Online Casino Glossary
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Online casinos have a language of their own, and bonus terms in particular are full of jargon that decides how much an offer is worth. This glossary explains the terms you will meet most often, in plain English, with links to our detailed guides.
Casino Terms A to Z
- Ante
- A compulsory starting bet in casino poker games such as Casino Hold'em.
- Bankroll
- The money you set aside for gambling in a session or period.
- Banker bet
- In baccarat, a bet that the Banker hand wins; the lowest house edge in the game.
- Bonus code
- A code entered in the cashier to claim a promotion. See bonus codes.
- Cashback
- A refund of a percentage of net losses over a period, as cash or bonus funds.
- Cashout cap
- The maximum you can withdraw from bonus winnings, common on no-deposit offers.
- Cluster pays
- A pokie format where wins form from groups of touching symbols rather than paylines.
- Coin value
- The size of each coin in a pokie or video poker bet; total bet is coins times coin value.
- Deposit match
- A bonus that adds a percentage of your deposit, such as 100% up to $200.
- Free spins
- Spins on a pokie funded by the casino or triggered in the game. See free spins.
- Game contribution
- The share of each bet that counts towards bonus wagering.
- High roller
- A player who bets large amounts; also called a whale.
- House edge
- The casino's long-run average profit on each bet. See house edge by game.
- Hit frequency
- How often a pokie produces any winning combination.
- KYC
- Know your customer: identity checks before withdrawal. See verification.
- La partage
- A French roulette rule that returns half of even-money bets when zero wins.
- Live dealer
- Casino games streamed from a studio with a real dealer. See live casinos.
- Martingale
- A betting system that doubles the stake after each loss; it does not change the house edge.
- Max bet rule
- The largest stake allowed while a bonus is active.
- Megaways
- A pokie mechanic where the number of symbols per reel changes every spin.
- No-deposit bonus
- Free credit or spins for registering. See no-deposit bonuses.
- Paylines
- The lines across the reels on which matching symbols pay.
- Pending period
- The time a withdrawal is held for review before being paid.
- Pokies
- The Australian term for slot machines. See online pokies.
- Progressive jackpot
- A top prize that grows with every bet until won. See jackpot pokies.
- Provably fair
- A system, common at crypto casinos, that lets players verify each result cryptographically.
- Punto banco
- The standard casino version of baccarat.
- Reload bonus
- A deposit bonus for existing players.
- RNG
- Random number generator: the software that decides digital game outcomes.
- RTP
- Return to player: the long-run percentage of wagers a game pays back.
- Scatter
- A pokie symbol that pays anywhere on the reels and usually triggers features.
- Self-exclusion
- Closing your casino account for a set period or permanently. See responsible gambling.
- Shoe
- The box holding multiple decks in blackjack and baccarat.
- Side bet
- An optional extra bet, usually with a much higher house edge than the main game.
- SpinLogic
- The current brand for Realtime Gaming (RTG) software. See RTG casinos.
- Sticky bonus
- A bonus that cannot be withdrawn and is removed when you cash out.
- Volatility
- How a game's wins are distributed: many small wins (low) or few large ones (high).
- Wagering requirement
- The amount you must bet before bonus funds can be withdrawn. See the wagering calculator.
- Wild
- A pokie symbol that substitutes for others to complete wins.
Missing a Term?
If there is a casino term you would like explained, let us know and we will add it. For the numbers behind the terms, see our house edge table and wagering calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does RTP mean in pokies?
Return to player: the long-run percentage of all money wagered that a pokie pays back. A 96% RTP means a 4% house edge.
What is a wagering requirement?
The total amount you must bet before bonus funds and their winnings can be withdrawn, usually expressed as a multiple of the bonus or of the deposit plus bonus.
What does volatility mean?
How a game pays out: low-volatility games pay small wins often, high-volatility games pay larger wins less often. It does not change the RTP.
What is KYC at an online casino?
Know your customer: the identity checks a casino carries out, usually before your first withdrawal, using photo ID, proof of address and proof of payment method.
What is a sticky bonus?
A bonus that stays in your balance to play with but cannot itself be withdrawn; it is removed when you cash out.