The reference
The iGaming glossary, built to be cited
Canonical, neutral definitions with a worked example for every term — the evergreen asset behind the whole portal.
115 terms
Age VerificationThe process an operator uses to confirm a customer is old enough to gamble legally before letting them deposit or play.beginner
Bingo PatternThe specific arrangement of marked numbers a player must complete on their bingo card to win.beginner
BlackjackA casino card game in which you try to build a hand that totals as close to 21 as possible, without going over, and that beats the dealer's hand.beginner
Bonus RoundA bonus round is a special feature within a slot or casino game — separate from normal play — that unlocks under set conditions and offers enhanced or alternative ways to win.beginner
DealerA dealer is the trained human host who runs a live casino table game in real time — dealing the cards or spinning the wheel — while players watch and place bets over a video stream.beginner
Deposit BonusExtra bonus funds an operator credits as a percentage of the money you deposit.beginner
Deposit LimitA deposit limit is a cap a player sets on how much money they can pay into their gambling account within a chosen period, such as a day, week, or month.beginner
E-walletAn e-wallet is an online account (such as Skrill, Neteller, or PayPal) that stores money electronically and lets a player move funds into and out of a gambling site without sharing card or bank details directly with the operator.beginner
Fixed OddsA bet whose payout rate is locked in at the odds shown when you place it, no matter how the odds move afterwards.beginner
Free BetA free bet is a sportsbook credit that lets you place a wager without staking your own money, but if it wins you receive only the winnings — the free-bet stake itself is not returned.beginner
Free SpinsA feature that grants a set number of slot spins the player does not pay a stake for, while any winnings are still added to their balance.beginner
House EdgeThe house edge is the built-in mathematical advantage that ensures a casino keeps a small percentage of every amount wagered over the long run.beginner
iGamingiGaming is the industry's umbrella term for gambling with real money over the internet, such as online casino games, sports betting, and poker.beginner
No Deposit BonusA bonus an operator credits to a player's account without requiring them to deposit any of their own money first.beginner
OperatorThe company that runs a gambling site or app — it holds your account, accepts your bets, and pays out any winnings.beginner
PaylineA payline is a defined path across a slot's reels along which matching symbols must land to form a winning combination.beginner
PaytableA paytable is the in-game chart that shows how much each symbol combination pays and how the game's features work.beginner
Poker TournamentA poker tournament is a structured event where every entrant pays the same buy-in for an equal stack of chips and plays until one person holds them all, with cash prizes paid to the top finishers.beginner
ReelA reel is one of the vertical columns of symbols in a slot game that appears to spin and then stops to reveal a fresh set of symbols.beginner
RouletteA casino wheel game where players bet on which numbered pocket a spinning ball will land in.beginner
RTP (Return to Player)RTP is the percentage of all money wagered on a game that it is designed to pay back to players over the long run.beginner
SlotA slot is a reel-based casino game where the player spins a set of reels and is paid when matching symbols land in winning positions defined by the game's rules.beginner
SportsbookA sportsbook is a business, or the product it runs, that accepts and settles bets on the outcomes of sporting events.beginner
Table GamesCasino games such as blackjack, roulette and baccarat that are traditionally played at a physical table, typically against the house.beginner
Wild SymbolA special slot symbol that stands in for other symbols to help complete a winning combination.beginner
AccumulatorA single bet that links several selections together, where every selection must win for the bet to pay out.core
Active PlayersActive Players is the count of unique players who took a real action — such as logging in, depositing, or placing a bet — during a set period like a day or a month.core
AffiliateAn affiliate is an independent marketer or website that sends new players to a gambling operator and gets paid a commission for the traffic it refers.core
AggregatorA company that connects an online casino to many game studios through a single technical integration, so the operator can offer thousands of games without integrating each provider one by one.core
AML (Anti-Money Laundering)AML is the set of rules and checks gambling operators use to stop criminals from disguising illegal money as legitimate betting funds.core
ARPUThe average amount of revenue an operator earns per user over a set period, found by dividing total revenue by the number of users.core
