Trust indicator
Independent Certification
Uses an independently verified draw method. Publicly verifiable, mathematically provable schemes such as drand contribute the most.
What it is
Your draws use an independently verifiable source of randomness rather than an in-house "pick a number". This ranges from a periodic third-party certificate (for example GLI or a Random.org draw) up to publicly verifiable, mathematically provable randomness.
Why we track it
The draw is the moment everything hinges on. Independent verification removes the need to simply trust the operator. Not all methods are equal, though — a certificate says a process was checked once, whereas a publicly verifiable scheme lets anyone recompute and confirm each individual draw for themselves.
How to earn it
- Use one of the routes below for your main draws, say so on your site or in your terms, and link the evidence.
- An independent draw service that supplies the randomness or selects the winner, with a certificate linked for each draw. Using it for some draws and an in-house method for others doesn't qualify, because entrants can't tell in advance which they're getting.
- Or an independently certified RNG or draw system, tested by a recognised lab, with the certificate linked. It must be the system your draws actually run on.
- For the strongest result, use a public, mathematically provable randomness beacon — such as drand — and publish, per draw, the exact inputs and the winning selection, so anyone can reproduce the result. Per-draw public verifiability contributes more to the score than a periodic certificate alone.
- A provably fair scheme only counts on its own if its randomness comes from outside the operator and can't be known in advance. A seed the operator generates itself doesn't qualify, even with a published hash, unless the system that generates it is independently certified as above.
Recognised schemes & providers
Publicly verifiable / provably fair — strongest, anyone can recompute each individual draw
- drand — public randomness beacon (League of Entropy)
- Random.org signed draws — true randomness with a verifiable, signed record
- Verified Draws — provably-fair random draws for UK competitions
Independent RNG / draw certification — a periodic check of the draw process
- GLI (Gaming Laboratories International) — internationally recognised RNG testing
- Risk Cherry — RNG / game test lab used by UK competition platforms
- UKCPSA — UK competition & prize-draw certification
Examples only — inclusion here is not an endorsement, and other reputable schemes qualify too. We are not affiliated with these providers.
This is one of several weighted indicators behind a site's letter grade (A+ to F). We don't publish the exact points or thresholds, but earning more indicators — and avoiding hostile T&C clauses — moves a site up the scale. See the full method on our How We Rate page.
Our ratings are based on publicly observable criteria and data analysis. This is not a guarantee of legitimacy, prize fulfilment, or financial security. We are not affiliated with any competition site. Always do your own research before entering competitions or spending money.