How to Use This Casino Glossary
Walk into any casino, online or land-based, and you will hear a language all its own: RTP, wagering, RNG, comps, soft 17, the cage. This glossary decodes the terms Canadian players actually run into, grouped by theme so you can find what you need fast. Definitions are plain-English and honest, no hype, no “winning systems”. Where a term ties into deeper strategy, we link to our full guides so you can go further.
One thing worth saying up front: understanding the lingo helps you read terms and conditions, compare games, and avoid bad bets, but it does not change the maths. Every casino game keeps a house edge, and no amount of jargon beats it long-term. Knowledge keeps your loonies and toonies lasting longer and the game fair and fun.
General Casino Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Action | The total amount of money you wager over a session or period. |
| Bankroll | The pot of money you set aside specifically for gambling. |
| Buy-in | The money you exchange for chips or credits to start playing. |
| Cage | The cashier in a land-based casino where chips are cashed out. |
| Comps | Complimentary perks (free play, meals, hotel) given to loyal players. |
| House edge | The casino’s built-in mathematical advantage, shown as a percentage. |
| High roller | A player who consistently bets large stakes; also called a whale. |
| Chasing losses | Betting more to recover losses, a classic and costly mistake. |
| Flat betting | Wagering the same amount every round to control variance. |
| Variance | The short-term swings of luck around the long-term expected result. |
Bonus and Promotion Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | An offer for new players, often matching your first deposit. |
| No-deposit bonus | A small bonus or free spins given without requiring a deposit. |
| Wagering requirement | How many times you must bet a bonus before withdrawing (e.g. 35x). |
| Free spins | Slot spins credited as a bonus, usually on selected games. |
| Match bonus | A bonus that matches a percentage of your deposit. |
| Sticky bonus | Bonus funds you cannot withdraw, only the winnings they produce. |
| Non-sticky bonus | A bonus kept separate, so you can withdraw your own cash anytime. |
| Cashback | A return of a percentage of your net losses over a period. |
| Reload bonus | A deposit bonus for existing players, not just newcomers. |
| Max cashout | A cap on how much you can withdraw from bonus winnings. |
| Game weighting | How much each game type counts toward wagering (slots often 100%, table games less). |
Bonus terms are where many players get caught out. Always read the wagering requirement, game weighting, max bet, and expiry before opting in. Our guides on welcome and no-wagering offers explain the trade-offs in detail.
Slots Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| RTP (Return to Player) | The long-run percentage of stakes a slot returns; higher is better value. See our slot RTP guide. |
| Volatility / Variance | How a slot pays: low (small, frequent wins) to high (rare, big wins). |
| RNG | Random Number Generator, the software ensuring every spin is independent and fair. |
| Payline | A line across the reels on which matching symbols pay. |
| Scatter | A symbol that pays or triggers a feature regardless of position. |
| Wild | A symbol that substitutes for others to help form wins. |
| Megaways | A mechanic giving thousands of ways to win, with reels of varying height. |
| Progressive jackpot | A prize pool that grows from a slice of every bet until someone wins it. |
| Bonus buy | A feature letting you pay to trigger a slot’s bonus round directly. |
| Hit frequency | How often a slot produces any win, separate from RTP. |
Blackjack Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Hit / Stand | Take another card, or keep your total and end your turn. |
| Double down | Double your bet for exactly one more card. |
| Split | Turn a pair into two separate hands, each with its own bet. |
| Surrender | Fold a bad hand and reclaim half your bet, where offered. |
| Bust | Going over 21, an automatic loss. |
| Soft / Hard hand | A hand with an ace counted as 11 (soft) versus no flexible ace (hard). |
| Insurance | A side bet on a dealer blackjack; a poor bet for basic-strategy players. |
| Basic strategy | The mathematically correct play for every hand. See our blackjack strategy guide. |
| Card counting | Tracking high and low cards to gauge the edge. See our card counting guide. |
Roulette Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Inside bet | A bet on specific numbers; higher payout, lower chance. |
| Outside bet | A bet on broad groups like red/black; lower payout, higher chance. |
| Straight up | A bet on a single number, paying 35:1. |
| European wheel | A single-zero wheel with a 2.7% house edge. |
| American wheel | A double-zero wheel with a higher 5.26% edge; best avoided. |
| La Partage | A French rule returning half your even-money bet on a zero. |
| Martingale | A doubling-after-loss system; it cannot beat the edge. See our roulette strategy guide. |
Baccarat Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Player / Banker | The two hands you can bet on; Banker has the lowest house edge. |
| Tie | A bet that both hands finish level; a high-edge sucker bet. |
| Natural | A two-card total of 8 or 9 that stands automatically. |
| Commission | The casino’s cut (usually 5%) on winning Banker bets. |
| Coup | A single round of baccarat. See our baccarat strategy guide. |
Banking and Account Terms (Canada)
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Interac | Canada’s popular bank-to-casino payment method for CAD deposits and withdrawals. |
