Gambling Glossary

When reading this guide to online casinos, you may have some questions about some of the terminology. Here is a list of the most-used terms in all of the reviews and articles that you will find here, along with a clear and concise definition of each.

Action: The total amount of monies wagered by players at a table.

Advantage: The numerical chance that a casino has over the player of winning. Also known as ‘casino advantage’ or ‘house edge’.

American Roulette: Roulette game where the wheel has two zeroes, thus increasing the house advantage.

Ante: Money that all players must put into a hand whether they play or not.

Antigua and Barbuda: A common online casino jurisdiction provider.

Atlantic City: A Blackjack variation game.

Baccarat: Old, usually high-roller’s card game in which players aim to get the hand closest to nine.

Bad beat: A hand that a player loses where the odds were good that they should have won. Also known as a ‘bad break’.

Bankroll: The amount of money a person has to gamble.

Base: Area near players on a table where bets are usually made and paid.

Betting limits: A minimum and maximum amount of money that can be wagered be each player at a card or table game.

Black: One of two colors you can bet on in Roulette, the other being red.

Blackjack: Card game where players try to get a hand closest to or equaling 21 in order to win; also the name of the hand that equals 21.

Blacklist: A list of unscrupulous players that are not allowed to gamble at a certain online casino.

Bonus: Money given to a player for various reasons, such as being a new player, loyal or VIP player.

Boss Media: One of the more popular online casino software providers.

Boxman: Casino dealer in charge of a game of craps.

Burn card: A card that is placed to the side and not played in a table game.

Bust: A Blackjack term that means you have gone over 21 and are out of the game.

Call: To match another players’ bet at a card table.

Card counting: Technique used by professionals at Blackjack tables in an attempt to negate the house advantage.

Caribbean Stud: Poker game where the players use best five-card hand to go against the dealer (house) as opposed to other players like most Poker games.

Chasing losses: Term for when a player experiences a bad beat and continues to play in a reckless manor, trying to make up for the loss.

Chips: Unit of currency at most table and card games in a casino. Value can vary from game to game.

Comp points: Points earned at online casino

Craps: Dice game with multiple bets as to when the person throwing the dice will hit certain numbers.

Credits: Another term for a unit of money, sometimes also called chips.

Curacao: Small country in the Netherland Antilles that gives out online casino jurisdictions.

Cyberstud: An increasingly popular Poker variation.

Dealer: Person in charge of dealing cards at a particular game.

Deposit: A payment made to an online casino in order to play. This plus any bonus is considered your bankroll.

Demo version: Games offered by some online casinos that be viewed and/or played without a real money wager.

Edge: Statistical advantage that the house has over a player in any given game.

eCOGRA: The biggest and strictest of the online casino watchdog groups that make sure each online casino that bears its seal is honest, safe and reliable.

Encryption: A security measure taken by online casinos to make sure all transactions are safe from hackers.

Flash: One type of no-download casino software.

Free bonus: Rare bonus offered by handful of online casinos that does not require a deposit in order to receive it.

Free play: "Fun" versions of the games that an online casino offers that can be played without a wager.

European Roulette: Roulette game with a single zero on the wheel, also known as ‘single zero’ Roulette.

Even Money: A casino game where the payout is 1:1.

Face cards: In a deck of cards, the Aces, Kings, Queens and Jacks.

Gambler’s Anonymous: Group that specializes in helping problem or addicted gamblers recover.

Gibraltar: Tiny UK country that gives out online casino jurisdictions.

Hard hand: Common Blackjack term for a hand not containing an ace.

Hit: In Blackjack, term used to indicate you wish to take another card into your hand.

Hole card: In Blackjack, the dealer’s face-down card.

House: Common term for the casino itself.

IGC: International Gaming Council, an online casino watchdog group that casinos may join after being audited for fairness.

iGlobal Media: A very popular online casino software provider.

Java: One type of no-download software.

Jurisdictions: A country that allows online casinos to register with them in order to be certified and legal. Online casinos must then adhere to all the gambling laws of that jurisdiction.

Kahnawake: A common jurisdiction for online casinos.

Let It Ride: A poker game.

Match bonus: Bonus given by online casino that matches a certain amount of your deposit.

Microgaming: One of the best online casino software companies.

Odds: The amount a particular bet pays out, such as 1:1 and so on.

OddsOn: One of the better software companies that many online casinos use for their games.

OPA: Online Player’s Association, which independently audits many online casinos to make sure their payout percentages are accurate.

Pai Gow: Yet another in a long line of Poker variations.

Payline: Slot machine term for the lines across or diagonally

Payout: The amount of money paid out from a game or machine as a win.

Payout percentage: The percentage of each dollar taken in at an online casino that is returned to the player as a win.

PIN number: Number required by many online casinos to be entered into their system before they will process a withdrawal.

Platform: The type of software, such as download, Java or Flash.

PlayTech: One of the best online casino software companies.

Player: The gambler at a casino.

Poker Room: A separate area or site that is earmarked simply for the playing of Poker and its many variations.

PriceWaterhouseCoopers: A world-renowned accounting firm that does many online casino audits.

Progressive: A game that has a very large jackpot that can be won by playing max coins.

Promotions: Contests, sweepstakes or other giveaways that online casinos use as either a loyalty perk or to lure more new customers their way.

Red: One of the betting colors in Roulette, the other being black

Reels: Wheels inside of a Slot machine that have symbols. Certain symbol combinations determine whether you are a winner or not.

Referral bonus: Bonus given to a player who gets another person to sign up for the casino.

Right Bettor: In craps, a player who bets with the shooter.

RNG: Stands for Random Number Generator, and is a computer program that randomly assigns wins and losses for online casinos games in order to keep them fair.

RTG: One of the best online casino software companies.

Roulette: Table game with a wheel in which gamblers make a bet based on what number and/or color they think the ball will land on.

Shooter: In craps, the person whose turn it is to roll the dice.

Slots: Machine game with reels and lines that determine whether each spin is a winner or not.

Soft hand: Common Blackjack term for a hand containing an ace.

Spanish Blackjack: A variation on the traditional Blackjack game.

Stand: Common Blackjack term for keeping your hand as-is and not taking more cards into it.

Steaming: Industry term for when a play experiences a bad beat and is angry over it, resulting in poor subsequent play.

Strategy: A plan that a player has to try to win at a particular game or casino.

Stud Poker: Any Poker game played without a draw.

Super Fun 21: A Blackjack variation.

Surrender: Rare Blackjack variation where you may give up the hand before it’s over and only lose half your bet.

Up card: The dealer’s card in Blackjack that is exposed.

Vegas Downtown: A popular Blackjack game.

Vegas Strip: A Blackjack variation.

Video Poker: Combination of five-card Poker and a Slot machine.

Viper: The upscale version of the Microgaming software.

Wagering requirement: The amount of times a bonus must be bet in order to cash it out.

WaterLogic: One of the best online casino software companies.

Withdrawal: A request to receive your payouts from an online casino.

Wrong Bettor: In craps, a person who bets with the house.


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