Secure Provisioning of Random Numbers to Remote Clients

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method for protecting the “identity” of random numbers used in multiplayer games, which prevents fraud related to access to random game elements by insiders. The method enables a distribution of random numbers by a game server in a way that the game server does not know the “identity” of random numbers but the game server may independently verify these random numbers. The method includes receiving transformation information, generating random numbers, transforming random numbers according to the transformation information, sending the transformed random numbers to a game server, securing, via the game server, the transformed random numbers, sending the transformed random numbers from the game server to a remote client, and transforming the transformed random numbers to recreate the generated random numbers.

1 . A method for protecting random numbers, the method comprising:
 receiving encrypted transformation information;   decrypting the encrypted transformation information;   generating random numbers;   transforming random numbers according to the transformation information;   sending the transformed random numbers to a game server;   securing, via the game server, the transformed random numbers;   sending the transformed random numbers from the game server to a remote client, wherein the remote client transforms the transformed random numbers to recreate the generated random numbers.   
     
     
         2 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating transformation information;   encrypting the transformation information using an asymmetric algorithm; and   sending the encrypted transformation information.   
     
     
         3 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein transforming random numbers according to the decrypted transformation information comprises mapping, standard encryption, or using a private algorithm with a secret key. 
     
     
         4 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising retrieving encrypted transformation information by at least one or more of the following: using a separate system providing decryption service, and decrypting information with a private key used by one or more random number generation servers. 
     
     
         5 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising:
 encrypting transformation information; and   safeguarding transformation information on a same system or another system for one or more remote clients.   
     
     
         6 . A method in accordance with  claim 5 , further comprising adding a player identifier or player tag with transformation information. 
     
     
         7 . A method in accordance with  claim 5 , further comprising using a same encryption key by one or more random number generation servers for encryption. 
     
     
         8 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising:
 preserving, in an encrypted format, random number generator state information on a random number generation server, the game server, or another system; and   passing random number generator state between the game server and one or more random number generation servers   
     
     
         9 . A method in accordance with  claim 8 , further comprising preserving random number generator state information about specific random numbers issued to specific remote clients. 
     
     
         10 . A method in accordance with  claim 8 , further comprising preserving, in an unencrypted format, random number generator state information and transformation information on a random number generation server or another trusted system. 
     
     
         11 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising providing, by the remote client, one or more random numbers and one or more transformed random numbers for verifying random numbers. 
     
     
         12 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising verifying, via a game server, random numbers generated by sending random numbers and/or transformed random numbers and transformation information to a random number generation server or a third party system for verification. 
     
     
         13 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising storing transformed random numbers for future verification. 
     
     
         14 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising one of storing encrypted random number generator state information for future generation and/or verification of random numbers, or sending transformed random numbers with authentication information to the remote client. 
     
     
         15 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising using a separate system for verifying random numbers, wherein the separate system is a random number generation server or another third party system, and wherein the separate system is configured to do one or more of the following:
 use encrypted transformation information;   use encrypted random number generator state information and at least one random number; and   verify that a specific random number belongs to a particular remote client.   
     
     
         16 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising verifying random numbers, via an audit system, by one or more of the following: analyzing consecutively issued random numbers for a game, verifying if random numbers are properly issued to particular remote clients, and verifying if random numbers are consecutively issued for a game. 
     
     
         17 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising verifying issued random numbers by providing random numbers and a transaction identifier to a random number generation server. 
     
     
         18 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising using random numbers for a card game or a dice game. 
     
     
         19 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , connecting the gaming or gambling devices to the game server, and wherein the remote client is part of the gaming or gambling devices. 
     
     
         20 . A method in accordance to  claim 1 , further comprising, sending, from the remote client to the game server, random numbers and one or more of the following: security information, and transformation information. 
     
     
         21 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating transformation information in a random number generation server;   encrypting transformation information using either an asymmetric or a symmetric algorithm; and   sending encrypted transformation information by the random number generation server to the remote client via a gaming system.   
     
     
         22 . A method for protecting random numbers, the method comprising:
 receiving a public key of a remote client;   generating random numbers;   encrypting the random numbers with the public key; and   sending the encrypted random numbers to a game server, wherein the game server secures the encrypted random number and sends the secured encrypted random numbers to a remote client for decryption.   
     
     
         23 . A gaming system for playing card games, the system comprising:
 a game server; and   one or more processors programmed to:   receive transformed random numbers, the transformed random numbers transformed by a random number generation server according to transformation information received from a remote client;   secure the transformation information; and   verify random numbers.   
     
     
         24 . A gaming system in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein the one or more processors are programmed to verify random numbers by sending the random numbers to the random number generation server for verification, or by sending the random numbers to a separate third party for verification.