CASINO GLOSSARY

Welcome to CasinosOnline Glossary of common casino terms and definitions. Here you can find explanations for every term and concept that you might encounter during your casino play. Knowing some of the right terminology is extremely beneficial when you play most casino games both offline and online. We understand that getting used to all the online casino terminology can be quite a challenge when you are new to online casinos. This is exactly why we have prepared an online casino glossary which is intended to get a quick grasp of all the essential casino terms and terminology.
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CASINO TERMINOLOGY EXPLAINED

Casino Glossary

From broad and basic concepts to more elaborate definitions, we made sure to include everything we deem important for casino players.

Along with insightful articles and guiding tips for perfecting your game, having a reliable Glossary to check terms is vital. No matter if you are a complete novice or a seasoned veteran, our Glossary of casino terms will surely be of great help.

We know how difficult it might get to navigate the waters of casino entertainment, especially for newcomers. Beginners tend to get entangled in the vast web of unfamiliar casino slang and words. That is why we compiled a list of typical phrases and terms players most often come across. You can browse the list by scrolling down or clicking on the letters displayed above the glossary.

Whatever you need – our Glossary is here to help. Simply explore the terms and become a master of the intricate realm of casino entertainment in no time! Our team makes sure to keep the Glossary fresh by adding the latest items regularly.

GLOSSARY CHECKLIST

Here you can check your knowledge of well-known phrases and terms.

You can also explore new territories that transcend the casino games you typically play. From specific game-related terms to general jargon, our Glossary includes:

  • Standard Gambling Slang
  • Words and Phrases Reserved only for Online Casinos
  • Country-specific Casino Slang
  • Elaborate Definitions
  • Abbreviations
  • Terms Reserved for Each Game Individually
  • And Much More

Whenever you encounter an unknown term or expression, just check our Glossary and discover what it means!

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Casino Glossary

a

Advantage Player: A casino player who is able to legally gain some kind of advantage over the house. The term is typically used for players who can successfully count cards in blackjack, but can also apply to craps players who use dice control or players who know how to gain maximum value from bonuses and comps.

All or Nothing: Usually heard in Keno. This expression signifies a player who gets the win if either all picked numbers are drawn or none of the picked numbers, on the other side.

Ante: An initial bet required (usually in card games) before a hand can start.

Automatic Card Shuffler: A machine used in some land based venues to automatically shuffle one or more decks of cards.

b

Banker: A dealer in card games. In certain casino games, players take turn in becoming a banker.

Bankroll: Also known as ‘roll’ or colloquially as ‘wad’, it signifies the total amount of money a player has at disposal to back their wagering activities.

Bet: Wager. In other words, an amount of money you are willing to risk for a chance of winning the jackpot

Betting Limits: The minimum and maximum stakes allowed at a gaming table.

Blackjack: Blackjack is the American variant of a globally popular banking game known as Twenty-One, whose relatives include Pontoon and Vingt-et-Un.

Bonus: Extra funds that an online casino account may add to a player's account as an incentive for signing up and depositing, or as a reward for wagering a certain amount on games.

Bonus Symbols: A special set of symbols found in slot games which trigger either a Bonus game or give you a certain number of free spins to play with.

Burn Card: A card that is taken from the top of the deck and discarded after a shuffle or before a new round of cards is dealt.

Buy-In: The amount of money required to purchase casino chips prior to having a seat at a table game. Usually heard in card games – poker, blackjack, roulette, craps, etc.

c

Card Counting: A casino strategy where you keep track of which cards have been dealt. Usually in Blackjack where you try to get a better idea or gain an upper hand on your rivals in guessing which cards are likely to be dealt next.

Card Washing: Card shuffling technique where dealers spread all cards on the table and mix them around.

Cashier's: The area of a casino – or the separate page at an online casino – where players get to exchange their chips for cash and also make deposits and withdrawals if we’re talking about online players.

Chips: Tokens used at casinos instead of cash. Exchanged for real money at a cashier’s deck.

Comp Points: Complimentary gifts offered to players in order to entice them to play. Comps usually include free hotel accommodation, meals, and beverages. At online casinos, comp points are given for wagers on casino games and can be later on converted into cash.

Croupier: French word for dealer. Usually used in games such as Bacarrat or Roulette.

d

Dealer: Person in charge of running a casino table. Also called a Croupier. Dealers deal cards and control the game proceedings.

