Crypto Gambling Glossary

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.

The rule: In Great Britain, the Gambling Commission capped wagering requirements at 10 times and banned bonuses that mix gambling products (for example, betting plus slots) from 19 January 2026. Most crypto casinos hold offshore licences and are not bound by that cap, but it is a useful benchmark: anything above 10x is more demanding than British rules now allow.

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.

The rule: Game providers often release several RTP versions of the same title, and the casino chooses which one to run — BGaming, a slot provider, gives the example of one game listed at 96% on one site and 94% on another. Check the in-game info panel at the casino you actually play at, not a provider's headline figure.

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.

The rule: FATF standards apply customer due diligence to casinos once a customer's transactions reach USD/EUR 3,000. British rules go further: since 7 May 2019, UK-licensed online operators must verify a customer's name, address and date of birth before letting them gamble. If a casino says it checks ID "at withdrawal", that is its trigger point — note it before you deposit, not after you win.

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.

The rule: The Bitcoin whitepaper describes this model directly: every transaction is announced publicly, and privacy depends only on keeping public keys from being linked to a person. Once an exchange or casino that has your KYC documents knows which address is yours, that link exists.

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.

The rule: In Great Britain, every online operator licensed by the Gambling Commission has had to participate in GAMSTOP since 31 March 2020, so a single request excludes you from all of them. Offshore crypto casinos sit outside that scheme, which is why the operator's own limits and exclusion tools matter so much there.