Gambling can seem rather daunting when you’re starting out and not familiar with the gambling terms and phrases that are commonly used worldwide. There are many gambling terms that are used or called out in the middle of a game and this can leave you feeling flustered if you’re not in the know. Get to grips with a few key terms and phrases beforehand and you’ll have a smoother gambling experience.

We’re here to help you with our complete A-Z guide to all the popular gambling terminology that are in common use. Continue reading to learn all about the terms and definitions that are essential to know when gambling online or in person.

Gambling Terms

Most games in the gambling world are quite simple and easy to get the hang of, but the gambling terminology that is used can often be opaque to a beginner. Gambling terms and phrases are practically a whole language, filled with slang words that seasoned gamblers know.

Scroll through our A-Z guide of gambling terms and phrases, and you’ll become a pro in no time. Apart from casino terms, we will also cover a lot of terminology that’s used at the best offshore sportsbooks.

Gambling Terms and Phrases

After doing extensive and in-depth research, our experts have come up with this list of gambling terms that will most commonly be used when gambling at the best real money online casinos and gambling sites globally. You’ll be able to use the information we present to you in this article the next time you decide to place your bets or discuss your recent activity with your gambling friends.

  • Action – The total amount of money being put into play or the act of playing at the casino. It’s also a term used by a dealer to tell a player it is their turn to act.
  • Add-on – The extra chips you buy during poker are known as add-ons.
  • Aggregate Limit – This is the total amount the casino is liable to pay out in a single round.
  • All-in – A term used when a player wagers all their remaining chips into the pot, risking everything they have on the table.
  • Balance – The amount of money a player has in their account, usually referring to an online account. It is used to place bets and play games.
  • Banker – The person playing and betting against the players. The banker generally has to rotate every turn.
  • Bankroll – The money that a player has set aside for gambling, separate from their daily expenses. This is very important to professional gamblers.
  • Bet – A single instance of wagering money within a game. Players can make multiple bets within a single game, for example each time a card is drawn in a hand of poker.
  • Beginners Luck – When players that are new to gambling have a winning streak, it is known as beginners’ luck.
  • Betting Limit – These are limits set by the casino and are the maximum and minimum amount a player can bet on specified games.
  • Blackjack – During a game of Blackjack, when the initial two cards dealt have a total of 21, that’s called Blackjack.
  • Blinds – A bet a player is forced to make in Hold’em Poker without seeing the cards in play.
  • Bonus – An incentive given at online casinos to new or existing players to encourage them to join the casino, make a deposit, and play a game.
  • Buy in – The amount of money, usually in chips, used to enter a table game.
  • Cashback – A cashback is a refund calculated on a player’s percentage loss over a period of time and credited to their account.
  • Calling/Call – A poker player “calls” to match the current bet in poker, which can be followed by someone calling or raising the existing bet.
  • Chase – After a player loses money in gambling, the next bet they play to try and retrieve their losses is called the chase.
  • Check – This is the term used in poker to remain in the hand without betting, but with the option to call or raise later in the current betting round. You can’t check if a bet has already be made in the round by another player.
  • Chips – These are tokens that represent money, that you use to make your bets.
  • Classic Slots -These are the original slot machines with three reels, also known as “Fruit Machines”.
  • Closing Line – This is the final list of point spreads offered before game time in sports betting.
  • Cold – The term cold used, when referring to slots, is a slot machine that isn’t paying out at a high rate.
  • Dealer – This is the casino employee who is responsible for distributing the cards to the players.
  • Deposit – The payment a player makes to their casino account in order to play games for real money.
  • Deposit Bonus – This is a bonus in the form of cash given to players at an online casino or sportsbook for depositing funds.
  • Double Down – This is a term used in Blackjack to double the initial bet and receive an additional card.
  • Edge – When you have the advantage over an opponent.
  • Flush – A hand in poker that is made up of all cards from the same suit.
  • Fold – when a player gives up and retires from the round, usually when they think the opponent has a stronger hand then they do.
  • Free Spins – This can refer to additional spins that a player wins that they do not need to pay for. Can also be in the form of a bonus for specific slots.
  • Grid – This is a matrix that shows the different bets that are available for sports betting. Online players will click on the grid to make a bet, withdraw or confirm a bet.
  • High Roller – This is a player who spends large amounts of money and plays at high stakes. This varies from casino to casino.
  • House Edge – this refers to the percentage of each bet wagered and indicates the advantage the casino holds over the player.
  • Jackpot – A jackpot is the largest available prize on slot machines and other games.
  • Odds – This is the set ratio of a player’s chance of winning. If a player should win, this determines how much money they will receive against their bet.
  • Payline – Term used in slots where reels or a line results in a win. Generally, by a combination of symbols.
  • Reel – The rotating element of a slot machine that is covered in symbols.
  • Scatter Symbol – This is used in a slot game that can appear on any lines and usually trigger free spins.
  • Tapping Out – Means a player is done playing and placing bets and is totally out of funds.
  • Wagering Requirement – The terms that an online casino places on its bonuses. It is the amount of money a player must bet before claiming their bonus funds.
  • Wild Card – This is common in poker and video poker and is the card that can be used to substitute any card value.

