Casino Terms: A Casino Glossary for Beginners

Does it ever feel like the range of casino terms never seems to end? Sure, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of terms associated with casino gaming. However, they don’t all carry the same importance.

In fact, once you learn a few fundamental casino terms and phrases, the whole landscape of gaming online starts to look a lot simpler. And on that note, that’s precisely why we’ve put together this guide on casino terminology.

The aim of our guide is to demystify the online gaming world for beginners, and a great starting point is to cover the key terms and phrases you will inevitably encounter. Of course, more game-specific terms can be found in some of our other guides covering poker terms and definitions, bingo calls, numbers, and sayings, and more.

But for now, let us run through a fundamental casino glossary that you can come back to whenever you like for reference.

Common Casino Terms and Phrases

As promised, understanding a few key terms can help you navigate online casino games more easily. you need to master some fundamentals, all of which we’ve covered in the following glossary. So without further ado, here's your A-to-Z of essential casino terms and phrases:

Bankroll

Bankroll is simply the money you have set aside specifically for casino play. You should treat your bankroll as an entertainment budget and use it responsibly - meaning never wagering more than you can afford to lose.

Expected Value (EV)

EV estimates the average amount a bet is likely to win or lose when repeated many times (worked out through a specific calculation). This is probably one of the more complex casino terms listed here. But you can think of a negative EV as one which favours the casino, while a positive EV favours the player.

Fixed Jackpot

A fixed jackpot offers a predetermined maximum prize that will not change. You can think of a fixed jackpot as the ceiling placed on payouts for any given game.

Hit Frequency

Hit frequency estimates how often a game produces a winning result (such as 25.00). For example, in online slots, it estimates how often a spin will result in a winning combination.

House Edge

Of all the casino jargon you may encounter, ‘house edge’ is perhaps one of the most frequently heard phrases. In a nutshell, this describes the casino’s mathematical advantage, which is built into every game. It is expressed as a percentage such as 2.50%.

Jackpot

A jackpot is just the headline prize advertised in a game. It can only be won when certain situations arise, such as rare symbol combinations forming across the reels or progressive multipliers linking together. It can have a fixed value or grow progressively.

Multiplier

A multiplier increases a qualifying payout by a stated amount. As an example, you might get a 2x or 5x multiplier attached to a winning combination, which would turn a £1 win into £2 or £5, respectively.

Paytable

The paytable showcases what each combination produces in terms of payouts. Rewards are usually expressed as multipliers, and the paytable may also explain how to unlock certain bonus features.

Progressive Jackpot

Unlike a fixed jackpot, a progressive jackpot grows as qualifying bets contribute to its prize pool.

Random Number Generator (RNG)

RNG software is used to generate game outcomes without relying on previous results. In RNG-based games, one spin or round does not predict the next.

Return to Player (RTP)

RTP is the theoretical percentage of all stakes that a game is designed to return as prizes over extensive play. It is a long-term average (such as 97% RTP), not a promise of what one person will receive.

Variance

Variance describes how widely a game’s results can move above or below its long-term average. Higher variance generally brings larger swings, while lower variance tends to produce steadier results.

Volatility

Volatility describes a game’s typical pattern of payouts and is often used interchangeably with variance. High volatility games generally deliver larger wins less often, while low volatility games generally deliver smaller, more frequent wins.

Wagering Requirements

Wagering requirements detail how much you must ‘play through’ bonus funds before any associated winnings become available to withdraw. It is always expressed as a multiplier such as 10x, 5x, etc.

Casino Bonus Terms Explained

Many of the casino terms mentioned above will pop up once you start redeeming casino bonuses. And understanding the associated terms can help you spot a solid promotion from a mediocre one. Let us explain:

Free Spins

Free spins apply solely to slot games. When redeemed, you get a set number of free spins for eligible games, with each spin carrying a predetermined value. For example - 10 free spins at 50p per spin.

Wagering Requirements

Using the above example, if the bonus had 20x wagering requirements, you would need to wager a full £10 (50p x 20) before any winnings from the bonus could be cashed out.

Qualifying Bets

Sometimes, you need to make qualifying bets in order to unlock a bonus. As an example, you might need to wager £10 on slot games to qualify for 50 free spins. The initial £10 is known as the qualifying bet.

Eligible Games

If specified, these are the games that you can use your bonus on. 

Promotional Periods

A promotion period is simply the duration of the bonus in terms of when you can redeem it. For example, you might see a bonus running from 1 December to 31 December, and that month is the promotion period.

Opt-Ins

If you see an ‘opt-in’ requirement for a promotion, this means you must opt-in before completing any of the other redemption steps.

Wrapping Up

There you have it - your complete crash course in casino terminology. We’ve covered all of the fundamentals that apply to the widest selection of games. And at this point, we hope we've increased your knowledge - whether in claiming promotions, managing your bankroll, or exploring the many games we have to offer at Buzz Bingo.