Canonical: https://www.playbookrg.com/brand/book/glossary/ Description: Gambling terms in plain language, each with the phrasing the system prefers and the phrasing it avoids. > Static reading copy of the published page, including authored disclosures. Interactive controls, personalized state, and account data are not reproduced. Use the canonical page for interaction and citations, and the dedicated content feeds for complete resource inventories. Source terms still apply; this format does not extend the Brand CC0 license to other products or third-party material. # Glossary Gambling terms in plain language, each with the phrasing the system prefers and the phrasing it avoids. 10 min read · Free to copy and adapt · CC0 Revised September 6, 2026. Game definitions and examples revised with stated assumptions and source links. Service terms require local verification. [Download this chapter (.md)]() On this page 18 sections This glossary helps content teams explain gambling terms in plain language. Each entry separates the definition from an example of how to write about it. Examples describe stated rules or hypothetical models; they do not predict a player’s result or establish an operator’s policy. For voice guidance, see [Chapter 4: Voice and Tone](). For complete game assumptions and calculations, use the [game guides](). --- ## A ### Accumulator (Acca) A bet combining multiple selections, also called a parlay or multi. A traditional all-win ticket requires every selection to win under its settlement rules. Pushes, voids, related selections and special products can be handled differently. **Example copy**: “Ten independent selections, each with a true 50% win chance, have a 1-in-1,024 chance of all winning. This calculation excludes pushes and voids. An even-money price does not establish a true 50% chance; related selections cannot be assumed independent.” See the [sports guide’s joint-probability examples]() and the [operator’s parlay explanation](). The operator’s rules describe its own products. ### Activity summary A report of activity over a stated period. Deposits and withdrawals are transfers; stakes and returns describe bets; net gambling result and account balance are separate measures. **Example copy**: “Check the period, the amounts staked and the returns. A withdrawal is not by itself a measure of gambling profit.” Define how pending bets, refunds, bonuses and time are counted. --- ## B ### Bankroll Money set aside for gambling. A budget is a limit on intended spending, not a target to use up or a prediction of how long the money will last. **Example copy**: “Choose an amount you can afford to spend on entertainment. You can leave some or all of it unspent, and you can choose not to gamble.” ### Bookmaker margin (Vig / Juice) These terms are used in several ways. Name the measure rather than treating a quoted price, overround, expected player loss and realized operator revenue as interchangeable. For two mutually exclusive, exhaustive outcomes both quoted at −110, the implied probabilities sum to more than 100%; the quoted overround is 4.76%. If a particular −110 bet has a true 50% win chance, its expected loss is 4.55% of the stake. Its break-even win rate is 52.38%. These figures assume a win or loss, no push and no other adjustment. **Example copy**: “The offered price tells you the payout. It does not establish the true probability or a guaranteed sportsbook profit.” See the [worked comparison](). --- ## C ### Cool-off period A short account break where that feature is offered. The available periods, covered products, access to account functions and return conditions depend on the provider and applicable rules. **Example copy**: “Read what this account pause covers and when it ends.” Do not use a short pause as a substitute label for formal self-exclusion. --- ## D ### Deposit limit A cap on deposits over a specified period, where available. It is distinct from a loss limit, a wager limit and an overall gambling budget. Gross and net deposit measures count withdrawals differently. **Example copy**: “Choose an amount and a period. Check which deposits count, when the period resets and when changes take effect.” Do not assume the limit covers cash gambling, other accounts or every form of spending. --- ## E ### Expected value (EV) The probability-weighted average of the possible values of an outcome under a specified model. For a bet’s expected net result, subtract the stake from its expected total return. A negative expected value means an average net loss in that model; it does not specify the outcome of one bet or session. **Example copy**: “Expected value describes an average across the model’s possible outcomes. Your actual result can differ.” State whether the amount is gross return or net profit/loss, and identify the stake and rules. --- ## G ### Gambler’s fallacy The mistaken belief that previous outcomes make an opposite result due in a sequence of independent trials with unchanged probabilities. **Example copy**: “On independent roulette spins with unchanged