Server Supported Gaming - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Server Supported Gaming, or SSG, is a solution employed by video lotteries and casinos to operate Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs)

Video Lottery Terminal

A Video Lottery Terminal or VLT is a gaming machine that allows gamblers to bet on the outcome of a video game.A VLT is similar to a slot machine, in that each terminal is a stand-alone device containing a random-number generator...

and Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs), the latter commonly referred to as slot machine

Slot machine

A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...

s. An SSG system includes a central system and gaming terminals which connect to the central system. SSG systems may be operated locally over a LAN

Local area network

A local area network is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building...

or span large geographical areas, even entire nations, over a WAN

Wide area network

A wide area network is a telecommunication network that covers a broad area . Business and government entities utilize WANs to relay data among employees, clients, buyers, and suppliers from various geographical locations...

, such as the Internet.

SSG is often mistakenly referred to as Server Based Gaming (SBG)

Server based gaming

Server-based gaming, or SBG, is a solution employed by video lotteries and casinos to operate Video Lottery Terminals and Electronic Gaming Machines , the latter commonly referred to as slot machines. An SBG system includes a central system and gaming terminals which connect to the central system...

, both examples of server centric gaming

Server centric gaming

Server centric gaming is a term used in the fields of video lottery and casino gaming. Server centric gaming combines classic video poker and video lottery with features of a modern client-server computer network...

. A key difference is that in SSG systems, each game terminal has to contain a Random Number Generator (RNG)

Random number generation

A random number generator ) is a computational or physical device designed to generate a sequence of numbers or symbols that lack any pattern, i.e. appear random....

and complete local copies of the games, whereas SBG

Server based gaming

systems centralize both the RNG

Random number generation

A random number generator ) is a computational or physical device designed to generate a sequence of numbers or symbols that lack any pattern, i.e. appear random....

and game logic. In SSG systems, the server support is limited to analysis, content distribution and management, while SBG

Server based gaming

systems utilize the server for the actual gameplay and multiple other features as well.

Certification and legality

GLI (Gaming Laboratories International) has created a standard (GLI #21) which includes requirements and definitions for Server Centric Gaming systems, referred to as Client-Server Systems (CSS). GLI differentiates between Server Based Gaming Systems (SBGS) and Server Supported Gaming Systems (SSGS). GLI defines SBGS as “The combination of a server and client terminals in which the entire or integral portion of game content resides on the server.” SSGS is defined as “The combination of a server and client terminal(s) which together allow the transfer of the entire control program and game content to the client terminal(s)…” GLI certifies SBG

Server based gaming

and SSG systems according to the GLI #21 standard, something which is a requirement by many operators and jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...

s for them to consider and allow such systems.

Certification and legality

See also