Deposit (Bonus/Method): Making a deposit is funding your online casino account using the banking method of your choice. Casinos will often offer deposit bonuses as incentives for players. These normally include 100% matched bonuses and free spins on selected slot games.

Deuce: Signifies two (2) in dice.

Dime Bet: A wager worth $1,000.

Donkey: Refers to a player who consistently makes bad plays. A derogatory term for a bad player – synonymous with ‘Fish’.

Download Casino: Online casinos which require players to download software on their computers and devices in order to play games. On the opposite side of the spectrum to flash casinos.

e

ECOGRA: An independent authority in charge of approving online casinos. An acronym for E-Commerce Online Gaming Regulations and Assurance. ECOGRA seal of approval confirms a casino operates responsibly.

Edge: An advantage over an opponent. In case of a casino, house edge is the built-in advantage establishments have over players in all games.

Edge Sorting: An observation technique used to determine card values by recognizing patterns on the back of the cards being dealt.

Encryption: Software security measure implemented to make sure all transactions made by players are performed safely and securely.

Even Money Bet: A bet with 1:1 odds. In other words, even money bet pays back the exact amount of money you wager in, plus your original wager.

f

Face Card: Jack, Queen or King in a deck of cards.

Face Down/Up Card: Cards dealt unexposed – facing the table – and exposed – facing upwards – in card games.

Fish: Contrary to Shark – Fish is a player who loses money. The saying goes like this - If you can’t spot the fish at the table, this means you are the fish.

Flash Casino: A type of online casinos allowing you to play games straight from your browser without any software downloads. Also known as instant-play casinos.

Free Spins: The most popular feature found in online slot games. Activated as an in-game bonus, Free Spins feature gives players complimentary rounds on the reels.

Front Money: An amount of cash deposited at the casino in order to establish credit for players who then bet against that money.

g

Gambler's Fallacy: Cognitive bias and the mistaken belief the outcome of a random event (such as the spin of the roulette wheel) can be influenced by its previous outcome. Thinking that the ball needs to hit black after 10 successive red runs is the example of gambler’s fallacy.

George: A good tipper. A person who likes to tip the dealers often and does it generously.

Grease: Another term for a bribe.

h

Hand: Marks the cards a player is holding but also refers to everything that is going on in a game of cards in between the shuffles.

High Roller: A player who deposits big amounts of money and bets large amounts in single plays.

Hot Streak: Refers to an extended run of good luck and winnings. Similarly, a hot table / hot machine is a gaming table or a game where most players appear to be winning.

House: Another term for a casino or a gaming/gambling establishment.

i

Instant Casino: Also known as flash casino, this type of a casino is available to play straight from your browser – unlike download casinos which require you to download software in order to be able to play casino games.

Insurance: A side bet in blackjack that will result in the player being even if the dealer gets a Blackjack. The Incurance bet wins double if the dealer has a natural. It loses if the dealer’s cards produce a Blackjack.

j

Jackpot: The top prize in a video slot/slot machine.

Jacks or Better: An expression used in poker signaling that a pair of Jacks or a higher ranking cards get you a win. Pair of tens or lower does not result in a win.

Joker: A wild card, the 53rd one in a deck.

Juice: Also called Vigorish, Juice represents the commission taken by the house (casino).

k

Keno: Keno is a lottery-like gambling game often played at modern casinos, and also offered as a game by some lotteries. Players wager by choosing numbers ranging from 1 through (usually) 80.

Kicker : An odd high card held which does not contribute to a straight or a flush (usually Ace or King) in a draw poker game.

l

Layout: Cloth on a gaming table (marking the slots where bets are placed) and a visual presentation of reels and symbols in a slot game.

Live Dealer Games: Online casino games streamed via real time video feeds from casino studios or actual casino floors. Played against live dealers from the comfort of your home.

Load Up: Playing the maximum number of coin per spin allowed at a slot machine or a video slot.

Lobby: The area/section of an online casino where types of games are displayed.

Loose: Used to describe a slot machine which has a generous payout.

Loyalty Program: A reward program implemented by online casinos to reward players according to their playing activity.

m

Marker: Certain amount of money that can be loaned to players in order to wager in the casino. Usually granted to players with an established line of credit and casino reputation.

Maximum Bet/Minimum Bet: The highest/lowest amount that can be wagered at a game.

Mechanic: A slang expression for a dealer who likes to cheat.

Multi-Hand Game: Any game where players are allowed to play more than one hand at once.

