proprietary software has been certified by a testing facility that has been formally recognized by the department as a testing facility that upholds the standards of integrity established by the department. The cost of testing shall be borne by the manufacturer of such equipment.

B. An electronic random number generator used in the conduct of bingo shall produce output that is statistically random.

1. Numbers produced by an electronic random number generator used in the conduct of bingo shall be statistically random individually and in the permutations and combinations used in the application under the rules of the game.

2. Numbers produced by an electronic random number generator used in the conduct of bingo shall pass the statistical tests for randomness to a 99% confidence level. Statistical tests for randomness may include:

a. Chi-square test;

b. Equi-distribution (frequency) test;

c. Gap test;

d. Poker test;

e. Coupon collector's test;

f. Permutation test;

g. Run test (patterns of occurrences shall not be recurrent);

h. Spectral test;

i. Serial correlation test potency and degree of serial correlation (outcomes shall be independent from the previous game); and

j. Test on subsequences.

C. An electronic random number generator used in the conduct of bingo shall produce output that is unpredictable.

1. It shall not be feasible to predict future outputs of a random number generator even if the algorithm and the past sequence of outputs are known.

2. Unpredictability shall be ensured by reseeding or by continuously cycling the random number generator and by a sufficient number or random number generator states for the applications supported.

3. Reseeding may be used where the reseeding input is at least as statistically random as, and independent of, the output of the random number generator being reseeded.

D. An electronic random number generator used in the conduct of bingo shall produce output that is nonrepeating. A random number generator shall not be initialized to reproduce the same output stream that it has produced before, nor shall any two instances of a random number generator produce the same stream as each other.

E. Software that calls an electronic random number generator used in the conduct of bingo to derive game outcome events shall immediately use the output returned in accordance with the game rules.

F. The outputs of an electronic random number generator used in the conduct of bingo shall not be arbitrarily discarded or selected.

G. Where a sequence of outputs is required, the whole of the sequence in the order generated shall be used in accordance with the game rules.

H. An electronic random number generator used in the conduct of bingo that provides output scaled to given ranges shall:

1. Be independent and uniform over the range;

2. Provide numbers scaled to the ranges required by game rules, and notwithstanding the requirements of subdivision 3 of this subsection, may discard numbers that do not map uniformly onto the required range, but shall use the first number in sequence that does map correctly to the range; and

3. Be capable of producing every possible outcome of a game according to its rules, and use an unbiased algorithm. A scaling algorithm is considered to be unbiased if the measured bias is no greater than 1 in 100 million.

I. An electronic random number generator that an organization is using to conduct bingo prior to November 7, 2012, is not required to be certified.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 29, Issue 03, eff. November 7, 2012.

Statutory Authority

§ 18.2-340.15 of the Code of Virginia.