iGaming Wiki
Your comprehensive guide to iGaming terminology, definitions, and industry terms
(1 term)
A(1 term)
Aggregator
A B2B software provider that acts as a hub, delivering thousands of games from various studios via a single API.
Read Guide→B(5 terms)
Baccarat
Baccarat is a rigid game of chance comparing Player and Banker hands. Known for high stakes and simple "no-decision" gameplay.
Read Guide→Bingo
A social game of chance where players match numbers on pre-printed cards to form patterns.
Read Guide→Black Friday (2011)
April 15, 2011: The day the US Department of Justice seized the domains of the three largest online poker sites.
Read Guide→Blackjack
The definitive guide to the most popular casino card game. Learn card values, basic rules, and the objective of 21.
Read Guide→Bonus Buy Explained
A mechanic that allows players to pay a premium (usually 50x-100x the bet) to trigger the game's main bonus round immediately.
Read Guide→C(6 terms)
Caribbean Stud Poker
A classic tropical stud game featuring a massive progressive jackpot side bet.
Read Guide→Casino Hold'em
The house-banked version of Texas Hold'em where you play against the dealer, not other players.
Read Guide→Casino Streaming (Twitch)
The cultural phenomenon where personalities broadcast their slots and table gameplay to thousands of live viewers.
Read Guide→Craps
The legendary dice game offering some of the best odds in the casino, centered around the "Pass Line" bet.
Read Guide→Crash Games
A modern genre of crypto-arcade games revolving around a rising multiplier and a "burst" mechanic.
Read Guide→Crypto Casinos
The emergence of Bitcoin-only casinos in the early 2010s that introduced "Provably Fair" gaming and instant withdrawals.
Read Guide→D(1 term)
Dragon Tiger
The simplified "War" version of Baccarat. Two cards are dealt—Highest card wins.
Read Guide→E(1 term)
European Roulette
The player-friendly version of Roulette featuring a single zero wheel and a lower house edge.
Read Guide→G(2 terms)
Geo-Location
Technology used to verify a player's physical location to ensure they are playing from a permitted jurisdiction.
Read Guide→GGR (Gross Gaming Revenue)
The key financial metric for operators, calculated as Total Bets minus Total Payouts.
Read Guide→H(4 terms)
Hit Frequency
A percentage indicating how often a game generates a winning outcome on a spin, regardless of the prize size.
Read Guide→Hold Percentage
The actual percentage of chips/money the casino keeps from the "Drop" (total money bought in) over a specific period.
Read Guide→House Edge
The mathematical advantage that the casino has over the player in any given game.
Read Guide→HTML5
The modern coding standard that allows casino games to run natively in web browsers on both desktop and mobile without plugins.
Read Guide→I(1 term)
InterCasino (1996)
Widely credited as the first online casino to accept a real money wager over the internet.
Read Guide→K(2 terms)
Keno
A lottery-style game played every few minutes where you pick numbers and hope for a match.
Read Guide→KYC (Know Your Customer)
The mandatory process where operators verify a player's identity to prevent fraud and money laundering.
Read Guide→L(1 term)
Live Dealer
A technology bridging online RNG platforms with physical casino studios using real-time video streaming.
Read Guide→M(1 term)
Microgaming
The Isle of Man-based software company credited with developing the world's first true online casino software in 1994.
Read Guide→N(1 term)
NGR (Net Gaming Revenue)
The actual profit figure for an operator, calculated by subtracting bonuses, taxes, and commissions from the GGR.
Read Guide→P(4 terms)
Pai Gow Poker
A slow-paced, low-volatility game where players split 7 cards into two separate hands to beat the dealer.
Read Guide→PASPA Repeal (2018)
The Supreme Court ruling that struck down the federal ban on sports betting, allowing US states to legalize it individually.
Read Guide→Progressive Jackpot
A pooled prize fund that increases incrementally every time a specific game is played but the jackpot is not won.
Read Guide→Provably Fair
A blockchain-based technology that allows players to verify the fairness of a game outcome manually.
Read Guide→R(4 terms)
Revenue Share (RevShare)
An affiliate commission model where the webmaster earns a percentage of the players' net losses for the lifetime of the account.
Read Guide→RNG (Random Number Generator)
The computational algorithm that ensures every spin, deal, or dice roll is completely random and independent.
Read Guide→Roulette (General)
The classic wheel game. Place your chips on numbers, colors, or sections and watch the ball determine the winner.
Read Guide→RTP (Return to Player)
The theoretical percentage of wagered money that a specific game will pay back to players over time.
Read Guide→S(1 term)
Sic Bo
An ancient Chinese game played with three dice, offering massive payouts for specific triple combinations.
Read Guide→T(5 terms)
The Free Trade & Processing Act (1994)
The landmark legislation passed by Antigua and Barbuda that effectively birthed the online gambling industry.
Read Guide→The Poker Boom (2003)
The global explosion of online poker popularity triggered by amateur Chris Moneymaker winning the WSOP Main Event.
Read Guide→The Rise of Macau
The rapid transformation of Macau into the world's largest gambling hub, surpassing Las Vegas in revenue.
Read Guide→Three Card Poker
A fast-paced poker variant offering two games in one: the Ante/Play game and the Pair Plus side bet.
Read Guide→Turnover (Handle)
The total amount of money wagered by a player or group of players over a specific period, regardless of wins or losses.
Read Guide→U(1 term)
UIGEA (2006)
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, a controversial US law that crippled the early online poker market.
Read Guide→V(2 terms)
Video Poker
A skill-based electronic card game where correct strategy can reduce the house edge to under 1%.
Read Guide→Volatility (Variance)
A measure of the risk level associated with a specific game, defining how often and how big you can expect to win.
Read Guide→W(2 terms)
Wagering Requirement
The number of times a bonus amount must be played through before it can be withdrawn as real cash.
Read Guide→White Label
A turnkey solution where an operator rents a fully functional casino platform (license, games, payments) and simply applies their own branding.
Read Guide→