Gambling glossary
Every term you'll meet in a casino or sportsbook, defined in plain English, from wagering requirements to same game parlays.
A
- ACH General
- The US bank transfer network (Automated Clearing House) used for casino deposits and withdrawals, typically 1–3 business days. Related: Instant bank transfer · Wire transfer
- Affiliate General
- A partner paid a commission for referring players to a gambling site, the funding model behind most comparison sites. Related: Disclosure
- American odds Sports betting
- The US odds format, expressed against a $100 stake. +150 means a $100 bet wins $150; -200 means you must stake $200 to win $100. Underdogs carry plus prices, favorites carry minus prices. Related: Decimal odds · Fractional odds · Moneyline
- AMOE Sweepstakes & DFS
- Alternative Method of Entry: the free postal or online route to obtain Sweeps Coins without a purchase, required by sweepstakes rules. Related: No purchase necessary · Sweeps Coins
B
- Bankroll Sports betting
- The total money you've set aside for betting. Good bankroll management means never staking money you can't afford to lose. Related: Unit · Bankroll management
- Bankroll management Sports betting
- The discipline of staking a fixed percentage of your bankroll per bet, commonly 1–5%, to survive inevitable losing runs. Related: Bankroll · Unit · Kelly criterion
- Best ball Sweepstakes & DFS
- A DFS format with no in-season management: draft a roster before the season and your best scoring players count automatically each week. Related: DFS · Salary cap
- Bet & get Sports betting
- A welcome offer structure: place a qualifying first bet, and receive bonus bets regardless of whether it wins. Common in US sportsbook promos. Related: Second chance bet · Bonus bet
- Bet slip Sports betting
- The cart where your selections wait before you confirm the stake, also a term for the record of your placed bets. Related: Stake
- Bonus bet Sports betting
- Sportsbook credit you can stake but not withdraw. If it wins, the profit typically comes back as more bonus credit rather than cash. Related: Free bet · Odds boost
- Bonus funds Casino
- Money credited by the casino that isn't withdrawable until wagering conditions are met. Related: Wagering requirement · Cashable bonus
- Bonus round Casino
- A special feature triggered during play, free spins, pick-and-win games, or expanding wilds, usually the main source of big wins. Related: Free spins · Scatter
C
- Cash out Sports betting
- An option to settle a bet before the event finishes, for a return set by the book. Handy when a parlay is nearly home, but the offer is always less than fair value. Related: Parlay · Live betting
- Cashable bonus Casino
- A bonus that converts to real, withdrawable cash once its wagering requirement is met, as opposed to a sticky bonus. Related: Sticky bonus · Bonus funds
- CFTC Prediction markets
- The Commodity Futures Trading Commission: the US federal regulator that oversees prediction markets as derivatives exchanges. Related: Designated Contract Market · Prediction market
- Chasing losses General
- Increasing stakes or frequency to win back money already lost. A classic warning sign of problem gambling. Related: Tilt · Problem gambling
- Closing line Sports betting
- The final odds on a market before it closes. It reflects the market's most informed view, which is why beating it is a sign of a good bet. Related: Closing line value · Sharp
- Closing line value Sports betting
- Beating the closing line: getting a better price than the market's final number. The most reliable long-term predictor of betting skill. Related: Closing line · Expected value (EV)
- Cluster pays Casino
- A payout system where matching symbols must form a connected cluster rather than a line, popular in grid-style slots. Related: Ways to win · Megaways
- Comp points Casino
- Loyalty points earned per wager that convert into credit or perks. The casino equivalent of air miles. Related: VIP program · Reload bonus
- Cool-off period General
- A short voluntary break from your account, hours to weeks, taken while keeping it open. Related: Self-exclusion · Responsible gambling
- Cover Sports betting
- When a team wins by more than the point spread (or loses by less than it), so spread bettors on that side win. 'Covering the spread' is the goal of every spread bet. Related: Point spread · Push
- Crash game Casino
- A multiplier that rises until it crashes, players cash out before the crash. Popular in Latin American markets. Related: Multiplier · Volatility
D
- Daily login bonus Sweepstakes & DFS
- Free Gold Coins (sometimes Sweeps Coins) for logging in each day, the simplest no-purchase path in a sweepstakes casino. Related: AMOE · Sweeps Coins
- Dead heat Sports betting
- A tie between your selection and another, common in racing. Bookmakers apply a dead-heat rule, paying a fraction of the stake at full odds. Related: Void · Fractional odds
