Gambling terms glossary: casino and iGaming industry terms

Gambling terms are the words players, operators and affiliates use for casino games, bonuses, money flows and regulation. This list of gambling terms and definitions covers 81 terms in six groups, from game math to operator economics and compliance, for people who work in online gambling or are entering it.

Each definition stands on its own, so you can link or quote it; regulatory items were last checked in October 2026. The first group covers the casino terms most players see. Betting markets such as spreads, parlays and moneylines live in our sports betting terms glossary, and tracking and payout jargon in the affiliate marketing glossary.

Casino terms: game mechanics and math

These casino terms describe how a game pays and how much it keeps over time, across slots, table games and live casino.

RTP (return to player)

RTP is the percentage of all money wagered on a game that the game is expected to pay back to players over the long run. Test labs calculate it from the pay table by evaluating or simulating every outcome, so it describes millions of rounds, not one session.

House edge

House edge is the share of each wager the game is expected to keep, which for a single game equals 100% minus its RTP. Single-zero roulette has 37 pockets, so its edge on standard bets is 1/37, about 2.7%: across $100 of bets the average expected loss is $2.70. It is a long-run average, not a forecast.

Volatility (variance)

Volatility describes how a game's return is spread out: a high-volatility slot pays rarely but sometimes big, a low-volatility one pays small amounts often.

Hit frequency

Hit frequency is the share of rounds that return any win at all, including wins smaller than the stake. A 25% hit frequency means one paying spin in four on average.

RNG (random number generator)

An RNG is the software that decides each outcome in a digital casino game. In regulated markets independent labs test the RNG and the game math before the title can go live.

Provably fair

Provably fair is a method used mainly by crypto casinos in which the game publishes a cryptographic hash of its seed before a round, so the player can check afterwards that the result was not changed.

Paylines and ways to win

Paylines are the fixed patterns across the reels that a matching symbol combination must land on to pay. "Ways to win" games drop fixed lines and pay for matching symbols on adjacent reels in any row position.

Wild

A wild is a slot symbol that substitutes for other symbols to complete a winning combination. Some games stack wilds across a reel or give them a multiplier, so a single symbol can complete several lines at once.

Scatter

A scatter is a symbol that pays or triggers a feature wherever it lands, not only on a payline. The number of scatters needed for a feature is set by each game.

Free spins feature

The free spins feature is an in-game bonus round, usually triggered by scatters, in which the reels spin without a new stake. It is different from promotional free spins that an operator credits to an account.

Multiplier

A multiplier increases a win by a set factor, such as 2x or 10x. It can attach to a symbol, a spin or a whole feature round.

Bonus buy

A bonus buy, also called a feature buy, lets the player pay a fixed price, a multiple of the stake, to go straight to the bonus round. Whether games may offer it varies by jurisdiction.

Max win

Max win is the largest payout a game can award on a single round, usually stated as a multiple of the stake. Many games end the round once it is reached.

Jackpot (fixed and progressive)

A jackpot is a game's top prize. A fixed jackpot is a set amount that never grows; a progressive jackpot adds a slice of each qualifying bet to the pool until someone wins it, either from one game or, in networked (pooled) progressives, from many games or casinos.

Live dealer

Live dealer games are table games such as blackjack, roulette and baccarat streamed from a studio with a human dealer, while players bet through an on-screen interface.

RNG table game

An RNG table game is a digital version of blackjack, roulette or another table game in which software, not a dealer, produces the outcomes.

Crash game

A crash game is an instant-win format in which a multiplier climbs from 1.00x until it crashes at a random point, and the player must cash out before the crash to win.

Theoretical vs actual return

Theoretical RTP comes from the game math; actual return is what a game paid out over a given period. Short-run results can differ widely, and labs compare the two on live data.

Player money: deposits, bonuses and withdrawals

This group covers online gambling terms for how money moves in and out of a player account and how bonus funds work. Most disputes between players and operators come back to these rules.

Deposit

A deposit is money a player adds to a gambling account. Programs paying affiliates on CPA usually track the first deposit, known as the FTD.

Withdrawal

A withdrawal is a player's request to take money out of the account. Operators can hold it while they complete identity checks or review bonus play.

