Need help with some gambling lingo? We’ve got you covered! Check out our big gambling glossary below.
The list of terms is in alphabetical order. If you’re looking for a specific word, you can save time by using your browser’s ‘Find’ function (usually CTRL+F on PC or Command+F on Mac).
A
Affiliate: a third-party promoter of one or more online casinos.
AGCC: Alderney Gambling Control Commission.
Aggregate payout limit: a win limit sometimes used on certain table games, like Let It Ride.
Ante: 1. in poker and many table games, an initial bet required to play; 2. a commission charged per hand on blackjack in certain regions.
B
Bonus: 1. extra money or other type of gambling credit given to players. Usually comes with special rules; 2. a special feature in a game.
Bonus abuse: a term used by online casinos for any kind of undesirable bonus play.
Bonus ban: when a casino prevents a player from partaking in any future bonus offers, usually as a result of bonus abuse.
Bonus bet: see ‘side bet’.
Box cars: in craps, double sixes.
Bust: 1. in blackjack and other 21 games, to exceed 21; 2. to run out of money, as in ‘bust out’.
C
Cashable: a type of bonus wherein the bonus amount itself may be withdrawn.
Cashback: generally, a type of bonus that rebates players a percentage of their net losses.
Chargeback: in online gambling, when a player disputes a deposit made into an online casino made on their credit card or other account. Usually fraudulent in nature.
Comp points: a common loyalty scheme that gives players cash or bonus money based on how much they play.
Contribution: the percentage of wagers that will go towards a bonus playthrough requirement on a particular game.
D
Dice: slang for craps.
Double up: 1. an option given in many slots and video poker games to risk winnings for double in fair odds, even money game; 2. a common option in 21 games to double an initial wager.
E
Even money: 1:1 odds on a bet.
E-wallet: a general term for any online payment service in which players can store funds.
F
Field: in craps, a bet that pays when 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 is rolled.
Full house: in poker games, a set of 3 cards of the same rank with an additional pair. Ranks above flush and below four-of-a-kind in most games.
Flush: 1. in poker games, a set of (usually 5) cards of one suit. Ranks above straight and below full house in most games; 2. to manually turn off the pending period for a withdrawal.
Free chip: see ‘no deposit bonus’.
Freeroll: a type of tournament where no fee is required to play.
Fruity: 1. a general term for slot machine in the UK; 2. a specific kind of arcade-style slot machine with a fixed payout percentage in the short-term.
H
Hard: in blackjack, any hand that is not ‘soft’.
Hard ways: in craps, double 2s, double 3s, double 4s, and double 5s.
Hit: in 21 games, to take another card.
Hole card: in most variants of blackjack, the initial dealer card not exposed. Not used in European Blackjack, Australian Pontoon, and some others.
House edge: the percentage of a bet the casino can mathematically expect to win in the long term.
I
Insurance: in blackjack, a bet offered to players when the dealer has an ace showing that the dealer will have blackjack.
J
Jackpot: the highest possible payout on a game.
L
Live chat: customer support via instant messaging integrated on the casino website or within the casino client.
M
Martingale: a betting system used on even money bets where the player doubles his bet after each loss until he wins.
Match bonus: a type of bonus that is based on a fixed percentage of a person’s deposit.
Max cashout: maximum cashout limit. Usually applies to no deposit bonus and some very large match bonuses.
MG: Microgaming.
Muck: in video poker and draw poker games, to discard.
N
NDB: see ‘no deposit bonus’.
Network progressive: see ‘wide area progressive’.
Nickel: in the US, can be slang for a $5 chip.
No deposit bonus: a type of bonus that is given to players without requiring them to add any money to their account. Often has a maximum cashout limit.
O
Odds: 1. the payout of a particular bet; 2. the probability of an outcome; 3. in craps, a zero-edge bet that may be placed on a Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Come, or Don’t Come bet, up to a certain limit.
P
Paint: slang for face cards.
Parlay: to add winnings to an existing bet.
Playthrough: see ‘wagering requirement’.
Pokies: in Australia, the general term for slot machines.
PT: Playtech.
Progressive: a type of jackpot that increases by a percentage of wagers made on the game.
Q
Quarter: in the US, can be slang for a $25 chip.
R
Rake: in poker, the percentage of the pot taken by the poker room.
Reload bonus: typically, a match bonus given to existing players (in contrast with ‘welcome bonus’).
RNG: the Random Number Generator that determines outcomes in slots or other casino games that are not dealt by hand.
RTG: Real Time Gaming.
Rollover: see ‘wagering requirement’.
Royal flush: in poker games, Ace-King-Queen-Jack-Ten of one suit. Highest ranking hand in most games.
RTP: Return to Player, or the percentage of wagers the player can expect to get back in the long-term. Same as 100% minus the house edge.
S
Scatter: in slots, a symbol that pays in any position.
Self-exclusion: a process whereby casino patrons may request not to be allowed to play at the casino.
Side bet: a bet placed on a game in addition to the standard wager.
Snake eyes: in craps, double ones.
Soft: in blackjack, a hand composed of an ace that is counted as an eleven.
Split: 1. in 21 games, to separate two cards of the same rank into two separate hands; 2. in roulette, a bet that covers 2 numbers next to each other on the betting grid.
Sticky: a type of bonus where the bonus amount itself cannot be withdrawn.
Straight flush: in poker games, a set of (usually 5) consecutive cards of one suit. Ranks above four-of-a-kind and below royal flush in most games.
Straight-up: in roulette, a bet on a single number.
Street: in roulette, a bet that covers a column of 3 numbers on the betting grid.
Sucker bet: a wager that gives the house a significantly larger house edge than most other bets, especially when on the same game.
Suit: in card games: hearts, clubs, spades, and diamonds.
Stand/stick: in 21 games, to stop taking cards and turn play to the next player or dealer.
T
T&C/Terms and Conditions: rules that dictate who may play at a casino, player rights and warranties, banking and bonus policies, and all other aspects of using the casino’s services.
Theoretical hold: related to ‘house edge’.
Third base: in multi-player table games (especially blackjack), the last player to act.
Tip/toke: to bet for or give a gratuity to a dealer or other service worker.
Tourney: short for ‘tournament’.
Trigger: to activate a special feature, most commonly in video slots.
Trips: in poker and poker-based casino games, slang for three-of-a-kind.
Twist: see ‘hit’.
W
Wagering requirement: the amount a person must play before they may withdraw funds. Usually applies to bonuses and is typically expressed as a multiple of the bonus amount (e.g. 20x).
Wide-area progressive/WAP: a progressive jackpot for a single game shared at all casinos that offer the game.
Welcome bonus: a bonus given to new players at a casino.
WR: see ‘wagering requirement’.
Y
yo: in craps, eleven.
