Rollover is another term for wagering requirement — the number of times you must wager a bonus (or bonus plus deposit) before any associated winnings become withdrawable. A 30x rollover on £100 means you need to place £3,000 in total bets. Rollover calculations Most casinos calculate rollover on the bonus amount only. Some calculate it…
A spread bet is a wager on whether an outcome will be above or below a value set by the bookmaker, rather than a simple win/lose bet. Your profit or loss scales with how far the actual result falls from the spread — more extreme outcomes produce larger wins or losses. Financial spread betting In…
A wager is a bet — an amount of money risked on an uncertain outcome in the hope of winning more. To wager is to place that bet. The terms wager, bet, and stake are often used interchangeably in gambling contexts. Wagering in bonus terms The word ‘wager’ appears most often in casino bonus terms…
The grind refers to the slow, systematic process of meeting bonus wagering requirements through consistent low-variance play. Players who ‘grind’ bonuses aim to complete wagering requirements as efficiently as possible, minimizing expected losses along the way. Bonus grinding strategy The most efficient way to grind a bonus is to play high-RTP (96%+) low-volatility slots that…
A buy-in is the amount of money you exchange for chips at a casino table game. Sit down at a blackjack table, put down £100, and you ‘buy in’ for £100 worth of chips. In poker, the buy-in is the amount you pay to enter a cash game or tournament. Table buy-in minimums Most casino…
A near-miss in slots is an outcome where the symbols appear very close to a winning combination but don’t complete it — for example, two jackpot symbols on the payline with the third just above or below. Near-misses feel like ‘almost wins’ and are known to encourage continued play. Are near-misses random? In a properly…
A match deposit bonus is a promotion where the casino matches your deposit by a percentage and adds it to your balance as bonus funds. A 100% match up to £200 means a £200 deposit gives you £200 bonus, totalling £400 in playing balance. How match percentages work The percentage tells you how much of…
A sticky bonus (also called a non-cashable or locked bonus) is a bonus that can be used for wagering but cannot itself be withdrawn. Only the winnings generated from it can be cashed out after wagering requirements are met. The bonus funds themselves disappear from your balance when you withdraw. How a sticky bonus works…
A stake is the amount of money you risk on a single bet or spin. Every time you place a bet you’re putting your stake at risk. If the bet wins, you receive your stake back plus any winnings. If it loses, the stake is gone. Stake vs bet vs wager Stake, bet, and wager…
A low roller is a player who consistently bets at small stakes. The term is casual and relative — what counts as low depends on the context. In an online casino, a player spinning at £0.20 per spin or placing £1 table bets is generally considered a low roller. Low roller casino options Most online…
A lay bet means betting against an outcome — wagering that something will NOT happen. In traditional sports betting, you back a team to win. Laying that team means betting they will lose or draw. Betting exchanges like Betfair allow both backing and laying on most markets. How lay betting works When you lay a…
A whale is a casino industry term for an extremely high-value player — someone who gambles at stakes far above the typical high roller. Whales can wager millions per session and generate an outsized proportion of a casino’s total revenue. How casinos handle whales Casinos invest heavily in acquiring and retaining whale players. Dedicated VIP…