Complete Casino Glossary: 100 Terms Used in Online Gaming

A

• Ante – a required bet made by all players at the beginning of a hand.
• Action – the amount of money that has been bet during a particular game.
• All-in – when a player bets all their remaining chips on a single hand.
• American roulette – a roulette variant that includes a 00 pocket in addition to the 0 pocket.
• Auto-play – a feature that allows players to set the game to automatically play a certain number of spins or hands.

B

• Bankroll – the amount of money a player has set aside for gambling.
• Bet – the amount of money that a player wagers on a game.
• Betting limits – the minimum and maximum amounts that can be wagered on a particular game.
• Blackjack – a card game where the goal is to have a hand value of 21 or as close to 21 as possible without going over.
• Bonus – a promotional offer or reward given to players by the casino.

C

• Cash out – to withdraw winnings from an account.
• Craps – a dice game where players make bets on the outcome of a roll or series of rolls.
• Chips – small tokens used to represent money in a casino game.
• Classic slot – a traditional slot machine with 3 reels and 1 pay line.
• Comps – complimentary items or services offered by the casino to reward players.

D

• Dealer – the person who deals the cards or spins the roulette wheel.
• Deposit – the act of transferring money into a player’s casino account.
• Double down – in blackjack, to double the initial bet after receiving the first two cards.
• Download casino – a casino that requires software to be downloaded onto a player’s computer in order to play.
• Dragon bonus – a side bet in baccarat where the player can win if their hand has a certain point value.

E

• European roulette – a roulette variant that includes a single 0 pocket.
• Expected value – the statistical calculation of the average outcome of a particular game or bet.
• Extra bet – a bet made on top of the regular bet, often in a bonus feature.

F

• Face cards – the King, Queen, and Jack in a deck of cards.
• Five-card draw – a poker variant where players are dealt 5 cards and can discard and replace cards to form the best hand.
• Fixed jackpot – a jackpot that offers a fixed amount of winnings.
• Free spins – a bonus feature in a slot game where the player can spin the reels without betting any money.
• French roulette – a roulette variant that includes unique betting options and an additional rule called "la partage."

G

• Gamble – to wager money on a game or bet.
• Gaming license – a legal document that allows a casino to operate in a particular jurisdiction.
• Green – the color of the 0 and 00 pockets in American roulette.

H

• Hand – the cards that a player is dealt during a particular game.
• High card – the highest-ranking card in a hand that does not form a pair or other combination.
• Hit – in blackjack, to receive another card from the dealer.
• House – the casino or establishment where the game is being played.
• HTML5 – a type of programming language used to create modern online casino games.

I

• Inside bets – in roulette, bets placed on the number grid, such as on a single number or a combination of numbers.
• Instant play – a feature that allows players to play games from their web browser without downloading any software.
• Insurance – in blackjack, a side bet that can be placed if the dealer’s upcard is an Ace, to protect against the possibility of the dealer having a natural blackjack.

J

• Jackpot – a large prize or payout that can be won in a casino game.
• Joker – a wild card that can be used to represent any card in some card games.
• Juice – the commission taken by the casino on certain bets, also known as vigorish.

K

• Keno – a lottery-style game where players choose numbers and win prizes based on how many of their numbers are selected in a random drawing.
• King – one of the four face cards in a deck of cards.

L

• Layout – the design of the betting area in a particular game.
• Live dealer – a feature that allows players to play certain casino games with a live dealer through video streaming technology.
• Low card – the lowest-ranking card in a hand that does not form a pair or other combination.

M

• Martingale – a betting system where the player doubles their bet after each loss in order to recoup losses and make a profit.
• Maximum bet – the highest amount that can be wagered on a particular game.
• Minimum bet – the lowest amount that can be wagered on a particular game.
• Multiplier – a feature in some slot games where winnings can be multiplied by a certain factor.
• Multi-hand – a feature in some card games where the player can play multiple hands at once.

