Did you know that the first ever online gambling transaction took place back in 1994, when somebody bought a ticket for the Liechtenstein International Lottery over the internet? Online gambling has changed beyond comparison over those subsequent three decades, both in terms of the quality of casino games played and the lexicon that surrounds them. 

Many long-established expressions related to card games, table play or casino etiquette have remained largely unchanged. Yet the digital era has also introduced a host of new concepts that a land-based casino regular from the past would struggle to recognise if you were to describe a typical online session to them today. This article looks at five terms that have become widespread as online gambling has evolved.

Welcome Bonus

When browsing gambling-related websites such as Legalbet, it’s now common to come across something like the Legalbet casino bonuses list, where experts examine the incentives operators provide to their players. In the gambling world, there are different types of bonuses,  But the welcome bonus wasn’t really a thing until online casinos surged in popularity and needed to differentiate themselves.

Sure, casinos on the Las Vegas strip offered their players comps and promos, but they didn’t have welcome bonuses as we know them today, where anyone who signs up is guaranteed a chance to receive a reward. These packages are available to every new customer at most online casinos.

Whether it’s a deposit match, free spins or a combination of the two, the birth of the welcome bonus was a game changer for players and afforded casinos a new way to attract customers. A win-win situation, you might say.

Wagering Requirements

Of course, there has to be terms and conditions attached to these bonuses; otherwise, players might be inclined to abuse the generosity of an online casino.

So the term ‘wagering requirements’ was born in conjunction with welcome bonuses. These are the terms which players must satisfy before they are able to withdraw any winnings accrued from their bonus.

Wagering requirements are often depicted as a multiplier, e.g. 20x, 35x etc. This shows how much players have to bet in order to unlock their winnings.

Therefore, it makes sense to seek out welcome bonuses that have the most agreeable wagering requirements attached to them.

RNG

One of the most complex subjects when it comes to online casino games, especially slots, is how they work. And here is another term that firmly took hold in the age of online casinos: the RNG, or random number generator. Slot games use an RNG to ensure that every spin of the reels is fair, unbiased and unpredictable.

When players hit spin, a numbered code is generated by the RNG. This string of digits relates to the symbols that are available within a slot game and where they will fall on your reels.

This code is randomly produced for each spin, which ensures the unpredictability that players are looking for.

RTP

So, although slots are completely random, they are programmed in a way that allows the casino to make a profit in the long run.

You may have heard the phrase ‘house edge’ when relating to games like blackjack and roulette? Well, online slots have a house edge, in a fashion, which is called the return to player (RTP) rate.

This RTP dictates how a game pays out over millions of spins. It is displayed as a percentage, with RTPs typically in the range of 85-97%.

So, for a 97% RTP slot game, the idea is that players will win 97% of their stake back during a session. Of course, it doesn’t work out exactly like this – due to the RNG mentioned above, players can enjoy a series of winning spins, or losses, when playing for a short period of time.

But, over many spins and months of play, a slot will deliver its RTP as published.

Volatility

Allied to the RTP is the notion of ‘volatility’.

This dictates how often a game could pay out and on what scale. As a general guide, a low volatility slot is one that pays out at a higher frequency but smaller prizes.

A high volatility slot, meanwhile, is one that pays out infrequently, but has the potential to deliver bigger payouts.

Players can learn about a slot’s RTP and volatility from its background information and choose which games they want to play according to their budget and appetite for risk.

Perhaps you’ve come across other modern gambling terms as well. Features like Megaways or cascading reels have become staples of many online slots, reshaping how players think about wins and game mechanics. As digital casinos continue to expand, new formats and ideas appear each year, bringing fresh terminology with them. The vocabulary of online gambling is still evolving, and there’s always another new term just around the corner.