Online Casino Terms: All Casino Terms and Phrases

If you are new to the online casino world, you might get overwhelmed by the casino terms used across casino sites and among the players. Some of the online casino terms are obvious what they mean, while others can cause a bit of confusion. 

For that reason, here at SlotsWise, we’ve compiled a list of all casino terms and phrases, all in one place. Our Glossary of Casino Gambling Terms consists of the most commonly used casino terms, as well as the most popular casino phrases online.

Feel free to go through our list of casino terms and get familiar with them. And make sure to save this page as we update our list with new casino gambling terms on a regular basis!

Glossary of Casino Gambling Terms

Without further ado, here is the ultimate Glossary of Casino Gambling Terms. We did the hard work for you and managed to include as many online casino terms as possible. 

Our goal is to help you understand the casino terms and casino phrases used online and enable you to have the best gaming experience possible. The casino terms mentioned below will educate both new and experienced casino players.

If you spot a term that we haven’t included, please do contact us and let us know, so our content team can add them ASAP. Thank you!

Browse by letter:

A     B     C     D     E     F     G     H     I     J     K     L     M      N     O     P     Q     R     S     T     U     V     W     X     Y     Z

A

ACS – an acronym for Automatic Card Shuffler.

Action – a term used in table games like blackjack or roulette, describing that it’s your turn to play.

Active Payline – a term used in slots, refers to a specific line on which you can win by landing a certain number of identical symbols.

Advantage Player – a casino player who can legally gain an advantage over the house. This term is usually used for players who can count cards in blackjack.

Aggregate Limit – the maximum amount a casino is allowed to pay out per single round.

All-in – a betting action when the player wagers all their remaining chips into the pot.

All-ways Slots – slots that don’t have a fixed number of paylines.

Ante – an initial bet required (in some table games) before the game starts.

Automatic Card Shuffler – a machine used in some casinos to automatically shuffle one or more decks of cards.

Autoplay – a function that allows you to automatically spin the reels in online slots for a set amount of time.

B

Baccarat – a popular card game, also known as Punto Banco. The game of baccarat starts with two cards being dealt both to the Player and the Banker. There are three possible outcomes – the Player wins, the Banker wins, or the two are tied. You need to place a bet on which outcome you think will happen.

Balance – the amount you have left after making deposits and placing bets.

Banker – another term for the dealer in table games.

Bankroll – the money you have available to participate in casino activities.

Bar – a traditional symbol in online slots.

Beginner’s Luck – a term used to describe a new player who is winning when they play for the first time.

Bet – a wager made during a casino game.

Betting Limit  – the minimum and maximum bet allowed in a casino game.

Bingo – a popular game of chance where players mark off numbers on cards as the numbers are drawn randomly by a caller.

Blackjack – a popular table game. The aim of the game is to beat the dealer by getting as close to 21 as you can. If your card total is higher than 21, you’ll lose.

Bones – a term for dice.

Bonus – special offers that online casinos provide to new and existing players.

Bonus Feature – a special feature included in online slots, which provides you with extra perks like free spins, special symbols, multipliers, cash prizes, etc.

Bonus Multiplier – a special symbol that multiplies your win by a number during a bonus feature.

Book-of Slots – online slots where the special symbol acts both as a wild and a scatter symbol.

Branded Slots – online slots whose themes are inspired by famous figures, movies, TV shows, and other franchises.

C

Call – a term used in poker, referring to the action to match the current bet.

Cap – the limit on the number of raises in betting.

Carousel – the arrangement or grouping of multiple slot machines

Cascading/Collapsing Reels – a bonus feature included in slots, which allows you to win more times in a single spin. When forming a winning combination, the cascading/collapsing reels will remove the winning symbols, making a place for new ones to land. This can lead you to another win, after which the process is repeated.

Cash bonus  – free money offered to players as part of a bonus offer, or as a bonus feature included in slot games.

Cashback – a refund credited to the player’s account, based on the percentage of their gaming losses.

Cash-out – the act of withdrawing slot winnings.

Casino – a place, both online and land-based, which provides gambling services.

Casino Advantage – the house edge an online casino has over its players (see house edge).

Classic Slots – retro-style video slots, also known as fruit machines, which are usually designed with 3 reels and only 1 payline.

Cluster Pays – a game engine in online slots that determines the way of winning.

Cold – a slot machine that doesn’t payout at a high rate.

Coin – the amount of money you’ll be betting on each payline in slots.

Craps – a popular casino game where two dice are rolled. Players bet on predicting the outcome of the dice rolls.

Credit – a term used to describe bets.

Croupier – also known as the dealer, it’s the person who is in charge of running a gaming table. Croupiers are usually included in games like blackjack and roulette.

D

Dealer – a casino employee in charge of running a gaming table.

Deck – the standard 52 cards used in blackjack.

Denomination – the unit of each coin or credit that can be used to wager on a particular slot.

Deposit – the act of adding funds to your casino account.

Deposit Bonus – a specific type of casino bonus that is given to players that make deposits to their accounts.

Dime – casino jargon for betting $1,000.

Double or Nothing – a term used in blackjack, describing a bet that pays out the amount of the original wager.

