Top 10 Online Casinos Gambling Terms & Glossary Guide

The Comprehensive Glossary of Essential Gambling Terms

I understand how daunting it can be for newcomers or even regular players trying out a new game to navigate the unique jargon and terms specific to casinos.

That’s why I’ve created the Ultimate Gambling Glossary. This resource is designed to guide you through the myriad of phrases, casino terms, gambling meanings, slang, definitions, and even the online chat abbreviations commonly used in the gambling world.

I make it a point to regularly update this glossary, ensuring it stays current and comprehensive. So, you can always refer back to it whenever you encounter a new term that’s unfamiliar.

And, if you ever come across a term that’s not included in the guide, please don’t hesitate to let me know! I’m always eager to expand this resource and make it as useful as possible for everyone in the casino community.

A

Account: A user-created personal profile on an online casino platform that provides access to games, and facilitates deposits and withdrawals.
Action: Refers to the total sum wagered by a player over a specific period.
Aggregate Limit: The maximum payout liability that a casino can face during a game.
AGCC (Alderney Gambling Control Commission): A regulatory authority supervising online gambling within Alderney’s jurisdiction.
All-in: A poker term for betting all available chips in a game.
Ante: A mandatory initial bet placed before the commencement of a game, commonly in poker.
Arbitrage: A betting strategy where bets are placed on all possible outcomes of an event across different bookmakers, ensuring a profit regardless of the result.
Autoplay: A feature in pokies allowing automatic play for a predetermined number of spins.

B

Banker: A term used for the dealer or the house in card games.
Bankroll: The total funds a player allocates for gambling.
Bet: The act of placing money on a potential outcome in a casino game.
Betting Limits: Set minimum or maximum amounts for a single bet in a game.
Bonus: Rewards provided by casinos, such as free spins or extra funds.
Bonus Code: A specific identifier used to claim casino bonuses.
Bust: Exceeding the maximum limit in a game, like going over 21 in blackjack, leading to a loss.

C

Cashback: A type of bonus refunding a portion of a player’s losses over a set period.
Casino Advantage: Also known as “House Edge”.
Comps: Complimentary perks awarded to players based on their wagering activities, like free meals or hotel stays.
Croupier: A dealer in European casinos, primarily managing roulette and baccarat.

D

Dealer: A casino employee in charge of card distribution and overseeing games.
Deposit: Transferring funds into a casino account.
Dime Bet: Slang for a $1,000 wager.
Double Down: In blackjack, doubling the initial bet for one additional card and committing to stand.

E

eCOGRA (eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance): An international organization ensuring fair and responsible online gaming practices.
Edge: The advantage a player or house has often used in the context of skilled players or the casino.
Encryption: Security technology safeguarding online information, including casino transactions.

F

Face Cards: The Jack, Queen, and King in a card deck.
Free Spins: Complimentary spins, typically provided as part of pokies bonuses.
Fruit Machine: A traditional term for pokies, derived from the fruit symbols in early versions of the game.

G

Gamble Feature: In some pokies, a feature offering players the option to stake their winnings in a secondary ‘double or nothing’ game.
Gaming License: Official permission from a regulatory authority allowing an entity to operate a gambling venue or provide gambling services.
Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR): The net profit of a casino, calculated as the bets placed by players minus the winnings paid out.

H

High Roller: A gambler who consistently places large bets.
Hit: In blackjack, the action of requesting another card from the dealer.
House: Another term for the casino itself.
House Edge: The statistical advantage the casino holds over the players.

I

IGaming: All forms of online gambling, encompassing casino games, poker, sports betting, and bingo.
Instant Play: Casino games are playable directly in a web browser, eliminating the need for software download.

J

Jackpot: The highest prize in a game, commonly associated with pokies.
Juice: Informal term for the commission taken by the house, also known as “vigorish” or “vig.”

K

Keno: A casino game similar to a lottery.
KYC (Know Your Customer): Identification verification procedures by casinos to ensure safe and responsible gambling.

L

La Partage: A roulette rule where players receive half their even-money bets back if the ball lands on zero.
Live Dealer Games: Real-time streamed casino games where players interact with a live dealer via digital platforms.
Lobby: The main interface in an online casino where players select games.
Low Roller: A gambler who typically places small bets.

M

Martingale System: A betting strategy where the bet is doubled after each loss, intending to recover all losses with a single win.
Match Bonus: A casino bonus matching the player’s deposit by a specific percentage.
Max Bet: The highest allowable bet in a single game round.
Multi-Player Games: Online casino games that accommodate multiple players simultaneously.

N

Net Winnings: The total amount won by a player after deducting the original bet.
No Deposit Bonus: A bonus offered by casinos that doesn’t require an initial deposit to claim.
Non-Sticky Bonus: A casino bonus that allows players to withdraw winnings without fulfilling the wagering requirements of the bonus amount.

O

Odds: The probability of a specific outcome in a gambling game.
Online Pokies: Digital versions of traditional pokies, accessible online.
Overlay: A situation where the odds favor the players over the house.

P

Payout Percentage: The proportion of total bets made by players that a casino game pays back as winnings over time.
Paytable: A display in pokies that outlines the payouts for various winning combinations.
Pokies: “Pokies” is a term commonly used in Australia and New Zealand to refer to slot machines. There is no distinction in functionality or design between pokies and slots
Progressive Jackpot: A jackpot that increases with each game played without a win.
Provably Fair: A technology in online gambling that allows players to verify the fairness of each game result.

Q

Qualifier: In poker, the minimum hand needed to win a round.
Quads: Poker slang for a hand with four of a kind.

R

Random Number Generator (RNG): A computer program that generates random outcomes in online casino games.
Rake: The fee taken by the house in a poker game.
Reels: The spinning vertical sections on a pokies.
RTP (Return to Player): A metric indicating the average amount a pokie or casino game returns to players over time.

S

Scatter Symbol: In pokies, a symbol that can trigger free spins or bonus rounds, not necessarily on a payline.
Sticky Bonus: A non-cashable casino bonus that remains in the player’s account until it is lost.
Surrender: An option in some casino games to forfeit half the bet and end the game early.

T

Table Games: Traditional casino games played on a table, such as blackjack, roulette, craps, and baccarat.
Tilt: A loss of strategy control by a player, leading to irrational decisions.
Turn: In poker, the fourth community card is dealt after the flop.

U

Underlay: A bet with a lower chance of winning than the odds imply, offering poor value to the player.

V

Variance: The frequency and degree of deviation from a game’s expected return or a player’s bankroll fluctuation.
VIP: A high-value player who receives special services and bonuses from a casino.
Volatility: Describes the risk in a pokies; high volatility indicates infrequent but larger wins, while low volatility suggests more frequent, smaller wins.

W

Wager: Another term for placing a bet.
Wagering Requirement: The necessary amount of betting a player must do with a bonus before they can withdraw winnings from it.
Welcome Bonus: A bonus offered to new players on their initial deposit at an online casino.