What inspired you to build Monero Vegas, and how did you settle on the Plinko mechanic as your flagship offering?
We really wanted to create something special for the Monero community. At the time, we felt there weren't any Monero casinos out there that offered a good experience. Many people in the Monero community were really missing a quality place to play Plinko after Minko's closure in . It was a game they loved and we heard their feedback loud and clear!
We decided to fill that void and launched Monero Vegas in . We built our game mechanics based on the beloved system that Minko had. There are some small differences though.
What was the biggest technical or operational challenge you faced when launching a fully on-chain, account-free betting site?
The biggest challenges we've faced have been about building a secure gambling platform in this space. Minko collapsed due to a payout bug and taking on huge bets they couldn't cover. We've been very careful to not repeat their mistakes so we manage our risks responsibly. Another Monero gambling platform was exploited just after its launch. That's why we're constantly on alert. Finding the sweet spot between having enough XMR in our hot wallet for instant payouts whilst keeping the amount low for security is a balancing act which is another challenge.
Our current biggest challenge is the sportsbook. We're seeing a lot of advantage bettors so it's becoming very difficult to offer the reasonable limits and low margins we want to. We're actually in the process of deciding whether to shut down the sportsbook and focus on the casino side of things where we can offer relatively higher limits.
There are emotional challenges too. We're disappointed because we've never had the hype of the original Minko. It was probably because of Minko's big donations to fund Monero development. We closed Monero Vegas in because of low betting activity. However we reopened it in because we and some other Monero community members were sad and we've been open since then.
What made you choose Monero as the sole currency for Monero Vegas, and how does its privacy focus benefit your players?
Monero isn't just a word. It's our brand identity. We run our own nodes and pay our bills in Monero. We're a niche, Monero-only casino so adding other coins would dilute that brand value. That's why it's the only coin we accept. It was an easy decision. This great coin allows our players to gamble with a unique level of privacy which means their gambling activity remains their business. We benefit too because our finances aren't visible to the competitors!
Beyond anonymity, what unique advantages does Monero bring to the betting experience compared to other cryptocurrencies?
We believe anonymity is the only unique advantage of Monero. There are some other advantages like the low fees but they aren't unique to Monero.
Which games or bet types on Monero Vegas (e.g., Plinko vs. sports betting) see the highest traction, and why do you think that is?
Plinko's always seen the highest traction. However the election betting in 2024 was a big exception. The volume was really big.
Can you walk us through how Plinko works on the Monero blockchain—from user click to multiplier payout—and how you keep it both simple and engaging?
We really believe in keeping things simple and fun! You just click on a row, set your payout address, send your payment and you can sit back and watch the animation. It's designed to be satisfying and engaging. Once the game is over, you get paid instantly. Easy peasy. It's a quick and enjoyable experience.
How does your HMAC-SHA512 (server seed + TXID) approach guarantee provable fairness, and what should players know about verifying each outcome?
Our approach ensures both the player and the casino contribute to the randomness! Before you send your bet, our server creates a secret 32-byte server seed and shows you the hash of it so you know we've committed to a specific seed. We can't show the unhashed server seed before the game because this would allow users to place bets selectively on big winners.
Then when your transaction arrives we take the actual (unhashed) server seed and hash it together with your TXID using HMAC-SHA512. Because we can't know what your TXID will be in advance (the transaction is created by your wallet) we can't possibly pick a server seed to influence the outcome. The result of this final hash is what we use to determine the ball paths. Once the game is over, you can verify on our lookup page that the hashed server seed matches the hash of the server seed we've now revealed, proving that the game was fair.
We know that most players don't actually understand the algorithm but the fact that a few community members do is enough. If we were rigging games, it would be very easy for someone to prove it and it would be public knowledge. The fact that we haven't had any public claims against us is a testament to our fairness! However the only way to be completely sure is to follow the simple steps on our fairness page and verify it yourself. There's another important point: the algorithm only proves the game results are random. The payouts themselves still require trust. We've worked hard for almost 2 years to build that trust with our players.
Your system caps over-max bets and treats under-min bets as donations. What drove those design choices, and how do you manage refund fees under the hood?
We've always capped the max bet amount because we're minimising the casino's “risk of ruin”. The house bankroll isn't infinite. It's all about making sure the lights stay on and the games keep running for everyone to enjoy!
We treat underbets as donations because the house edge is enough to cover the transaction fees for big bets but that's not the case for low amounts. The transaction fees would eat into our house bankroll. Having minimum bet limits means the fees for the payouts or refunds can be covered by the casino. Also we include the refund in the same payout transaction to save fees.
In the past the excess part over the limit was also treated as donation but it wasn't the right approach. Many people “donated” by mistake and asked for refunds. So we handled all those refunds manually. This became a huge amount of work for us as we grew. So we changed our policy. We stopped treating them as donations and automated the refund process many months ago. The excess part of an overbet is now refunded automatically at the end of the game (or at the end of the match for sports) and added on top of your winnings if you've got any. This made the refunding experience much faster for both sides!
Is there anything else you'd like to add or say about the future of Monero Vegas?
Thanks for this interview opportunity! It was a pleasure to share our story with you. We got listed on Monerica almost 2 years ago and we've been following it since then. We're excited about the future. We'll launch our new games and features including a generous affiliate programme soon!
Visit: Monero Vegas