Wagering requirement (playthrough)

A wagering requirement is the amount a player must stake before bonus money, or winnings from it, can be withdrawn. A $100 bonus with a 30x requirement means $3,000 in total bets, in this illustration; operators set different multiples and may count the deposit too.

Game weighting

Game weighting is the share of each bet that counts toward a wagering requirement. Slots often count in full while table games count partly or not at all, as set in the bonus terms. If blackjack is weighted at 10%, a $50 hand clears only $5 of the requirement, in this illustration.

Welcome bonus

A welcome bonus is the offer a new player gets on signing up or on the first deposit, often a deposit match, free spins or both.

Deposit match

A deposit match credits bonus funds equal to a percentage of the deposit, up to a cap. A 100% match on a $200 deposit adds $200 in bonus funds.

No-deposit bonus

A no-deposit bonus is a small credit or set of free spins given without any deposit. It usually carries tight withdrawal limits.

Promotional free spins

Promotional free spins are spins on a named slot that an operator credits to an account as a promotion. Winnings typically arrive as bonus funds with their own wagering rules.

Cashback

Cashback returns a percentage of a player's net losses over a period, either as cash or as bonus funds.

Rakeback

Rakeback returns part of the fees, or rake, a player pays in poker or in some casino loyalty schemes, usually as a percentage paid back over time.

Max bet rule

The max bet rule caps the stake per round while a bonus is active. Bets above the cap can void the bonus and any winnings made with it.

Bonus abuse

Bonus abuse is claiming promotions in ways the terms forbid, such as several accounts for one person or coordinated play designed to extract bonus value. Operators detect it through shared devices, payment details and betting patterns; see affiliate fraud in iGaming.

KYC (know your customer)

KYC is the identity check an operator runs on a player: name, date of birth, address and documents. When the check must happen, at sign-up or before a withdrawal, depends on the market's rules.

Chargeback

A chargeback is a payment reversed by the player's bank or card issuer after a dispute. For operators it means lost revenue plus a fee, and many programs deduct it from affiliate commission.

Operator economics: the numbers behind a casino

Operator economics terms explain how a casino measures what it earns and what each player is worth. Affiliates need them because CPA and RevShare deals are written in this language; the payout side is covered in the affiliate marketing glossary.

GGR (gross gaming revenue)

GGR is the total players staked minus the winnings paid back to them, before bonuses, taxes and running costs. The UK Gambling Commission asks operators to report gross gambling yield (GGY) instead, which is stakes plus other income minus winnings, and each US state defines taxable revenue in its own gaming law.

NGR (net gaming revenue)

NGR is GGR after deductions such as bonus costs, gaming taxes, payment fees and chargebacks. No formula is shared across the industry, so every affiliate contract defines its own.

Illustrative example: players stake $1,000,000 and win back $950,000, so GGR is $50,000. Deduct $15,000 of bonuses, $7,500 of tax and $2,500 of payment fees, and NGR is $25,000. A 30% RevShare on that NGR would pay $7,500.

Handle (turnover)

Handle is the total amount wagered over a period; casino and UK reports often call it turnover. A player who bets $10 a spin for 100 spins generates $1,000 of handle even if the balance barely moves.

Hold

Hold is revenue as a percentage of handle, a figure most often quoted in sportsbook reporting. A sportsbook that takes $10 million in bets and keeps $800,000 after paying winners has an 8% hold, in this example.

Active player

An active player is an account that placed at least one real-money bet in the period measured. Each operator defines the window, such as 30 or 90 days.

ARPU (average revenue per user)

ARPU is revenue divided by the number of active players in the same period. For example, $50,000 of revenue from 1,000 active players gives an ARPU of $50.

LTV (lifetime value)

LTV is the total revenue a player is expected to generate over the whole relationship with the operator. It drives how much an operator can pay to acquire a player.

FTD (first-time depositor)

An FTD is a player who makes their first deposit. It is the event most CPA deals pay on and the base metric of casino acquisition.

Retention rate

Retention rate is the share of players from a period or cohort who are still active later. Retention and churn are two views of the same cohort: what stays and what leaves.

Churn rate

Churn rate is the share of active players who stop playing over a period. If 2,000 players were active at the start of a quarter and 500 of them did not return, quarterly churn is 25%, in this illustration.