Gambling Terminology Explained

Now that we have provided you with the most popular and common gambling terms, let’s dive deeper into each one and give you examples along the way.

Action

When you are gambling and it is your turn to act, the expression used by the dealer is “action”. The action is also the play at the casino, or the total amount of money put into play. For example, you will find action on the table games like blackjack or roulette.

Add-on

When you are playing poker and you run out of chips. You are able to purchase more chips, these are called add-ons. There are two types of add-ons: an instant add on and a final add on. This all depends on the tournament you are playing in. You can buy add-on chips any time you like as long as it is within the rules of the tournament.

Aggregate Limit

This is the total amount a casino, land-based or online is liable to pay out in a single hand. For example, if the aggregate limit for poker is set at $30,000, this means that if your winnings are more than $30,000, the casino will withdraw all additional wins and only pay out $30,000.

All – in

In the game of poker, going “all in” refers to when a player, whether out of bravery, desperation or being reckless, bets all of their chips on a single hand.

Balance

The balance is the amount of funds or money a gambler has in their casino account. A player will use their funds to place bets or play their favorite casino games. For example, I have a balance of $500 means that is what is left in your account that you are able to wager with.

Banker

This is the person who is betting against all the players at the table. The banker will need to be swapped out after every round. The banker’s bet is the one that is most likely to win. In some cases, the banker is referred to as the dealer, except for when playing Baccarat, the term banker has a completely different meaning.

Bankroll

The term bankroll is used at both land-based and online casinos, and it refers to the amount of money a player has for their gambling activities. This is not so important for casual gamblers, but essential for professional gamblers. Experienced gamblers will determine the amount they are willing to spend and will never break their bankroll. For example, having a bankroll of $1,000 means that is how much you are willing to spend, and you will not exceed this amount.

Bet

Placing a bet is a single instance of wagering money within a game. You get the terms max bet and min bet and these refer to the maximum and minimum number of coins you are able to bet per payline in slot games.

Beginners Luck

This is a popular term used in everyday life, but also in casinos and gambling. It refers to a player that is just starting out or new to a game and comes out on top, just because they got lucky. It also generally means that someone’s lucky streak is going to end soon and that their lack of experience will be evident after it is over.

Betting Limit

This is a term used most often in land-based casinos. It refers to the minimum and maximum amount a player is able to bet during a game. To be able to play, the player needs to bet the minimum amount, but at the same time the amount must not exceed the maximum bet amount.

Blackjack

Blackjack is a popular table game in both online and land-based casinos and you will find many of the best blackjack casinos available. There are many different variations of the game, but all work around the same concept, which is to reach a ‘blackjack’. Hitting a blackjack means that your first 2 initial cards you are dealt add up to 21 and they are an ace and a card that represents 10, for example a jack, queen or king.

Blinds

This is a term used in poker and it refers to bets that a player is forced to make. In poker there are two types of blinds- small blinds and big blinds. The player to the left of the player on the button will pay the small blind and the one on his left will be required to pay the big blind. So for example, at a poker table of 4 players at a $1/$2 blinds table, the player in the 6 o’clock position will have the button, the player in the 9 o’clock position is required to pay $1, while the player in the 12 o’clock position has to pay $2. The player in the 3 o’clock position (which is the player to the right of the one on the button), is not required to pay anything.

Bonus

A bonus is a special offer that online casinos provide to new players and those already existing players. Bonuses are used to encourage loyalty, inspire new players to sign-up and act as an incentive for casino referrals. Bonuses and promotions come in a variety of offers and each one has its own special terms and conditions attached to them that you need to ensure you are familiar with before claiming the bonus.

Buy – in

A buy-in refers to the process of buying your casino chips for cash. Before you decide to pay any popular table game such as blackjack, baccarat, poker or roulette, you will need to buy-in. In some cases, you may need to buy-in with a specific amount, especially if you are playing at a high-rollers table and this is usually predetermined by the establishment or tournament you are participating in.