N

• Natural – in blackjack, a hand that has a value of 21 with the first two cards dealt (an Ace and a 10-value card).
• NetEnt – a popular software provider that offers a variety of online casino games.
• No deposit bonus – a bonus that is offered to players without the need to make a deposit.
• Non-progressive jackpot – a jackpot that offers a fixed amount of winnings that do not increase over time.
• Number generator – a computer program used to ensure the fairness of online casino games.

O

• Odds – the probability of winning a game or bet.
• Online casino – a website that offers a variety of casino games that can be played for real money.
• Outside bets – roulette bets placed outside of the number grid, such as on red or black.
• Overlay – a promotion or bonus that offers more value than the cost of entry or requirement to receive it.
• Over/under – a type of sports betting where the player bets on whether the total score of a game will be over or under a specified amount.

P

• Pai Gow Poker – a poker variant where players create two separate hands from seven cards.
• Pay line – in a slot game, a line of symbols where winning combinations are formed.
• Payout – the amount of winnings that a player receives from a game.
• Pit boss – a casino employee who oversees the gaming tables and manages the dealers.
• Progressive jackpot – a jackpot that increases over time as more players make bets on a particular game.
• Push – in blackjack, a tie between the player and the dealer where no one wins or loses.

Q

• Qualifier – a condition that must be met in order to win a particular game or bet.
• Queen – one of the four face cards in a deck of cards.

R

• Random number generator – a computer program that generates a sequence of numbers to ensure the fairness of online casino games.
• Reload bonus – a bonus offered to players who make a deposit after their initial deposit.
• RNG – an acronym for Random Number Generator

S

• Scatter – a symbol in a slot game that can trigger a bonus or free spins.
• Shoe – a device used to hold and dispense cards in certain card games.
• Showdown – in a poker game, the final round of betting where players reveal their hands to determine the winner.
• Side bet – an additional bet that can be made alongside the main bet in certain casino games.
• Single deck – a blackjack game that uses only one deck of cards.
• Slot – a casino game that involves spinning reels with various symbols and paylines.
• Soft hand – in blackjack, a hand that contains an Ace that can be counted as either 1 or 11.
• Split – in blackjack, the option to separate a pair of cards into two separate hands.
• Spread – the range of outcomes for a particular bet.
• Stand – in blackjack, the option to keep one’s current hand and not take any more cards.

T

• Table games – casino games that are played on a table, such as blackjack, roulette, or baccarat.
• Three of a kind – in poker, a hand that contains three cards of the same rank.
• Tie – in certain casino games, a situation where the player’s hand and the dealer’s hand have the same value.
• Top payout – the highest possible payout in a particular game.
• Tournaments – organized competitions where players compete against each other in various casino games.

U

• Up card – in blackjack, the dealer’s face-up card that is visible to all players.
• Upper limit – the highest amount that can be wagered on a particular game.

V

• Vegas strip – a type of blackjack game that is popular in Las Vegas casinos.
• Video poker – a casino game that combines elements of poker and slot machines.
• VIP – an abbreviation for “Very Important Person,” referring to a player who is considered a high roller and is offered special perks and rewards.
• Volatility – the degree of risk associated with a particular game, often determined by the frequency and size of payouts.

W

• Wager – a bet placed on a particular game or outcome.
• Wild – a symbol in certain slot games that can be used to substitute for other symbols to form winning combinations.
• Withdrawal – the process of requesting and receiving winnings from an online casino.
• Winning streak – a series of consecutive wins in a particular game.
• Wire transfer – a method of depositing or withdrawing money from an online casino using a bank transfer.
• Wizard of Odds – a popular website that provides information and analysis on various casino games and strategies.

In conclusion, having a good understanding of the terminology used in online casino gaming is essential if you want to be successful and make the most of your experience. With this glossary of 100 useful terms, you should now have a better understanding of the language used in the industry and feel more confident in your ability to play various casino games.

Whether you're looking to try your luck at slot machines, table games, or video poker, knowing the terminology is the first step towards becoming a skilled and savvy player. So, the next time you log on to your favorite online casino, you'll be armed with the knowledge you need to make informed decisions and hopefully, walk away a winner.

Enjoy your online casino experience!

In this glossary, we've compiled 100 useful terms in alphabetical order to help you navigate the world of online casino gaming.