It’s one thing to know how to play the games at a land-based or online casino, but it’s a whole other thing to know what all the casino terms used at the tables actually mean.
But fear not, for we have hunted down all the important gambling definitions for the lingo you’re likely to hear at the casino tables, and we’ll explain it all in simple casino terms here.
Most Common Casino Terms
Action: Casino gameplay, for example, the play taking place on a roulette or blackjack table or slot machine.
Aggregate limit: The maximum amount a casino is required to pay for winnings on a certain game.
Aggregate winnings: The total amount of cash winnings achieved in one session of gambling game play.
Ante: The bet required in some games before the hand or round starts.
Baccarat: A popular table game where players bet on the banker or the player having a card total closest to 9.
Banker: Another name for the dealer.
Bankroll: The money a player has in an online wallet at the casino to gamble with.
Bet: Another name for wager or stake on a casino game.
Betting limits: The minimum and maximum amount that a casino allows its players to bet.
Betting strategy: The ideal or “correct” way in which to play a certain game in order to have the highest likelihood of winning.
Blackjack: One of the most popular casino games, also called 21, it’s played against the dealer where cards are dealt to reach as close to 21 as possible without exceeding it.
Bonus: Money awarded to a player by an online casino as a reward or for meeting particular requirements. Bonuses almost always have to be wagered (played) a certain number of times before they can be cashed out.
Burn card: The card taken from the top of a deck and discarded after the deck has been shuffled or before more cards are dealt.
Buy-in: The cash or chips needed to be paid in order to participate in a game. In poker tournaments, the buy-in is the cost of entry to play.
Card counting: A blackjack strategy that involves tracking the cards that have been dealt to determine which cards are likely to be dealt next, for a player to have an edge over the casino.
Card shark: Someone considered to be an expert at card games.
Cashier: The section of the online casino where players withdraw money from or deposit funds to their account.
Cashout/cash out: The process of withdrawing money from an online casino, or the name for the withdrawal (e.g., a player’s cashout).
Casino advantage: Otherwise known as the house edge, the mathematical advantage a casino has over its players.
Casino rewards: Incentives like bonuses, free spins or tangible prizes offered to players and normally based on how much they deposit or play.
Chips: Tokens in various denominations that are used in betting on casino games to represent cash.
Cold streak: A continuous losing run.
Craps: A popular dice game played on a craps table, involving a shooter who rolls the dice while other players bet on the outcome of the roll.
Croupier: The French name for a casino employee responsible for dealing the cards (also called a dealer), normally used in land-based casinos.
Cut card: A plastic card that’s used to cut the deck in some card games.
Dealer: The casino employee who hosts a casino table game and deals the cards.
Deposit: The process of adding cash funds to an online casino account.
Deposit bonus: A casino bonus given for making a deposit to your online casino account.
Deposit method: The payment method used to deposit cash funds to a casino account online, which can include credit cards, debit cards, e-wallets and bank transfers.
Dollar slots: A slot machine that costs a minimum of one dollar to play.
Double down: A term used in blackjack to indicate adding an extra bet, equal to your ante, in return for receiving another card.
Down card: A card dealt facing down to the gaming table, normally used in blackjack.
Download casino: An online casino’s software that needs to be downloaded to play the games.
Edge: The advantage a casino holds in a game.
Encryption: The technical system used by online casinos to guarantee the safety and security of financial transactions and players’ private information, so that they are encoded and protected from hackers.
Even money bet: A bet with payout odds of 1:1, where the payout is equal to the initial stake, which is also returned. For example, a winning $10 even money bet would pay out a total of $20.
Face card: The Jack, Queen or King in a deck of cards.
Face down card: A card dealt face down to the table, concealing the card’s value (otherwise known as a down card).
Face up card: A card dealt facing upwards, revealing the card’s value (also known as an up card).
Flat betting: Consistently betting the same amount of money on each bet.
Free spins: A number of rounds on slot machines that can be played for free, normally awarded to a player during a slots game or as a result of a promotion.
Gambling: The process of betting money on an outcome occurring.
Gross winnings: The whole amount paid out on a winning bet, or a series of winning bets, which includes the original bet(s).
High roller: Someone who bets large amounts.
Hit: In Blackjack, the act of requesting another card from the dealer.
Hole cards: The cards initially dealt, for example, in a poker game.
Hot streak: A series of consecutive wins.
House: Another name for the casino.
House edge: The mathematical advantage a casino has over its players in each game.
House rules: The rules a particular casino has.
Initial bet: The first wager made or first contribution to the pot.
Instant casino: Online casinos that don’t require any software to be downloaded to play.
Jackpot: A large cash prize pool paid out on a particular outcome in games like slots and video poker.