- Decimal odds Sports betting
- The international odds format showing total return per unit staked. Odds of 2.50 mean a $100 bet returns $250 (including stake). To convert American to decimal: +150 becomes 2.50, -200 becomes 1.50. Related: American odds · Fractional odds
- Deposit limit General
- A cap on how much you can deposit in a period, daily, weekly or monthly. Easy to tighten, harder to loosen. Related: Responsible gambling · Time limit
- Deposit match Casino
- A bonus that matches a percentage of your first deposit, '100% up to $1,000' doubles deposits up to that cap. Related: Welcome bonus · No deposit bonus
- Designated Contract Market Prediction markets
- A CFTC-licensed exchange authorized to list event contracts, the regulatory category Kalshi and Polymarket's US arm operate under. Related: CFTC · Prediction market
- DFS Sweepstakes & DFS
- Daily Fantasy Sports: short-term fantasy contests, usually decided by one day's or one slate's real-world performances. Related: Salary cap · Pick'em · Best ball
- Disclosure General
- A clear statement of commercial relationships, such as a site earning commission from links. Standard practice for trustworthy review sites. Related: Affiliate
E
- e-wallet General
- A digital payment account (PayPal, Skrill, Neteller) that deposits and receives money from casinos without linking a bank card directly. Related: Instant bank transfer · Pending withdrawal
- Entry fee Sweepstakes & DFS
- The amount required to enter a DFS contest or sweepstakes round. Related: DFS · Stake
- Event contract Prediction markets
- A financial contract paying out if a specific event occurs, 'will X happen by date Y', traded on regulated prediction markets. Related: Prediction market · Yes/No contract
- Expected value (EV) Sports betting
- The long-run average profit or loss of a bet if it were repeated many times. Positive EV (+EV) means the price is generous relative to the true chance; negative EV means it isn't. Related: Implied probability · Sharp · Closing line value
F
- Fixed jackpot Casino
- A jackpot with a set maximum that doesn't grow over time, common in standalone slots. Related: Jackpot · Progressive jackpot
- Fractional odds Sports betting
- The traditional UK and Irish format, written as a fraction (e.g. 6/4). The first number is profit, the second the stake: 6/4 wins $6 for every $4 staked. Still standard on UK racing. Related: American odds · Decimal odds
- Free bet Sports betting
- A stake the book provides for free. 'Free' comes with conditions: winnings usually return as bonus credit, and stakes are not returned on winning bets. Related: Bonus bet · Bet & get
- Free spins Casino
- Bonus spins on a specific slot, usually with a fixed value per spin and winnings subject to wagering. Related: No deposit bonus · Wagering requirement
- Futures Sports betting
- A bet on a long-term outcome, such as who wins the championship, placed before or during the season. Odds shorten as the event approaches. Related: Prop bet · Odds boost
G
- Gamble feature Casino
- An option to risk a win on a coin-flip style double-or-nothing. Fun, but mathematically a losing proposition. Related: House edge · Volatility
- Gambler's fallacy General
- The false belief that past results change future odds: 'red is due' after ten blacks. Independent spins have no memory. Related: RNG (Random Number Generator) · Volatility
- Game weighting Casino
- The percentage of each bet that counts toward clearing a bonus, by game type. Slots often count 100%; table games as little as 10%, or nothing at all. Related: Wagering requirement · Max bet
- Gold Coins Sweepstakes & DFS
- The play-only currency in sweepstakes casinos: no cash value, used to enjoy the games. What you technically buy when you make a purchase. Related: Sweeps Coins · Sweepstakes casino
H
- Handle Sports betting
- The total amount wagered on a market, sport or at a sportsbook. US state reports publish monthly handle figures. Related: Hold · Vig
- Hedging Sports betting
- Placing a bet against your original position to lock in a return, for example, backing the other side of a future you already hold. Related: Arbitrage · Cash out
- High roller Casino
- A player betting large stakes, often with access to higher limits and personalized VIP treatment. Related: Table limits · VIP program
- Hit frequency Casino
- The percentage of spins that return any win at all. A slot with 25% hit frequency pays something on one spin in four. Related: Volatility · RTP
- Hold Sports betting
- The share of the handle the sportsbook keeps after paying winners, its gross margin. A 7% hold means the book keeps about $7 of every $100 wagered. Related: Handle · Vig
- House edge Casino
- The mathematical advantage the casino holds on every bet, expressed as a percentage. Roulette's edge is 5.26% on American wheels; blackjack with basic strategy is under 1%. Related: RTP · Volatility
