Author: May Thawdar Oo
The gambling world might seem intimidating at first when you don’t have a good grasp of the colorful jargon, terminology, and phrases surrounding this ancient pastime from its earliest origins to the global juggernaut it is today.
Whether you’re playing at a smoky, run-down bingo hall, a dingy, gritty gambling den, or the most opulent casino resort or online casino – you will have seen, read, or heard a myriad of gambling terms that may first sound alien to you.
As a player or spectator, it could be hard to keep up with the game when you haven’t built up a working knowledge of the most common gambling terms people use worldwide.
On the other hand, if you’re an iGaming translation and localization professional, or otherwise involved in online gambling content marketing, it takes on a whole new meaning – one of paramount importance.
Here are a few reasons why you should get yourself familiar with basic gambling terms:
By loading the video, you agree to YouTube’s privacy policy.
Learn more
Why is a deep knowledge of gambling terminology important for iGaming translation and localization professionals and iGaming writers?
Accuracy and market sensitivity are givens in every sector but are absolute non-negotiables in the iGaming sector – a multi-billion dollar industry that transcends global borders.
The vast, limitless market with a guaranteed stream of new and prospective clients is one where iGaming brands need to stand up, stand out, and be counted amidst the throng.
Solely concentrating on your local markets means you’re leaving money on the table out of the millions of new clients eager to get their game on.
That’s where iGaming localization and translation come in – hand in hand with a tailored approach to iGaming content marketing suited to your desired international casino markets.
The stakes have never been higher in this day and age – localization poses its own set of challenges, particularly when it means finding the exact word or the right turn of phrase to suit an entirely different audience.
Localization doesn’t just stop at words. It’s about fully adapting your product and service for another culture. Which also includes currency sign placement, images, tone of voice, and much much more.
iGaming translators and writers need to know how to do what they do best – translate and write – in a way that’s nuanced for the respective culture and tailored for the niche.
As professionals working in the iGaming industry, you need to know your big blinds from your small blinds. You need to know your high rollers from your nosebleeds. From all-ins to tilts, using the right terms in the right places at the right times sets your heads and shoulders above the competition.
Nothing hinders a professional, slick product more than iGaming content that sounds clunky or something as though artificial intelligence would write.
Whether you’re an iGaming translation and localization professional or a writer looking to branch into iGaming content writing, you want flawless translations, localization, and writing that captures their cultural milieu because that builds trust and engagement.
Let’s look at some of the most common gambling terms, explained for your knowledge and enjoyment. We’ll have your “gambler-speak” right where it needs to be.
The Translation Royale Gambling Glossary – Gambling Terms and Definitions
Accumulator
A sports betting term referring to a bet consisting of multiple selections. All selections need to win for an accumulator to win. Also known as acca.
See parlay.
Action
The act of playing at the casino or the total amount of money being wagered. Also refers to an expression a dealer makes to tell a player it is their turn to act.
All-In
A bet wherein a player wagers all their remaining chips into the pot.
Ante
A bet made by a player before cards are dealt in a poker game.
Bad Beat
A term lifted from poker that means losing when you were heavily favored to win the pot, applied to casino gaming and sports betting. In sports betting, it usually means something unlikely happened late in the game to cause you to lose your bet, such as a last-gasp goal in football.
Bankroll
Refers to a set amount of money – a budget, as it were – that a player has earmarked for gambling.
Behind
A poker term referring to when a player has a hand that is unlikely to beat an opposing player’s hand.
Bet
A single wager of money within a casino game, and multiple bets are available for a single game.
Balance
The amount of money in a player’s account for them to bet and play games with.
Beginner’s Luck
Refers to the perceived luck or winning streak newbies to gambling might have at their first time at the tables.
Betting Limit
A limit set by the casino or sportsbook referring to the maximum or minimum amounts a player is allowed to bet.
Bet Max (Maximum Bet/Max Bet)
Refers to the maximum bet a player can place on one particular wager.
Blinds (big blind/small blind)
Refers to the two mandatory bets in a game with blinds, such as Texas Hold’Em. The smaller mandatory bet is called the small blind, while the big blind is the larger of the two forced bets in a game with blinds.
Blinds are paid before cards are dealt by different players changing from round to round. Players to the dealer’s left pay the small blind while the player to their left pays the big blind.
Bluff
A poker term referring to a player representing a strong hand that is actually weak and offers little to no chance of winning a pot.
Bonus
Refers to incentives offered to players to encourage them to play, expand their routine, and boost their chances of winning. Bonuses are usually given in cash.
Bookmaker
Also known as the bookie. Refers to a person or establishment that accepts wagers on sporting or real-life events.
Bottom Pair
Refers to a pair made with the lowest card drawn on the flop.
Burn Card
Refers to a card that is drawn after the flop and before the final card in poker that is discarded and kept face-down where the deck rests.
Buy-In
The amount of money needed to participate in a poker tournament or cash game.
Call
To “call” is to match the current wager, and it may be followed by someone raising the current bet.
Chalk
Refers to the favorite team, participant or entity most likely to win based on the bookmakers and general public’s sentiment. See favorite.
Check
In poker, this refers to an action taken to remain in the hand without betting while retaining the option to call or raise within the concurrent betting round.
Check Raise
An action in poker wherein a player checks and then raises after an opposing player bets.
Chips
Refers to units of tokens representing money that come in different denominations for you to bet with.
Chop
A poker term referring to when all remaining players decide to share a pot in a particular hand or tournament.
Classic slots
Classic slots, such as the “fruit machines” of yore, are the first slot machines with three reels that first came out in the 1920s and 1930s. Most used fruit symbols, leading to the “fruit machine” moniker.
Cold Call
Refers to an action in poker where a player calls after a bet and a raise have been made.