Joker card: A card with no suit (often contains a joker or jester picture) which acts as a wild card, substituting for other cards.
Keno: A popular game similar to the lottery and bingo involving selecting numbers in the hope that they will be drawn.
Land-based casino: A brick and mortar casino, with a physical location for people to visit and bet at, otherwise known as an offline or brick and mortar casino.
Layout: The name of the section of the gaming table where players place their bets.
Lobby: Where all the available games to play can be found in an online casino.
Loose: A machine, for example a slot machine, that’s considered to pay out generously.
Loyalty Scheme or Program: A special scheme online casinos offer to reward players for depositing, wagering and playing.
Loyalty points: The points awarded to players within the loyalty scheme for depositing, wagering and playing.
Live dealer games: Games offered by online casinos which are played against real dealers via a live video stream.
Maximum bet: The highest stake that can be wagered at a game.
Minimum bet: The lowest stake that can be wagered at a game.
Multi-hand games: Online games where a player can play more than one hand at once.
Multiplayer games: Games played with other players rather than alone.
Multiplier: The mechanism in a slot machine that multiplies the value of a payout, for example, 2x, 10x, 100x.
Net winnings: The value of total payout minus the wagers made.
Non-sticky bonus: A bonus awarded which can be withdrawn after certain requirements have been met.
Odds: The probability of a player winning, determined by the house and calculated as a %.
Online casino: A place to bet on casino games online via the Internet.
Optimal strategy: The ideal or “correct” way to play a certain game to give the highest likelihood of winning.
Patron: A person who visits or plays at a casino.
Payoff, Payout or Payback: Often used interchangeably, the winnings players receive after a successful wager, or the amount a game awards for certain wins.
Payout percentage: The average amount paid out by a casino or game over time as a percentage of overall bets placed.
Payout table: A table that displays the payout for each table game bet, or the payout for winning combinations on slot machines and video poker games.
Penetration: The percentage of a deck of cards that is dealt before it’s shuffled.
Penny slots: Slot machines that can be played with just one penny.
Professional gamblers: People who are so skilled at playing gambling games that they have made a career of gambling, with the winnings funding their lifestyle.
Progressive jackpot: A type of jackpot that accumulates and increases until it’s won, for example, on a slot game.
Push: A game resulting in a tie where neither the house nor the player wins.
Random Number Generator (RNG): Software used by online casinos to yield a random and unpredictable outcome. For example, on card games it determines the next card to appear; in roulette where the ball will land; or in slot games how the reels spin and which symbols will appear.
Reload bonus: A cash bonus (normally with wagering requirements) given to existing customers for making additional deposits to their account.
Remaining chips: The casino chips leftover at the end of a poker hand or at the end of a game.
Return to player (RTP): The percentage of bets that a game is expected to pay back to players over time, reflected as a percentage.
Rewards scheme or program: A system that rewards players based on their playing activity.
Roulette: A popular table game where players place bets on the number they think a ball will land when the wheel is spun. Variants include European roulette and American roulette.
Shoe: The box that cards are dealt from.
Shuffle: The process of mixing up a deck of cards randomly so their order is unpredictable and unknown.
Side bet: A separate bet that can be placed in some games, where the outcome is independent of the result of the game.
Sign-up bonus: A bonus offered to new customers when they join an online casino, otherwise known as a welcome bonus. Sometimes a deposit is required to receive the sign-on bonus.
Slot machine: A highly popular video-style game with reels that spin to reveal bonus symbols and cash prizes, otherwise known as slots or fruit machines.
Stake: The amount wagered on the result of a casino game.
Stand: The decision made in blackjack to remain with the cards dealt and not request more from the dealer.
Sticky bonus: A type of bonus offered which can’t be withdrawn and remains in a player’s account until it’s lost.
Up card: A card dealt facing up to the ceiling, which everyone can see, normally used in blackjack.
Video poker: A game involving various poker variants such as 3-Card Poker, Draw Poker, Jacks or Better, or Deuces Wild.
VIP: A high-value player or high-roller, who typically gets special treatment from a casino.
Wager: A bet placed at an online or land-based casino.
Wagering requirements: The amount of money that needs to be wagered at an online casino to be able to withdraw a bonus.
Welcome bonus: A bonus offered to new customers upon registering an account and making a deposit. Also known as a sign-up bonus.
Whale: A high-value player who plays for big stakes.
Wild: A card or symbol that acts as a substitute for another card or symbol.
Winning streak: A continuous run of wins on the games.
Withdrawal: The process of cashing out some or all of your casino funds to your bank account.
Try Out PlayStar Online Casino Games
Now you know all the most commonly used casino jargon, come and join us at PlayStar for the best casino games online!
