Reference

Casino Glossary

Plain-English definitions of the key terms used around casino games, odds and online gambling.

Bankroll: Money specifically set aside for gambling — separate from your regular budget.
Bankroll management: Disciplined allocation of your bankroll into session and bet sizes so play lasts longer.
Basic strategy: Mathematically optimal play in blackjack for every hand-vs-dealer-upcard combination.
Cashout: Withdrawing balance from a player account to a payment method.
Double down: Double your bet and take exactly one more card (blackjack).
Gambler's fallacy: The mistaken belief that past results affect future ones in independent events.
Hit / Stand: Hit = take another card, Stand = keep your current hand (blackjack).
House edge: The casino's mathematical advantage over the long run, expressed as a percentage of the wager.
Insurance: Side bet that the dealer has blackjack — mathematically a losing bet in almost all cases.
Licence: Regulatory permission to offer gambling (e.g. UKGC in the UK, MGA in Malta).
Live dealer: Game format with a real croupier streamed from a studio in real time.
Martingale: Betting system that doubles after losses — defeated by table limits and a finite bankroll.
Push: A tie between player and dealer — the original bet is returned.
RNG: Random Number Generator — produces outcomes in slots and virtual table games.
RTP: Return to Player — the theoretical share of all wagers that returns to players over the long run (e.g. 96%).
Self-exclusion: Voluntary, enforceable exclusion from gambling offers (e.g. GAMSTOP in the UK).
Split: Split two equal-value cards into two separate hands, each with its own bet (blackjack).
Stop-loss: A self-imposed loss limit per session; once reached, you stop playing.
Stop-win: A self-imposed win limit per session; once reached, you stop playing.
Volatility: Spread of a game's payouts — high = rare big wins, low = frequent small wins.
Wagering requirement: How many times a bonus must be wagered before it can be withdrawn (e.g. 30x).