Crypto Gambling Glossary
Ten terms worth knowing before you deposit at any crypto casino. Each definition below includes a line of our own context — how the term actually shows up when you're comparing casinos, not just a textbook restatement.
Provably Fair
A cryptographic method that lets a player verify a game's outcome was determined before the bet was placed and wasn't altered afterward, typically using a hashed server seed, a client seed, and a nonce.
In practice: when we check a casino's claims in our review methodology, we specifically look for whether the verification tool actually works, not just whether a "provably fair" badge is displayed — see our full provably fair explainer.
Wagering Requirement
The multiple of a bonus (and sometimes the deposit itself) you must wager before any resulting winnings become withdrawable, expressed as a number like "40x."
In practice: a 300% bonus with a 60x requirement is usually worse value than a 100% bonus with a 20x requirement — always compare the effective wagering total (bonus + deposit × multiplier), not just the headline percentage.
RTP (Return to Player)
The theoretical percentage of all money wagered on a game that gets paid back to players over a very large number of rounds — a 97% RTP slot returns $97 per $100 wagered, on average, long-term.
In practice: RTP is a long-run average, not a promise for your session — a 97% RTP game can still produce a losing streak over a few hundred spins. Some casinos let providers offer multiple RTP versions of the same game, so the number can vary by platform.
House Edge
The mathematical advantage built into a game in the casino's favor, mathematically equivalent to 100% minus the RTP — a 2% house edge means the casino keeps 2% of wagered volume on average over time.
In practice: house edge varies a lot by game type — classic dice and blackjack often sit under 1-2%, while some slots and specialty games run 4-10%+. Comparing house edge across game categories matters more than comparing casinos.
KYC/AML (Know Your Customer / Anti-Money Laundering)
Identity verification procedures — typically ID documents and proof of address — that licensed operators are legally required to run, usually triggered at signup or once withdrawals cross a set threshold.
In practice: KYC thresholds and timing differ by operator and jurisdiction; we do not cover or recommend ways to avoid KYC, since it's a legal requirement for licensed operators, not an inconvenience to be engineered around.
Volatility (Variance)
How unevenly a game's payouts are distributed — high-volatility games pay out rarely but with large wins, while low-volatility games pay out often in smaller amounts, for the same average RTP.
In practice: a small bankroll playing a high-volatility game is more likely to bust before hitting a big win, even if its RTP is identical to a low-volatility alternative — bankroll size should inform volatility choice, not just personal preference.
On-chain
Any transaction or data recorded directly on a blockchain's public, permanent ledger, as opposed to being processed off-chain by a private database or a second-layer network.
In practice: "on-chain" is also why crypto isn't truly anonymous — your wallet address and transaction history are visible to anyone who looks, which is why we call crypto payments pseudonymous rather than anonymous throughout this site.
Cold Wallet
A cryptocurrency wallet whose private keys are stored offline (a hardware device or paper), disconnected from the internet, as opposed to a "hot wallet" kept on an internet-connected app or exchange.
In practice: for gambling, keep your casino balance in a hot wallet for convenience but store your main long-term holdings in a cold wallet — never leave large sums sitting on a casino account or exchange longer than needed.
Bonus Abuse
Exploiting promotional terms in ways operators consider outside the intended spirit of the offer — for example, opening multiple accounts to claim the same welcome bonus repeatedly.
In practice: casinos reserve the right to void winnings and freeze accounts flagged for bonus abuse under their terms — always read a bonus's terms in full, since what counts as "abuse" is defined unilaterally by the operator.
Self-Exclusion
A tool that lets a player voluntarily block their own access to gambling — at one operator or, in some jurisdictions, across all licensed operators at once — for a set period or permanently.
In practice: self-exclusion only covers licensed, cooperating operators, so it can't stop signups at unlicensed sites — see our responsible gambling page for how to set it up and where to get additional support.