Glossary to Casino Terminology
Are you new to the world of gambling or just want to master casino jargon? Our comprehensive glossary of casino terminology can help. Familiarize yourself with some of the most commonly used casino terms and learn what they mean.
Action: The total sum of all wagers during a playing session.
Active Payline: A payline that is currently in play consisting of symbols that must line up in order to win a prize.
Ante: This is a compulsory bet made before receiving your cards in a casino card game.
Banker: Another name for a dealer who represents or manages a table game.
Bankroll: The total amount of money that a player has available for wagering on casino games.
Bet: A wager made during a casino game.
Betting Limits: The minimum and maximum amounts that a player can bet.
Bonus: Special offers that casinos offer to new or existing players, which act as an incentive for new players to sign up and for existing players to continue playing.
Cage: A term traditionally used in craps to describe the device used to shake the dice before rolling. It may also refer to the cashier’s cage in a land-based casino where players swap money for chips.
Cashback: A refund periodically credited to a player’s account based on a percentage of gaming losses.
Chase: When a player who is losing continues to gamble in hopes of recouping their losses.
Chips: Round, colored discs used in land-based casinos that are equivalent to money and used to bet at casino tables.
Cold Streak: An extended run of gaming losses.
Deal: To distribute cards in a card game.
Dealer: A casino employee responsible for distributing cards to each player.
Deposit: A payment made to a player’s online casino account in order to play games.
Double Down: A term used in blackjack that means to double the original bet and receive one more card.
Edge: Having an advantage over another player or opponent.
Expanding Wilds: Symbols that fall onto a reel and expand to cover the entirety of the reel.
Eye in the Sky: Cameras in land-based casinos that keep a watchful eye on the casino goings-on.
Face Cards: Cards with a face of any suit, which include King, Queen, and Jack.
Flat Betting: Betting the same amount for each hand with no change in the denomination.
Fold: When a player retires from a round, usually because they have a losing hand or suspect that their opponent has a strong hand.
Free Spins: When a player spins the slots reels for real money without having to wager any of his or her own money.
Gambler’s Fallacy: The false belief that a random process becomes more predictable the more that it is repeated.
George: Casino jargon for a player that is a generous tipper to casino employees and table dealers.
Grind: To play a large number of smaller stacked poker games over many hours on a routine basis to make a steady profit.
Hand: The playing cards that a player holds.
Hard Count: Activity in which coin currency is counted.
High Roller: A player who plays casino games at high stakes by placing large bets.
Honeymoon Period: Players who begin their casino experience with a winning streak, also known as beginner’s luck.
House: This term refers to the casino.
House Edge: The likelihood that the casino will win is based on a calculated ratio of the expected player’s loss to the bet amount.
Inside Bet: A term used in roulette that refers to a bet placed on a specific number.
Instant Casino: Online casinos that do not require players to download software to play.
Insurance: A term used in blackjack that refers to a side bet that the dealer will have a natural.
Jackpot: A particularly large reward typically offered in slot games.
Layout: The surface of a gaming table that has markings that indicate where players should place bets.
Line Bet: Consists of two rows with three numbers each, and the bet is placed at the end of the rows.
Live Dealer Games: Online casino games that are run by human dealers and can be played by players using a live streaming video link and live chat.
Load Up: Refers to playing the maximum amount of coins or spins at slots or video poker.
Martingale: A negative progression strategy often used in roulette that says players should increase their bet after each loss by adding one unit or doubling.
Mobile Games: Casino games that can be played specifically on a smartphone or tablet via an internet browser or mobile app.
Multiplier: A wild card that can be used to make a winning combination that often doubles or triples (or more) the payout.
Net Winnings: Total payout minus all bets placed.
Odds: The possibility of a player winning as calculated as a percentage.
Online Casino Games: Internet-based games that can be played instantly or downloaded.
Outside Bets: Bets where the chips are placed outside of the number layout in roulette.
Payline: An arrangement of symbols on reels that read from left to right.
Paytable: A table that displays information like winning payline combinations and the value of certain symbols.
Progressive Jackpot: A type of slot machine that has a jackpot that grows over time as more players play the game.
Random Number Generator (RNG): A tool used by casinos that dictate the winning and losing combinations that result in the output of a spin.
Reel: The rotating mechanism of a slot machine that is covered in symbols.
Reload Bonus: Bonus funds that a player receives for subsequent deposits.
Scatters: Symbols that activate a free spin when they fall within a payline.
Shifting Wilds: Wilds that shift around the reels during a spin each time there is a winning combination.
Soft Count: The process of counting paper currency, bank checks, and charge slips in a casino.
Stacked Wilds: Function as substitutes and swap other symbols to help create a winning combination.
Sticky Wilds: Acts as a substitute for other symbols to create a winning payline.
Twenty-One: Another name for blackjack.
VIP: An important player who places large bets, also known as a high roller.
Wager: A bet made during a game.
Wagering Requirements: The amount of money that must be wagered in order to earn or withdraw a bonus.
Welcome Bonus: An amount of credits or free spins given by a casino to a new player as an incentive to sign up or deposit funds into an account.
Whale: A high roller who consistently wagers large amounts of money.
Wild Symbols: Symbols that act as substitutes for a winning slot combination.
Withdrawal: When a player makes a request to withdraw money from his or her account.
Casino Terms & Lingo
Learning casino terminology and lingo can take time, but it’s worth the effort if you plan on making gambling a hobby. By learning these terms, you can better understand how to play various casino games and master strategies that give you an edge.
