Live Casino Wordlist

New to the world of casinos in Canada and looking to get up to speed on the lingo, or just need a refresher? You've landed in the right spot! We've put together a comprehensive list of casino terms you'll want to know, all laid out below.

A

ACS - An acronym for Automatic Card Shuffler.

Action - Refers to the total amount of money a player wagers during a specific period.

Alias - In some live dealer casino settings, you might need to choose an Alias (a unique username) to play. You can pick one you like.

Android Casino - With the widespread popularity of Android devices across Canada, most online casinos offer mobile-friendly games and apps optimized for Android phones and tablets.

Ante - An initial bet required before a hand or round begins, typically in card games.

Auto-play - A feature found in many online slots that allows the reels to spin automatically for a predetermined number of spins.

Automatic Card Shuffler - A mechanical device that shuffles one or more decks of cards, often used in land-based casinos for efficiency.

Avalanche Function - Found in some online slots, this feature causes winning symbols to disappear and new ones to fall into place, potentially leading to consecutive wins within a single round. For example, ELK Studios' "Bompers" slot machine features this.

B

Banker - In games like Baccarat, this refers to the player who acts as the house, managing bets and payouts. It's often the dealer.

Bankroll - The total amount of money a player has set aside and is willing to risk for gambling purposes.

Basic Strategy (Blackjack) - A mathematically derived optimal strategy for playing Blackjack, aiming to maximize Return to Player (RTP). You can learn more about Blackjack strategy here.

Bet / Bet Amount - When playing casino games with real money, you need to place a bet. This is the amount of money you wager on a specific outcome, hand, or spin.
Bet Limits - Every casino game has specified bet limits, meaning there's a minimum and maximum amount you can bet. For instance, in Blackjack at a Canadian online casino, the minimum bet might be $1 CAD and the maximum $500 CAD.

Bet Max - A button on slot machines that allows players to place the maximum bet allowed in a single spin.

Betting Layout - The designated area on a gaming table where players place their chips to make their bets.

Betting Limits - The minimum and maximum wager amounts allowed at a specific table or game.

Bonus - A bonus is a valuable offer from a casino, often a promotion. Bonuses can give players free spins or bonus funds, enhancing gameplay. Many Canadian online casinos provide various bonuses, often requiring a deposit, but sometimes available as no-deposit bonuses.

Bonus Feature - A special element within a slot game that, when triggered, offers unique gameplay mechanics or winning opportunities, often referred to as a bonus game.

Bonus Symbol - Specific symbols in slot games that, when a certain number (usually three or more) appear on the reels, trigger a bonus game or feature.

Burn Card - The top card of a freshly shuffled deck, deliberately discarded without being shown to players, often done before dealing.

Bust - In Blackjack, if a player's hand exceeds a total of 21 points, they "bust" and automatically lose their bet.

C

Cage - Refers to the secure area or vault within a casino where cash and high-value chips are stored.

Card Counting (Blackjack) - An advanced strategy in Blackjack where players track the ratio of high to low cards remaining in the deck to gain a statistical advantage. Note that this is often discouraged or prohibited in live casinos.

Card Counting - A technique used primarily in Blackjack to track cards dealt, aiming to predict favourable or unfavourable upcoming hands.
Card Shark - An exceptionally skilled card player, often perceived as someone who wins consistently, sometimes at the expense of less experienced players.
Card Sharp - An alternative term for Card Shark.
Card Washing - A manual method of shuffling a deck of cards by spreading them face down and mixing them in a sweeping motion.

Cashback - A promotion offered by some online casinos where players receive a percentage of their net losses back. This is a popular feature for Canadian players seeking value.

Cash Bonus - An extra amount of bonus money that can be withdrawn after fulfilling the casino's wagering requirements.

Cash Out - The option to end a bet before the event concludes, either to secure winnings or minimize losses. This is common in sports betting but can appear in some casino contexts.

Cashier’s Desk - In a physical casino, this is where players can exchange cash for casino chips, or vice versa.

Chasing Losses - A risky gambling behaviour where a player continues to bet aggressively after a series of losses in an attempt to recover their money and break even.

Chip Tray - A tray or container used by dealers to hold and manage casino chips and coins.

Chips - Small, disc-shaped tokens used as currency in casinos for making bets. They represent a specific monetary value.

Coat Tail - A player who bets the same numbers or outcomes as a recent winner, superstitiously hoping to replicate their luck.

