Online casino glossary

Casino lexicon: understanding the vocabulary of online casino gambling

Casino lexicon can be complex for beginners. Between English and French, players need to be able to juggle both languages. Mastering casino vocabulary is fundamental to understanding the rules of gambling.

In this article, you'll find definitions of the most common words used in online casino games. :

Buying bonuses

Players can purchase bonuses on slot games. This enables them to activate special features. During bonus games, they can unlock options that allow them to accumulate larger winnings faster.

All-in

All-in is a term used in card games such as poker. It's a game strategy in which the player bets all his remaining chips on a single bet or hand, depending on the game.

Ante

This Latin word means “before”. It refers to the compulsory stake that the player must pay in order to participate in the game. This word is used at the start of online poker games.

Insurance

This word is part of the Blackjack vocabulary. It refers to the ace that the dealer may hold during the game. However, it must be the visible card. The player can then request insurance. This means that the player can place an additional bet, which is doubled if and only if the dealer makes a Blackjack. Otherwise, the player loses the bet. This aggressive strategy is not recommended for beginners.

Auto-spin

This is a slot machine feature. Auto-spin allows the player to put the game into automatic mode to pause and let the reels spin on their own.

Back2Back

This is a special slot machine feature. Back2Back allows the player to enjoy a bonus with free spins following the same bonus. Renowned casino player Roshtein has played a major role in democratizing this term, which he uses many times in his streams.

Balance

Also known as the casino balance, the balance is the money available in the player's account. It is displayed in the top right-hand corner of online casino menus.

Bankroll

The bankroll is the budget that the player wishes to invest during his gaming session.

Bank

The bank is none other than the player's opponent. Often represented by the croupier, who plays on behalf of the establishment that employs him.

Bet

Bet is a term often used in games of chance, such as poker, blackjack and slot machines. It's the stake in money or chips that the player places on the table for a bet.

Blackjack

Blackjack is the most popular game in both physical casinos and online gaming sites. The objective of this card game is to obtain a higher point total than the dealer, without exceeding 21.

Bonus Abuser

The term “Bonus Abuser” is used when a player creates different accounts at an online casino in order to benefit from its welcome offer more than once.

Bonus

The term bonus has several meanings:

• A promotional offer offered by online casinos such as a welcome bonus or no-deposit bonus

• Used in slot games to designate free spins

Welcome Bonus

The welcome bonus is a promotion often offered by most reputable online casinos when a new player account is registered. It entitles you to a sum of money and free spins.

No-deposit bonus

Allows new players to test the casino without having to deposit real money.

Hunt Bonus

The Hunt bonus is used during slot play. It's also known as the Hunt Bonus. When the player wins a free spins bonus, he leaves the game to keep the bonus until his balance is soon empty. It's a popular gaming strategy often featured in live casino broadcasts on Twitch or Kick.

Boost balance

Receiving a balance boost means that the player has achieved a very large win. This boost can only be obtained with an aggressive playing strategy that requires betting large sums of money.

Broke

This word is used when the player has lost all his money.

Bust

Bust is a popular term in card games, particularly Blackjack. It is used when the player goes over 21 and loses his hand. In other casino games, bust means “to be exhausted” or “to have failed”.

Cashback

This term means “money back”. This service offered by many online casinos for loyal players enables them to recoup part of their losses.

Depending on the casino, at the end of the week or month, the player can get this money back to play. Rates vary and can be more or less attractive.

Cash-out

Cash-out is the action of withdrawing winnings or part of your bankroll before the end of the game. Often, this amount is calculated according to the probability of loss.

Dealer

A croupier is a casino employee. He is responsible for the smooth running of a game. He or she plays a central role, intervening throughout the game to announce the action in progress, deal the cards, supervise the betting or hand out the winnings to the winning players. He may also play an important role, such as the banker in Blackjack games.

Dead Bonus

The term Dead Bonus belongs to the vocabulary of slot machines. It defines a bonus that pays little or no money. It is often used when the payout is less than x5 of the initial bet.

Dead Spin

This term is also part of the slot machine vocabulary. It refers to spins that pay no money for a long time during a game.

Deposit Bonus

A deposit bonus is a bonus offered by online casinos or other gambling platforms. When players deposit money into their account, the casino offers them extra money. The amount varies, depending on the amount deposited by the player.

