Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) publishes technical standards that define how gaming machines — including video poker — must operate. The GLI-11 standard is the most widely referenced framework for electronic gaming device testing and certification.
What GLI-11 Covers
GLI-11 sets requirements in several areas relevant to VP:
Random Number Generator (RNG) Testing
The RNG is the component that determines which cards you receive. GLI-11 requires that the RNG produce output that is:
- Statistically random. The sequence must pass standard tests for randomness (chi-square, serial correlation, etc.)
- Unpredictable. Knowing previous outputs must not help predict future outputs
- Non-cyclical over practical time frames. The sequence must not repeat within any reasonable play session
For VP specifically, this means each card in the virtual deck has an equal probability of appearing in any position. The deal is equivalent to shuffling a physical deck.
Return-to-Player (RTP) Verification
GLI-11 requires that the theoretical return of a game matches what the pay table promises. For 9/6 Jacks or Better, the lab verifies that the game actually returns 99.54% over its full cycle — meaning the pay table, the deck composition, and the RNG work together correctly.
Game Rules Compliance
The standard verifies that the game plays according to its stated rules: 52 cards in the deck (or 53 for Joker Poker), correct hand evaluation, correct payouts for each hand.
Who Uses GLI-11
GLI-11 is used as a baseline by gaming regulators worldwide:
- US states (Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, etc.) use GLI-11 as a reference, often with additional state-specific requirements
- International jurisdictions (UK, Australia, various European markets) reference GLI-11 alongside their own standards
- Online gaming regulators apply similar standards to digital VP
Not all jurisdictions adopt GLI-11 verbatim. Nevada's Gaming Control Board, for example, has its own testing protocols that overlap with but aren't identical to GLI-11. The principle is the same: independent verification of fairness.
What This Means for Players
If you're playing video poker at a regulated casino (any legal casino in the US, UK, Australia, or other regulated markets), the game has been tested by an independent laboratory against standards like GLI-11. This means:
- The cards are randomly dealt (equivalent to a shuffled physical deck)
- The pay table accurately reflects the game's true return
- The game evaluates hands correctly and pays the correct amounts
What GLI-11 does not guarantee:
- That the pay table is generous (a 6/5 JoB machine passes GLI-11 just as well as a 9/6)
- That the casino won't change pay tables (it can, as long as the new configuration is also certified)
- That you'll win (the house edge is built into the pay table, not the RNG)
The Bottom Line
GLI-11 and similar standards ensure that video poker machines are fair in the mathematical sense: the deck is real, the randomness is real, and the pay table is what it says it is. Your job as a player is to find the best pay table and play optimal strategy — the fairness of the underlying game is already verified.