I
- Implied probability Sports betting
- The chance of an outcome suggested by the odds. Convert decimal odds by dividing 1 by the price: 2.50 implies a 40% chance. Comparing implied probability across books finds value. Related: American odds · Expected value (EV)
- In-play Sports betting
- Another name for live betting: markets offered during a match or game, often with more variety than pre-match. Related: Live betting · Cash out
J
- Jackpot Casino
- A large prize, either fixed or progressive. Progressives grow with every bet across all players until someone hits. Related: Progressive jackpot · Fixed jackpot
K
- Kelly criterion Sports betting
- A formula that sizes bets in proportion to your edge. Full Kelly is aggressive; most bettors use half or quarter Kelly to reduce swings. Related: Bankroll management · Expected value (EV)
- KYC General
- Know Your Customer: identity verification (ID, address, sometimes income) that licensed operators must complete before payouts. Related: Source of funds · Pending withdrawal
L
- Liquidity Prediction markets
- How much money is available to trade at stable prices. Deep liquidity means tight spreads and easy entry and exit. Related: Spread (prediction) · Order book
- Live betting Sports betting
- Placing bets while the event is in progress, with odds updating in real time. Also called in-play betting. Related: In-play · Cash out
- Live dealer Casino
- Games dealt by real croupiers in a studio and streamed to your screen, with real-time betting, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and game shows. Related: RNG (Random Number Generator) · Table limits
M
- Max bet Casino
- The largest stake allowed while clearing a bonus. Breaching it, even accidentally, can void the bonus and its winnings. Related: Wagering requirement · Bonus funds
- Megaways Casino
- A licensed slot mechanic where each reel changes height on every spin, creating up to 117,649 ways to win. Related: Ways to win · Cluster pays
- Middle Sports betting
- Betting both sides of a spread at different numbers so a specific result wins both bets. Rare, but profitable when it lands. Related: Hedging · Point spread
- Minimum redemption Sweepstakes & DFS
- The smallest amount of Sweeps Coins you can redeem in one request, commonly the equivalent of $10–$50. Related: Redemption
- Moneyline Sports betting
- A bet on which side wins outright, with no point spread involved. The simplest sports bet: you pick the winner, and the price reflects how likely that is. Related: Point spread · American odds
- Multiplier Casino
- A factor that increases a win, x2, x10, x100, often tied to wilds, scatters or bonus features. Related: Wild · Bonus round
N
- No deposit bonus Casino
- Credit or free spins given without requiring a deposit. Rare, small, and heavily wagered, but free to try. Related: Deposit match · Free spins
- No purchase necessary Sweepstakes & DFS
- The legal core of the sweepstakes model: players must be able to obtain entries (Sweeps Coins) without paying, via free methods such as mail-in requests. Related: AMOE · Sweepstakes casino
O
- Odds boost Sports betting
- A promotion that improves the price on a specific market, for example +150 lifted to +175. Usually capped at a small maximum stake. Related: Bonus bet · Futures
- Order book Prediction markets
- The live list of buy and sell orders for a contract, showing the prices at which you can trade right now. Related: Liquidity · Spread (prediction)
- Overlay Sweepstakes & DFS
- When a guaranteed tournament attracts fewer entries than needed to cover its prize pool, effectively extra value for entrants. Related: GPP
P
- Parlay Sports betting
- A single bet combining two or more selections: all must win for the bet to cash, and the odds multiply accordingly. Higher payout, much lower probability. Related: Same game parlay · Teaser · Round robin
- Paylines Casino
- The patterns across the reels on which matching symbols pay. Modern slots often use 243+ 'ways to win' instead of fixed lines. Related: Reels · Ways to win
- Payout speed General
- How long a withdrawal actually takes, from request to money in hand, the metric that matters more than any bonus. Related: Pending withdrawal · ACH
- Pending withdrawal General
- The window between requesting a payout and it being processed, often when you can still cancel. Shorter pending periods mean faster money. Related: Reversible withdrawal · Payout speed
- Pick'em Sweepstakes & DFS
- A DFS format where you pick players to go over or under stat projections, no salary cap. More bets than fantasy, less math than classic DFS. Related: Salary cap · DFS
- Playthrough Casino
- Another word for wagering requirement: the amount of betting needed to clear a bonus. Related: Wagering requirement · Rollover
- Point spread Sports betting
- A handicap that gives the underdog points and the favorite a deficit, so both sides carry roughly even odds. A -6.5 favorite must win by 7 or more for the bet to cash. Related: Moneyline · Totals (over/under) · Cover
