If you are new to casino gaming, there are a lot of casino-related terms that you must first understand right out of the gate; otherwise, your experience might not be that pleasant. While some of the definitions might be rather obvious, being 100% sure about the meaning is vital to avoid even the slightest chance of misinterpretation.
So, as a newbie, before you visit a land-based casino facility or sign up at premium rated platforms such as casino online GG Bet to have a taste of the range of games available, here’s a highlight of the most commonly used words and phrases in gambling. And if you are already familiar with the world of casino gaming, it wouldn’t hurt to scan through the terms just to make sure that your understanding of the terminologies is razor-sharp. Feel free to dig in:
Ante– an initial wager needed (normally in card games) before a hand can begin.
Bankroll– a given amount of cash meant specifically for making bets.
Bet– a fixed sum of money risked on a casino game or sports event for the chance of winning. Also known as wager or stake.
Betting Layout– the space on a betting table where gamblers can put their chips so that they can place their preferred wagers.
Betting Limits– the minimum and maximum bets accepted at a betting table or a particular casino game.
Bonus: additional sums of money or other types of perks, such as free spins, that an online casino might add to your account as a reward for just registering an account, depositing or staking a given amount on games, among other reasons.
Cage– the area of a brick-and-mortar casino where cards are kept.
Card Shark/Card Sharp– a skilled card game player.
Cash Out– to have funds from your casino account sent to your banking account via your preferred payment method.
Chips– typically tokens in form of plastic discs used to symbolize money at casino gaming tables. Chips come in different denominations depending on the game.
Cold Streak– a prolonged run of unluckiness with accumulated losses.
Comp Points– casinos would reward players with comp points based on their betting activity. In land-based casinos, comp points can be swapped for free credits/food/drinks/accommodation. In online casinos, these points can be exchanged for extra credits, free gaming rounds or even real withdrawable money.
Croupier– also called a dealer, a croupier is tasked with running a gambling table, for instance, shuffling and dealing cards or spinning the roulette wheel.
Deck – The typical 52 cards used in blackjack.
Download Casino– an online casino where you must download a given software or app so that you can start playing the games that are available on the platform.
Even money Bet– a type of bet having a 1:1 payout odds ratio. This means the potential amount that can be won is equal to the initial stake.
Expected Win Rate– the total sum staked at a game that you can anticipate to win back. If, say, a game has a 94% win rate, then ultimately, you’d expect to win something like $94 per $100 wagered. However, this win rate is often a theoretical value and doesn’t provide any guarantees for particular gaming sessions.
Face Card– a jack, king, or queen of any suit of the cards.
High Roller– a player that makes high stakes worth huge amounts of money.
House– another word for the land-based casino.
Hot Streak– a prolonged run of good luck with accumulated wins back-to-back.
House Edge– the statistical advantage that the casino has over players in all games.
House Rules– game rules exclusive to a given online or land-based casino.
Instant Play Casino– also called a no-download casino. It is a kind of online casino where you can enjoy playing games directly from your web browser without the need to download any software.
Live Dealer Games– online casino games where you get to play against real dealers via real gaming tables through real-time video feeds. Live dealer games are meant to offer players the lifelike land-based casino gaming experience remotely.
Loyalty Program– a rewards scheme that offers members of a specific casino or string of casinos exclusive perks based on their frequency of playing the available games.
Lobby– the area in a casino where you can find all the games on offer.
Multi-hand Game– a casino game you can play with more than one hand at a go.
Payout– the amount a player receives after winning a bet.
Progressive Jackpot– a kind of jackpot payout that grows with every time the game is played and the jackpot money isn’t won. Should a player win the jackpot, the value of the jackpot is reset to a predetermined amount, and the counter starts afresh.
Push– another word for a tie.
Payout Table– a table that shows the various amounts you can win for the different winning combinations on slots, video poker and table games.
Payline– A line of symbols in slots where winning symbols must be lined up to land a win.
Racino– refers to a casino that is located at a horse racing track.
Random Number Generator (RNG) – a computer program employed by casino sites to guarantee the generation of random outcomes for their games.
Return to Player (RTP) – a measure of how much a given game repays its players for each unit betted over time. Normally, RTP is expressed as a percentage, and the higher the RTP value, the more often the game will pay over a longer period.
Reels– the wheels that spin in slot games. Reels make up the mechanical part of a slot machine, which is filled with symbols.
True Odds– the real odds of a wager winning based on probability.
Three of a Kind- a hand having three cards of a similar rank.
Volatility– the level of risk that is involved with a slot game which reveals how much and how often the game is projected to offer wins. Slot games can be of low volatility, high volatility or medium volatility.
Wagering Requirements– these are conditions that dictate the amount of cash players must stake on games before they can cash out any earnings made from a bonus.
Whale– a high-value player who plays for large stakes and invests a lot of cash in casino games.
There you have it. While the above doesn’t mean that you are now a casino pro, they are a quick starter pack to make sure that you are familiar with some of the most popular terminologies.