If you are new to online gambling, you probably must have come across some unfamiliar terms you did not know when playing in a brick and mortar casino. Although it is not mandatory to know this terminology, understanding the common phrases will help you to be more comfortable when you start gambling for real money. This article will explain some of the most common jargons and terms you will find when gambling in an online casino.
Bankroll: This is the amount of money you have set aside for gambling purpose in your favourite online casino. Your bankroll will decrease when you bet and increase when you win.
Wagering Requirement or Play-through: Is the total amount of money you are expected to wager in a casino before you can withdraw winnings from the bonus offer. The wagering requirements are attached to casino bonuses and promotional offers, and it may range between X30 and X50 the amount.
Random Number Generator (RNG): Most online and land-based casino games are backed with a random number generator software which is designed with advanced algorithms to ensure that the outcome is fair at all times.
Theoretical Return to Player (RTP): This refers to the amount (in percentage) that you will be paid back in winnings in a particular game or casino site compared to the amount of money you bet. Online casinos are known to have better RTPs than their land-based cousins.
Welcome Bonus: This often refers to the gift or incentive used by an online casino to lure new players to join their platform. This bonus can be in the form of free spins or free money, depends on the casino you are using.
Paylines or Ways to Win: Online slot games are designed with unique lines on which the symbols will appear as you play. The paylines will vary between 10 to 1024 based on the slot games you are playing. The higher the number of paylines, the greater the chances of landing winning combinations.
Free Play/Real Money Games: Most online casino games are designed with the free play mode version which allows new players to practice before advancing to real money gaming. As the name suggests, you don’t have to pay any money to play. On the other hand, real money games allow players to wager and win or lose real money.
Instant Play / Downloadable Games: The instant play casinos allow players to access games directly via standard browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera Mini, Safari, Microsoft Edge etc. The games you will find at instant play casinos are developed with the latest technology like Flash, HTML5 to ensure that they fit on gaming devices. On the opposite, you will be required to download an application or software on your gaming device before you can play your favourite casino games.
High Roller: This refers to the players with huge bankrolls and ready to risk it by placing higher bets with the hopes of winning bigger prizes. In most online casinos, these players are treated with exclusive offers such as birthday gifts, personal account managers, an invitation to real events, higher bonus offers, and much more.
House Edge: This is the in-built advantage that online casino has over the player, and it will vary depending on the casino game you play. For instance, American Roulette has a house edge of 5.26%, and European roulette has 2.70%.
Paytable: Each online slot game is built with its symbols, bonus features, winlines, and rules. The paytable is the section that carries all the information regarding a slot game.
Payout: This is the total amount of all your winnings from a single spin.
Reels: These are the wheels bearing the game symbols. Landing a favourable combination on the reels guarantees a payout.
Jackpot: This is the biggest or ultimate prize you will win from playing a slot game. Online slot games have two types of jackpots, fixed and progressive. The progressive jackpots have bigger possible winnings because every player contributes towards its growth.
Multiplier: This a bonus feature in online slot games which will multiply your winnings by a specific figure which is dictated by the pay table. For example, a slot game may be offering 2x, 3X or a 4X multiplier on the winnings.
Live Dealer: Live casinos are designed to give the player the fun and thrill or a real land-based casino. As such, they use live dealers or real human instead of the random number generator software to ensure that the game is running smoothly.
Free Spins: This is offered a bonus to online slot lovers. They allow you to pay extra spins without depositing money to your account.
Scatter Symbol: This is a common feature in slot games that pay out regardless of the reels it lands on.
Wild Symbol: It can substitute any other symbols in the game to form a winning combination.
Casino Tournament: This is a competition hosted by an online casino where the player’s results are calculated based on a particular formula and displayed on a leaderboard.