Cashback

In gambling, when players have been on a losing streak for a while, some casinos will provide them with a cashback. A cashback is calculated as a percentage of your losses over a certain period. The player will then get this amount as a cashback in their account. The percentage will vary from one casino to the next and it also depends on which games you are playing. For example, betting on blackjack will get you a bigger cashback then betting on slots would.

Calling/Call

This is a term used in poker and it refers to a player accepting the wager set by a previous player, before4 passing the action to the next player that is clockwise from him. To stay in a round of poker, you need to either call, which means you match the previous wager, or you will increase the bet, which is known as ‘raise’.

Chase

This is a term used in sportsbooks and casinos. Chase refers to a person who will continue to gamble in the hope of winning back their money after a losing bet. Being on a chase is often accompanied by poor betting decisions which will negatively affect the bankroll in the end. Keep a level head when gambling and make sure you do not end up on a chase.

Check

This is a term used in poker when a player opts to stay in the hand without making a bet. They will have the option to call or raise at a later stage if they wish to in the current betting round.

Chips

Chips or also known as casino chips is the type of currency used in brick-and-mortar casinos. Land-based casino table games do not involve using any form of cash or real money. Therefore, casinos introduced playing chips. The chips come in different colors which each represent a different denomination, this allows players and the casino dealers to easily distinguish between the chips. Players can visit the casino cage and exchange their money for chips and visa-versa.

Classic Slots

A classic slot is a term that casinos use to refer to a type of slot machine. The first slot machines were invented over a decade ago and were fairly basic. They involved 3 reels with one to three paylines. The symbols used included various types of fruit, a bell and a shamrock. Nowadays when someone refers to a classic slot, they are probably referring to a slot machine that resembles those.

Closing Line

A closing line is a sports betting term used for the final list of point spreads before game time. It is the final betting line offered by a sportsbook before the event begins.

Cold

This is the term that is mostly used to refer to a player on a losing streak or a slot machine that has not been paying out throughout the night. If a machine or a player is on fire it means that they are on a winning streak or that the machine has been paying out well. Cold being the opposite of hot, it is easy to see where the term originates.

Dealer

This is a term used in land-based casinos to refer to the casino employee who deals the cards in the table games at the casino. Another term used to refer to the dealer is croupier. Most casino table games involve using cards and while some games have other casino employees overseeing the game, the dealer/croupier is the only one that is allowed to deal the cards.

Deposit

This is a term you will be familiar with if you are gambling at an online casino. It refers to the process of funding your casino account with money so that you can play your favorite casino games. Many online casinos offer a welcome deposit, which generally comes as a deposit match, so you will need to make a deposit into your account in order to claim the welcome bonus.

Deposit Bonus

A Deposit bonus comes in the form of free money offered to new players depositing at an online casino for the first time. For example, a 100% deposit match will double the value of a player’s first deposit. So, if you deposit $100, the casino will match it by 100% and you will have $200 to pay with. All cash bonus offers are subject to the casino’s Terms and Conditions.

Double Down

A term used in Blackjack. Here you will double the original bet and receive one more card to add to your hand.

Edge

The gambling term used to refer to someone having an advantage over somebody else. In a casino the term you will come across most often is ‘house edge’. The house edge is used to refer to the advantage the gambling establishment/casino has over players. This is in order for casinos to make a profit.

Flush

A term used in poker to refer to a hand composed of cards from all the same suit. For example, all the cards will be Hearts.

Fold

This is a term used in land based as well as online casinos. It refers to players forfeiting their hand. Folding is often used in poker, when a player has a bad hand, they can fold or if they believe the opponents have better hands then they do. They will forfeit all the bets they have mace up to that point in the round.

Free Spins

This term is used in online and land-based casinos. This term is used to describe a bonus feature of slot machines or the best online slots for real money. Free spins are used widely across gambling sites. In order to trigger free spins on a slot machine, a player needs to land on three or more bonus features or scatter symbols. This bonus rewards you with a number of extra spins for free. The number of free spins you can get and how to get them will vary between slot machines and games.

Grid

The grid is a term used in sports betting. It refers to a matrix or ‘grid’ that shows the different bets that are possible at the time. When playing online a player will need to click on the grid to place their bets, confirm a bet or withdraw.

High Roller

This is a term used in online casinos and brick-and -mortar casinos to describe a player that prefers betting big. Online and land-based casinos generally create different tables that have different betting limits so that they cater for everybody’s needs. High rollers do not find playing and betting small exciting, they would rather risk more with the chance of a much bigger win. This is thrilling for them. Another term used for a high roller is a whale, these are generally those players that spend the most.