- Prediction market Prediction markets
- An exchange where people trade contracts on the outcome of future events, sports, politics, economics, with prices reflecting crowd-estimated probability. Related: Event contract · CFTC
- Preemption Prediction markets
- The legal doctrine at the center of the prediction market fight: whether federal commodities law overrides state gambling law for event contracts. Related: CFTC · Prediction market
- Problem gambling General
- Gambling that causes harm to finances, relationships or health. Free, confidential help is available 24/7 in most countries. Related: Self-exclusion · Chasing losses
- Progressive jackpot Casino
- A jackpot fed by a small cut of every wager on linked games: it can reach millions but the odds of hitting are tiny. Related: Jackpot · Fixed jackpot
- Prop bet Sports betting
- A bet on something other than the final result, a player's stats, the first scorer, number of corners. Player props are the fastest-growing US market. Related: Same game parlay · Futures
- Provably fair Casino
- A cryptographic system letting players verify that each outcome was decided before the bet and not tampered with, mostly found on crypto casinos. Related: RNG (Random Number Generator)
- Public money Sports betting
- The share of bets coming from casual bettors on a popular side. When public money is heavy on one side, sharp money often sits on the other. Related: Square · Sharp
- Push Sports betting
- When a bet ties and the stake is refunded, for example, a -3 spread bet where the team wins by exactly 3. Pushes reduce a parlay's leg count rather than killing it. Related: Point spread · Void
R
- Redemption Sweepstakes & DFS
- Converting Sweeps Coins into real prizes, cash or gift cards, subject to minimum thresholds and verification. Related: Sweeps Coins · Minimum redemption
- Reels Casino
- The spinning columns of a slot. Classic slots had three; modern video slots usually have five or six. Related: Paylines · Spin
- Reload bonus Casino
- A bonus for existing players, typically tied to a deposit on a specific day or event. Related: Welcome bonus · Comp points
- Resolution Prediction markets
- The official determination of an event's outcome that settles contracts, markets name their resolution source up front. Related: Settlement · Yes/No contract
- Responsible gambling General
- The practice of gambling within limits you set in advance, using deposit caps, time reminders and honest self-assessment. Related: Deposit limit · Self-exclusion
- Reversible withdrawal General
- A pending payout you can cancel and return to your balance. Convenient, and a classic way for casinos to keep funds in play longer. Related: Pending withdrawal · Payout speed
- RNG (Random Number Generator) Casino
- The software that determines slot and digital table outcomes, tested and certified to produce truly random results. Related: Provably fair · RTP
- Rollover Casino
- A third name for wagering requirements, more common in sports betting bonuses. Related: Wagering requirement · Playthrough
- Round robin Sports betting
- A group of parlays generated from a larger set of picks, every combination of a chosen size. More forgiving than one big parlay, but more expensive to place. Related: Parlay
- RTP Casino
- Return to Player: the percentage of all wagered money a game pays back over millions of spins. A 96% RTP slot keeps 4% as house edge long-term. Related: House edge · Volatility
S
- Salary cap Sweepstakes & DFS
- The classic DFS format: build a lineup of players within a fixed budget, scoring points from their real-world stats. Related: Pick'em · DFS
- Same game parlay Sports betting
- A parlay whose legs all come from one game, for example a quarterback's passing yards plus the game total. Popular in US sportsbooks; pricing varies significantly by book. Related: Parlay · Prop bet
- Scatter Casino
- A symbol that pays anywhere on the reels and usually triggers free spins or bonus rounds. Related: Wild · Bonus round
- Second chance bet Sports betting
- A promo where a losing first bet is refunded as bonus credit, up to a cap. The classic US sportsbook welcome offer. Related: Bet & get · Bonus bet
- Self-exclusion General
- Long-term account blocking, either at one operator or across all licensed operators in your jurisdiction. Related: Cool-off period · Responsible gambling
- Session Casino
- A single sitting of gambling. Setting a session budget and time limit is basic bankroll hygiene. Related: Deposit limit · Time limit
- Settlement Prediction markets
- The process of paying out winning contracts and closing the market once an event resolves. Related: Resolution · Liquidity
- Sharp Sports betting
- A professional or highly informed bettor whose action moves markets. Books watch sharp money to adjust odds. Related: Square · Steam move · Closing line value
