Glossary
A plain-English reference for the casino terms you’ll meet in our reviews. Skim the alphabet nav to jump to a letter, or scroll through the full list.
A
AGCO
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. The provincial regulator overseeing Ontario’s regulated iGaming market alongside iGaming Ontario.
AGLC
Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis. Alberta’s regulator. Operating Alberta’s regulated online gambling market from July 2026 under Bill 48.
AML
Anti-Money Laundering. Rules that require casinos to verify the source of funds and report suspicious deposits or withdrawals.
B
Bonus
A promotional offer (deposit match, free spins, no-deposit credit) used to attract or retain players. Not publicly advertised on Ontario-targeted pages per AGCO rules.
Bonus abuse
Practices casinos consider exploitative, such as creating multiple accounts or using low-variance strategies to clear bonus wagering risk-free. Detection typically voids the bonus.
C
Cashback
A bonus type that returns a percentage of net losses over a period. Usually subject to lower wagering requirements than welcome bonuses.
Cooling-off period
A short, reversible account break (24 hours to a few weeks). Stricter than a deposit limit, lighter than self-exclusion.
Curaçao eGaming
A widely used offshore licensing jurisdiction. Lower compliance bar than the MGA or AGCO; common for casinos serving the rest-of-Canada grey market.
E
eCOGRA
eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance. Independent testing body that audits RNGs and certifies casino payout percentages.
F
Free spins
Spins on a slot machine awarded at no cost, often as part of a welcome bonus or game-specific promotion. Subject to wagering requirements like other bonus credit.
H
High roller
A player who stakes large amounts. Casinos often run VIP programmes with higher deposit limits, faster withdrawals and dedicated hosts for high rollers.
Hit frequency
How often a slot returns any payout (winning combination). Distinct from RTP, a slot can have high hit frequency with low average payouts.
House edge
The casino’s mathematical advantage on a game, expressed as a percentage. For European roulette, 2.7%; for single-deck blackjack with optimal play, <1%.
I
iGaming Ontario (iGO)
Provincial agency that runs the day-to-day commercial relationships with AGCO-registered operators in Ontario. Operators sign an operating agreement with iGO.
Inducement
AGCO’s term for promotional offers (bonuses, free spins, deposit matches, no-deposit credit). Not allowed on public Ontario-targeted pages.
Interac e-Transfer
Canada’s near-universal bank-to-bank payment method. Supported by almost every CA-facing online casino, typically the fastest and lowest-friction deposit option.
K
Kahnawake Gaming Commission
Independent gambling regulator based on the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake in Quebec. Issues licences to online casinos serving offshore markets, including the rest-of-Canada grey market.
KYC
Know Your Customer. The verification process operators run before approving withdrawals: government ID, proof of address, and sometimes source-of-funds documentation.
L
Live dealer
Casino games hosted by a real human dealer, streamed in real time from a studio. Roulette, blackjack, baccarat and game shows are the most common formats. Evolution dominates the market.
Loss limit
A self-imposed cap on net losses over a period (daily/weekly/monthly). Useful when a deposit limit alone is too forgiving.
M
MGA
Malta Gaming Authority. EU-based regulator with relatively strict compliance standards. A widely respected licence outside North America.
P
Payout speed
How long it takes from requesting a withdrawal to seeing the funds in your bank. Includes the operator’s internal processing window plus the payment-method clearance time.
Progressive jackpot
A jackpot that grows with every wager across a network until it’s won. Mega Moolah is the most famous progressive slot in Canada.
R
Reality check
An on-screen reminder of how long you’ve been playing in the current session. A responsible-gambling tool offered by every reputable operator.
RNG
Random Number Generator. The certified algorithm behind every digital casino game outcome. Audited by eCOGRA or equivalent.
RTP
Return To Player. The long-run percentage of stakes a game returns to players. A 96% RTP slot returns C$96 on every C$100 wagered, on average, over millions of spins.
S
Self-exclusion
A voluntary ban from gambling venues, online accounts, or both, for a set period (6 months to 5 years, sometimes lifetime). The most effective tool if you’ve decided to stop.
Session limit
A maximum time per playing session, after which the operator logs you out automatically.
V
Volatility
How a slot’s payouts are distributed. Low-volatility slots pay small amounts often; high-volatility slots pay rarely but in bigger bursts. Same RTP, very different feel.
W
Wagering requirement
How many times you need to play through a bonus before you can withdraw bonus-derived winnings. A 30x requirement on a C$100 bonus means C$3,000 in wagers before cash-out.
Welcome bonus
A bonus aimed at new players, usually a deposit match plus free spins. Always read the wagering requirement and game contribution rates before claiming.