This pokie glossary explains the language of game screens, promotional terms and account records. Use the alphabetical groups to find a term, then follow the linked guide when a short definition needs more context.
The exact game and campaign rules control their own details. A familiar label should not replace checking the edition, currency, stake basis or scope of a condition. Free spins appear twice below because a promotional allocation and an in-game feature are different things.
A–C: pokie terms
Award
An amount paid under a game’s rules. An award can be smaller than the stake, so receiving one does not necessarily mean the round made a profit.
Bonus buy
A paid route into a feature where the game offers it. The purchase cost can be much larger than the displayed base stake. Bonus buy guide.
Bonus code
A campaign identifier entered through an operator’s stated process. A code does not establish eligibility or replace reading the offer terms. Code guide.
Bonus credit
Promotional value allocated under an offer. It should not be assumed to be immediately withdrawable cash or identical to deposited money.
Cascade
A mechanic in which symbols are removed and replacements enter the grid under the game’s rules. It is also described using terms such as tumble or avalanche.
Cashout cap
A ceiling on eligible withdrawal under a stated rule, such as a promotion. It differs from a limit on payment instalments. Withdrawal limits.
Cluster
A qualifying group of symbols evaluated by the game’s stated adjacency and minimum-size rules. A cluster arrangement is different from a fixed payline.
Contribution
The proportion of eligible stakes counted towards a wagering requirement. At a hypothetical 50%, an eligible A$1 stake counts as A$0.50 progress.
Credit
A unit displayed by a game or account. Check its denomination before treating a credit count as a dollar amount.
D–H: pokie terms
Denomination
The monetary value assigned to a credit. In an invented example, 20 credits worth A$0.05 each make an A$1 total stake.
Deposit match
A promotion adding a stated percentage of a qualifying deposit, subject to its ceiling and conditions. It does not make the combined balance immediately withdrawable. Deposit matches.
Expected loss
An average-value calculation under stated assumptions. It is not a personal loss forecast, a maximum loss or the amount needed to fund a session. RTP calculator.
Feature
A game mechanic or round with its own trigger and rules, such as respins or free spins. Read its actual conditions instead of assuming every feature behaves alike.
Free chip
Promotional credit described as a chip or cash allocation. Its displayed amount does not establish unrestricted cash; eligibility, wagering and cashout conditions need checking.
Free spins: game feature
Spins awarded within a game according to its trigger, retrigger and award rules. They belong to the game mechanics, rather than automatically being a casino promotion.
Free spins: promotion
An operator’s spin allocation, potentially with a specified game, stake, expiry and wagering rules. A spin count is not its winnings or withdrawable value. Promotional spins.
Hit frequency
The frequency of a defined event, often an award. Check what is being counted: any award and a profitable round are not necessarily the same event.
Hold and win
A family of features retaining qualifying symbols while further attempts continue under defined rules. The reset, ending condition and prizes need checking for the exact game. Feature guide.
House edge
For the simplified model used here, 100% minus theoretical RTP. A hypothetical 96% return gives a 4% edge; this does not specify an individual result.
I–P: pokie terms
Jackpot
A prize described as a jackpot under the game’s rules. The label alone does not tell you whether it is fixed, progressive or available at every stake.
Maximum wager
The largest stake permitted under a particular rule. A game’s technical maximum and a promotion’s permitted maximum can be different.
Maximum win
An award ceiling under the specified game conditions. It is not the probability of reaching that award or a promise that any session will do so.
Payline
A defined path used to evaluate a qualifying symbol combination. The required direction, symbols and minimum match come from the paytable. Game basics.
Paytable
The game’s description of symbol awards and relevant rules. Match it to the exact edition and stake basis instead of relying on a different release’s screenshot.
Progressive jackpot
A jackpot that can grow through the stated contribution arrangement. Eligibility, currency and the current amount need separate verification. Jackpot guide.
