Online Casino Glossary 

Explore the essential terms and concepts of online casinos with our comprehensive glossary. From RNGs and house edge to cashback and VIP programs, this guide provides insight into the intricate world of online gambling.

  • Gain a clear understanding of commonly used terms in the online casino industry.
  • Explore detailed explanations to demystify bonus types and their associated terms to help you always claim the best offers.
  • Enhance your comprehension of online gambling jargon to make informed decisions and have the best gaming experience.

A

  • Account Verification: The process of confirming a player’s identity by providing documents to the online casino, often required before withdrawing bonus funds or winnings.
  • Action: The total amount of money wagered by a player during a specific period of time.
  • Ante: A mandatory bet required to begin a hand in specific poker variants or table games.
  • Applicable Games: The casino games eligible for wagering with bonus funds, as specified in the bonus terms.
  • Autoplay: A slot game feature that allows players to set the number of spins to be played automatically without manual input.

B

  • Bankroll: The total amount of money a player has for gambling.
  • Bet Level: The number of coins or credits wagered per payline in a slot game.
  • Bet Limit: The maximum amount a player can wager per bet or spin when using bonus funds.
  • Bonus: Additional funds or rewards online casinos offer to players as an incentive for signing up, depositing money, or playing specific games.
  • Bonus Abuse: Unethical practices employed by players to unfairly exploit bonuses offered by online casinos.
  • Bonus Balance: The portion of a player’s account dedicated to bonus funds, separate from the real money balance.
  • Bonus Code: A unique code online casinos provide that players can use to claim a specific bonus offer.
  • Bonus Round: A special feature or game within a slot machine triggered by specific symbols or conditions, often resulting in additional winnings or free spins.
  • Bonus Terms and Conditions: Rules and requirements governing the use of bonuses, including wagering requirements, game restrictions, and withdrawal conditions.
  • Bust: To lose all of one’s funds, either real money or bonus funds, while playing casino games.

C

  • Cascading Reels: A slot game feature where winning symbols disappear and are replaced by new ones, potentially creating additional winning combinations in a single spin.
  • Cashable Bonus: A bonus that can be withdrawn as cash after fulfilling the wagering requirements.
  • Cashback: A percentage of a player’s losses returned to them as a bonus.
  • Cashout: Another term for withdrawing funds from an online casino account to your payment option of choice.
  • Cashier: The area of an online casino account where players can deposit and withdraw funds.
  • Contribution Percentage: The percentage of a bet that counts towards meeting the wagering requirements for a bonus. Different games may have varying contribution percentages.
  • Comp Points: Loyalty points awarded to players for their wagers, which can be redeemed for cash, bonuses, or other rewards.
  • Crypto Casino: An online casino that accepts cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Litecoin, as a payment method. 

D

  • Deposit: The act of transferring funds into an online casino account to wager on games.
  • Deposit Bonus: A bonus awarded to players based on the quantity of money freshly deposited into their online casino account.
  • Deposit Method: The payment method used to deposit funds to an online casino account. Popular deposit methods include credit cards, debit cards, e-wallets, and bank transfers.
  • Download Casino: Type of online casino where players need to download specific software to play the games.

E

  • Expected Value (EV): The average expected outcome of a gambling decision, factoring in potential wins and losses.
  • Expiration Date: The deadline by which a player must fulfil the wagering requirements or use the bonus before it expires.
  • E-wallet: An online banking service that players can utilise to deposit, store, and withdraw funds from their online casino accounts.

F

  • Free Spins: Complimentary spins awarded to players and are valid for specific online slot games.
  • Free spins Bonus: A bonus offering free spins on specific slot games.
  • Fruit Machine (Fruity): Another name for a slot game or arcade-style slot that delivers a fixed pay-out percentage in the short term.

G

  • Gamble Feature: An optional slot game feature allowing players to gamble their winnings for a chance to double or quadruple them through a guessing game.
  • Game Contribution: The percentage of a bet that contributes towards meeting the wagering requirement for a particular game.
  • Gamification: Incorporating game-like elements, such as achievements, levels, and rewards, into online casino platforms to enhance the gaming experience.
  • House Edge: The mathematical advantage of an online casino over players in a particular game, expressed as a percentage of the player’s wager.

H

  • High Roller: A player who wagers large sums of money at an online casino.
  • House: An alternative slang name for a casino.

I

  • Instant Play: A feature that allows players to access and play casino games directly through a web browser without downloading any software.

J

  • Jackpot: The top prize in an online casino game, often associated with slot machines or progressive jackpots.

K

  • KYC (Know Your Customer): The verification process used by online casinos to confirm the identity of their players and prevent fraud or underage gambling.

L

  • Live chat: A customer support facility offered by most online casinos that enables direct messaging between players and support staff to resolve problems and answer questions.
  • Live Dealer: A human who hosts and conducts live casino games, typically table games, streamed in real-time at an online casino.
  • Lobby: The area of the casino players go to choose from the casino’s game selection.