| KYC | Know Your Customer, the identity verification casinos require before payouts. |
| Pay N Play | An account-light model where you play via a bank transfer with minimal sign-up. |
| Pending period | The time a withdrawal sits before processing, during which it can be reversed. |
| e-wallet | A digital wallet (used to move funds to and from casinos quickly). |
| Minimum deposit | The smallest amount a casino lets you deposit to play. |
| Crypto | Digital currencies like Bitcoin some casinos accept for banking. |
Live Casino and Game Show Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Live dealer | A real human dealer streamed in real time to your screen. |
| Studio | The streaming location where live-dealer games are filmed. |
| Game show | Entertainment-style live games (wheels, dice, multipliers) hosted by a presenter. |
| Multiplier | A feature multiplying a win by a set figure. |
| Side bet | An optional extra wager, usually carrying a higher house edge. |
Responsible Gambling Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Deposit limit | A cap you set on how much you can deposit in a period. |
| Loss limit | A cap on how much you are willing to lose before stopping. |
| Reality check | A timed reminder showing how long you have been playing. |
| Timeout / cool-off | A short break that locks your account for a set period. |
| Self-exclusion | A longer-term block you place on your own account. |
| RG tools | The collective set of responsible-gambling controls a casino offers. |
Where to Play in Canada
Knowing the terms is half the battle; the other half is playing somewhere fair. The seven casinos we cover span slots, table games, and live-dealer rooms, all with CAD banking and standard responsible-gambling tools. None of them changes the house edge baked into any game, that is the maths. A good casino simply gives you clear terms, a solid library, and smooth play. Always check the game rules, limits, and bonus terms yourself, since these vary by province and account.
Wild Fortune Casino
Wild Fortune keeps a tidy lobby that makes putting glossary knowledge to use easy, whether you are checking a slot’s RTP or a bonus’s wagering terms. Read the terms before you opt in to any offer, and read our Wild Fortune Casino review for the full picture.
Slot Hunter Casino
Slot Hunter is slots-first, a good place to see terms like volatility, Megaways, and scatter in action across a big library. Check each game’s info screen and any bonus weighting, and see our Slot Hunter Casino review for more detail.
Royal Panda Casino
Royal Panda offers a familiar, traditional feel that suits players learning the ropes across slots and table games alike. Confirm the rules and terms for your province before playing, and our Royal Panda Casino review covers the brand in depth.
Rizk Casino
Rizk keeps a clean, easy-to-navigate interface that makes finding game info and RG tools straightforward. Verify the rules, limits, and bonus terms before staking, and read our Rizk Casino review for the brand overview.
JustSpin Casino
JustSpin pairs a broad library with a straightforward sign-up, handy for trying the game types defined in this glossary. Open each game and the promotions page to confirm terms for your account, and see our JustSpin Casino review for more.
CosmicSlot Casino
CosmicSlot leans into a theme-driven interface that keeps casual sessions fun across slots and live games. Check the game rules and any bonus terms tied to play, and the full details are in our CosmicSlot Casino review.
bet365 Casino
bet365 is the most recognisable name here and typically carries a deep line-up across slots, tables, and live dealer where available. Because availability depends on location, check the rules and terms for your province, and read our bet365 Casino review.
Casino Terms in Canada: Age, Provinces and Local Lingo
Online casino play is legal wherever provincial rules allow it. Ontario runs a regulated market through iGaming Ontario, while other provinces operate their own systems or permit offshore play, so the games and terms on offer can differ across the Great White North. The legal age is 19 in most provinces and 18 in Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, and you must meet it to register anywhere. Canadian-specific terms worth knowing include Interac for banking and iGaming Ontario for the regulated Ontario market.
To go deeper on any topic in this glossary, see our guides on blackjack strategy, roulette strategy, baccarat strategy, and slot RTP. To find games, browse our slot casinos and blackjack casinos hubs.
Play It Smart: Responsible Gambling
Understanding casino terms helps you make better choices, but it never removes the house edge, so over time the maths still favour the casino. Treat gambling as entertainment with a price tag, not a way to earn money. Set a budget before you play, stake only what you can afford to lose, and never chase a losing run with bigger bets.
If gambling stops being fun, use the deposit limits, reality checks, timeout, and self-exclusion tools every reputable casino offers. Canadian players can reach free, confidential support through ConnexOntario and the provincial resources at responsiblegambling.org. You must be of legal age in your province to play.
Poker Terms
- Blinds — forced bets posted before the cards are dealt to get the action going.
- Ante — a small forced bet every player puts in before a hand.
- Fold / Check / Raise — give up your hand, pass without betting, or increase the current bet.
- All-in — pushing every chip you have left into the pot.
- Flop / Turn / River — the first three community cards, then the fourth, then the fifth.
- Pot odds — the ratio of the pot size to your call, used to judge whether a call pays off.
