Gambling Glossary
Here, we provide a detailed glossary of the most important and commonly found gambling terms. Please note that our list contains terms related to online gambling and related to sports betting. Read the glossary or refer to it anytime you encounter a betting term you are unfamiliar with – we promise that our list is detailed and well-curated, arranged in alphabetical order that you can easily follow. We periodically update it, ensuring you will be informed of the latest terms used in online sports betting and online gambling.
A
Accumulator – A bet that includes multiple selections; all must be correct for the bet to win.
Action – A slang term for betting in general. For example, the bookmaker saw plenty of action on a particular game.
Across The Board – Betting on a horse to win, place and show.
Against The Spread – Placing a bet where a point spread will decide the outcome.
Arbitrage – A scenario where the odds available on a single betting market make it possible to make more than one bet and guarantee a profit.
Asian Handicap – A specific type of handicap betting that originated in Asia is famous for soccer betting.
ABC Poker – Playing a predictable style of poker
Action – The play at the casino/the total amount of money into play
Add-on – The additional amount of chips a player can buy at a specified time during poker play
Aggregate Limit – The total amount a casino is liable to payout in a single round. If the aggregate limit is reached, players may accept reduced winnings.
All-in – A betting action where the player wagers all their remaining chips/funds.
B
Bad Beat – Losing a bet in unlikely, and particularly unlucky, circumstances.
Banker – A wager considered almost sure to win.
Bankroll – A sum of money allocated for betting/wagering.
Betting Exchange – A betting platform that eliminates the need for a bookmaker, allowing bettors to bet directly against each other.
Bettor – The person making a bet.
Bookie – A commonly used abbreviation of a bookmaker (sportsbook).
Bookmaker – An individual or an organization that takes bets in a professional capacity.
BR – A commonly used abbreviation of bankroll.
Buck – A slang term for a $/€100 bet.
Buying Points – The act of paying to receive half a point or more in your favor for a point spread wager.
Banker – The person who is betting against all the players on the table.
Bankroll – The budget available to use in gambling/casino activities.
Beginner’s Luck – A winning streak experienced by a novice player.
Betting Limit – The minimum and maximum amounts a player can bet.
Bones – Casino slang for dice.
Bonus – A special offer is provided to players to encourage loyalty, attract new players, and incentivize existing players to play more.
Bump – To raise a wager, usually in poker
Buy-In – The necessary amount to enter a table or a gambling tournament.
C
Canadian Line – An ice hockey betting line combines point spread and Moneyline betting.
Chalk – A slang term for the favorite team/player.
Chalk Player – Someone who generally backs favored teams/players.
Circled Game – A game where the betting action/maximum bet is limited.
Combination Bet – Any bet with more than one selection.
Cover The Spread – Winning a wager placed against the point spread.
Cash Bonus – Free money offered to new players at an online casino; these usually come with T&C’s attached.
Cashback – A refund credited to a player’s account, usually based on a percentage of their losses.
Chase – Referring to an activity when a losing player continues to gamble, hoping to win back their losses.
Chips – Round, colored disks equivalent to money used in land-based casinos.
Cold – A slot machine is perceived as not paying out (not allowing the player to win).
Cold Table – A term for when the players who are betting are losing very often.
Commission – The casino’s fee takes from all the winnings; the way casinos make a profit.
Comp Points – The same as rewards points, granted to loyal or VIP players.
Croupier – French for the dealer in roulette, the roulette wheel operator.
D
Decimal Odds – One of the three main formats for expressing odds, written with two decimal places.
Degenerate – Someone who gambles frequently and often recklessly.
Dime – A slang term for a $1,000 bet.
Dime Line – A betting line with 10% vigorish.
Dog – An abbreviation for the underdog.
Dog Player – A bettor that tends to bet on underdogs.
Double – A wager consisting of two different selections.
Drifting – A term used to describe odds that are lengthening (getting higher).
Dealer – The casino employee who deals the cards to each player.
Deposit – The player’s actual money payment to the online casino to play the games.
Down to the Felt – A player who is out of money.
Draw – The results of a draw; usually a lottery draw.
Drop Percentage – The part of the player’s money the casino gets.
E
Each Way – A two-part wager. The first part of the wager is on the selection to win, and the second part of the wager is on the same selection to finish in the top few places.
Edge – The advantage over the opponent.
