Master the Game: iGaming Glossary Unpacked
Establishing authority in the iGaming industry is a challenging endeavor. It takes persistence, knowledge, & practical industry experience. Talking about knowledge, whether you are a newcomer scanning live casino tables, an aspiring operator building your first sportsbook, or an affiliate navigating bonus structures, having extensive knowledge of the iGaming glossary is a pivotal need.
From payments and compliance to gamification and future tech, in this blog, we have got every corner of iGaming covered. Having a grasp on these gaming terms will help you handle games, manage bets, and become a pro in the industry.
Top iGaming Glossary Terms That You Must Know
As the iGaming industry encapsulates a lot of games and aspects, there are several categories of glossary terms in it. Here is a category-by-category division.
1. Games & Gameplay Terms
| Term | Description |
| Slot / Slots | Casino games where players spin reels filled with symbols to form winning combinations. |
| Payline / Line | The specific pattern across reels that determines if symbols create a winning combination. |
| Reels | The vertical columns on a slot machine that spin and display symbols. |
| Scatter | A special slot symbol that can trigger bonus features like free spins, regardless of its position. |
| Bonus/Feature Round | Special game rounds (often in slots) offering extra spins, interactivity, or increased winning potential. |
| Video Poker | A digital poker variant where payouts depend on poker hand rankings. |
| Live Casino Games | Real-time streamed casino games like blackjack hosted by human dealers. |
| Wild / Expanding Wild | Symbols that substitute for others to help form winning combos; “expanding” variants grow to cover entire reels. |
| Progressive Jackpot | A jackpot that grows over time as more players wager until someone wins it. |
| Crash Game / Multiplier Game | A real-time betting game where a rising multiplier randomly “crashes,” and players must cash out before it drops to secure winnings. |
2. Betting & Wagering Terms
| Term | Description |
| Bet/Wager | Placing money on an outcome in a game or event. |
| Home Team/Lay Bet | A lay bet is wagering that a specific outcome will not happen, commonly used on betting exchanges. |
| Flat Betting | Consistently betting the same amount regardless of game or odds. |
| Cash Out | Option to settle a bet early for a partial win or loss before the event ends. |
| Over/Under (O/U) | Wager on whether a game’s total score will be above or below a set number, often referred to as “total.” |
| Parlay | A bet combining multiple selections; all must win to payout, which increases both risk & reward. |
| Vigorish (Vig/Juice) | A bookmaker’s commission that is embedded in the betting odds, ensuring they earn profit regardless of outcome. |
| Wagering Requirements | Conditions that dictate how many times a bonus amount must be bet before withdrawal is allowed. |
| Hold (Margin) | The percentage of total bets the sportsbook retains as profit. |
| Handle | The total amount of money wagered by players; essentially the gross volume of bets placed. |
| Spread Betting | A wager where the payoff depends on how accurate the prediction is, rather than a simple win/lose; typically involves betting on whether an outcome falls above or below a set range. |
3. Bonuses & Promotions Terms
| Term | Description |
| Welcome Bonus | A promotional offer for new players, commonly a deposit match & sometimes bundled with free spins or other perks to encourage first-time deposits. |
| Deposit Bonus (Match Bonus) | A bonus where the casino matches a player’s deposit. For example, 100% on a $50 deposit, with specific wagering terms. |
| No-Deposit Bonus | A risk-free frequently given bonus to players without needing a deposit, including small amounts or free spins. |
| Free Spins | Complimentary slot spins that are granted as part of promotions, allowing players to win real money without wagering their funds. |
| Cashback Bonus | A partial refund of net losses over a certain timeframe, often paid in cash and sometimes with low to no wagering requirements. |
| Loyalty Program | A rewards system where players earn points for wagering, which can then be exchanged for bonuses, cash, or tier benefits. |
| Referral Bonuses | Rewards that are given when an existing player refers a friend who registers and meets the play requirements. |
| Minimum/Maximum Bet Limits | Rules setting the smallest and largest stakes allowed per wager when using bonus funds. |
| Seasonal or Event Bonuses | Promotions that are time-bound come with holidays, gaming events, anniversaries, or game launches. |
| Wager-Free Bonus | A type of bonus where winnings can be withdrawn immediately with no wagering requirement at all. |
4. Compliance & Security
| Term | Description |
| Anti‑Money Laundering | A framework of laws & practices designed to detect, prevent, and report activities related to money laundering and financial crime. These are often paired with measures against terrorist financing. |
| Know Your Customer | The process of verifying a customer’s identity using documentation to prevent fraud, money laundering, & other illicit activity. |
| Customer Due Diligence | The procedure of assessing a customer’s risk profile through verification & background screening forms an ongoing part of compliance. |
| Know Your Transaction | Monitoring and assessing transaction patterns to detect suspicious or anomalous financial activity. |
| Audit Trail | A secure, timestamped record of compliance activities & decisions, which helps support transparency and regulatory oversight. |
| Risk Assessment | A thorough process to identify, assess, and eliminate compliance or money laundering risks within systems or customer behaviors. |
| Governance & Compliance | Holistic management of policies, risk strategies, & compliance frameworks to ensure alignment with regulations. |
5. Player Engagement & Gamification
| Term | Description |
| Gamification | The inclusion of innovative game design elements, such as
|
| Badges & Achievements | Visual tokens representing milestones or skill accomplishments, serving as injective motivators and markers of status. |
| Leaderboards | Public rankings that spark competitive behavior by comparing players’ achievements, scores, or performance. |
| Weekly Challenges | Repeating interactive tasks that encourage regular participation and build habit-forming behavior. |
| Loyalty Programs | Reward-based systems where players earn points over time, redeemable for bonuses, enhancing player retention. |
| Tournaments | Structured competitive events where players compete in head-to-head or grouped formats for rewards and recognition. |
| Personalization | Customizable avatars or content offers based on user behavior, enhancing emotional attachment and platform affinity. |
Conclusion
If you plan to enter the iGaming market, you have several ways to do it, such as sweepstakes casino, crypto casino, sportsbook, online casino, etc. No matter which way you choose, you need to be aware of all these terms from day one. Moreover, besides having knowledge, you will also need to invest in good iGaming software.
TRUEiGTECH is a leading provider of ready-to-use software that can help you start your business as soon as possible. Moreover, if you require assistance with building a bespoke iGaming software, we can offer that too. Our extensive iGaming services include API integrations, PAM tool development, crypto software development, post-launch services, and more. So, if you're ready to take on the market, reach out to us today.
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