Multi-Player Game: Games allowing multiple players to take part at the same time.

Multiplier: A bonus feature found in slot games where line payouts can be multiplied. Multipliers usually go up to 10x on a bonus win but can go even further.

n

Net Winnings: The total profit made by a player from a winning bet or a series of bets – minus the stake.

Non-Negotiable Chips: Casino chips which cannot be exchanged for real cash. Promo chips.

Nut: The overhead costs of running a casino. Also the fixed amount a played decides to go after in a day. The plural form ‘Nuts’ is the other name for the best possible hand in poker.

o

Odds: Ratio of probabilities, a view on player’s chance of landing a win.

Outside Bets: Bets located on the outside part of the Roulette layout – betting 12 or 18 numbers with one chip.

Overlay: A value bet which sees the player get an edge over the casino. Overlay Wild – type of a Wild symbol found in slot games – overflowing regular symbols on the symbol grid.

p

Paint: A slang term referring to any Jack, Queen or King in a deck of cards.

Pass: To not bet – to fold. Used in card games.

Payline: A line of symbols in slot games where winning symbols must be lined up in order to get a win.

Payout (Percentage, Table): Signifies the amount returned to player after a winning bet. Payout percentage is the total amount returned to player in the long run. Payout Table is a page in a slot game which displays symbol values, winning combinations and game explanations in slots.

Pigeon: A derogatory term for a naïve and an uneducated gambler.

Pokies: Slang term signifying slot games in Australia and New Zealand. Also a generic word for poker, slot and fruit machine games.

Progressive (jackpot casino slots): Progressive slots are those games that do not have a predetermined maximum payout. Progressive jackpot continues to grow until it’s won after which point it is reset.

r

Racino: A term for a casino that is located at a horse racing track.

Rake: The specific amount of money casinos will charge for each hand of poker. Usually expressed as a percentage (going from 5% to 10%) but also a flat fee taken from the pot after each round of betting.

Random Number Generator (RNG): Signifies a computer program which online casinos use in order to automatically produce random results for the games and ensure they are always fair towards the players.

Reels: Wheels that spin in the casino game of slots. Reels are the mechanical part of a slot machine with the symbols on them.

Roulette: Roulette is a casino game named after the French word meaning little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number, various groupings of numbers, the colors red or black, whether the number is odd or even, or if the numbers are high (19–36) or low (1–18).

s

Scatter: Special symbols in slot games (machines) which pay anywhere on the reels. Usually trigger bonus features when you get three of them anywhere on the grid.

Shark: A skilled and a fearless player - contrary to "Fish"

Shoe: A wooden box used for holding the playing cards. Shoe games usually involve six or eight decks of cards.

Shuffle: The act of mixing up a deck of cards in random manner so that their order is not certain.

Stacked Wilds: A type of Wild symbols in a slot. they take up an entire reel and appear as stacked symbols and not only one of them.

Symbols: Pictures and tiles on slot reels. Usually decorated to fit the theme of the game. Classic symbols are card icons (10, J, Q, K and Ace), bells fruit and lucky 7s.

t

Table Hold: Profit made by a table during a certain period of time.

Tap Out: Losing your bankroll and being forced to stop playing.

Texas Hold 'em: Texas hold 'em (also known as Texas holdem, hold 'em, and holdem) is a variation of the card game of poker. Two cards, known as hole cards, are dealt face down to each player, and then five community cards are dealt face up in three stages.

u

Up Card: A card dealt facing upwards.

v

VIP Players: Players who are considered most valuable to a casino, most often because they play regularly and usually spend a lot of money playing.

Vigorish: Casino edge. Fee, commission taken by the house.

w

Wager: Same as 'Bet'.

Wagering Requirements: Dictate the bonus terms – how much a casino player needs to wager on casino games before they are allowed to make a withdrawal associated with a bonus in question.

Welcome Bonus: Also called Sign-Up bonus. Incentive offered to new players, making them as welcome as possible. Normally, it is a match bonus up to 100% of your initial deposit and/or free spins on selected casino games.

Whale: Not to be mistaken for a shark, a whale is a high-value player who plays for high stakes and invests a lot of money into playing casino games.

Wilds: Special symbols in slot games which substitute regular symbols (all apart from Scatters and Bonus symbols) thus helping you create winning combinations more easily.

Withdrawal: To make a withdrawal means to request funds from your casino account to be transferred to your bank account or any other payment service you choose.

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