Double Down

The double down is a common Blackjack action. It's when a player can double down only after receiving his first two cards. If he chooses this option, he will only be able to draw one additional card. This action is usually taken when the player feels he has a strong hand and wants to maximize his winning potential.

However, it remains a dangerous strategy. If the extra card does not prove favorable, the player may lose a larger stake.

To help you understand when double down can be an interesting strategic move, please refer to our article on basic blackjack strategy.

Evolution Gaming

Évolution Gaming specializes in the development and distribution of live casino games. It offers a wide range of live casino studios, as well as physical casinos.

Renowned for its technical prowess and innovations, the company has quickly established itself as the leading live casino broadcasting company.

Expanding Wilds

Expanding Wilds are a special feature of online slot games. It's a bonus feature that allows a wild symbol to be placed on an entire reel, increasing the player's chances of obtaining winning combinations and therefore winnings.

Good to know: if they appear on several reels during the same spin, winnings are multiplied significantly.

Fast Spin

Fast Spin is a special slot machine feature. Players activate it when they want to spin the reels faster to accumulate winnings and unlock bonus games faster.

Fold

Fold est un terme qui appartient aux jeux de cartes, notamment au poker. C’est une stratégie du joueur qui consiste à abandonner sa main et à se retirer de la partie. 

Free spins

Free spin is a term used in slot games. It means free spins. This means that the player can enjoy the game and spin the reels without spending any money. They are activated according to the machine's game rules, but it's often by obtaining similar symbols that this bonus feature is unlocked.

Winnings from free spins are subject to specific wagering requirements, depending on the machine used.

Good to know: some online casinos offer free spins bonuses for new members.

Gamble

Gamble is an English term meaning “to wager” or “to play for money”. Gamble refers to the action of betting money on an outcome whose outcome is unknown, in exchange for a return of winnings.

High Roller

High roller is a term used to describe a player who bets large sums of money. He is the perfect opposite of the safe player.

iGaming

iGaming is the official term for online casino games. iGaming has established itself in the world of gambling. It has quickly become a very important market.

Jackpot

A jackpot is a very large sum of money won. This expression is used a lot in the world of slot machines. Some sums can reach millions of euros. Every player dreams of one day winning the jackpot.

Chips

Chips are the money used in casinos by players to place their bets.

Table games

As the name suggests, this is a type of casino game played around a table, such as poker, blackjack, roulette and many others.

Live games

These are games played live, such as the classic table games: blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps and Texas Hold'em. They can also be live broadcasts of casino games. The most popular broadcasts are Crazy Time, Mega Ball and Monopoly Live, available at online casinos.

Play Safe

Playing safe is a strategy that involves remaining cautious, or playing in a safe and secure manner. It's the opposite of Highroller.

Paylines

Paylines are a term used in slot games. They are the set of possible winning combinations that entitle the player to winnings.

Gaming license

Every online casino operates with a gaming license issued by regulatory bodies. The license attests to the casino's compliance with established standards and ensures its credibility with players. The most reputable online gaming licenses come from Curacao and Malta.

Martingale

A Martingale is a gambling strategy. The player must double his stake after each loss in order to recoup previous losses. The aim of this strategy is to make a profit equal to the initial stake.

It's based on the idea that the player will eventually win and recover all his losses. However, Martingale is an aggressive gambling strategy that can lead the player to lose his entire balance very quickly.

Max bet

Max bet is short for maximum bet. It is the maximum amount a player can bet on a single game round. It applies to both slot machines and table games.

The amount of the maximum bet is determined by the rules of the game or by the casino.

Megaways

MegaWays is a popular brand in English-speaking countries registered by Big Time Gaming. It's a game concept that offers a unique experience by offering an infinite number of ways to win, with large symbol combinations.

Multipliers

In slot machines and other casino games, multipliers are special symbols that increase players' winnings by multiplying them by a certain coefficient.

Play'n Go

This is the name of a slot machine publisher. They are the developers of such iconic titles as Book of Dead, Rise of Merlin and Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness. These slot machines are among the most popular and widely played games in the world.Provider

Un provider est en toute simplicité, une entreprise qui développe et vend des jeux de casino à jouer en ligne. Il peut s’agir tout aussi bien de machines à sous, que de jeux de table ou encore de loterie.
Par ailleurs, les providers sont les acteurs clés de l'industrie du jeu en ligne. Les plus connus sont NetEnt, Microgaming, Play'n Go, Évolution Gaming. 