Conversion rate

Conversion rate is the percentage of people who complete an action out of everyone who had the chance. Affiliates and operators track it at each funnel step, for example from ad click to landing page view, from landing page to sign-up, or from sign-up to FTD.

Baseline

Baseline is the minimum deposit or activity a referred player must reach before a CPA is paid. Programs differ on whether deposits accumulate toward it, so the deal terms spell out the rule.

CPA (cost per acquisition)

CPA is a fixed payment to an affiliate for each player who completes a qualifying action, usually an FTD that meets the baseline. Deal types are compared in CPA vs RevShare vs Hybrid.

RevShare (revenue share)

RevShare pays the affiliate a percentage of the NGR generated by referred players for as long as the deal runs. A hybrid deal combines a smaller CPA with a smaller percentage.

Negative carryover

Negative carryover is a contract clause that rolls a month of negative NGR, when players win more than they lose, into the next month, so RevShare stays at zero until the deficit is covered.

EPC (earnings per click)

EPC is total affiliate commission divided by the number of clicks sent. Some networks quote it per 100 clicks, so check the basis before comparing offers.

Gambling terms for regulation and compliance

These gambling terms cover who may offer gambling, to whom, and with which safeguards. Rules differ by country and by US state; this section defines the terms and is not legal advice.

Gambling license

A gambling license is a regulator's permission to offer gambling in a defined territory under its rules. Common names include the Malta Gaming Authority, the Curaçao Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission and US state regulators; see online gambling licenses.

Regulated market

A regulated market is a country or US state that licenses online gambling itself and lets only its own licensees take local players. Whether a product is legal in a given state is covered in is online gambling legal in the US.

Grey market

The grey market is gambling offered to players in a country by operators that hold no license there, often relying on an offshore license. Regulated markets treat it as unlicensed activity.

Responsible gambling

Responsible gambling, or responsible gaming, is the set of tools, policies and messages meant to keep play within limits a person can afford. In the US the American Gaming Association's Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct binds AGA members, covering staff training, help information on gaming websites and advertising. As of October 2026, the National Council on Problem Gambling's national helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET (call, text or chat, 24/7).

Self-exclusion

Self-exclusion is a voluntary ban a person places on their own gambling for a set period. In New Jersey, for example, people can enroll online for internet gaming only or for both online and land-based casinos, and anyone caught gambling while excluded forfeits winnings.

Deposit limit

A deposit limit is a cap a player sets, or an operator imposes, on how much can be deposited per day, week or month.

Reality check

A reality check is an on-screen reminder that shows how long a player has been in a session, and often how much was won or lost.

Cooling-off period

A cooling-off period, or time-out, blocks access to an account for a short chosen time, from a day to several weeks, without full self-exclusion.

Age verification

Age verification is the check that a player meets the legal gambling age, which each state sets for each product. Licensed operators confirm it as part of KYC.

Geolocation

Geolocation is the location check a licensed US online operator runs to confirm the player is physically inside a state where the product is legal before accepting a bet.

AML (anti-money laundering)

AML is the set of controls that stop gambling accounts being used to move illicit money. In the US, licensed casinos with more than $1 million in annual gaming revenue fall under Bank Secrecy Act rules: they must run an AML program and report cash transactions of more than $10,000 in a gaming day. State rules and operator policies add their own checks for online play.

Gaming tax

Gaming tax is the tax a state or country levies on gambling revenue, usually a percentage of GGR as that jurisdiction defines it.

Sweepstakes casino

A sweepstakes casino is a casino-style site that runs on a dual-currency system: coins bought for play and promotional coins that can be redeemed for prizes. A growing number of states ban dual-currency games by statute.

Social casino

A social casino is a free-to-play casino-style game that sells virtual coins with no cash value and does not pay out cash prizes.

Prediction market

A prediction market is an exchange where people trade yes/no contracts on future events, each paying $1 if the event happens. Unlike a sportsbook, the platform matches buyers and sellers.

Microbetting

Microbetting is wagering on the next small event in a live game, such as the next pitch or point, settled within seconds or minutes.