Even Money – Bet where you stand to win the exact amount you’ve staked.
+100 in Moneyline format, 2.00 in decimal format, 1/1 in fractional format.
Exotic Wager – A term used to describe a non-standard bet.
Expected Value – A theoretical measure of how much a wager is likely to win in the long term.
eCOGRA – e-Commerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance – an independent agency that audits online casinos, ensuring fair operating standards and games.
Edge – The advantage over an opponent.
Eighty-Sixed (86’s) – Banned by a casino for foul play.
Encryption – A complex code protecting the casino software and online transactions.
Expectation – The amount of money the player can expect to win based on the probability a given hand wins.
Eye-In-The-Sky – The name for the cameras on the ceilings in a land-based casino.
F
Favorite – The selection in a betting market is most likely to win.
Field – A term to collectively describe all possible selections in a betting market.
Fin/Fifty Cent – A slang term for a $50 bet.
Final Four – The four remaining teams in a tournament.
First-Half Bet – A bet placed only on the first half of the game.
Fixed Odds – Odds agreed when a wager is placed. They don’t change even if the odds for the relevant selection move in the future.
Forecast – A bet that predicts the first and second places at an event
Form – Recent results of a team or an individual.
Fractional Odds – One of the three main formats used for expressing odds, commonly used in the United Kingdom.
Futures Bets – Wagers placed on an outcome happening sometime in the future.
Fifty Cents – A bet of $50.
Figure – The amount owed to or by a bookmaker.
Flash – Online software technology that does not require download.
Flash – A change of the odds information.
Flat Betting – Betting the same in each hand without changing the stake.
Free Spin – When a player gets to spin the slots reels for real money without wagering his own cash.
FTW – Abbreviation: For The Win.
Full Ring – A poker game with a maximum number of players (nine or ten).
G
Get Down – Slang for placing a wager.
Grand Salami – A wager for ice hockey on the total number of goals in all ice hockey matches on a specified day.
Grid – The display of all possible bets in online sports betting platforms.
Garbage Hand – A low-value hand that generally should not be played as it is not likely to win.
GG – Casino slang for Good Game.
GLA – Casino slang for Good Luck All
H
Half-Time Bet – A bet placed only on the second half of the game.
Handicap Betting – A form of betting where a bookmaker will hypothetically add points or goals to the underdog to decide the outcome.
Handicapper – A bettor pays close attention to statistics and other vital factors to try and make accurate predictions.
Handle – The total amount of money bet on an event (or group of events).
Hedging – The placing of wagers against previously made wagers to help reduce risk or guarantee profits.
Home Field Advantage – The edge the home field expectedly has.
Hook – A half-point element used in point spreads and totals betting.
Half-a-Dollar – A bet of $50.
Hand – The cards a player holds or uses to make the best combination of cards.
High Poker – A poker game where the highest hand wins.
High Roller – A player who plays high-stakes games and places large bets.
Hit – Spinning a winning playline combination.
Hot – A player who is on a winning streak; a table where the players win often.
House – The casino.
House Edge – The likelihood that the casino will win money.
I
If Bet – A wager consisting of at least two separate bets joined by an if clause determines the wager process.
In and Out Teaser – When a player picks the favorite, underdog, over, and under of the same game.
Implied Probability – The theoretical likelihood of a particular outcome, based on the odds on that outcome provided by a bookmaker.
Implied Odds – Odds that don’t exist currently but are calculated based on expected earnings when a hand hits.
J
Juice – The margin/profit that bookmakers build into the odds they offer.
Jackpot – A big cash prize
Junket – A group of high-rolling casino players who have been specially brought to a casino.
L
Lay – The act of accepting a bet – e.g., a bookmaker lays bets to bettors.
Laying The Points – The act of placing a point spread wager on the favorite.
Laying The Price – The act of placing a Moneyline wager on the favorite.
Lengthening Odds – Odds that are getting higher.
Limit – The maximum amount a bookmaker allows bettors to bet before changing the odds/points.
Line – The odds offered by a bookmaker or the point spread offered.
Linesmaker – The person(s) setting the odds/lines at a bookmaker.
Lock – A bet considered almost sure to win.
Long Odds – An alternative term for high odds.
Longshot – A selection in a betting market that is considered to have a tiny chance of winning.
Lump On – A slang term for placing a bet.
