Casino glossary

Casino reviews use a lot of shorthand. The terms below explain the numbers and labels that matter before you deposit.

• RTP (Return to Player) - the long-run percentage of stakes a game is designed to return. An RTP of 96% does not predict any single session.
• House edge - the mathematical opposite of RTP. A 96% RTP implies a 4% house edge over a very large sample.
• Volatility - how uneven wins can be. High volatility means fewer but larger hits; low volatility means more frequent small wins.
• Hit frequency - how often a spin or round returns any win at all.
• Pokies - Australian shorthand for slot machines. Online reviews may also say slots or online slots.

Different game categories behave differently in bonus terms and risk profile.

• Online pokies - the largest category in most offshore casino lobbies, with RTP, volatility and bonus features varying by title.
• Live casino - table games such as roulette, blackjack and baccarat streamed with human dealers.
• RNG table games - digital roulette, blackjack or poker variants run by a random number generator.
• Crash games - fast games where a multiplier rises until it crashes; they can be especially risky because rounds are very quick.
• Progressive jackpot - a jackpot that grows as players across one or more casinos contribute to the prize pool.

Bonuses are conditions first and headline numbers second. Read the terms before depositing.

• Welcome bonus - a first-deposit or first-few-deposits offer, often shown as a percentage match plus free spins.
• Wagering requirement - how many times bonus funds and sometimes deposit funds must be staked before winnings can be withdrawn.
• Bonus code - a promo code needed to activate a specific offer.
• Free spins - no-extra-cost spins on selected pokies, usually with their own wagering and cashout rules.
• Max cashout - the maximum amount that can be withdrawn from a bonus win.
• Max bet - the maximum stake allowed while wagering a bonus. Breaching it can void winnings.

Most complaints begin around deposits, withdrawals and verification. The terms below are worth knowing before the cashier opens.

• KYC (Know Your Customer) - identity checks, usually photo ID, address proof and sometimes payment or source-of-funds documents.
• PayID / Osko / NPP - Australian instant-payment rails. Offshore casino support varies and should be confirmed in the cashier.
• BPAY - a bill-payment method used in Australia, but not a universal casino withdrawal rail.
• POLi - a former Australian online bank-transfer option that is no longer a dependable casino payment method.
• Pending time - the delay between requesting a withdrawal and the operator releasing it.
• Reverse withdrawal - the ability to cancel a pending withdrawal back into the playing balance. This can increase harm risk.
• Crypto - BTC, ETH, USDT and other tokens used by many offshore casinos. Fast, but not reversible and not protected like a bank transfer.

Licence language is where many Australian casino pages become misleading. These are the core terms.

• Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA) - the federal law that restricts the provision of prohibited interactive gambling services, including online casinos, to people in Australia.
• ACMA - the Australian Communications and Media Authority, which enforces the IGA and can request blocking of illegal offshore gambling sites.
• NT wagering licence - a licence used by many legal online sports and racing wagering operators; it is not an online casino licence.
• Offshore licence - a licence from a jurisdiction outside Australia, such as Curaçao, Malta or Anjouan.
• BetStop - Australia's National Self-Exclusion Register for licensed online and phone wagering providers.