House Edge

This is a term used in both online and land-based casinos for gambling. The house edge refers to the advantage the casino has over the players. The house edge is most commonly expressed in percentages, and it is the opposite of the RTP. For example, if a game has a RTP rate of 67%, the house edge will then be 3%. Having the house edge is one of the ways for the casinos to make a profit. It will vary from one casino to the next and can also change depending on the game you are playing.

Jackpot

The Jackpot is a gambling term that refers to the biggest reward a casino or game has to offer. It is most commonly used in video slots and slot machines, but you will hear it around the casino in various other places. There are many different types of jackpots, some are progressive, which means they increase every time somebody plays the game, while some will be a fixed jackpot amount. Whether you are playing at an online casino or at a brick-and-mortar casino, the size of the jackpot will be visibly displayed for players to see before they start playing the game.

Odds

The odds are someone’s chances of winning, whether it be the player or the casino. It is the ratio of probabilities. In a few cases you will find the odds represented as percentages, for example, the casino and player can each have a 50% chance of winning. Similar to casinos, you also find betting odds in sportsbooks where similar rules will apply.

Payline

The term payline is used in online casinos and brick and mortar casinos. It describes a feature on video slots and slot machines. In order to win on any slot game, you need to land a winning combination on a payline. You then get “paid” for doing so, hence the term payline. Depending on the slot game, a slot can have as little as 3 paylines or can go up to several hundred thousand paylines. They generally come in a pattern either horizontally or zigzag across the reels or can come in irregular patterns. The pay table is easily accessible before you start playing your slots where you will be able to see how many paylines a video slot has.

Payout Percentage (Return to Player = RTP)

The payout percentage or RTP rate is the statistical percentage of every bet wagered that will be returned to the player. It will always be less than 100%, and the lower the percentage, the more profitable the machine will be for the casino. For example, a game with a 95% payout percentage is expected to pay out $0.95 for every dollar wagered. The other $0.05 is retained by the casino and represents the house’s statistical edge. Join some of the best payout online casinos.

Progressive Jackpot

This is a term used in both online casinos and land-based casinos. It refers to the jackpot reward associated with a progressive video slot or slot machine. With a progressive jackpot, the money or reward you can win keeps changing unlike a fixed jackpot. Usually with each bet, a small portion will be added to the jackpot prize. It will increase until the jackpot is won and then will start over again.

Random Number Generator (RNG)

The RNG is an abbreviated term that stands for Random Number Generator. It is most commonly used in video games or casino games, and it is referring to a software algorithm that will generate random outcomes. These will ensure that everything is fair and unbiased, and nothing is predetermined.

Reel

A reel or reels is a gambling term mostly used by slot machine or video slot players. It refers to the horizontal columns that are an important part of slot games. Every reel will feature one of each of the symbols available in the slot. When you pull the lever or press the button, the reels spin before coming to a stop, you will then see whether you have landed a winning combination or not. Nowadays, the most common number of reels you will find in a slot game is 5.

Scatter Symbol

The term scatter or scatters describes a type of bonus symbol on slot games. In modern slots, besides the basic symbols, you will also find scatter symbols or wild symbols. Wild symbols will always act as a substitute for other symbols, and scatter symbols are the ones that will usually trigger the bonus features, such as free spins. The best way to trigger these is by landing 3 or more scatters at the same time, but it does vary from one slot to the next depending on the layout and design of the slot machine. Scatter symbols also pay and are calculated both ways.

Tapping Out

This is a term used in gambling when a player loses their entire bankroll. The amount of money you decide to play with or have to use is called your bankroll. When you tap out, it normally means you have lost your bankroll for the day/night, and you will not be able to continue. Your gambling experience will be over for this playing period.

Wagering Requirement

The wagering requirement or playthrough requirement are the terms that an online casino places on its bonuses. Generally playthrough requirements require players to place a specified number of bets or spend a certain amount of money at the casino before they can claim any winnings they receive from the bonus. Typically, only select casino games qualify towards the playthrough requirement. Not all games contribute equally either. It is best to read each bonus’s terms and conditions before you start so you are familiar with any wagering requirements there are in place. For example, a wagering requirement of 20X means that you will need to play through the bonus amount 20X before you can generate winnings from it as cash.

Wild Card

The card in the deck, including the joker, that will represent any other card to make the best possible hand in poker. Wild cards are great to have and will help you create your winning combination of cards for that win.

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