Casino Glossary — Every Term a Beginner Trips Over
The jargon is half the intimidation. This is the JKJILI reference desk — every term the other lessons use, plus the live-table, bingo, keno and payment words a Filipino beginner runs into, defined in plain English.
Core casino terms
- RTP (Return to Player) — the share of all wagered money a game returns over the long run; a 97% game keeps 3% on average.
- House edge — the flip side of RTP; the built-in mathematical advantage the casino holds on a bet.
- Volatility / variance — how a game distributes its wins: low means small and frequent, high means rare and large.
- Bankroll — the money you have ringfenced purely for play.
- Unit — one standard bet, usually 1–2% of your bankroll.
- Wagering requirement — how many times a bonus must be bet before it becomes withdrawable cash.
- KYC — the one-time identity check (a valid government ID) required before your first withdrawal.
Live-table terms
- Baccarat — a card game where you bet on the Player, Banker or Tie hand; Banker holds the lowest house edge.
- Natural — a two-card baccarat total of 8 or 9, which usually ends the hand immediately.
- Roulette — a wheel game; inside bets cover single numbers, outside bets cover colours or blocks.
- Even-money bet — a wager that pays 1:1, such as red/black or odd/even; the lowest-variance way to play a table.
- Shoe — the box holding the multiple decks a live dealer draws baccarat cards from.
- Pusoy Go — the online, live-video version of Filipino Chinese Poker, split into three-card and five-card hands.
- Tongits Go — the digital take on Tongits, the popular Filipino rummy-style card game.
Bingo & keno terms
- Bingo — a draw game where you mark called numbers on a card to complete a pattern before other players.
- Pattern — the winning shape you need to fill on a bingo card, from a single line to full-card coverage.
- Ball / call — each number drawn during a bingo round.
- Keno — a lottery-style game where you pick numbers (spots) and win based on how many are drawn.
- Spot — one number you select on a keno ticket.
- Catch — a number you picked that the draw actually produced; more catches means a bigger keno prize.
- Color Game — the live-streamed Filipino perya classic where you bet on which colours the dice land on.
Payment & regulation terms
- GCash — the Philippine e-wallet used for deposits from ₱50 and instant withdrawals, up to ₱100,000 in per day.
- InstaPay — the real-time transfer rail behind cashouts; capped at ₱50,000 per transaction and ₱500,000 per day.
- PESONet — a batch transfer rail that settles same or next banking day, better for larger-than-InstaPay amounts.
- QRPh — the national QR standard used to confirm many e-wallet and bank payments.
- PAGCOR — the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, the government regulator that licenses legal online casinos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between RTP and house edge?
They are two sides of one coin. RTP is the percentage a game returns over the long run; the house edge is what it keeps. A 97% RTP means a 3% house edge — add them and you always get 100%.
What does 'even-money bet' mean at a live table?
It is a bet that pays 1:1 — win ₱100 for a ₱100 stake. Roulette red/black and baccarat Player are close to even-money wagers, and they are the lowest-variance way for a beginner to play a live table.