Online Casino Glossary

When you visit a foreign country for the first time, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with a few local words and phrases. It’s the same idea with gambling. Before you play at an online or land-based casino for the first time, it behooves you to learn the language.

In this guide, our casino experts will teach you some of the language you’ll encounter when gambling. Not only does integrating these terms into your lexicon make you sound like a gambling pro, but you’ll also understand certain gambling concepts better. And most importantly, you’ll have much more fun on your casino journey!

🎰 Casino Basic Terms

Let’s start with five of the most basic, yet most important, gambling terms. It’s not enough to be able to bandy these words about in the correct context. You need to understand precisely what they mean.

• House Edge: The house edge refers to the amount of money the casino can expect to win from you over countless gaming sessions. A slot with a 95% RTP offers a house edge of 5%, while the 94.74% RTP for American roulette leaves a 5.26% house edge. In the long run, the law of large numbers combined with the house edge ensures that the casino profits.
• RNG (Random Number Generator): A Random Number Generator is a computer program that, well, randomly generates numbers. It’s the heart of every electronic casino game, and it ensures that every outcome of a game session is completely random and up to chance. Top testing houses, like eCOGRA, iTech Labs, and GLI, test and certify Random Number Generators to ensure they are always fair and incorruptible.
• RTP (Return to Player): Return to Player, or RTP, represents the average amount of money you can expect to win back over infinite rounds. For example, a slot game with an RTP of 95% would return an average of $95 for each $100 staked over the long term. American roulette offers an RTP of 94.74%, which means you can expect to win back an average of $94.74 for each $100 wagered. 

• Wager: Wager is just another word for bet. Saying you’re going to wager on the Bank to win in baccarat is the same as saying you’re going to bet on the Bank to win. When you place a bet, you place a wager.

• Winnings: Winnings, also called profits, are calculated by subtracting your original bankroll from your current bankroll. If you entered the session with $100, and you now have $150, then your winnings total $50.

⌨️ Creating an Account

Getting started at an online casino involves several distinct and separate phases. Let’s go through the stages so that you know what to expect when you start playing at a new online casino.

• Registration: When filling out a casino registration form, you’re asked to provide personal details, such as your email address, mobile number, full name, residential address, and date of birth. Registration is straightforward and shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds.

• Account Verification: Licensed online casinos are required to verify all customers. This prevents things like underage gambling, identity theft, and fraud. You likely won’t be allowed to complete a withdrawal until you’ve completed the verification (KYC) process, so it’s a good idea to get verified right away. You will need to upload documents to the casino’s website, like a copy of a picture ID, proof of payment method (e.g., a bank statement), etc.

• Deposit: You can deposit funds by going to the cashier and selecting the “Deposit” option. You can then choose a payment method, fill in the deposit amount, and follow any on-screen directions to confirm and complete the transaction. Deposits are credited to your account balance (in most cases, instantly) and represent the funds available to bet with.

• Balance: Your balance is the total amount you can wager at the casino. It will include the money you deposited, your winnings, and any casino bonuses you may have claimed.

🔵 General Player and Account Terminology

Let’s go over a few common terms that relate to your account. They may not be part of your everyday gambling talk, but understanding them is critical.

• Bankroll: Bankroll can refer to your total account balance, but it more accurately means the amount of money that you enter a gambling session with. So, if you bring $500 to the Let It Ride table, then that’s your bankroll. Even if you have more balance in your account, the bankroll refers to the money you bring into the specific game session.

• Wagering Requirements: Almost all online casino bonuses and promotions involve wagering requirements, also known as rollover or playthrough. The wagering requirement tells you how many times you must wager a bonus before withdrawing it. If you claim $100 in bonus cash, and the wagering requirement is 10X, then you must stake $1,000 in bets before cashing out.

• Withdrawal/Cashout: The withdrawal process goes down in three phases. First, you fill out and submit a withdrawal request. Next, the casino operator processes the withdrawal. This can take anywhere from a couple of minutes or up to two or three days. After processing the withdrawal, your winnings are on the way. Be aware that some payment options offer faster access to withdrawals than others.