R–S: pokie terms
RNG
Random number generator: a component used to generate random values for game outcomes. The acronym alone is not evidence of independent testing or operator authorisation.
RTP: observed
Gross awards divided by total stakes for a defined sample, expressed as a percentage. A short sample does not establish the game’s theoretical return.
RTP: theoretical
The designed return for a game configuration. It is not the percentage chance of winning one spin or a promise about your deposit. RTP explained.
Scatter
A symbol evaluated under a game’s scatter rules rather than necessarily requiring a normal payline. Do not assume every scatter automatically triggers free spins.
Stake
The amount committed to a paid round. Distinguish total cost from stake per line, credit denomination or a base figure shown next to an optional purchase.
Sticky bonus
A label requiring the campaign’s own definition. Check whether bonus credit is removed at withdrawal and how deposits and awards are treated. Balance rules.
T–Z: pokie terms
Turnover
The sum of stakes, including money staked again after an award. It can exceed the initial deposit without representing the same amount of new deposits.
Variance
A mathematical measure of spread around an average. It is related to volatility; the standard deviation is the square root of variance.
Volatility
Variation in game outcomes, often represented using standard deviation or a supplier’s descriptive scale. A lower rating does not guarantee profit. Volatility guide.
Wagering basis
The amount to which a promotional multiplier applies. Bonus only, deposit plus bonus and promotional spin winnings are different possible bases.
Wagering requirement
The counted turnover specified by an offer. Contribution rules determine how much of eligible stakes count. Wagering calculator.
Ways to win
A method evaluating qualifying symbol combinations across the stated reels. A larger ways count alone does not establish a higher RTP or profitable session.
Wild
A symbol that substitutes under the game’s defined rules. Some symbols or features may be excluded from substitution; read the paytable.
Withdrawal
A request or process for moving eligible funds out of an account. Submission, approval, dispatch and receipt are different stages, not interchangeable proof of payment.
Use definitions alongside the actual rules
The UK Gambling Commission’s technical definitions support the distinctions between theoretical return, actual return, volatility and turnover. They are used for mathematical terminology, not as Australian operating rules.
NSW Government GambleAware guidance explains random outcomes and rejects the belief that a losing run makes a win due. Terms such as volatility or jackpot do not provide a countdown to a future award.
For account questions, use account verification and withdrawal limits. For the regulatory setting, read Australian gambling laws. A technical specification does not establish operator authorisation.
Return to the guides hub or the FAQ page for related explanations. Visit responsible gambling for support information.
Pokie glossary FAQs
Why are there two free-spin definitions?
Promotional free spins are an operator’s allocation with campaign conditions. Free spins triggered inside a game are a feature governed by the game’s rules. The same words do not make them interchangeable.
Is an award always a profit?
No. An award can be smaller than its stake. Receiving an award and making a net profit are different events.
Are credits the same as dollars?
Not necessarily. Check the denomination. A credit count multiplied by its monetary value gives the corresponding amount.
Is RTP the chance of winning one spin?
No. Theoretical RTP describes designed return, while a winning event needs its own probability definition. Observed return describes a sample.
Does hit frequency measure profitable spins?
Check the event being counted. A frequency of any award can include awards smaller than their stakes, so it need not equal the frequency of profitable rounds.
Are volatility and RTP interchangeable?
No. Volatility concerns variation in outcomes; RTP concerns return. Games with similar return percentages can have different distributions of awards.
Is a maximum win a prediction?
No. It describes a ceiling under the rules, not the probability of reaching it or the result of a particular session.
Does a wild substitute for every symbol?
Do not assume so. Substitution rules and exclusions come from the exact game’s paytable.
Is turnover the amount deposited?
No. Turnover adds all stakes, including money staked again after awards. It can differ substantially from initial funding.
Does this glossary replace game and bonus rules?
No. It explains terminology. Check the actual edition, campaign, currency and applicable conditions before applying a definition to a specific situation.