Push

Used in Blackjack, this term refers to the moment when the final value of a player's deck of cards is the same as the dealer's. When this happens, the player recovers his bet, but loses his side bets. When this happens, the player recovers his bet, but loses his side bets. A push occurs when the value of your cards is the same as the dealer's.

Raise

Raise is a term used in table games such as poker. It refers to the player's choice to increase his bet.

Raw money

Raw money refers to the real-money funds available in a player's account at an online casino.

Good to know: they are often subject to less stringent wagering requirements than bonus funds.

Retrigger

This term belongs to the vocabulary of slot games. It refers to the moment when the player wins 3 scatter symbols during a Free Spins bonus game. This can result in a number of different actions, such as obtaining additional free spins or increasing the win multiplier. These special features depend on the rules of the slot machine used.

Reels

This term, also used in slot games, refers to the area where the symbols appear. They rotate vertically and generate random compositions of symbols.

RTP

RTP, or Return to Player, is a term used in the world of casino gaming to designate the theoretical percentage of wagers that a player can expect to recover at the end of his or her gaming session.

For example, an RTP of 95% means that for every €100 wagered, the player can expect to win back €95.

Scatter

A Scatter is a term that still belongs to the slot machine vocabulary. It is a special symbol which, when it appears several times on the reels, can activate special features or bonus games.

Side bets

Side bets are additional bets that players can place on certain casino games, in addition to their main bet. These bets are often offered in games such as blackjack, poker or roulette, and offer higher potential winnings, but also greater risks.

Shoe

Used in card games such as blackjack, a shoe refers to a device that holds several decks of cards. It allows several decks of cards to be shuffled together to create a larger deck, reducing the need to shuffle.

Slot

This term belongs to the vocabulary of slot machine games. Slot is an abbreviation used to designate slot machines.

Slots can have different themes, bonus features and game mechanics to offer players a varied experience.

Spin

This term belongs to the vocabulary of slot machines. It refers to a round of play. During a spin, the slot reels rotate and stop to reveal a combination of symbols.

Split

Split is a term used to designate a specific action during a game of blackjack. It's the action of splitting one's hand when the first two cards dealt are of the same value. The player can then choose to split these cards into two separate hands and bet an amount identical to his initial bet on each hand. Thereafter, both hands are played in turn.

This strategy gives the player an extra chance of beating the dealer, but involves playing twice and therefore betting twice, which can quickly get the player into trouble if he or she suffers a series of losses.

Stand

Stand is a term used in Blackjack to designate the action of staying or stand. It is used when the player believes he can beat the bank represented by the dealer. The player does not receive an additional card.

Sticky Wild

This term belongs to the vocabulary of slot machines. Sticky wilds are special symbols that remain on the reels for several consecutive spins. This makes them more likely to form winning combinations. These sticky wild symbols remain fixed in position for a certain number of spins, which can increase players' chances of winning.

Drawing a card

Drawing a card is a basic blackjack strategy. The player asks the dealer for a new card to improve the value of his hand. It's a decision the player makes when they feel their current hand isn't strong enough to beat the dealer.

However, players need to be careful, as drawing a card can also result in going over 21, which means losing the game.

Volatility

Volatility refers to the difference in the results of games of chance. A game with high volatility is riskier, as it can lead to large fluctuations in winnings and losses. As a result, the player may receive larger payouts, but less frequently.

On the other hand, a game with low volatility offers more regular but smaller payouts.

VPN

A VPN is a virtual private network that guarantees the user's security when surfing the web. It enables users to connect from an IP address located in any country, thereby broadening their access to online gaming platforms.

Although VPN is not a concept specific to online casinos, it is widely used by online casino players. Indeed, this technology enables them to access a wider range of games.

Wager

A wager, also known as a wagering requirement, is a term used in online casinos to designate the total amount a player must wager in real money before being able to withdraw winnings from a bonus or deposit.

This is a requirement attached to most bonus offers, where the player must wager a certain multiple of the bonus or initial deposit amount. Once the player has fulfilled these wagering requirements, they can then withdraw their winnings.

Wilds

This term belongs to the vocabulary of slot machine games. The Wild symbol is present in the majority of slot machines. This symbol is a wild card that can replace any other symbol. As such, it often facilitates the formation of winning combinations.

So now you know all you need to know about casino vocabulary. Now it's time to put what you've learned into practice and play the game you like at one of our partner casinos.