🏦 Banking and Payment Terms

You should know the following terms before you head to your online casino’s banking section.

• Banking Fees: Make sure to check if your online casino charges fees for deposits and withdrawals. Most casinos don’t, but double-checking can save you money. Furthermore, you should check out your payment provider’s fee schedule to find out if it charges for casino deposits and withdrawals.

• Deposit Methods - General: You must be able to efficiently move money in and out of your casino account. You’ll be presented with a wide range of options, including credit cards, debit cards, online banking, eWallets, vouchers, wire transfers, and, sometimes, cryptocurrency.

• Deposit Methods - eWallets: An eWallet allows you to send and receive money over the internet. Some of the most popular eWallets for gambling include Skrill, Neteller, and PayPal. You can fund an eWallet using a variety of options. You can then use your eWallet to deposit and withdraw at online casinos.

• Deposit Methods - Prepaid Cards: Many online casinos accept prepaid cards like PayNearMe or PaySafeCard, which can be purchased online or at a variety of land-based businesses, like gas stations, pharmacies, and gift shops. One benefit of using this method is that prepaid cards are pretty much anonymous. They are also good for bankroll management, because as soon as you run out of cash, your gaming session is over. Using prepaid cards doesn’t require you to provide your personal details. The main downside is that they don’t support withdrawals.

• Processing Time: Processing time refers to the amount of time it takes the casino to approve and initiate your withdrawal. Some sites process withdrawals near-instantly, some fast payout casinos do it within a few hours, and some can take a couple of days. The shorter the processing time, the faster you get your money. The times will also depend on the payment method you choose to make your withdrawal.

• Withdrawal Methods: Not all payment options facilitate withdrawals. For example, you can deposit using a prepaid card, but you can’t use a prepaid card to withdraw. This is why it’s wise to use a payment method that offers deposits and withdrawals. Most credit cards, debit cards, online banking options, and eWallets support casino withdrawals.

🎉 Bonus Types

Bonuses and promotions give you the opportunity to fatten up your bankroll and pocket significant chunks of cash. Here are the most common types of bonuses.

• Cashback Bonus: In most cases, cashback applies to your net losses. Let’s say you get 10% weekly cashback, and you lose $500 that week. You’d receive $50 in cashback. The cashback is usually issued as bonus cash and is subject to wagering requirements. However, that isn’t always true.

• Free Spins: The perfect bonus type for slot jockeys, free spins are often found in welcome bonuses, reload offers, regular promotions, and VIP programs. You use free spin credits on the house instead of using your own money. While wagering requirements are typically applied to free spins winnings, you can find wager-free offers in which all winnings are yours, free and clear.

• Loyalty/VIP Rewards: VIP and loyalty programs offer ongoing value. They are usually based on tiers, and the idea is to reach the next tier to unlock rewards, like exclusive bonuses, an account manager, free spins, and birthday gifts. The more you spend, the more VIP benefits and perks you enjoy.

• Match Deposit Bonus: When you claim a match deposit bonus, the casino will match a percentage of your deposit. For example, you claim a 100% match bonus and deposit $50. You’ll receive an extra $50 in bonus cash. A 50% match bonus would earn a $25 bonus on a $25 deposit.

• No-Deposit Bonus: While rare, no-deposit bonuses give you a shot at winning real money without risking any. You’re playing with house money. If a site has a no-deposit bonus, you typically just have to open a new account to get it. They are usually small, but a lot of folks have turned their no-deposit bonuses into payouts.

♣️ Blackjack Terms

Here are some terms you will want to know before playing blackjack:

• Double Down: Double your bet, but you can only draw one more card.
• Hard 17: A 17 made without using an Ace as an 11.
• Hit: Draw another card.
• Soft 17: A 17 made using an Ace as 11.
• Split: If you are dealt a pair, then you can split it into two hands.
• Stand: You don’t want any more cards.