Cold Streak - A period where a player experiences a prolonged run of losing bets.

Comp (Complimentary) - Complimentary items or services offered by casinos to reward players based on their gameplay, duration, and amount wagered. Common in land-based casinos.

Comp Hustling - The practice of trying to gain extra comps or rewards by staying longer at the casino or searching for discarded promotional materials.

Comp Points - In online casinos, these are loyalty points awarded for gameplay, which can often be redeemed for bonus cash or other rewards.

Continuous Shuffling Machine - A machine that continuously shuffles cards during play, often used in live dealer games to speed up gameplay and prevent card counting.

Croupier - The casino employee responsible for facilitating a game, collecting bets, and paying out winnings, also known as a dealer.

CSM - Abbreviation for Continuous Shuffling Machine.

Cut Card - A blank card, typically plastic, inserted into a shoe of cards to indicate where to stop shuffling or dealing.

D

Dealer - Equivalent to a Croupier; the casino employee who manages a game at a table, deals cards, and oversees bets.

Deck Penetration - Refers to how many cards are dealt from a shoe before it's reshuffled. Higher penetration is generally better for card counters.

Deposit - The act of adding funds to your online casino account, using various payment methods available in Canada.

Deposit Bonus - An incentive from online casinos where they match a percentage of your deposit with bonus funds, effectively giving you more money to play with.

Deposit Method - The various ways you can fund your online casino account, such as Interac, Credit Cards, e-wallets, and bank transfers popular in Canada.

Dice Control - A contentious theory suggesting players can influence the outcome of dice rolls through specific throwing techniques. This is more relevant to physical dice games like Craps.

Dirt Money - A term referring to the casino's profit, which is essentially the money lost by players.

Discard Tray - A container held by the dealer holding used or discarded cards.

Double Down - When playing Blackjack, players gets the opportunity to double their hand after the first two cards. If a player selects "Double", a gambler can only receive one more card.

Down Card - Cards dealt face down.

Download Casino - Online casino games that require downloading software to play.

E

eCOGRA - Testing and standards organization that specializes in online gambling (E-Commerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance)

Edge - Calculating a higher probability of occurrence for a bet than the odds you receive.

Encryption - Used by online casinos to protect money and information from hackers.

Even Money Bet - Wagering money when the odds are equal. The better can lose or win the same amount.

Expanding Wild - When playing slots, a gambler will come across all sorts of wild symbols and one of them is expanding wilds. This means that the wild symbol expands and gives gamblers more wilds on the board.

Expected Win Rate - The amount of money a player is expected to wine over a period of time.

Eye in the Sky - Closed circuit cameras used for monitoring a casino.

F

Face Card - Any jack, queen, or king card.

Face Down Card - See Down Card.

Face Up Card - Cards dealt face up.

Flash Casino - An online casino that uses an Adobe Flash plugin, where players can access games from a web browser.

Flat Betting - When a player bets the same amount each time.

Flush - When playing Blackjack a gambler can make a side bet. One of the side bets pays if a gambler receives the same suit on the first two cards together with the dealer's first.

Free Spins - A gambler can be offered a certain number of Free Spins in a welcome bonus. The opportunity to spin in a selected slot without having to bet any money. Sometimes the Free Spins come with wagering requirements and sometimes without.

Free bonus - A free bonus is a bonus that the casino gives to players without any deposit requirements, this is usually in connection with registering and opening an account with the casino.

G

Gambler’s Fallacy - A false belief that something is more or less likely to happen based on how many times it has happened before.

George - A term used by the Dealer for a big-tipping player.

Gross Winnings - The difference between how much a player bets and how much they win.

H

Hearts - One of the two suits of a deck of cards and one of the four suits.

High Roller - A player who consistently bets large sums of money.

Hit - When you play Blackjack, you always get two cards in your hand. If you want a third card say or click "Hit". The dealer then gives you a third card.

Hot Streak - When a player has a long-lasting winning run.

Hot Table - When players at a specific table keep winning.

House - Another term for Casino.

House Edge - The advantage a casino has to make money over players.

House Rules - Rules that are specific to a casino.

J

Jackpot - A large prize amount often associated with slot machines.

L

Layout - Markings on a game table dividing the surface into sections.

Live Dealer Games - An in-person casino game with a human Dealer, as opposed to an online casino game with a computer Dealer.

Lobby - Where players can see all games available in online casinos.

Loose Slot - A slot machine with a high payout.