rules and wheel probabilities, previous non-red results do not make red due.” Drawing cards or balls without replacement changes the remaining possibilities; it requires a different explanation. See [roulette]() and [baccarat](). --- ## H ### House edge Expected player net loss expressed as a percentage of a specified wager denominator. State whether the denominator is the initial stake, total action or another explicitly defined amount, and give the bet, payout and rule conditions. **Example copy**: “Double-zero roulette with standard payouts has a 5.26% edge on standard bets, excluding the five-number basket. The basket paying 6:1 has a 7.89% edge. Single-zero standard bets without a zero concession have a 2.70% edge. These are averages per amount staked, not a prediction of one session.” See the [roulette guide]() and [mathematical analysis of its rules and payouts](). Do not assign one percentage to every blackjack game or slot, or rank hourly spending from percentages alone. --- ## I ### In-play betting (Live betting) Betting while an event is in progress. Prices and market availability can change; the price displayed while browsing may differ from the price accepted on the bet slip. **Example copy**: “Check the accepted price and settlement rules before confirming.” Do not invent a universal interval between bets or assume a live feed arrives without delay. --- ## L ### Limit (Deposit / Loss / Session / Wagering) A boundary on a named account activity where the feature is available. The label alone does not define the calculation, covered activity, reset time, change delay or enforcement behavior. **Example copy**: “Read what this limit counts and when it resets.” A session reminder is not automatically a session limit. Describe user-selected and mandatory limits accurately; do not assume every limit is chosen by the player. --- ## O ### Odds In probability, odds compare the chance of an event with the chance of its alternative. In betting, “odds” often means the offered payout price, shown in decimal, fractional or American form. A betting price does not establish the true probability. **Example copy**: “At −110, a winning $110 cash bet returns $210: the original stake plus $100 profit. This is before deductions or adjustments. A losing bet returns $0; pushes, voids and bonus bets follow their own terms.” See the [odds conversions]() and [operator terminology](). Distinguish a quoted potential return from money already received. --- ## P ### Parlay See [Accumulator](). ### Paytable Information describing awards for specified results and applicable conditions. In slot and video-poker games, check the bet size, award unit, complete schedule and feature rules. **Example copy**: “Read what each result pays and which bet qualifies for it.” A prize frequency is different from RTP. A favorable-looking single payout does not establish the return of the whole game. See [Slots]() and [Video Poker](). ### Player A person participating in a game. Use plain, respectful language appropriate to the audience. Preserve the wording of legal definitions and accurately attributed research when precision requires it. **Example copy**: “Players can read the game rules before choosing whether to play.” Do not present a preferred editorial label as proof of improved engagement. --- ## R ### Random Number Generator (RNG) A component that produces random or pseudorandom values used by a game’s rules. Its presence alone does not prove that complete game rounds are independent or use unchanged probabilities. Retained features, a changing deck and other game state require their own description. **Example copy**: “For independent rounds with unchanged rules and game state, previous results do not change the next round’s probabilities.” The [Gambling Commission’s explanation]() distinguishes random and compensated machines in Great Britain; it is not evidence that every game worldwide has one mechanism. ### Return to Player (RTP) Expected total return as a percentage of amounts staked under stated rules and play assumptions. When the return and house edge use the same stake denominator and account for the same cash flows, they add to 100%; RTP is not the reciprocal of house edge. **Example copy**: “In a hypothetical game with 95% theoretical RTP, the house edge is 5.00%. This is an average, not your chance of a prize or a promise to return that share of your session budget.” The [Slots guide]() compares complete invented payout distributions with the same RTP. The [regulator’s explanation]() provides source context for long-run return and machine mechanisms, within its stated jurisdiction. --- ## S ### Self-exclusion A formal arrangement restricting a person’s access to covered gambling services. Periods, providers, products, enforcement and return conditions vary by scheme and jurisdiction. **Example copy**: “Read the self-exclusion scheme’s coverage, duration and return conditions.” Name self-exclusion clearly; calling it only a “short break” or “account pause” can hide material differences. Link to the actual