🔢 Roulette Terms

Here are some terms to know before playing roulette:

• American Roulette: The American roulette wheel has a 0 pocket and a 00 pocket.
• Corner: Betting on 4 numbers that share a common corner on the board.
• European Roulette: European roulette wheels just have a 0.
• Inside Bet: Higher-odd roulette wagers located within the inner part of the betting surface.
• Outside Bet: Outside bets are even money roulette bets, like Odd/Even, Red/Black, or High/Low. These bets are located on the outer edge of a roulette betting surface.
• Straight: Betting on a single number.
• Street Bet: Betting on three consecutive numbers in a horizontal row.

🎰 Slots Terms

Here are some terms to know before playing the best online slots:

• Paylines: A payline is a pre-set pattern that pays out if a combination of winning symbols lands on it. You can think of paylines in terms of the various patterns you must achieve in bingo.
• Progressive Jackpot: With a progressive jackpot, a portion of each bet goes into a special side pot. This jackpot continues to grow until it’s won. Many progressive jackpot slots have paid out over $10 million.
• Scatters and Wilds: Scatter symbols are usually used to trigger bonus games, but they can sometimes act as pay symbols, too. Wilds replace any symbol, but the Scatter, to form winning combinations. They can also be symbols.
• Volatility: Volatility refers to how often and how much a slot machine pays out. Highly volatile slots pay larger payouts between cold snaps, while low-volatility slots pay out smaller amounts more frequently.

📱 Live Dealer and Online Features

• Casino Apps: Even though HTML5 technology negates the need for casino apps, many sweepstakes casinos and real-money online casino operators still offer them. The best apps are easy to use, and many come with offline features. Apps sometimes offer access to more games, and they are usually more responsive.

• Casino HTML5 Mobile Browser Client: Almost all modern casinos and their games have been configured for mobile browsers. All you need to do is launch your browser, go to the site, and start playing. You can even add the casino’s mobile platform to your desktop for one-touch access.

• Difference Between Live Games and RNG Games: When you play RNG games, the RNG randomly decides when you win or lose. With live games, the dealer uses real props, like cards, dice, and fortune wheels. It’s pure luck in action. That said, some live dealer games integrate an RNG.

• Game Shows vs Table Games: Live dealer platforms offer multiple live variants of all your favorite table games, like blackjack, roulette, and casino poker. Game shows are an exciting blend of traditional game shows and gambling. More entertaining.

• Mobile Casino: Thanks to HTML5 technology, you can play your favorite casino games while you’re on the go. No downloading required. All you need is a mobile browser and a connection to the internet. Games launch quickly, run seamlessly, and look great, even on small screens.
• Real Dealers: Live dealer games feature real dealers, and the action is live-streamed from various studios and real casinos. You can even interact with the dealer and others at your table.
• Streaming and Chat: Live dealer games provide a social element that RNG games simply can’t offer. As the gaming action is being live-streamed, you can chat with other players at the table. This creates a friendly and more laid-back atmosphere.

🔴 Responsible Gaming Terminology

If you’re going to gamble online, you must do it responsibly. Thankfully, licensed online casinos provide players with a variety of resources designed to keep their gambling in check.

• Deposit Limits: You can set daily, weekly, and monthly limits on the amount you deposit, spend, and lose. This prevents you from overspending and digging yourself into a deeper hole.

• Problem Gambling Resources: It doesn’t matter where you live; you can quickly get in touch with a confidential and free gambling support group, like Gamble Aware, GamCare, or Gamblers Anonymous. You can instantly contact most of these entities using live chat or a toll-free phone number.

• Self-Exclusion: You can take a time-out if your gambling is becoming problematic. You can usually take a 24-hour time-out, a one-week or two-week time-out, or a month-long time-out. You can also temporarily or permanently self-exclude. You cannot access your account while you are voluntarily self-excluded.

🟢 Conclusion

You should now be familiar with the most basic gambling terms. This will help you navigate the online casino gaming experience while sounding like a seasoned pro. You won’t have a glazed look in your eyes when you hear words like RTP, wager, and house edge. You know exactly what they mean and why they are so important to know. Now that you can talk the talk, you can walk the walk. Just do it responsibly.