Dealer
Dealers are casino employees in charge of dealing cards to players and controlling the game flow. Dealers are often used in table games such as blackjack, baccarat, and poker.
Deposit
In casino parlance, deposits refer to payments players make to their online casino account to play games for real money.
Deposit Bonus
A monetary bonus granted to players by an online casino or sportsbook for depositing.
Double Down
“Doubling down” refers to a bet equivalent to the size of an initial bet, essentially doubling it.
Drawing Dead
Refers to when a player no longer can draw cards that can give them a winning hand in poker.
Face cards
Refers to cards with faces such as kings, queens, and jacks.
Favorite
In sports betting, this refers to a team or entity expected to win a match or event.
Fish
Refers to a poker or table game player that tends to bet on every hand and loses often, regardless of whether they have strong cards or hands.
Flop
Refers to the first three community cards dealt face-up in poker.
Fold
An action referring to when a player withdraws from the round due to a poor hand or they are suspicious that an opposing player has a stronger hand.
Free spins
Refers to spins a player wins or is rewarded with that weren’t paid for beforehand. These can also be used as bonuses for specific slot games.
Grind
In poker, the grind refers to playing a big volume of smaller poker games over a longer amount of time frequently to make a stable profit.
Handicapping
This refers to the act of trying to predict the outcome of a sporting event, usually through researching recent performances and trends.
Hedging
Refers to betting on an opposite side to reduce losses or ensure a minimum win.
High roller
A player who bets, plays, and spends large sums of money. Each casino defines who is a high roller based on their criteria. Also referred to as a whale.
Hook
Refers to a half-point in sports betting. Winning or losing by the hook means winning or losing by a 0.5 margin. Needless to say, it can be either a euphoric or devastating result for many a punter.
House edge
Refers to a percentage of each bet wagered, indicating the casino’s advantage over the player.
Jackpot
The largest available prize on games such as slot machines. Usually used for special prizes such as progressive slots or side bets.
Juice
Refers to the commission a sportsbook earns on every bet placed. See vigorish.
Laying the Points
A sports betting term referring to the act of betting on the favorite by giving up – or laying – the point spread.
Martingale
A betting system originating in France where the player doubles their bet after every loss.
No action
Refers to bets canceled for any reason, leading to a full refund of the said wager.
Nosebleed
Another way to refer to a player who plays with big bets. You know, a stake so high that the win or loss will make your nose bleed. Also see high roller or whale.
Odds
Refers to a player’s chance of winning set by the casino. If the player wins, the odds will determine how much money the player receives.
Over/Under
In sports betting, this is a wager based on a set number of the combined total of goals/points scored by both teams and whether they will be over or under that particular number. See total.
Parlay
A term used to refer to the addition of winnings from the previous bet to the current one.
Also refers to betting on two or more games with the intent of rolling over the winnings from the first win to the next wagers. All selections must win for a parlay to be paid out.
See accumulator.
Payout percentage (Return to Player – RTP)
Refers to the theoretical amount the game or casino will pay back to players over a particular time frame.
Pit
The section of the casino where players will find tables run by dealers.
Pit boss
Refers to a casino employee with an elevated status tasked to supervise several tables simultaneously.
Point spread
The number of points awarded to an underdog to even the odds against the favorite to win.
Progressive jackpot
A progressive jackpot is a slot machine with a prize that increases progressively with every play.
Raise
In poker, a raise or raising is an action made to double down on the blind, requiring opposing players to match or re-raise.
Random Number Generator (RNG)
Refers to a device that produces random, unpredictable numbers using a multi-stage algorithm to ensure randomness.
Single
A sports betting term referring to wagering on one selection to win.
Short stack
A poker term referring to a player having the smallest number of chips in a table compared to other players or the maximum buy-in amount.
Tapping out
Refers to a player who is finished playing or betting, usually when they have lost their entire bankroll.
Tilt
Refers to a player currently undergoing a losing streak.
Total
The total number of goals, points, or runs scored by teams during a sporting event set by the bookmaker, which includes those scored in overtime. See over/under.
Underdog
Refers to the team or entity more likely to lose in a sporting event. Also known as “dog” in gambling parlance.
Under the gun
Refers to the player sitting immediately to the left of the blinds. Players “under the gun” are required to act first prior to the flop and right after the blinds.
Vig (Vigorish)
Refers to the commission on bets charged by the casino or the sportsbook. Also known as the “juice.”
Wager
Another name to call a bet made during a game. See bet.
Wagering requirement
Refers to criteria set by online casinos or sportsbooks that players must meet to comply with the bonus offer’s staking requirements.
Players must wager a particular amount before they can claim the bonus. It’s a mechanism preventing players from taking the bonus and cashing it out right away.
As you can see, learning gambling terminologies isn’t just important for players to gain a deeper understanding of the game and the culture, mores, and folkways behind it,
More importantly, for iGaming professionals such as translators and writers, a deep knowledge of gambling jargon demonstrates a mastery of subject matter expertise.
Qualitative translations and engaging content must be made by native-speaking iGaming translators and writers, respectively, with thorough linguistic and domain mastery.
Translation and localization are more than just literally translating gambling terminologies into awkward or downright forced word selections or haphazardly written content that looks like it just spun out of an AI writing app.
Above all, it’s about the quality, accuracy, and consistency representing the level of experience and professionalism needed to excel in the industry.
Header Image Source: Photo by cottonbro on Pexels
How did you like May Thawdar Oo’s blog post “Grokking Gambler-speak: Getting a Grasp on Basic Gambling Terms and Phrases”? Let us know in the comments if you have anything to add, have another content idea for iGaming blog posts, or just want to say “hello.” 🙂
1 Comment