This guide is designed to help both new and experienced players understand the language of online casinos. Below you will find the meanings of some of the most commonly used gambling-related terms and phrases.
Online Casino
- Return to Player (RTP): A percentage that indicates the amount of money a game pays back to players in the long run. For example, a slot with an RTP of 98% returns $98 to the player for every $100 wagered, on average.
- Wagering Requirement: A condition applied to bonuses which requires you to bet a certain amount of money before you can withdraw winnings. For example, a 30x wagering requirement on a $100 bonus means you must bet $3000 before the funds become withdrawable.
- Deposit Match: A bonus where the casino matches a portion of your deposit with bonus funds, up to a certain amount. For example, a 100% deposit match up to $200 means if you deposit $200, you will receive an extra $200 in bonus funds (for a total of $400).
- Cashback: A type of bonus offered by casinos where a percentage of losses over a certain period is returned to the player.
- House Edge: The mathematical advantage the casino has over the player in a particular game.
- Even Money: If a bet pays even money, it means you would an amount equal to the amount you wager. For example, if you place a $10 bet at even money, and the bet wins, you will receive your $10 stake back plus another $10 in profit.
Roulette
- American Roulette: A version of roulette with 38 slots: numbers 1 to 36, a zero, and a double zero.
- European Roulette: A version of roulette with 37 slots: numbers 1 to 36 and a zero.
- Straight-up Bet: A bet placed on a single number on the roulette table. It offers the highest payout but the lowest chances of winning.
- Betting on Red or Black: A popular bet in roulette where a player bets on the ball to land in either a red or black slot. It pays even money, and loses if the ball lands on the opposite colour or zero.
- Betting on Even or Odd: A popular bet in roulette where a player bets on the ball to land in either an even numbered or odd-numbered slot. It pays even money, and loses if the ball lands on the opposite number type or zero.
- Corner Bet: Betting on four numbers simultaneously that form a square on the roulette table. It pays 8-to-1.
Blackjack
- Blackjack: The highest hand possible, consisting of an ace and a 10-valued card (10, Jack, Queen, King) on the first two cards dealt. This hand typically pays out at 3 to 2 odds.
- Bust: To exceed a total of 21, automatically resulting in a loss.
- Hit: To request an additional card from the dealer.
- Stand: To refuse any additional cards, keeping the current total.
- Double Down: To double the initial bet in exchange for exactly one additional card, after which the player must stand.
- Split: If the first two cards dealt are of the same value, the player can opt to split them into two separate hands, placing a new bet equal to the original bet on the second hand.
- Insurance: A side bet offered when the dealer shows an ace, allowing the player to bet half of their original bet. If the dealer has blackjack, the insurance bet pays 2 to 1.
- Surrender: An option that allows a player to forfeit half of their bet and end the hand immediately after the initial deal.
- Soft Hand: A hand that contains an ace valued as 11, meaning the hand will not bust by taking an additional card.
- Hard Hand: A hand without an ace, or with an ace valued as 1, meaning that the hand could bust with an additional card.
- Push: A tie between the player and dealer, leading to the player’s bet being returned without any winnings.