Lay Down – Folding a poker hand
Limit – A game with a fixed limit on a bet size per round.
Live Dealer Game – An online casino game run by an actual human dealer. Players interact with the live dealer via live streaming and live chat.
Lock – An easy win.
Long Shot – An unlikely win.
Lump-Sum – A winning payout paid in a single payment.
M
Margin – The amount the winner of an event finishes in front of the competitor.
Matchplay – The same as a cash bonus.
Middle – Wagering on the underdog at one point and on the favorite art at a different point, winning both sides.
Moneyline Bet – A simple type of wager on a selection to win the relevant match/event.
Moneyline Odds – One of the three main formats for expressing odds, commonly used in America.
Moving The Line – The act of paying to receive half a point (or more) in your favor for a point spread wager.
Multiple – A term used to describe any wager which contains more than one selection.
Maniac – A player who plays loosely or aggressively.
Multiplier – When used to make a winning combination, a wild card multiplies the payout.
Multi-Table Tournament – An online gambling tournament with more than one table of players.
Multi-Tabling – To play on more than one table of online poker simultaneously.
N
Nickel Line – A sports wagering line where the juice is 5%
No Action – A sports wager where no money is won or lost.
N1 – Casino jargon for a nice one.
NH – Casino jargon for a nice hand
Nickel – A wager of $500.
NL – Casino jargon for no limit
No Limit – A game with no limit on the bet size per round.
No-Deposit Bonus – Free money as a thank-you for joining an online casino, with no initial cash deposit from the player, usually with no restrictions or T&C’s.
Nosebleed – Incredibly high stakes.
NP – Casino jargon for Nice play or No Problem.
O
Odds – Determine the potential payout of a wager.
Odds Against – Odds are higher than the stake; you can win an amount higher than your wager.
Odd Compilers – The person(s) setting the odds/lines at a bookmaker and adjusting them as necessary to create a balanced book.
Odds On – Odds that are lower than even money.
Off the Board – A game the sportsbook is not offering action on at the moment.
Opening Line – The first line is available for a sports event.
Outsider – A betting selection that has only a tiny chance of winning.
Overround – The profit that bookmakers build into their books.
Overlay – Odds that are higher than they should be and favor the player.
Over/Under Bet – A wager on the total number of something (such as points or goals scored in a match). The bookmaker sets a total, and you wager on whether the actual total will be over or under.
Online Casino – An online version of the traditional land-based casino can be web-based or download-based.
Outside Bet – Even-money bets like black/red, even/odd, high/low.
Overdrawn – A number that is drawn more frequently than most.
Overdue – A number that is drawn less frequently than most.
P
Parlay – A bet containing multiple selections, all of which must-win for the wager to payout.
Payout – The sum of money received from a bookmaker following a win.
Permutation Betting – A form of wagering which covers multiple selections in different combinations.
Pleaser – A point spread wager containing multiple selections where the spread for each selection is moved against the bettor.
Point Spread – A type of betting where the bookmaker allocates points or goals to the underdog to create a theoretically level playing field. The points allocated are also referred to as the point spread.
Press – To wager a larger stake than a typical stake.
Price – An alternative term for odds.
Pricing the Market – The act of setting the odds or lines for a betting market.
Prop Bet – An abbreviation of proposition bet.
Proposition Bet – A wager on a specific outcome in a sports event, for example, the first player to score.
Punter – A slang term for a bettor, a person who bets on sports.
Puppy – A slang term for the underdog.
Push – A tied wager, where the stake is returned to the bettor.
Payline – The line of symbols on a slots reel that pays when a winning combination is hit.
Payoff – The money received from a win.
Payout Percentage – The statistical percentage of every bet that will be returned to the player, is always less than 100%. The lower the percentage, the more profitable the machine for the casino.
Paythrough Requirements – The casino’s terms on the bonus are also known as wagering requirements.
Pokies – Australian and New Zealand’s slang term for slot games.
Press a Bet – To add the previous bet’s winning to the current bet.
Progressive Jackpot – A jackpot game that grows larger over time and is often linked to a network of machines.
R
Return – The sum of money received from a winning wager.
Run – A betting line explicitly used in baseball.
Run Down – All the lines for a specific date, sport, time, or other.
Runner – A person who places a bet for another.
Rail – The observer in a casino game.
