Evidence-First Releases: a New Standard in Gaming Solutions

Rosloto experts discuss a modern way to deploy functions in the betting industry. You will learn about the features and benefits of this method.

About the Concept

Today, the production of new gaming software is constant. Some elements (mechanics, bonus sessions, and design options) are activated, others are refined, and some are removed completely.

On the surface, everything appears very simple. Gamblers receive notifications that an update has been released, start spinning the reels, and test the changes. However, within a development team at this moment, there is total chaos.

It can be difficult for engineers to understand:

• which specific version of the product was running yesterday;
• who activated a new feature;
• what percentage of players the function was deployed to;
• why the change was rejected.

The use of the approach completely solves these problems. Each presentation of iGaming content is a complete and carefully recorded event without chaotic actions and disagreements between different departments of the company.

Technical Documentation for Signed Releases

Each change in an entertainment product receives several characteristics:

1. A unique build_id. It allows specialists to see at any time which specific version of the game was sent to the system, and what fragment of the program code was affected.
2. Feature status. It helps to understand whether the quality is enabled or disabled and if it is activated for a small group of people (for example, 5% of users).
3. Canary release. This is a pool of customers on whom the update is tested before its final presentation. If no errors are detected during the initial testing, the developer can expand the reach and offer the change to a larger number of players.
4. Rollback triggers. These are pre-defined inaccuracies and bugs that, if fixed, prevent the feature from being released. For example, frequent logs and errors in system operation, incorrect calculation of prizes, problems with graphics, etc.
5. Signed event. Every step the programmers take should be recorded and contain information about who enabled the feature, when, and with what parameters. This protects the team of specialists from chaos or misunderstandings, simplifies communication between different departments, and facilitates reporting.
6. Immutable trail. This is important for ensuring security and passing external audits. Thanks to the characteristic, engineers can restore the whole picture of what happened at any time and see where errors were made.

Why Evidence-First Releases Are Important for the Niche

Let us consider why many enterprises are using this method today.

The High Cost of Errors

If something breaks during a release in the traditional e-commerce sector, the worst that may happen to customers is that they will not be able to immediately order the product.

In gambling, the scale of the problems is much larger:

• for example, delayed deposits can make users become nervous and text technical support too often;
• payout errors can lead to a direct loss of funds and reputational risks;
• incorrect betting limits can cause financial damage, while failures in bonus mechanics may result in the recalculation of prizes and the imposition of penalties.

Each release must be carefully planned and tested to avoid serious errors and legal inconsistencies in the future.

Position of the World’s Leading Regulators

The MGA, UKGC, Ontario AGCO, DGOJ, and other authorities do not yet insist on the implementation of the method in the activities of licensed operators.

However, many legal requirements are already difficult to meet without such an approach, for example:

• step-by-step tracking of the platform’s actions;
• provability of the correctness of functions;
• process repeatability;
• immutability of logs.

If casino owners can show the auditor a clear sequence of steps (who enabled the feature, when, and to what extent), this will reduce the number of additional questions and speed up the passage of external checks.

Cost Optimisation

In gambling, even one inaccuracy in a release can lead to huge financial losses:

• enabling a new PSP agent incorrectly, for example, will cause massive bugs when depositing funds;
• accrual of a new bonus can result in increased costs for operators;
• manual activation of a feature, but with inaccurate technical parameters, will lead to the incorrect calculation of prizes.

The Evidence-first mechanism makes such situations extremely rare. The introduction of new functions always occurs gradually and is distributed only to a small percentage of the audience (canaries). Every action within the system is automatically recorded, and rollback conditions are defined in advance.

Streamlined Teamwork

Entertainment companies constantly present new releases. They face the integration of third-party payment agents, updated verification rules, changes to technical characteristics of games (volatility, RTP), etc.

The addition of content (slots, cards, or lotteries) from third-party providers also requires special attention. Business owners must monitor updates from manufacturers, taking into account the existing restrictions and legislative norms.

Every release is potentially stressful for online casinos, but Evidence-First transforms this chaos into the most comfortable and predictable process.

How iGaming Content Developers Use the Approach

In the betting industry, operators are not the only ones moving toward structured and verifiable presentations of new solutions. Leading vendors are increasingly adopting similar practices.

B2B Providers of Slots

Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Yggdrasil, and other companies release hundreds of products annually. These include casino games, live entertainment, bingo, and other options.

Branded solutions are delivered to entrepreneurs worldwide. They are compatible with various types of devices and meet regulatory requirements, as well as the preferences of the local audience (payment methods, the quality of the Internet connection, and seasonality).

Developers rarely disclose details of the organisational infrastructure, but usually, they implement:

1. Game engine version control. This add-on provides detailed information about what type of product’s core each operator has.
2. Standardised logging. It includes changes to mechanics, rewards, and payouts that are recorded for the passage of the audit and certification.
3. Canary releases. Before a new feature becomes available to all casino owners, it is tested on a limited customer base. Feature flags and metric monitoring (e.g., the accuracy of monetary transactions or the load) are used for testing.

These practices are similar to Evidence-First Releases, even if companies do not officially call them that. Today, developers are strongly tied to managed presentations and thorough logging of all changes.

Providers of Platform Solutions

EveryMatrix, BetConstruct, Kambi, Playtech, and other brands create the basis for successful iGaming projects. These include software for the integration of entertainment, control over bonuses, CRM systems, and financial services with multi-level reporting.

In their work, such companies implement:

• a feature-flag infrastructure to safely make changes without risking stopping the service;
• signed, logged solutions that can be presented to customers, businessmen, and legislative bodies;
• automated rollbacks in case of the SLA (service level agreement) violation or planned disruption of the metrics.

Evidence-First Releases play a crucial role for gambling platform owners. The tool serves dozens of operators in different jurisdictions. They must all have identical amendment processes without hidden adjustments or rigging.

How Providers Use Signed Releases

Let us look at why casino software vendors are the first to widely implement the approach.

Independent Certification

Before a slot machine reaches an operator, it must undergo RNG testing and verification of its compliance with standards of integrity and security.

To successfully pass such an audit, the developer must show a detailed step-by-step log of all actions, not just a list of changes to the program code.

Requirements of Gaming Commissions

When the owners of betting projects launch a third-party product on a licensed market, the regulator may request the following information:

• what version of the mechanics is currently used;
• who enabled or changed the game parameters and why;
• what would have happened if refunds, errors, or disputes with players had been recorded.

Standardised release logging helps entrepreneurs to quickly and accurately answer such questions, provide real evidence of fair play, and continue working legally in the selected sector.

Large-Scale Integrations

The manufacturers of slots serve dozens of operators, each with their local requirements, limits, languages, and currencies.

The Evidence-First approach allows for managing such changes without the chaotic launch of different product versions, taking into account regional peculiarities and licensing rules.

Rapid Testing of New Mechanics

Feature flags and Canary pools make it possible to:

• release updates for small groups of casino owners or regions;
• monitor game metrics (balance, frequency of winnings, variance);
• rollback changes before they affect the entire audience.

This reduces risks during the final product launch and helps comply with regulatory requirements.

The Main Things about the Approach

In the case of the signed event method, every change to gaming software is documented and tested on a small group of clients.

Key aspects that should be considered:

• The tool is actively used by both online casino owners and content providers. It takes into account licensing regulations in different regions, optimises development costs, and mitigates the effects of errors.
• Each signed release contains a unique identifier, Canary share, feature status, and special triggers. These characteristics help operators quickly understand what code fragments contain errors and how to fix them.

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