- Rake — the small cut the room takes from each pot; the poker version of the house edge.
- Tell — a habit or pattern that hints at what an opponent holds.
Craps Terms
- Pass line — the main bet that the shooter wins; the low-edge option to start with.
- Don’t pass — betting against the shooter, the mirror of the pass line.
- Come bet — a pass-line-style bet made after the point is set.
- Natural — a first-roll 7 or 11, an instant pass-line win.
- Craps out — rolling a 2, 3, or 12 on the come-out, losing the pass line.
- Yo — table slang for a bet on 11.
- Hardways — betting a number (like 8) rolls as a pair before any other way; a high-edge wager.
- Field bet — a one-roll bet on a group of numbers.
Video Poker and Keno Terms
- Jacks or Better — the classic video poker game paying out on a pair of jacks or higher.
- Deuces Wild — a variant where every 2 acts as a wild card.
- Pay table — the chart showing what each hand returns; full-pay versions carry the best RTP.
- Optimal strategy — the mathematically correct cards to hold for each deal.
- Keno — a lottery-style draw where you pick numbers and hope they match; easy to play but a high house edge, so keep stakes small.
Casino Floor and Canadian Regulator Terms
- Pit boss — the staffer overseeing a group of table games on the floor.
- Toke — a tip handed to a dealer, often a chip after a good run.
- Eye in the sky — the overhead surveillance cameras watching the floor.
- iDebit — a Canadian bank-to-casino payment method, similar to Interac, that moves CAD straight from your account without a card.
- Wager-free (no-wagering) bonus — a bonus with zero playthrough, so any winnings are real cash you can withdraw right away.
- OLG — the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the province’s longstanding public gaming operator.
- AGCO — the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, the regulator that licences operators in the province.
- PlayNow — the government-run platform serving British Columbia and a few other provinces.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does RTP mean?
RTP stands for Return to Player, the percentage of all wagers a game is designed to pay back over the long run. A 96% RTP slot returns about $96 per $100 staked across millions of spins. It is a long-run average and a measure of value, not a session guarantee.
What is a wagering requirement?
A wagering requirement is how many times you must bet a bonus (and sometimes the deposit) before you can withdraw any winnings. A 35x requirement on a $20 bonus means $700 in bets. Game weighting affects how fast you clear it, with slots usually counting 100%.
What is the house edge?
The house edge is the casino’s built-in mathematical advantage on a game, expressed as a percentage. For example, European roulette has a 2.7% edge. It is why casinos profit over time and why no game can be beaten long-term, though some have a much smaller edge than others.
What does RNG stand for?
RNG stands for Random Number Generator, the tested software that makes every slot spin or RNG card deal independent and fair. It is why no spin is ever “due” and why past results never predict future ones at a licensed casino.
What is the difference between volatility and RTP?
RTP is how much a game returns over time; volatility is how those returns are distributed. Low volatility means frequent small wins, high volatility means rare big ones. Two slots with the same RTP can feel completely different because of volatility.
What is a sticky versus non-sticky bonus?
A sticky bonus cannot be withdrawn, only the winnings it generates; a non-sticky bonus is kept separate so you can withdraw your own deposit and real-money winnings at any time. Non-sticky offers are generally more flexible and player-friendly.
What does KYC mean at a casino?
KYC stands for Know Your Customer, the identity verification a licensed casino must complete before processing withdrawals. You may be asked for ID, proof of address, and payment confirmation. Completing it early avoids payout delays later.
What is Interac and why does it matter in Canada?
Interac is Canada’s widely used bank-to-business payment network, popular at Canadian casinos for fast CAD deposits and withdrawals straight from your bank account. It is favoured for its convenience and not needing a separate e-wallet.
What are responsible-gambling tools?
They are account controls that help you stay in charge: deposit and loss limits, reality-check reminders, session timeouts, and self-exclusion. Every reputable casino offers them, and free Canadian support is available through ConnexOntario and responsiblegambling.org.
Which casinos are covered on this page?
This page covers Wild Fortune, Slot Hunter, Royal Panda, Rizk, JustSpin, CosmicSlot, and bet365. Game libraries, terms, and bonuses can change and vary by province, so always check each casino’s rules and terms before playing.
What is the difference between a no-wagering bonus and a non-sticky bonus?
A no-wagering (wager-free) bonus has no playthrough at all, so anything you win is real cash you can cash out straight away. A non-sticky bonus still has a wagering requirement, but keeps your own deposit separate so you can withdraw that money before touching the bonus. No-wagering is the simplest and most player-friendly of the two.
What is OLG and how does it differ from iGaming Ontario?
OLG, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, is the province’s long-running public operator behind lotteries, land-based casinos, and its own play site. iGaming Ontario runs the separate regulated market that lets private operators offer online play, with the AGCO acting as the licensing regulator. They are related parts of Ontario’s setup, not the same body.