Anyone who is new to playing real money online fruit machines or the classic favourites, such as blackjack and roulette, may find these digital entertainment activities slightly confusing to begin with, as I did when I first started playing on these sites because of the terms often used, which can take a little getting used to.
Over the years, I’ve picked up several useful terms that have helped me much better understand some of the things I play.
Some of the terms I’ve learned are specific to one type of fruit machine or table/card variant, whereas others are more general and are used to describe certain aspects of these websites, which I will highlight right here for anyone looking to brush up on their iGaming terms and phrases that should come in handy for you one day.
10 Terms Everyone Should Know About in 2024
There are literally hundreds of terms used at online casinos, and they are different to the general terms used in the regular online gaming industry for Xbox or PlayStation enthusiasts, so instead of listing them all and overloading you with too much information, here are ten of the most important terms I can recommend learning first.
They include the following:
- Wagering requirement – this is a term used to describe how many times the bonus money you receive (or the winnings you make from your bonuses) must be wagered before a withdrawal is possible. The lower this number is, the better (look for bonuses with 0x to 50x wagering requirements and avoid them with a higher-than-50x wagering requirement. You will also find on some sites that this is called the rollover, turnover, or playthrough requirement.
- Return to Player (RTP%) – this term describes, on average, how much something is likely to pay back after a certain amount has been wagered. For example, if players spend $/€/£10,000 combined on the same online fruity with a 96.76% RTP payout rate over a four-week period, mathematically speaking, those same players should, on average, receive $/€/£9,676 back in winnings. Most computer-generated titles available on today’s safest sites have an average 93.00% to 98.00% RTP payout rate. Always remember, the higher this number is, the better it is for you (theoretically speaking, that is)
- Volatility – this term tells us if an online fruity you play will award frequent, smaller-average wins (low volatility), less frequent bigger wins (high volatility), or somewhere in between (medium volatility)
- Megaways – in today’s most popular online fruit machines commonly found on all of the highest-rated sites recommended by the experts on John Slots UK, this tech engine describes how many possible winning combinations each spin can have, where the best free spin bonuses with no deposit and no wager can be found. Most Megaways fruits have up to 117,649 different ways to win per spin (aka Megaways)
- Progressive jackpot – this term describes an accumulating prize pool that everyone contributes to each time they hit the spin button. Unlike fixed coin jackpots, which are capped at a specific amount (say 500x or 50,000x times your stake), progressive jackpots have no upper capped limit and will keep on climbing until someone wins
- Random Number Generator (RNG) – the RNG produces the outcomes/results we see in computer-generated digital entertainment content (e.g., online fruitys, blackjack, poker, baccarat, roulette, craps, scratchcards, bingo, slingo, and others). These highly sophisticated mathematical algorithm programs are frequently tested and designed to produce random results with no obvious patterns
- Live dealer – unlike computer-generated content, a live dealer game is streamed in real time and hosted by an actual human. The action is broadcast from a television studio, and the aim is to get your bets placed before the countdown timer reaches zero
- Bonuses – this term describes the most lucrative free giveaways (aka promotional offers) that operators use to attract new customers and retain existing members. Free spins bonuses, no deposit bonuses, matching deposit bonuses, and cashback bonuses are the most common
- Know Your Customer (KYC) – this term describes the account verification process players must complete to gain full access to the products, services, and features available on the site they have just joined. It means proving you are who you say you are by sending in specific ID and proof of address documents
- Safer gambling tools – these responsible gambling tools are designed to protect players and include things like win/loss limits, session time reminders, time-outs, self-exclusion periods, and daily/weekly/monthly deposit limits
What Other Terms Should I Know About
I’ve found that the easiest way to learn the countless other terms is to try as many different fruits or classics as possible because each variant has numerous terms that best describe how to play, betting strategies, and more. Some terms are explained in the paytable or the rules section.
You can also learn (as I once had to) more about the common terms, phrases, and other adjectives/synonyms commonly used on these sites by reading the site’s terms & conditions and general policies.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, you don’t have to learn all of these terms, but they will help you understand things better in certain situations. They are easy to learn, and I’ve found that playing more is the best way to pick up new terms. Experience is the gaming gift that keeps on giving.
If you are like me and find it difficult to remember things like this, don’t panic because the important terms will eventually sink in and start to make sense.