B2B vs B2CB2B companies sell products and services to other gambling businesses, while B2C companies run the brands that take bets and deposits directly from players.core
BaccaratA casino card game in which you bet on which of two hands — Player or Banker — will total closest to nine, or that the two hands will Tie.core
Bet BuilderA bet builder lets you combine several bets from the same match — such as the winner, the total goals, and a player to score — into one single bet that only pays out if every part wins.core
Bet MultiplierA bet multiplier is the number a game multiplies your stake by to work out how much a winning outcome pays.core
Bonus AbuseBonus abuse is exploiting a casino or sportsbook promotion in ways it was never designed to allow — often to lock in value at little or no real risk — rather than playing the offer as intended.core
Bonus CostBonus cost is the monetary value of the bonuses, free bets, and free spins an operator grants to players, counted as a cost that is subtracted from Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) to arrive at Net Gaming Revenue (NGR).core
Cash OutCash Out is a sportsbook feature that lets you settle a bet before the event finishes, taking a value the operator offers based on the current odds instead of waiting for the final result.core
CashbackA promotion that returns a set percentage of a player's net losses over a period as a rebate.core
ChargebackA chargeback is when a player's bank forcibly reverses a card deposit and pulls the money back from the operator, usually after the cardholder disputes the transaction.core
Churn RateChurn rate is the share of a gambling site's active players who stop playing during a given period, usually measured each month.core
Cluster PaysA slot win model where you are paid for groups of matching symbols that touch each other on the grid, instead of for symbols lined up along fixed paylines.core
Comp PointsComp points are loyalty points a player earns by wagering, which can later be exchanged for bonus credit, cash, or other rewards.core
Cooling-Off PeriodA cooling-off period is a short, temporary block a player puts on their own account to pause gambling for a set time, after which the account normally reopens on its own.core
CPA (Cost Per Acquisition)CPA is the marketing cost of turning one new person into a paying customer — the total acquisition spend divided by the number of new depositors it produced.core
Curaçao LicenceA Curaçao Licence is a long-standing offshore online-gambling permit issued from the Caribbean country of Curaçao that is cheap and fast to obtain, and that historically let a single licence cover every game type — which is why many online operators have used it.core
Dormant AccountA player account that has had no real activity for a set period, which triggers specific operator rules for how it is flagged, communicated about, and how any remaining balance is handled.core
First Time DepositorA first time depositor (FTD) is a newly registered player at the moment they fund their account with real money for the first time — the point at which a sign-up becomes a paying customer.core
Fraud (iGaming)Fraud in iGaming is any deliberate deception — such as using stolen cards, fake identities, or someone else's account — to take money or an unfair advantage from a gambling operator or its players.core
Gamble FeatureAn optional round, offered after a paying spin, in which a player can risk that win on a chance event — typically a card-colour guess — to double it or lose it entirely.core
Game Provider (Studio)A company that designs and builds the actual casino games — slots, table games, live dealer content — that operators offer to players.core
Game ShowA live casino format in which a human presenter hosts a wheel-, dice-, or ball-based game from a broadcast-style studio, combining simple bets with television-game-show entertainment.core
GAMSTOPGAMSTOP is a free British scheme that lets a person block themselves, with a single sign-up, from every online gambling website and app licensed in Great Britain for a chosen period of at least six months.core
GGR (Gross Gaming Revenue)GGR is the money an operator keeps from bets after paying out winnings — total stakes minus total winnings paid to players.core
HandleHandle is the total amount of money players wager over a period, counted before any winnings are paid back out.core
Hit FrequencyHit frequency is how often a slot or game pays out any win at all, shown as the percentage of spins that return something.core
HoldHold is the share of the money players wager that the operator actually keeps as revenue over a period of time.core
Hybrid DealAn affiliate payment deal that combines a one-off fee for each new depositing player with an ongoing cut of the revenue those players later generate.core
In-Play BettingIn-play betting is placing a wager on a sporting event after it has already started, while the action is still in progress and the odds keep changing.core
