Star Chart of Terms

Casino lobbies and betting slips have a language of their own. This glossary collects the words that turn up most often in our articles, with short definitions and links to fuller explanations where we have them. Terms are grouped by topic so you can find your way around.

Slots and reels

• Random number generator (RNG): the software that decides each spin's outcome the instant you press the button. The reels are an animation of a result already settled.
• Return to player (RTP): the share of all stakes a game is designed to pay back over an extremely large number of spins. It describes the long run, not a single session. See our guide to slots with high RTP.
• Volatility: the way a game distributes its wins over time. Low-volatility titles pay small amounts more often; high-volatility titles pay less often but can pay more.
• Paytable: the information screen that lists symbol values, winning patterns and feature rules.
• Payline: a line across the reels along which matching symbols pay, in games that use fixed lines.
• Wild: a symbol that substitutes for others to help complete a win.
• Demo mode: free play with practice credits, using the same rules as the real-money version.

Jackpots

• Progressive jackpot: a prize that grows as a slice of each qualifying bet is added, until someone wins it.
• Seed: the starting value a jackpot resets to after it has been won.
• Must-drop jackpot: a progressive that has to pay out before a stated cap or deadline. Read more in What Is a Must-Drop Jackpot?
• Networked jackpot: one prize pool shared by players across several sites or games.

Bonuses and promotions

• Wagering requirement: the amount you must bet before bonus funds, or winnings from them, can be withdrawn.
• Sticky bonus: bonus money you can play with but never withdraw; it is removed at cash-out.
• Non-sticky bonus: a bonus kept separate from your deposit and used only once your real money runs out.
• Free spins: spins credited by the operator, usually on named games and with their own conditions.
• Maximum bet rule: a cap on stake size while a bonus is active.

Sports betting

• Decimal odds: the total return per unit staked, including the stake. A price of 3.00 returns three units for every one staked if it wins.
• Implied probability: the chance suggested by a price, found by dividing one by the decimal odds.
• Margin: the bookmaker's built-in advantage, which makes the implied chances in a market add up to more than 100%.
• Half-time/full-time: a bet on the leader at the interval and the result at full-time. See our explainer.
• Anytime goalscorer: a bet that a named player scores at least once during regular time.
• Void: a bet cancelled under the bookmaker's rules, with the stake returned.

Play Smart

• Deposit limit: a cap you set on how much you can add to your account over a period.
• Reality check: a timed reminder that shows how long you have played and how your balance has moved.
• Time-out: a short, self-chosen break during which your account is locked.
• Self-exclusion: a longer block on your access, chosen by you, often for months or more.
• Gambler's fallacy: the mistaken belief that a result is due because it has not happened lately.

Missing a word? Suggest it through the contact page and we will consider adding it.