Reference

Glossary of gambling terms

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Z

Zero (live roulette)

European roulette has one zero (house edge 2.7%); American has two (5.26%). Always pick single-zero where possible.

Y

A bettor's profit-per-stake ratio over time. A +5% yield means $5 profit per $100 staked, long-run.

X

Loyalty experience points. Earn through play to unlock VIP tiers, cashback, and dedicated hosts.

W

The largest promotion an operator offers a brand-new account, usually a deposit match and/or free spins.

The total bet amount a player must place before bonus funds become withdrawable. 35x of $100 = $3,500 wagered.

V

How spread out a slot's payouts are. High-volatility slots pay rarely but larger; low-volatility pays often but smaller.

U

A standardised wager size, usually 1% of bankroll. Lets bettors compare across stake sizes.

T

A timed competition with a leaderboard and prize pool, common on slots and poker.

S

A platform that takes bets on sporting events. Single-event sports betting is legal across Canada since 2021.

A player-initiated block from accessing a gambling account for a chosen period. Per-operator and per-province in Canada.

R

Responsible gambling

Tools and habits to keep play within affordable limits: deposit limits, time-outs, self-exclusion, helplines.

A bonus on a deposit after the initial welcome offer, usually smaller and recurring.

Return-to-Player. The theoretical long-run percentage of wagers a game returns. 96% RTP means $96 back per $100 wagered over millions of spins.

Q

Quebec's modernised privacy regime. Stricter than PIPEDA for cross-border data transfers and biometric handling.

P

A jackpot whose pool grows with every wager across a linked network until it is won.

Canada's federal private-sector privacy law. Operators must obtain meaningful consent and limit data collection.

O

A sportsbook promotion that raises a market's odds for a limited time or wager size.

N

A bonus credited without a player deposit. Typically small ($5-$25) with capped winnings.

M

Malta Gaming Authority. Common European licensor; not a Canadian regulator but recognised in our methodology.

L

Studio-streamed table games dealt by a human, played in real time against other players.

A regulator-issued permission to operate. In Canada the key ones are AGCO/iGO, KGC, and offshore MGA/Curacao.

K

Know-Your-Customer. Identity verification required before payouts above operator-defined thresholds.

Kahnawake Gaming Commission. A Canadian First Nations regulator that licenses online operators and software.

J

A large prize, often progressive (growing across a network of machines).

I

Interac e-Transfer

Canadian bank-to-bank transfer rail. Common deposit/withdrawal method at AGCO/iGO operators.

iGaming Ontario

iGO. The Crown agency that contracts with private operators in Ontario.

H

Casino's built-in mathematical advantage, expressed as a percentage of each wager.

G

BCLC's responsible gambling program, available across multiple Canadian operators.

F

Canada's federal financial-intelligence agency. Operators report large transactions and suspicious activity here.

Spins on slots awarded as a bonus, often tied to a specific title.

E

Expected value. The average outcome of a wager if it were repeated infinitely. Positive EV means a long-run win.

The mathematical advantage one party holds. House edge is what the casino keeps long-term.

D

European odds format. 2.50 means $2.50 returned per $1 staked.

C

Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation. Governs commercial messaging including casino marketing emails.

A bonus that returns a percentage of net losses, usually weekly.

B

Bonus suppression

AGCO Standard 2.05 rule that bars Ontario operators from advertising bonuses outside their logged-in surface.

The total amount of money set aside for gambling. Disciplined bettors apply the 1% rule per wager.

A

Anti-money-laundering. The set of checks operators run on funds entering and leaving the platform.

Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. Regulator for Ontario's online gambling market.