Down Card – a card that is dealt facing down.

Down to the Felt – a player who is out of money.

Draw – the moment when a player takes additional cards in card games such as blackjack and baccarat.

E

eCORGA – an acronym for E-Commerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance. It’s an independent authority that approves that online casinos provide safe and secure platforms with fair play and honest payouts.

Edge – the odds favouring the casino, also known as House Edge or Advantage.

Encryption – a method used by online casinos to ensure that players’ personal and financial information is protected from third parties.

Even Money Bet – a bet with payout odds of 1:1, meaning the potential amount won is equal to the initial stake (the initial stake is also returned).

Expected Win Rate – the percentage of the total amount wagered at a game that you can expect to win back.

Expanding Wilds – symbols in online slots that fall on the reels and expand to cover the reel entirely. This creates many winning combinations, especially since they tend to touch on multiple pay lines.

F

Face Cards – the Jack, Queen and King of any suit.

Face Down Card – a card that is dealt facing down.

Fish – a term used in poker for describing the player who loses each round but is still placing bets.

Fixed Jackpot – a jackpot prize with a previously determined (fixed) value.

Flash – a type of online casino where you can play casino games directly from your web browser. Also known as an instant play casino.

Flea – irritating player who has high expectations.

Fold – a term used in poker for describing the act of giving up from the round.

Free Play – an online slot that is free of charge, also known as a demo slot.

Free Spins – spins for online slots that are given to the player for free. The free spins can be given as a part of a bonus offer, or as a bonus feature included in a slot game.

Full House – any three cards of the same number or face value, plus any other two cards of the same number or face value.

G

Gamble Feature – a bonus feature with two outcomes in slots that is offered to the players after they land a win. The right outcome doubles winnings, while the wrong outcomes lead to a loss of already existing wins.

Gambler’s Fallacy – a mistaken belief that the outcome of a random event is influenced by previous outcomes.

Getting Down – making a bet.

Gigablox – an in-game feature in online slots that allows players to land mega symbols, up to 6×6 in size. 

GG – a casino jargon for ‘good game’.

H

Hand – a term used in table games, referring to the set of cards that the player owns during a game.

High Roller – a player who makes large bets.

High Volatility – the rate a slot player is expected to get a winning combination. The high volatility slots give less frequent but more valuable winnings.

Hit – a term used in blackjack to describe the request by the player for another card.

Hit Frequency – the average amount of times a slot is expected to payout.

Hole Card – a face-down card a dealer receives during blackjack. In other table games, a hole card is a card the player receives.

Hold & Win – a popular bonus game in online slots that rewards extra spins or cash prizes to the players.

Hot Streak – an extended winning run.

House – an alternative term for a casino.

House Edge – the chances and percentage ratio a casino has of winning over players.

House Rules – the game rules that each casino has.

I

Infinity Reels – an in-game mechanic in online slots that allows you to play with unlimited number of paylines.

Inside Bets – betting on a specific number in a game of roulette.

Insurance – a bet offered to the player in online blackjack when their face up card is an ace.

Insurance Bet – two or more bets that cover each other.

Instant Casino – an online casino that can be accessed through a desktop or mobile browser without requiring you to download additional software.

Instant Cash Prize – a fixed cash prize that is given to the player as part of a bonus feature in online slots.

J

Jackpot – a big cash prize that the luckiest player will win, usually in online slot games.

Juice – jargon for the commission received by the house.

Junket – a group of high rollers that have been specially flown in by a casino.

K

Keno – a lottery-style game where players place bets on numbers from 1 – 80.

L

Layout – the surface of a gaming table where players can place their wagers. It’s also virtually available at online casinos.

Limit – a game with a fixed limit on the bet size per round.

Line – also known as a payline, it is the winning combination of symbols in a slot game.

Line Bet – the price a player pays for a bet per active payline.

Live Dealer Games – online casino games (like blackjack and roulette) where players can play against real dealers using real gaming tables via real-time video feeds.

Loyalty Scheme – a method that online casinos use to reward regular players for the wagering activities that they perform.

Lobby – the area of an online casino where you can choose which games you are going to play.

Low Volatility – the rate a slot player is expected to get a winning combination. Low volatility means that the slot will pay out more with smaller prizes.

M

Medium Volatility – the rate a slot player is expected to get a winning combination. These games offer relatively smaller but more frequent payouts.

Megaways – a game mechanic developed by Big Time Gaming that allows the slot to have thousands of ways to win on every spin.

Minimum/Maximum Bet – the lowest/highest amount a player can stake.

Mobile Games – casino games that are playable on mobile devices.

Multiplier – a bonus feature in slots that allow wins to be multiplied by a fixed number. The multiplier is usually represented as a special symbol.

Multi-line Slots – online slots that have more than one payline.

N

Natural – a term that refers to the act of dealing with the best possible hand.

Networked Jackpot – a type of jackpot that is made up of bets from players across all online casinos that host it.

Net Winnings – the profit made by a player from a winning bet or more winning bets.

No Deposit Bonus – a type of casino bonus that is given to players as a welcome offer. It gives players free money without requiring them to deposit first.

