Australia · October 2026

Casino glossary

The 50 words casinos and this site use most, in plain English: from RTP and wagering to self-exclusion.

terms explained
50
topics
6

Four numbers worth knowing

Between them they decide most of what you win or lose. Each opens its entry below.

Every term, A to Z

Search for a word, pick a topic, or jump to a letter.

50 terms

Terms starting with A

ADRSafety
Alternative dispute resolution: an independent service that settles a complaint between you and a casino, free for players. MGA and UKGC casinos must offer one.
Casino won’t pay?
APKSafety
An Android app file you download from a casino’s own site instead of Google Play. Only install one from the casino’s real address.
Android casinos
ACMASafety
The Australian Communications and Media Authority. It enforces the Interactive Gambling Act, including blocking illegal offshore gambling sites.
Casino licences

Terms starting with B

Banker betGames
In baccarat, a bet that the Banker hand ends closer to 9. It wins slightly more often than Player, so wins pay 0.95 to 1 after a 5% commission.
Baccarat
Basic strategyGames
In blackjack, the best move for every hand against every dealer card, worked out by computer. Following it cuts the house edge to about 0.5%.
Blackjack
Bet behindGames
In live blackjack, betting on another player’s hand without taking a seat. You follow their decisions.
Live blackjack
Bonus buySlots
Paying a set price, often 100 times your bet, to start a slot’s bonus round straight away. It burns through a budget fast.
Online pokies
Bonus codeBonuses
A short code you type in at sign-up or in the cashier to claim an offer. Not every offer needs one.
Casino bonuses

Terms starting with C

Cash outGames
In a crash game, taking your bet times the multiplier on screen before the round crashes.
Crash games
CashbackBonuses
A share of your net losses over a period paid back to you, often weekly and with little or no wagering.
Cashback bonuses
ChargebackPayments
Asking your bank or card provider to reverse a payment, for example when a casino took a deposit without giving the service. It doesn’t cover money lost playing.
Casino won’t pay?
Crash gameGames
A game where a multiplier climbs from 1x until it crashes at a random point. Cash out before the crash and your bet is multiplied.
Crash games
Curaçao licenceSafety
A licence from the Curaçao Gaming Authority, held by many offshore casinos. A new law made its rules stricter in December 2024, but it still protects players less than the MGA or UKGC.
Casino licences

Terms starting with D

Deposit limitSafety
A cap on how much you can pay into your account in a day, a week or a month. Lowering it works at once; raising it usually takes a day.
Responsible gambling

Terms starting with E

E-walletPayments
An online account, such as Skrill, Neteller or MiFinity, that holds money for payments. E-wallets usually pay out fastest.
Payment methods

Terms starting with F

Free betBonuses
A bet paid for by the bookmaker. If it wins you get the winnings, but not the stake back.
Casino bonuses
Free spinsBonuses
Spins on a named slot that the casino pays for. What they win usually carries wagering.
Free spins

Terms starting with G

Game weightingBonuses
How much bets on each game count towards wagering. Slots usually count in full; table and live games count 10% or nothing.
Bonus terms in plain words

Terms starting with H

House edgeOdds
The casino’s average cut of every bet, over time: 100% minus the RTP. European roulette has a house edge of 2.7%.
Casino games

Terms starting with I

ID check (KYC)Payments
The check of who you are before your first withdrawal: a photo ID and a proof of address. KYC stands for “know your customer”.
Casino won’t pay?
InsuranceGames
In blackjack, a side bet offered when the dealer shows an ace, paying 2 to 1 if the dealer has blackjack. Over time it loses money: basic strategy says no.
Blackjack

Terms starting with L

La partageGames
A French roulette rule: when the ball lands on zero, you get half of an even-money bet back. It cuts the house edge on those bets to 1.35%.
Roulette
LicenceSafety
Permission to run a casino from a regulator, such as the MGA or the UKGC. The licence decides where you can complain.
Casino licences
Live dealerGames
A real dealer at a real table, streamed to your screen. You bet with buttons while a timer runs.
Live casinos

Terms starting with M

MartingaleOdds
Doubling your bet after every loss to win it back. A run of losses soon hits the table limit or your budget, and it never changes the house edge.
Roulette
Max betBonuses
The biggest stake allowed while a bonus is active, often AU$5. Going over it can cost you the bonus and its winnings.
Bonus terms in plain words
Max winBonuses
A cap on what a bonus can pay out, common on no deposit offers and free spins. Anything above it is removed.
Bonus terms in plain words
MegawaysSlots
A slot design where the number of symbols on each reel changes every spin, giving up to 117,649 ways to win.
Megaways pokies
MGASafety
The Malta Gaming Authority, one of the strictest regulators of online casinos in Europe.
Casino licences

Terms starting with N

No deposit bonusBonuses
A small bonus for signing up, before you pay anything in. Winnings are capped and carry wagering.
No deposit bonuses

Terms starting with P

PaylineSlots
A line across a slot’s reels on which matching symbols pay, from the left.
Online pokies
Payout speedPayments
How long a withdrawal takes once you ask for it: the casino’s approval, then the time the payment method needs.
Fast payout casinos
Progressive jackpotSlots
A jackpot that grows with every bet, often across many casinos, until someone wins it.
Jackpot pokies
Provably fairOdds
A way to check afterwards that a game’s result was set before the round and not changed, used by many crash and crypto games.
Crash games
PushGames
In blackjack, a tie with the dealer: your bet comes back to you.
Blackjack

Terms starting with R

Reality checkSafety
A reminder that pops up while you play, with your time played and what you have won or lost.
Responsible gambling
RNGOdds
Random number generator: the software that decides each spin, card or roll. Labs test it at licensed casinos.
How we rate casinos
RTPOdds
Return to player: the share of all bets a game pays back over millions of rounds. 96% means AU$96 back for every AU$100 bet, on average.
Top payout casinos

Terms starting with S

ScatterSlots
A slot symbol that pays wherever it lands, not just on a line. Three or more often start free spins.
Online pokies
Self-exclusionSafety
Closing your casino account for a set time, usually 6 months to 5 years. It usually can’t be undone early.
Responsible gambling
Sticky bonusBonuses
Bonus money you can play with but not withdraw: it is taken away when you cash out, and only your winnings are paid.
Bonus terms in plain words

Terms starting with T

Time-outSafety
A short break from your account, from 24 hours to a few weeks, set in your account settings.
Responsible gambling
Tumbling reelsSlots
Winning symbols disappear and new ones drop into their place, which can win again on the same spin. Also called cascades.
Megaways pokies

Terms starting with U

UKGCSafety
The UK Gambling Commission, the regulator for Great Britain and one of the strictest in the world.
Casino licences

Terms starting with V

VolatilitySlots
How a slot pays out: low volatility pays small wins often, high volatility pays rarely but bigger.
Online pokies

Terms starting with W

Wagering requirementBonuses
How many times you must bet a bonus, or its winnings, before you can withdraw. AU$10 at 35x means AU$350 in bets.
Bonus terms in plain words
Ways to winSlots
Instead of fixed lines, matching symbols on neighbouring reels win from the left in any position. 243-ways and Megaways slots work like this.
Megaways pokies
Welcome offerBonuses
The bonus for new players, usually a match on the first deposit, often with free spins.
Casino bonuses
WildSlots
A slot symbol that stands in for others to complete a winning line.
Online pokies
Withdrawal limitPayments
The most a casino pays out in a day, a week or a month. Big wins can take several payments.
Fast payout casinos

Where these words matter