M

  • Match bonus: A bonus that online casinos offer when players deposit funds, and a percentage of the deposit is matched by the casino as a bonus credit.
  • Maximum Bet: The highest amount a player can stake on any one bet.
  • Minimum Bet: The lowest amount a player can stake on any one bet.
  • Maximum Cashout: The maximum withdrawal amount allowed from a player’s account at a given time. It usually applies to no-deposit bonuses and significant match bonuses.
  • Minimum Deposit: The minimum amount a player will need to deposit to claim a bonus.
  • Mobile Casino: An online casino platform optimised for smartphones and tablets, allowing players to access games on the go from anywhere.
  • Multiplier: A slot game feature that multiplies the payout of a winning combination by a certain factor.

N

  • No Deposit Bonus: A bonus awarded to players without requiring them to make any real money deposit into their online casino account.

O

  • Odds: The probability of a particular outcome occurring in a casino game, expressed as a ratio or percentage.
  • Online Casino: A virtual platform that offers a variety of gambling games, such as slots, table games, and live dealer games, accessible via the Internet.

P

  • Payout: The amount returned to a player after a winning bet.
  • Payout Table: Displays the amount that can be won for landing winning symbols, special features or combinations on a slot game. Shows winning hands, etc on table games. 
  • Payline: A predefined line that crosses the reels in a slot game. When certain symbols align on it after a spin, it results in a win for the player. Paylines can be straight, diagonal, zigzag, or even in specific patterns, depending on the game’s design.
  • Play For Fun: Allows players to sample casino games without spending or winning any real money. Also known as demo mode.
  • ​​Playthrough Requirement: Another term for the wagering requirement.
  • Pokies: Slang for a slot game in Australian English.
  • Progressive Jackpot: A continuously growing prize pool in a casino game, where the jackpot increases with each wager placed until it is won.

Q

  • Qualifying Bet: A wager that meets the requirements for claiming a specific bonus or promotion.

R

  • Random Number Generator (RNG): Software used by online casinos to ensure that game outcomes are fair and random.
  • Reels: Vertical columns that spin and display symbols in a slot machine.
  • Reload Bonus: A bonus offered to existing players who make additional deposits into their online casino accounts.
  • Responsible Gambling: Measures implemented by online casinos to promote safe and responsible gaming practices, including self-exclusion options, deposit limits, and support resources for problem gambling.
  • Return To Player (RTP): The total amount returned to players in the long run, expressed as a percentage of money staked. For example, a game with a payout percentage of 96% will return an average of $96 for every $100 wagered.
  • Rewards Program: A system for online casinos to reward players for their activity and loyalty.
  • Risk Free Bet: A bet that guarantees no loss to the player, often associated with certain promotional offers, such as no deposit bonuses.
  • Rollover Requirement: An alternative term for wagering requirement.

S

  • Scatter: A symbol in a slot game that can appear on any reel to deliver a win for a player.
  • Self-exclusion: A process used by players to request they be denied access to a casino or online casino site for a set period of time or indefinitely.
  • Sign Up Bonus: A bonus awarded to players signing up with an online casino site for the first time. 
  • Slots: Popular casino games featuring spinning reels and various symbols, where players aim to align symbols in winning combinations.
  • SSL Encryption: Secure Socket Layer encryption technology used by online casinos to protect players’ personal and financial information from unauthorised access or theft.
  • Stake: The size of a bet at an online casino.
  • Sticky Bonus: A type of bonus that cannot be withdrawn and is deducted from the player’s account balance when a withdrawal is requested.

T

  • Terms and Conditions: The rules and requirements governing the use of bonuses, including wagering requirements, game restrictions, and withdrawal conditions.

V

  • VIP Player: A player considered to be of high value by an online casino due to their high stakes in regular play.
  • VIP Programe: A method used by online casinos to reward their most valuable players with gifts and exclusive bonuses. 
  • Volatility: The risk level associated with a slot game, indicating the frequency and size of potential wins.

W

  • Wagering Requirement: The number of times a player must wager the bonus amount before it can be withdrawn as cash. Usually shown as a multiplier, i.e.35x.
  • Welcome Bonus: A promotional offer for new players upon signing up or making their first deposit at an online casino.
  • Wild Symbol: ​​A symbol in slot games that substitutes for other symbols to help create winning combinations.
  • Withdrawal: The process of transferring funds from an online casino account to a player’s bank account or e-wallet.

Z

  • Zero Risk Bet: Another name for a Risk Free Bet.

About the Author

Hi, I'm Laura Simpson, the Chief Editor at No Deposit Casino Guide - With hundreds of reviews and thousands of no deposit bonuses, No Deposit Casino Guide is certainly your one-stop destination for free online gambling. Our bonuses are updated daily and we pride ourselves on providing the highest percentage of working bonus, worldwide.