Loyalty Program - A membership for casinos. Players can connect their cards to the membership so that when makes transactions, they can gain rewards.

M

Marker - Similar to a short-term loan or a line of credit, a player can borrow money from a casino to bet.

Maximum Bet - The highest a player can bet during a game.

Minimum Bet - The lowest a player can bet during a game.

Mobile Casino - A mobile casino is where you can play all online games on your phone.

Multi-Hand - Game When players use multiple hands at once during a game. A bet must be made from each hand.

Multi-Player Game - When players use only one hand at a time during a game.

N

Net Winnings - The amount a casino makes after prizes and winnings are distributed after a game is played.

No deposit bonus - A no deposit bonus is a bonus that you get without having to make a deposit.

O

Odds - The chances of winning or losing during a game.

Optimal Strategy - A “correct” way to play to give players a better chance at winning.

Open Card - When playing Blackjack, a player can choose a table where the dealer shows both his cards instead of one. This gives a clear advantage, but at the same time, the dealer always wins equally, which means that the player’s advantage quickly disappears.

P

Paint - Slang term for Face Card.

Payout - The money given to a player after a winning bet.

Payout Odds - How much a player will win from a bet, relative to the stake. This means for 3:1, a player will win $3 for every $1 put down.

Payout Percentage - How much money is returned to a player. For example, if a player’s payout percentage is 90%, for every $10 wagered, they will win $9.

Payout Table - Shows how much can be won on a specific game.

Payline - A pay line is the same as a paytable. It is a line where winnings are paid out in the game.

Pit - Areas that break up a casino. Each pit has a designated number of tables for games.

Pit Boss - An employee who oversees an individual pit.

Play Bonus - For online gambling, this can be used for wagering only. It can’t be withdrawn.

Play For Fun - For online casinos, games with no winnings that are offered to players who don’t put down any money.

Progression Betting - Broken into two styles. 1. Positive betting, which means when a player increases their stake after a win, and 2. Negative betting, which means a player decreases their stake after a win.

Progressive Jackpot - A Jackpot that grows until it is one.

Put - Slang for a Tie in a game.

R

Reload Bonus - The reload bonus is given to loyal players at a casino. It is granted when gamblers deposit more money in their casino accounts. A "top-up bonus" and means that you get an extra penny if you choose to top up your gaming account.

Re-spins - In some slots you can get re-spins. This means that you get a free spin if you succeed in fulfilling the function.

RTP - RTP stands for return to player and is the payback percentage. Most often you will find RTP in a slot and can see how much is refunded to players.

S

Shoe - A container that holds and dispenses cards at a game table.

Shuffle - When a dealer mixes the cards to keep the order anonymous.

Side Bet - A bet placed on an outcome not related to the result of the game. For example, betting that your first card is higher than 10.

Sign Up Bonus - For online casinos, incentive given to player when they first join.

Slots - A slot machine is a casino game that has spinning reels. The reels contain symbols on them. If the symbols line up, a prize is won. The price depends on where the different symbols land.

Stake - A bet size.

Sticky Bonus - Slang for Play Bonus.

Stiff -A term used by the Dealer for a player who doesn’t tip.

Split - When a player gets the same value on both cards when playing blackjack, there is an opportunity to split them. Another card on each will be dealt. Now there are two playing hands that must match the initial wager for the new second hand.

T

Table - Hold A gaming table’s profit after a set period of time.

Table Limit - The minimum and maximum amounts of money that players can bet on one hand.

Tilt - To play recklessly due to emotions, typically caused by losing.

Toke - Slang for tip given to Dealer.

True Odds - The odds of a bet based on probability.

Turnover Requirement - An expression that is used to describe the amount wagered. Meaning placing bets with the money that´s been deposited.

Tournament - Allows players to make bets with a minimum rate that competes with other players.

U

Up Card - See Face Up Card.

V

VIP Club - For the most loyal players, some casinos have VIP programs. The higher the VIP players climb in the VIP club, the better the rewards.
VIP Player - A player valued for betting regularly and/or for using high stakes at a casino.
VIP Program - For online casinos, how players can be rewarded for their activity.

W

Wager - How much money a player bets.

Wagering Requirements - For online casinos, it dictates how much a play must bet before making a withdrawal.

Welcome Bonus - If a player is new to a casino and opens an account, they are rewarded with a welcome bonus.

Whale - Players who bet thousands or millions of dollars in one night.

Withdrawal - When a player moves the money from their online account back to the payment of their choice.