KYC (Know Your Customer)KYC is the process a licensed gambling operator uses to confirm who you really are — your identity, age, and location — before letting you fully deposit, play, or withdraw.core
Licence & JurisdictionA licence is a government regulator's official permission for a gambling company to operate, and the jurisdiction is the specific country or territory whose rules that licence is tied to.core
Lifetime Value (LTV)Lifetime Value is an estimate of the total net revenue a player is expected to generate for an operator across the whole time they remain active.core
Live CasinoAn online casino format where real human dealers run real games such as roulette, blackjack, or baccarat in real time over a live video stream that players bet on from their own device.core
Loyalty ProgrammeA tiered rewards scheme that gives players points and escalating perks for continued play, encouraging them to keep returning to the same operator.core
Malta Gaming AuthorityThe Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) is Malta's government regulator that licenses and supervises remote and land-based gambling operators, and is one of the most widely used licensing bases for companies serving European markets.core
Max Bet RuleA bonus term that caps how much you can stake on any single bet while a wagering requirement is still active.core
Max WinThe most a game can ever pay from a single spin or round, stated as a multiple of the stake.core
MegawaysMegaways is a licensed slot mechanic in which each reel shows a random number of symbols on every spin, so the number of ways to win changes spin to spin — famously up to 117,649.core
MoneylineA bet on which side simply wins the event, with no point spread or handicap involved — you just pick the winner.core
Multi-AccountingMulti-accounting is when one person secretly runs several accounts at the same gambling site — instead of the single account they are allowed — to claim bonuses repeatedly, dodge limits, or get around a self-exclusion.core
NGR (Net Gaming Revenue)NGR is what an operator actually keeps from players' bets after paying out wins and then subtracting bonuses, gaming taxes, and certain operating fees.core
OddsOdds tell you how likely an outcome is and how much a winning bet pays back relative to your stake.core
Open BankingA way to pay directly from your bank account through secure banking APIs, instead of using a card.core
Over/UnderA bet on whether a chosen total — such as the combined goals, points, or runs in a match — will finish above ("over") or below ("under") a number the bookmaker sets.core
ParlayA parlay is a single bet that links two or more selections together, where every selection must win for the bet to pay anything.core
Payment GatewayA payment gateway is the technology layer that securely captures a player's payment details at the cashier and passes them to the banks and card networks that authorise a deposit or withdrawal.core
Payment Service Provider (PSP)A payment service provider (PSP) is an intermediary company that connects a gambling operator to card networks, banks, and e-wallets so players can deposit and withdraw money through a single integration.core
Player Account ManagementThe central software system that holds each player's account, wallet balance, bonuses and personal records, tying the games, payments and compliance tools together.core
Point SpreadA margin of points the sportsbook assigns to the favourite, who must win by more than that number for a bet on them to pay out.core
Poker RakeThe rake is the small cut a poker operator takes from each pot, or from tournament entry fees, as its charge for hosting the game.core
Progressive JackpotA shared prize that grows a little with every bet placed on a game (or network of games) until one player wins it, at which point it resets to a starting amount.core
Reality CheckA pop-up that interrupts play at set intervals to remind you how long you've been playing and, in most markets, how much you've won or lost.core
Remote GamblingGambling you take part in remotely — over the internet, by phone, or through other electronic means — rather than in person at a physical venue.core
Responsible GamblingA set of practices, tools, and policies that help people keep gambling as affordable entertainment and reduce the risk of gambling-related harm.core
Retention RateRetention rate is the share of players who keep coming back to an operator after a starting point such as signing up or making a first deposit, measured over a set period.core
Revenue ShareA commission model in which an affiliate is paid an ongoing percentage of the net revenue generated by the players they refer to an operator.core
Reverse WithdrawalCancelling a cash-out request while it is still pending, which sends the money back into your account balance so it can be gambled again instead of being paid out.core