Nudge Slot – a type of online slot that can move a winning combo either up or down with a tiny nudge.

O

Odds – the chances of winning and possible outcome.

One-armed Bandit – a slang used by slot players for slot machines.

One-liner – an online slot with a single payline.

Online Casino Games – casino games that can be played online via desktop/mobile browser or a mobile app. Examples of online casino games are online slots, online bingo, online blackjack, online roulette, etc.

Outside Bets – bets where chips are placed outside the number layout in online roulette.

Overlay – casino slang for a player advantage bet.

P

Payline – a term that refers to slot lines where winning combinations must land to form a win.

Paytable – a table that outlines all symbols, winning combinations, their win values, bonus features, and similar details.

Payout – the amount that can be won on a specific slot machine winning combination.

Payout Percentage – the percentage of money a slot pays out in winnings to players after a period of time.

Penny Slot – an online slot that allows you to bet 1 cent on a single payline.

Pick-me – a bonus feature in slots that allows players to select the desired object.

Poker – a popular casino game where winning is determined by card combinations.

PopWins – an in-game mechanic in online slots that replaces winning symbols with 2 symbols instead of 1 for each.

Progressive Jackpot – a type of jackpot that increases over time and is often linked to a network of machines. The jackpot continues to grow until it’s won, at which point the machine resets back to a predetermined starting amount.

Progressive Slot – a slot game that has a progressive jackpot.

Punto Banco – another term for Baccarat.

Q

Quads – anything that comes in number “four”.

Qualifier – a term that refers to betting during a hand where players need to meet specific requirements.

Queer – counterfeit money in an online casino.

R

Random Number Generator (RNG) – a piece of software included in casino games that ensure fair play and random outcomes. 

Raise – a term used in poker to describe the action taken to bet at least double the blind or ante.

Reels – disks with symbols that spin inside a slot machine.

Reload Bonus – a type of casino bonus that is offered to an existing player at an online casino for making a new deposit.

Re-Spins – a bonus feature in online slots that gives extra spins to the player.

Return to Player (RTP) – a term used to describe the theoretical payout percentage that is being returned to the player.

Rewards Scheme – a method for online casinos to reward the players based on their playing activity.

Roulette – a popular casino game where a numbered wheel with a ball within spins. The player has to predict where a ball will land.

Rows – the horizontal arrangements of symbols in a slot game.

S

Scatter Symbol – a special symbol included in online slots that is usually responsible for triggering the in-game bonus features.

Scratch Card – a type of lottery ticket where the number or symbol is covered by something that must be scratched off to reveal the win.

Select Lines – the number of paylines selected in an online slot.

Shifting Wilds – a type of wild symbol that shifts around the reels with each spin every time there is a winning combination. During a winning combination, the winning symbols will be removed and the Shifting Wilds will shift positions.

Sign-up Bonus – also known as a welcome bonus, it’s offered to new players when they sign up to an online casino.

Slot – a popular casino game, also known as a slot machine or fruit machine. It has three, five or more reels that spin when a button is pushed. You win when you land matching symbols on a winning line.

Sportsbook – a place where players can bet on sports events.

Spin – the act of playing online slots. Pulling the lever or clicking on the spin button will start the slot ‘spinning’

Stacked Wilds – a type of wild symbol that lands on each other during a slot game.

Stake – the amount wagered on the outcome of a casino game.

Sticky Wilds – a type of wild symbol in slots that remains locked on the reels when it lands.

Symbols – icons or illustrations found on slot reels.

T

Three-line Slot – an online slot with three paylines.

Total Bet – the value of credits played on a slot.

Tumbling Reels – a bonus feature or mechanic in online slots that allows players to form more winning combinations in a single spin (see also: Cascading Reels).

Twenty-one – another term for blackjack.

U

Up Card – a card that is dealt face-up.

Up/Down Slot Cycle – a term that refers to the fluctuations that occur in a slots payout percentage for a period of time.

V

Variance – an expected range between losing and winning in a slot game.

Video Slot – online slots, with computerized reels, rather than physical reels.

VIP Player / VIP Program – VIP players are high-rollers that place large bets, while a VIP program is a rewards programme given to the VIP players.

Virtual Casino Games – casino games that can be played online, at online casinos.

Volatility – the amount of risk in playing a casino game.

W

Wager – a bet made in online casino games.

Wagering Requirements – the conditions you must meet in order to be able to withdraw any winnings you get from the casino bonuses.

Welcome Bonus – a type of casino bonus that is given to new players that register at an online casino.

Wild Symbol – a special symbol in online slots that substitutes for all regular symbols to help you form winning combinations.

Win – earning a winning amount in online casino games.

Win-Both-Ways – online slots that allow players to win both from left-to-right and from right-to-left.

Winning Combination – symbol combinations that help to trigger a win in slots.

Withdrawal – an act when the player requests to draw money from their casino account.

X

xWays – an in-game mechanic used in online slots that allows players to play with thousands of active paylines.

Y

Z

Zig-zag –  lines that can be formed on multi-line slot machines, usually in a zigzag pattern.