A common issue in the online backgammon world is whether or not the computer-generated dice outcomes are truly random or being manipulated by the servers.
While in offline backgammon players roll the dice on the board and supervise the process closely, in online backgammon games the players cannot see how the server generates the numbers. This can make them suspicious of the reliability of the dice results, particularly when they run into bad luck.
There has never been any kind of indication for unfair dice outcomes, other than pure luck.
How Random Number Generators Work
In most online backgammon sites there is a use of the same random number generator, which is a certified piece of code that has been tested extensively and approved by several external institutions. On every attempt to check the credibility, it has been proven without any doubt that the dice on all online backgammon sites are strictly random and fair.
In addition, most of the online backgammon servers have received certification from an autonomous source which verifies the pure authenticity and randomness of their number generator software.
The Evidence
Above all, there are many players who perform exact analysis of their game results - not to find and review their errors alone, but mainly to check if the dice have been fair.
Why am I so sure of the fact that the dice outcomes in online backgammon are fair? Mostly because I myself have long-term documentation of analyzed match results, from almost any online backgammon site there is, with some containing over 1 million consecutive rolls from my matches.
Why the Myth Persists
The problem with this issue is that there are still differences of opinion regarding the dice randomness, and the rumors about manipulations don't disappear completely. So, no matter if it is a game for real money, competitive tournaments, or just for fun, there will be people who still suspect the outcomes are being manipulated.
Furthermore, there is even a wide range of rumors, from players using a dice program which allows them to control the dice, all the way up to programmers accused of manipulating the entire software.
The Psychology of Bad Luck
In general, most people remember more of the moments they run into bad luck, and the impression of those times is much stronger than when they win. That is why even if luck has a 50/50 chance, players sometimes might feel as though something is wrong.
Despite all proof and as many arguments in favor of the dice's random outcomes, someone who has had the impression that something is wrong will refuse to believe even the most solid evidence. They will state that "there seem to be too many doubles," for instance, and if shown an analysis which proves that the results are not fixed, they would probably say that "there are still too many doubles at the wrong time."
The Open Source Example
The GNU Backgammon software may be the best example. GNU is open source, which means that anyone can look up the source code of the program, and can verify the purity of the code generator. But it still does not eliminate all doubts.
So in the end, the only way to completely convince someone of the randomness of the dice is allowing them to make their own analysis and checks, and to figure out for themselves regarding the dice results.