- Slingo Casino
- A hybrid casino game that combines slots with bingo: symbols landing on the reels mark numbers on a card, and completing patterns triggers prizes. Related: Spin · Bonus round
- Social casino Sweepstakes & DFS
- A casino-style game platform without real-money wagering, including both purely-for-fun apps and sweepstakes models. Related: Sweepstakes casino
- Source of funds General
- Documentation proving where deposited money came from, requested for large transactions under anti-money-laundering rules. Related: KYC
- Spread (prediction) Prediction markets
- The gap between the best buy and sell price in a prediction market, the effective trading cost. Related: Liquidity · Order book
- Square Sports betting
- A casual bettor, often following public opinion, popular teams or parlays. Books price markets partly around square behavior. Related: Sharp · Public money
- Stake Sports betting
- The amount you wager on a bet. A $10 stake at +150 returns $25 if it wins ($15 profit plus your $10 back). Related: Bankroll · Unit
- Steam move Sports betting
- A rapid, synchronized odds change across multiple sportsbooks, usually driven by sharp action. Steam chasers try to bet before the move finishes. Related: Sharp · Closing line
- Sticky bonus Casino
- A bonus that stays in the account but is never withdrawable itself, only winnings from it can be cashed out. Related: Cashable bonus · Bonus funds
- Sweeps Coins Sweepstakes & DFS
- The redeemable currency in sweepstakes casinos: won through play or obtained free, convertible to cash prizes once redemption conditions are met. Related: Gold Coins · Redemption
- Sweepstakes casino Sweepstakes & DFS
- A social casino using a dual-currency sweepstakes model, Gold Coins plus redeemable Sweeps Coins, operating under sweepstakes law rather than gambling law. Related: Social casino · No purchase necessary
T
- Table limits Casino
- The minimum and maximum stakes per bet at a table, from $1 minimums to five-figure high-roller maximums. Related: High roller · Live dealer
- Tilt General
- Betting emotionally after a loss: chasing, doubling stakes, abandoning your plan. The most expensive word in gambling. Related: Chasing losses · Bankroll management
- Time limit General
- A cap on session length, with reminders or automatic logout when you hit it. Related: Responsible gambling · Cool-off period
- Totals (over/under) Sports betting
- A bet on whether the combined score of both teams will be above or below a number set by the book, independent of who wins. Related: Point spread · Prop bet
U
- Unit Sports betting
- A standard bet size in a staking plan, usually 1% of your bankroll. 'Betting two units' means twice your standard stake. Related: Bankroll management · Stake
V
- Variance Casino
- The statistical spread of outcomes: the reason a 96% RTP slot can drain a bankroll in an hour or triple it in ten spins. Related: Volatility · RTP
- Vig Sports betting
- Also called juice or the margin: the bookmaker's built-in commission, most visible in standard -110 pricing where you risk $110 to win $100. Lower vig means better long-term value. Related: Implied probability · Hold
- VIP program Casino
- A tiered loyalty scheme offering better bonuses, faster payouts and personal support to high-volume players. Related: Comp points
- Void Sports betting
- A bet canceled by the book and refunded, for example when a player withdraws before a prop starts. In parlays, voided legs are removed and the odds recalculated. Related: Push · Dead heat
- Volatility Casino
- How wildly a game's payouts swing around its average. High-volatility slots pay rarely but big; low-volatility games pay small amounts often. Related: RTP · Variance · Hit frequency
W
- Wagering requirement Casino
- How many times you must stake bonus funds (or bonus plus deposit) before withdrawing winnings: '35x' means $35 wagered per $1 of bonus. The single most important bonus term. Related: Playthrough · Game weighting · Bonus funds
- Ways to win Casino
- A payout system where matching symbols pay anywhere on adjacent reels, multiplying the combinations, '243 ways' and Megaways variants. Related: Paylines · Megaways
- Welcome bonus Casino
- The headline offer for new players, a deposit match, free spins, or a bundle of both. Related: Deposit match · No deposit bonus
- Wild Casino
- A symbol that substitutes for others to complete wins. Expanding, sticky and multiplier wilds are common variants. Related: Scatter · Multiplier
- Wire transfer General
- A direct bank-to-bank transfer, usually same-day but with fees and manual steps. Common for high-value transactions. Related: ACH · Pending withdrawal
Y
- Yes/No contract Prediction markets
- The basic prediction market instrument: a contract worth $1 if the event happens, $0 if not. Its price is the market's probability estimate. Related: Event contract · Resolution