Rake – The percentage or flat fee collected by the house for each hand of poker played.
RNG – Random Number Generator – an algorithm that ensures fair, random, and unbiased outcomes in casino games.
Re-Bet – A bet involving the same amount wagered in the previous bet.
Reels – The rotating parts of the slot machine are covered in symbols. Slots machines can have three, five, seven, or nine reels.
Reload Bonus – Bonus money players are awarded when making subsequent deposits.
Return – The total winnings on a bet one can get.
Roulette Wheel – A rotating mechanism with 37 or 38 pockets that decides which bet wins and which loses in roulette.
S
Scalper – A person who tries to profit from the difference in odds by betting both sides of the same game at different stakes.
Sharp – A slang term for an experienced, professional, or skilled bettor.
Short Odds – Another term for low odds.
Shortening Odds – Odds that are getting lower.
Sides – The two opposing sides that play the game; the underdog and favorite.
Single – A wager with one selection.
Smart Money – Bets by bettors who are either very experienced or have information not readily available.
Special – A wager on a specific outcome in a sports event, such as the first player to score.
Sportsbook – An alternative term for a bookmaker.
Spread – An abbreviation of points spread.
Spread Betting – A bet where the amount the bettor wins/loses is determined by the margin in which the value of a specified outcome varies from the expected value quoted by a bookmaker.
Square – A slang term for a novice bettor or one that generally loses money.
Stake – The sum of money wagered.
Steam – Describes a substantial move in a betting line or odds, usually caused by the amount of money being wagered.
Sucker Bet – A slang term for a “bad” bet, one that significantly favors the bookmaker.
Scared Money – A bankroll the player cannot afford to lose. A stake limit too high for the player’s bankroll.
Scratch Card – Instant win game where the symbols are covered and need to be scratched off to reveal them.
SH – Casino slang for Short-Handed.
Shark – An expert card player.
Sic Bo – Three dice game where the player predicts the outcome of the roll of the dice.
Snake Eyes – When the dice in a craps game roll two 1s.
Soft Hand – A blackjack hand that has one or more aces that can be worth 1 or 11.
SS – Casino slang for Short Stacked
Sticky Bonus – A cash bonus used in online casinos to incentivize players to play at higher stake games.
T
Teaser – A point spread bet with multiple selections where the bettor can adjust the spread for each selection in their favor.
Take Odds – To accept a bet in terms not favorable to the other party.
Taking the Points – To bet on the underdog and its advantage in the point spread.
Taking the Price – To bet on the underdog and accept the money odds.
Ticket – The sports bet slip.
Tie – A bet where no money is won/lost because the scores equal the number of points in the line.
Totals Bet – A wager on the total number of something (such as points or goals scored in a match). The bookmaker sets a total, and you wager on whether the actual total will be higher or lower.
Traders – The person(s) setting the odds/lines at a bookmaker and adjusting them as necessary to create a balanced book.
Treble/Triple – A wager consisting of three different selections.
True Odds – The actual odds of something happening.
Tank – To take the time and think a decision through before taking action.
Tapped Out – A player entirely out of money.
Tells – A habit that gives away info about a hand a player has in poker, like body language, repeated actions, or specific expressions.
Texas Hold’em – A poker variant where players use one deck of cards and are dealt two hole cards and share community cards. The goal is to make the best hand using five cards.
The Cage – The name of the place where casinos keep their money.
Tilt – When a player has hit a losing streak.
Toke – Tipping the dealer.
TY – Casino slang for Thank You.
U
Underdog – The selection in a betting market least likely to win.
V
Value Bet – A proposed bet with the best odds and the highest possible edge.
Vigorish – The margin/profit that bookmakers build into the odds they offer. Often called vig or juice.
Value Bet – A bet made to be called by a worse hand.
Video Poker – Five-card draw poker similar to a slot machine game.
Virtual Casino Game – Online casino games operated by computer and determined by a random number generator or RNG.
W
Wiseguy – A knowledgeable bettor.
Wad – Casino slang for bankroll.
Wager – Bet.
Wagering Requirement – Terms and conditions related to a casino bonus. Requirements that a certain amount must be drawn before the winnings can be withdrawn from the online casino.
Y
YHS – Casino slang for Your Hand Sucks.
YO – Casino slang for the number 11.
YW – Casino slang for You’re Welcome.
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