Beginner's Guide to Casino Terminology

Casinos are establishments where customers can come to enjoy all manner of gambling games like Poker, Roulette, Blackjack and Slots. Whilst live casinos are still hugely popular due to recent circumstances, they have been forced to shut the doors which has in turn led to a rise in online casino sites. Whilst it has become easier than ever to play casino games the terminology used has not changed, but what does it all mean?

History Of Casino’s

Throughout history gambling establishments have been evident from Roman Times to the Wild West placing stakes has been a popular pastime. The history of gambling in South Africa has been very interesting with restriction on gambling taking place for over 300 years from 1673 to 1994, before this there were an estimated 2000 illegal casinos operating nationwide. The National Gambling Act introduced licensing for casinos as well as a national lottery, this law has created an industry with a value of R26.3bn as of 2016.

Casino Phrase Guide

There is a dictionary full of jargon related to casinos and the players that use them though I will not include all of that, here are a few examples of dialect used in casinos to get you started.

Action – Meaning to play, dealers may say it a player letting them know that it is their turn to play.
Bankroll – The money a player takes with them to gamble, normally in cash that is the limit players are willing to gamble. It is important to have a bankroll in cash and know to stop when that bankroll is gone.
Buy-in – The cash exchanged for chips that players use at a table, in Poker the buy-in in the price to enter a game.

Cold/Hot – refers to a player’s form, a cold streak refers to a game that is not paying out and a hot streak to a player on a roll.
Face cards – refers to J, Q, K of cards.
House – another term for the casino, like the house edge refers to the way in which casino’s always profit.
Railbird – spectators of games in casino’s, they must not interact with play but are allowed to watch.

Of course, that is just a taster of casino dialect, the basics you could say that would help a new starter to understand what is happening when visiting a casino. In order to understand all of it you would have to visit these establishments and spend time playing the games. A good way to start is by making the most of the bonuses and offers provided such as no deposit bonuses.

The Rise Of Online Casino’s

As mentioned before in recent years the online casino industry has seen an exponential rise and because of this sites and games have got better whilst odds have gotten greater. Many sites now offer free online casino games to allow players time to try them out before placing stake on them. It is a brilliant time for the industry and an even better time to join up with brilliant bonus offers and great games available at the press of a button.

Where To Play Online Casino Games

During this unclarity with the laws and regulations surrounding online casino sites in South Africa it is important to place your money on a site you can trust. All of our affiliate sites are legitimate businesses from around the world, they all offer brilliant deals for new and existing customers along with boasting a sensational collection of games. Some sites will even give out free online casino games for new starters to get a feel for the games before putting money on it.

Check out our top casinos page to see the sites on offer and the deals available at these sites.