Online Casino Terminology: Gambling Terms You Need to Know

By Jane Shaw Senior Editor Updated: 03/27/2024

Jane Shaw Senior Editor See Full Bio

We count on Jane to inform our readers about the latest slot games in the US market. With her passion for video games and a degree in engineering, she’s our gambling tech expert. Jane’s also active in our blog section, where she tackles the curiosities and changes in the industry.

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Gambling Terms You Need to Know

• Casino Terminology
• Gambling Terminology: An Introduction
• Jackpot Terms Explained
• Strategic Gambling Lingo
• Understanding Odds Terms
• Bonus Terms Breakdown
• Game-Specific Lingo

The vast world of online casinos can be both exciting and daunting. With its unique jargon and huge variety of games, understanding the terminology used is crucial for both newcomers and seasoned gamblers alike. This blog aims to show you the online casino terminology you need to know, and explains various casino terms, so you know what’s what.

Casino Terminology

The foundation of any casino experience is understanding the basic gambling terminology used across various games and platforms. You see, whenever you play at real money casino sites, it’s important to understand exactly what you’re doing, as failing to do so could lead to you making bad moves! In this blog, we’ll give you a full overview of online casino terminology.

Gambling Terminology: An Introduction

Gambling requires understanding the particular gambling terminology important to different games. The core concept is a “bet” – the money a player puts at stake based on predicting the game’s result. Casinos set “betting limits” on the minimum and maximum bet amounts allowed, creating rules for players to follow. A “high roller” bets large amounts of money, contrasting with a “low roller” who makes small bets.

Knowing the mathematical “house edge” is key – this is the casino’s built-in advantage ensuring the house profits long-term. While rare, there can also be a “player’s edge” which occurs when skill or strategy give the player a statistical advantage, like in some forms of video poker.

Two other key terms are “action,” the total amount wagered in a session, and “bankroll,” a player’s available gambling funds. “Action” can also be heard in poker games, but today’s blog focuses mainly on gambling terms for online casinos.

Some players use betting “strategies” or “systems” to try improving their odds, like the Martingale approach of doubling bets after losses to recoup money. However, these strategies are ineffective and shouldn’t be used as a way of making money; you should try to view them as a bit of fun, and nothing else.

Now, thankfully, many of the top US online casinos have glossary pages, which walk you through all the gambling and casino terms you need to know. It’s well-worth checking these glossaries out, as they often give you a fantastic overview of lingo you should know about!

Jackpot Terms Explained

The chance to win big prizes is a key factor for many casino gamblers. The top prize in a game is called the jackpot, usually in the context of playing slot machines. Jackpots come in two main types – fixed and progressive, both of which we’ll look at below.

Progressive jackpots increase over time as more people play, accumulating from a small portion of every bet made. Progressive jackpots can grow to huge seven or eight-figure sums before someone gets the lucky spin to hit the winning combination and take home the jackpot! Progressive jackpots’ appeal is obvious – and many online casinos will advertise large jackpots, as it makes for a fantastic marketing tool.

For progressives, “qualifying bet” refers to the minimum bet required to have a chance of winning the full progressive jackpot. For example, some progressive jackpot slots might require you to bet a minimum of $5 to be in with a chance of winning the full jackpot. Other games will reward higher stakes with an increased chance of hitting the jackpot.

Fixed jackpots always stay the same, regardless of how many spins the game has gone through, providing more predictable payouts. Fixed jackpots tend to be worth less money, but they’re still highly appealing to players.

Strategic Gambling Lingo

In the world of online gambling, strategy can play a role in improving the odds of certain casino table games. This mainly applies to games like blackjack and baccarat. “Optimal strategy” refers to the best mathematical way of playing a game, decreasing the house edge as much as possible.

“Card counting,” a strategy often associated with blackjack, involves keeping track of the high and low cards dealt to predict the chances of the next hand containing a “good” card for the player. While not illegal, card counting is frowned upon in casinos and can lead to players being barred. In the online gambling world, however, card counting is nearly impossible, as cards are shuffled after every round.

The Martingale System is a popular betting strategy, especially in games like roulette. This system involves doubling your bet after each loss, with the idea that a win will eventually recoup all previous losses – plus, produce a small profit equal to the original bet. However, this strategy requires a significant bankroll and the ability to play without hitting the table’s maximum betting limit. Both factors make it pretty much impossible to use in today’s day and age.