scheme and current information for the operating market. ### Session reminder A prompt about elapsed time or a chosen check-in time, where that feature is available. A reminder does not automatically stop play unless the product actually does so. **Example copy**: “Choose when to check in, if reminders are available. When one arrives, review your time and decide what to do next.” Do not promise that a reminder prevents losing track of time. ### Informed play (specific behaviors) An editorial phrase for concrete actions such as checking rules, choosing a budget, reviewing activity or reading promotional conditions. It is not a certification, a clinical classification or proof of a particular outcome. **Example copy**: “Check the accepted bet price” or “Read the deposit-limit conditions.” Name the actual action instead of claiming that a quiz score makes someone a skilled gambler. --- ## T ### Tilt An informal term, often used in poker, for frustration or emotional strain affecting decisions. It is not a diagnosis or a measurable cost ranking across all gambling. **Example copy**: “Feeling frustrated? You can stop and decide later.” Avoid claiming that one phrase or tool establishes a player’s condition or guarantees control. ### Tools Features such as activity summaries, limits, reminders, budget planners and account pauses, where actually offered. Their availability and behavior must be described accurately. **Example copy**: “Find the tools available in your account and read how each works.” State whether an interface is a functioning feature, a demonstration or a proposed design. --- ## V ### Volatility (Variance) Variance measures the probability-weighted squared deviation from the mean of a specified outcome distribution; standard deviation is its square root. “Volatility” is often used more loosely in game descriptions, so identify the metric and unit when giving a numerical comparison. **Example copy**: “Two games can have the same RTP and different variability. Prize frequency and the chance of a profitable round are separate measures.” A high-variance label alone does not establish a particular hit frequency, maximum prize or length of a losing run. See the [complete illustrative payout distributions](). --- ## W ### Wagering requirement A condition requiring a stated amount of qualifying betting before a specified promotional benefit can be withdrawn or converted. Check the base amount, contribution rates, eligible games, maximum bet, expiry, balance order and other terms. **Example copy**: “If an illustrative 30x requirement applies only to a $50 bonus, and every eligible dollar staked counts in full, it requires $1,500 of qualifying action. A constant assumed 3% house edge gives $45 expected net loss over that fixed action. This calculation does not establish the bonus’s value, your ability to complete the requirement or the amount you can withdraw.” This is a hypothetical arithmetic model, not a particular offer. A requirement applied to bonus plus deposit, reduced game contributions or a stopping condition changes the analysis. --- ## Jurisdiction-specific terms Use the current name of the service or scheme that actually applies. The following are examples of labels that require local verification, not a worldwide directory or an endorsement. Jurisdiction-specific terms: Label, Check before publishing | Label | Check before publishing | | --- | --- | | GambleAware / BeGambleAware | Current organization or campaign name, role and any branding permissions. | | GameSense | The specific program and operator; do not imply Playbook participation or endorsement. | | GAMSTOP | Covered services and territory, current scheme terms and the official destination. | | 1-800-GAMBLER | The particular service using the number, its territory and each contact channel. | | National Problem Gambling Helpline | The current NCPG service page; do not reuse a historical number as a universal default. | | Spelpaus | Current scheme coverage, official destination and terms. | | OASIS | Current scheme coverage, official destination and terms. | The [NCPG contact page]() currently lists 1-800-MY-RESET for its US helpline call/text routes and a separate chat link (checked September 6, 2026). That record does not establish availability, costs, privacy or eligibility for another service. Use the [jurisdiction guide]() as a starting point and verify current local information before distribution. ## Sources and scope The linked game guides contain the shared calculations and their complete assumptions. Roulette references are mathematical analysis; DraftKings links describe one operator’s terminology and products; Gambling Commission links explain mechanisms in their British scope; NCPG identifies its own contact routes. Editorial usage examples are authored guidance, not measured player outcomes. This glossary revision preserves the original chapter separately. Other book chapters and external source files have their own review status. --- *Previous: [Chapter 8 – Governance]() | Back to [Introduction]()*