Some of the most common gaming titles available on the internet come from casinos. That’s because, worldwide, casino gaming is one of the most popular forms of entertainment for people to seek out. Blackjack and roulette, for example, have been played for centuries and even slots have hit their centennial mark. You can find all three available from major brands that offer welcome deals to newcomers.
But what about all the interesting vocabulary and terms that are tacked on to these deals? Given how unique casino gaming is, it comes with its fair share of terminology that won’t be found elsewhere. If you’re new to the industry and you’re scratching your head at some of the words, then read our list of official terms found in iGaming, written in alphabetical order.
- Action: This is a simple way to say that the ball is rolling on a game or a wager. It might refer to a few things, including a bettor wagering on an event, a dealer telling a player to act, or even the total amount of money in play.
- Bad beat: A term for an unlucky round of poker. Keep in mind that a bad beat only covers a high-ranking poker hand that should have won, but was trumped.
- Bankroll: The amount of money that a player has dedicated to their gaming activity. Bankroll management is an important element of enjoying card and table games, along with sports betting. Manage your resources wisely.
- Blinds: A bet that players must take in order to play a game of Texas Hold’em.
- Croupier: The dealer responsible for running a table game. This term comes from French casinos, where ‘croupier’ simply means ‘dealer’.
- High Roller: A fancy term for someone who spends a lot when they game. High rollers are typically part of an exclusive casino program. They’re sometimes called ‘whales’.
- Pokies: Another term for slots that is popularly used in Australia and New Zealand.
- Random number generator: A device used to ensure total randomness in virtually hosted games. If you’re gaming online, it’s thanks to the magic of RNGs.
- Vigorish: A term for the percentage of money that a sportsbook charges for taking a bet. Also known as ‘vig’, this amount usually stands at ten percent for US-based sportsbooks.
- Volatility: A reference to how often a slot machine pays out. Keep in mind that this differs from RTP, which stands for Return to Player. RTP is a percentage that explains how much a player could be paid out per dollar spent, while volatility correlates to how often the slot pays out.