Casino, poker & betting terms explained
Plain-English definitions of the terms you'll run into across casino games, poker, and sports betting — each one links to related guides and, where relevant, to real research.
Curaçao License
A gambling license issued by the Curaçao Gaming Authority — historically one of the most common licenses for internationally-facing operators, with lighter player-protection requirements than tier-one regulators like the UKGC or MGA.
Read definition →KYC (Know Your Customer)
The identity-verification process licensed operators are legally required to run — checking your ID, address, and sometimes payment method — usually before a first withdrawal.
Read definition →Multi-Table Tournament (MTT)
A poker tournament format where hundreds or thousands of players compete across many tables simultaneously, with tables consolidating as players are eliminated, until a single final table remains.
Read definition →Pot Odds
The ratio between the current size of the pot and the cost of a contemplated call, used to judge whether a drawing hand is statistically worth continuing.
Read definition →Progressive Jackpot
A jackpot that grows every time the game is played, funded by a small percentage of each wager across some or all players on the network, until someone wins it and it resets to a base amount.
Read definition →Provably Fair
A verification method, mostly used by crypto-native gambling platforms, that lets a player cryptographically confirm a game result was not altered after it was generated.
Read definition →RNG (Random Number Generator)
The algorithm inside a licensed casino game that produces each spin, card, or dice result independently and unpredictably, so no outcome can be predicted from previous ones.
Read definition →Rake (Poker)
The commission a poker room takes from cash-game pots or tournament buy-ins, usually a small percentage capped at a fixed maximum per hand.
Read definition →Reality Check
A responsible-gambling tool that pops up a notification after a set amount of time in a game, showing session length and net win/loss, so a player can decide whether to continue.
Read definition →Self-Exclusion
A responsible-gambling tool that lets a player voluntarily block their own access to an operator, or in some countries to all licensed operators at once, for a set period or indefinitely.
Read definition →Volatility (Slot Variance)
How a slot game's payouts are distributed over time — low volatility means smaller, more frequent wins; high volatility means bigger but rarer wins, with longer losing streaks in between.
Read definition →Welcome Bonus
A promotional offer for new players, typically matching some percentage of a first deposit up to a stated cap, subject to wagering requirements before any winnings can be withdrawn.
Read definition →More betting-specific terms
Odds, wagering, and betting-math terms (house edge, RTP, moneyline, parlay, expected value, and more) are covered in our Betting & Odds Glossary.