RNG (Random Number Generator)The software (or hardware) that decides the unpredictable outcome of a digital gambling game — which cards, reel stops, or numbers come up — so every result is down to pure chance.core
Safer Gambling ToolsAccount features — such as deposit limits, time-outs, reality checks and self-exclusion — that let players set and enforce boundaries on the time and money they spend gambling.core
Scatter SymbolA special slot symbol that pays out or triggers a bonus feature based on how many appear anywhere on the reels, without needing to line up on a payline.core
Self-ExclusionA tool that lets a player choose to block their own access to gambling for a set period, during which the operator must refuse their play.core
Source of FundsSource of Funds is the evidence a licensed operator requires to confirm where the specific money a player is depositing and gambling with actually came from.core
UK Gambling CommissionThe government body that licenses and polices gambling businesses in Great Britain, setting the rules operators must follow to stay legal.core
Volatility (Variance)Volatility describes how bumpy a game's ride is — whether it tends to pay small amounts often or large amounts rarely.core
Wagering RequirementThe total amount you must bet before bonus money (and any winnings from it) can be withdrawn as cash.core
Ways-to-WinA slot payout model that rewards matching symbols on adjacent reels from left to right, regardless of which row they land on, instead of paying only along fixed lines.core
White-Label LicenceA business model where a company runs its own branded casino using another company's gambling licence, platform, and back-office infrastructure.core
Affordability CheckA check an operator runs to judge whether a player can afford their gambling losses without falling into financial harm.advanced
Basic StrategyThe mathematically optimal way to play every blackjack hand, shown as a chart, that reduces the house edge to its lowest possible level without card counting.advanced
Buy FeatureA slot mechanic that lets a player pay a fixed price — usually a multiple of their normal stake — to trigger a bonus round straight away instead of waiting for it to land during regular play.advanced
Enhanced Due DiligenceThe deeper set of identity, background, and source-of-funds checks an operator must run on customers who present a higher money-laundering risk.advanced
Game WeightingGame weighting is the percentage at which bets on a particular game count toward clearing a bonus's wagering requirement.advanced
Gibraltar LicensingA gambling operating licence issued by the Government of Gibraltar under its Gambling Act 2005, historically favoured by large, established operators — many of them UK-facing.advanced
Grey MarketA grey market is a country or region where online gambling is neither officially licensed nor clearly banned, so operators serve players in a legal grey zone.advanced
Hold PercentageThe share of all the money wagered (the handle) that an operator keeps as revenue after paying out winnings, measured over a period of play.advanced
LiabilityLiability is the most money a bookmaker could be forced to pay out if a particular result comes in, based on all the bets already taken on that market.advanced
Negative CarryoverA clause in a revenue-share affiliate deal that rolls a negative monthly result (when referred players win more than they lose) forward into the next month, so the affiliate must clear that deficit before earning commission again.advanced
OverroundThe bookmaker's built-in margin, visible when the odds across all outcomes of a market imply probabilities that add up to more than 100%.advanced
Payment OrchestrationPayment orchestration is a software layer that automatically routes each deposit or withdrawal to the best of several payment providers so more transactions get approved.advanced
Politically Exposed PersonA person who holds, or has held, a prominent public position, making them a higher money-laundering and bribery risk that operators must scrutinise more closely.advanced
PostbackA postback is a behind-the-scenes message sent from the operator's servers to an affiliate tracking system to report that a tracked action — such as a registration or first deposit — has happened.advanced
Return-to-Player BandA Return-to-Player band is one of several pre-certified RTP versions of the same game that an operator can select, so the identical title can theoretically pay back, say, 96% in one market and 92% in another.advanced
Suspicious Activity ReportA confidential report an operator files to the authorities when it suspects a customer's money or behaviour may be linked to money laundering or other crime.advanced
Trading (Sportsbook)The ongoing work of setting and adjusting a sportsbook's odds so that, whatever the result, the operator keeps its risk under control.advanced
VigThe vig is the commission a sportsbook builds into its odds so that the prices for a market add up to more than 100%, giving the book its margin.advanced