“Bankroll management” is another important casino term we briefly mentioned earlier. It refers to the amount of money a player has in their bankroll – or, in other words, the amount of money they’re able to spend on a single session. Adding the management term into the mix refers to how a player spends their bankroll. For example, some gamblers will try to never wager more than 5% of their total bankroll on a single playing session.

Understanding Odds Terms

The concept of “odds” is fundamental to gambling, and, in short, they give you an indication of the likelihood of various outcomes. Odds can be expressed in several formats, including fractional, decimal, and American odds. While odds are more commonly used in sports betting, they can also be used with casino games, and below, you can view a table with the three main types of odds:

“House edge” directly relates to odds, showing the casino’s average profit on a player’s bet. A lower house edge means a better chance for the player to win in the long term. Games like blackjack can have a very low house edge with the right strategy, whereas slot machines typically have higher edges. For example, it’s common to see slot machines with a house edge of around 10% – while casino table games like blackjack can have a house edge as low as 1%.

“RTP” or Return to Player is another term that many players confuse with house edge. It represents the percentage of all wagered money that a game is expected to pay back to players over time. For example, an RTP of 96% means that for every $100 wagered, the game will return $96 – on average.

“Variance” is another important term and it’s most used when talking about slot machines. Variance refers to the volatility of a game. A high variance game will dish out fewer wins – but, when they do come, they’re often worth significant amounts of money. A low variance game, on the other hand, dishes our far more frequent wins – but they’re usually worth small amounts.

The “payout” is the amount of money a player wins on a bet. Understanding how payouts are calculated, especially in relation to the odds and types of bets made, is something we’d recommend any gambler try to get their head around, as it can have a huge impact on your overall understanding of games.

Bonus Terms Breakdown

Bonuses are something almost all players look for when choosing a new online casino, and this is, perhaps, one of the most important things to have a solid understanding of. While often generous, bonuses and promotions come with lots of terms and conditions that can be overwhelming, if not properly understood.

“Welcome bonuses” are some of the most common bonuses and promotions you’ll find offered at online casinos, and these are offered to new players. Upon signing up and registering an online casino account, welcome bonuses are usually credited to a player’s account automatically. Welcome bonuses can come in the form of matched deposit bonuses, free spins, or cashback.

“No-deposit bonuses” are another type of casino promotion that are hugely popular with players. They’re popular for the simple reason that they require no deposit from the player. Awarded for simply registering an account or as part of a promotional campaign, these bonuses allow players to play games – and win real money – without risking any of their own money. However, no-deposit bonuses come with very high “wagering requirements”, which determine the number of times bonus funds must be played-through before a withdrawal can be made.

“Free spins” are a staple at casinos with slots, offered as part of welcome packages or specific slot promotions. They provide players with a set number of spins at no cost, with potential winnings added to their account balance, although the winnings are usually subject to terms and conditions, including wagering requirements.

“Loyalty programs” reward players for their continued play and loyalty to a casino. Through these programs, players usually accumulate points for their gameplay, which can be exchanged for bonuses, cash, or other perks. Some older online casinos refer to loyalty program points as “comp points.”

Game-Specific Lingo

As you can probably imagine, the terms used in different casino games can vary a lot. For example, when playing blackjack, there are several terms you won’t frequently hear in other games.

Two of the most common phrases you’ll hear at the blackjack table are “hit” and “stand.” Hit indicates that you want to draw an additional card, while stand tells the dealer you’re happy with your hand and don’t want additional cards. “Split” means you want to split your hand when dealt two cards of the same value, while “double” is usually available when you hold a 9, 10, or 11, and want to double your bet in return for one additional card.

On the roulette table, an “even-money bet” is one that returns double your bet; a $5 winning bet would return $10 in total. There are also many other bet types to understand. For example, a “split” in roulette refers to a chip placed on two numbers, while a “column bet” places a chip on a column of numbers.

When playing a slot machine, you’ll sometimes see a “Max Bet” button. When pressed, this automatically spins the slot at the highest-possible stake. A “feature” or “bonus round” refers to the game’s side game, which, when triggered, usually offers players a higher chance of winning large prizes. A “bonus buy” refers to a feature that allows you to buy the main side game for a fixed cost.

Poker vocabulary can also be quite specialized. For instance, a “bluff” is a bet made with a hand which is not thought to be the best, intended to make opponents fold their better hands. The term “flop” refers to the first three community cards dealt face up in games like Texas Hold’em and Omaha, setting the stage for the subsequent rounds of betting.

A “call” is made when a player matches the current bet, while a “raise” means increasing the bet amount, putting more pressure on your opponents.