B2B and platform terms

B2B terms describe the companies behind a casino brand and how they connect. For the industry map, see what is iGaming.

Operator

An operator is the company that runs the casino or sportsbook, holds the license and owns the player relationship.

Game provider (studio)

A game provider, or studio, is the company that designs and supplies casino games to operators. In regulated markets it typically needs a supplier license of its own.

RGS (remote game server)

An RGS is the provider-side server that runs the game logic and RNG and returns results to the operator's platform.

Platform (PAM)

A platform, or player account management system, is the operator's core software: registration, wallet, KYC, bonuses, reporting and the connections to games and payments.

Aggregator

An aggregator is a company that connects an operator to many studios through one integration, so the operator does not have to integrate each provider separately.

White label

A white label is a ready-made casino that a provider runs on its own platform, often under its own license, while a partner puts its brand on the front and shares the revenue.

Turnkey

A turnkey solution is a full casino setup delivered by a supplier, after which the operator runs it under its own license and team.

Affiliate program

An affiliate program is an operator's in-house scheme for paying partners who refer players. An affiliate network sits between many advertisers and many affiliates.

Postback

A postback is a server-to-server message from the operator's platform to the affiliate's tracker that reports a registration, FTD or other event.

Cookie stuffing

Cookie stuffing is dropping an affiliate tracking cookie in a visitor's browser without a real click, to collect commission on sales the affiliate did not drive.

GEO tier

A GEO tier is an informal label, Tier 1, 2 or 3, that groups countries by purchasing power, ad prices and payout levels.

Slang you will hear

Gambling slang terms show up in operator reports, VIP teams and affiliate chats as often as on the casino floor. The casino slang terms below are defined neutrally.

Whale

A whale is a player who stakes very large amounts and can account for a big share of an operator's revenue.

High roller

A high roller is a player who bets well above average stakes, usually managed by a VIP or host team.

Bonus hunter

A bonus hunter is a player who moves between operators mainly to claim promotions rather than to stay with one brand.

Tilt

Tilt is a state in which frustration or a run of losses drives a player to bet bigger or faster than planned.

Chasing losses

Chasing losses is betting more to win back money already lost, a behavior responsible gambling tools are designed to interrupt.

Bankroll

A bankroll is the money a player sets aside for gambling, separate from money for other needs.

FAQ

What are the most common gambling terms?

The most common gambling terms are RTP, house edge, volatility, wagering requirement, GGR and NGR. Players meet the first four in games and bonus terms, while operators and affiliates use the last two to measure revenue and calculate RevShare.

What are the most common casino terms?

The most common casino terms are RTP, house edge, volatility, live dealer and wagering requirement. On slots you also meet paylines, wilds and scatters, which describe how a game pays and triggers its features.

What does +7 spread mean?

A +7 spread means the underdog is given a seven-point head start, so a bet on that side wins if the team wins or loses by fewer than seven points; a seven-point loss is a push. A parlay, in gambling terms, is one bet that combines two or more selections, all of which must win. Spreads, parlays and other betting markets are defined in our sports betting terms glossary.

What is GGR vs NGR in online gambling?

GGR in online gambling is stakes minus winnings paid to players, and NGR is GGR after deductions such as bonuses, taxes and payment fees. Affiliate RevShare is usually paid on NGR, and each contract lists its own deductions.

What do gamblers call their money?

Gamblers call the money set aside for play their bankroll and the amount on a single bet their stake. Other common gambling slang includes whale for a very large player and tilt for emotional, oversized betting.

Sources

• Gaming Laboratories International, Game Mathematics / Percentage Return to Player (RTP) Analysis

• UK Gambling Commission, Regulatory returns guidance: how to calculate your gross gambling yield (GGY)

• Code of Federal Regulations, 31 CFR 1010.100(t): casino as a financial institution

• Code of Federal Regulations, 31 CFR 1021.210: AML program requirements for casinos

• Code of Federal Regulations, 31 CFR 1021.311: filing currency transaction reports

• Code of Federal Regulations, 31 CFR 1021.313: aggregation of currency transactions

• New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, AG Platkin, DGE Expand Self-Exclusion Option

• American Gaming Association, Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct

• National Council on Problem Gambling, National Problem Gambling Helpline