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ENiGaming glossary: terms in plain words
A definition, formula and example for every term. For casino and sportsbook teams.
100 terms
Revenue and metrics8
ARPUAverage Revenue Per UserThe average revenue per active player in a period. It always comes with a note on which revenue is used (GGR or NGR) and who counts as active. ARPPU counts revenue per paying player only.GGRGross Gaming RevenuePlayer bets minus player winnings over a period. It is the casino's revenue from play before bonuses, taxes and other costs.HoldThe share of turnover the casino kept as GGR over a period. It is an actual figure that swings around the theoretical house edge.LTVLifetime ValueThe net revenue a player brings the casino over the whole relationship, actual or forecast. LTV caps how much you can pay to acquire a player and how much you can give back to them in bonuses.Net depositsTotal deposits minus total withdrawals for a period. It measures cash movement, not revenue: part of the money may still sit on the balance and not have been played yet.NGRNet Gaming RevenueGGR minus bonus costs, gaming taxes and, depending on the contract, other fees. It shows how much the casino really earns from players.Theoretical winThe revenue a casino earns on average from a player's bets: turnover multiplied by the house edge. It strips out luck and shows the player's real value.TurnoverThe sum of all bets over a period, including winnings the player has staked again. In sports betting it is called handle. Turnover is dozens of times larger than GGR and is not revenue.
Bonuses20
Bonus balanceA separate account for bonus money next to the real balance. The rules set which balance is used first and when bonus money becomes real, that is, available for withdrawal.Bonus conversion rateThe share of credited bonuses that survived wagering and became real money. It is this share, not the credited amount, that sets the true cost of bonuses for the casino.Bonus costThe money a casino gave away through promotions: bonuses and free spin winnings that became real money, plus cashback. Not the credited amount, but what players were able to withdraw or bet as real money.Bonus expiryThe time a player has to activate an offer and meet the wagering requirement. If they run out of time, the bonus and any winnings from it are forfeited. The period should depend on the wagering requirement and on how often the player logs in.Bonus RateThe cost of bonuses for a period divided by GGR for the same period. It is the main KPI of the promo budget: it shows what share of gaming revenue the casino gives back to players as bonuses.CashbackThe return of a percentage of a player's losses over a period, paid as cash or as a bonus with a low wagering requirement. It is usually calculated on bets minus wins, less often on deposits minus withdrawals.Deposit match bonusA bonus worth a percentage of the deposit amount, up to a cap. The terms must state the minimum and maximum deposit, the wagering requirement and the expiry.Effective RTP under wageringThe share a player keeps on average for every euro credited towards wagering, taking the game's contribution into account. It shows in which game wagering is cheapest.Free spinsA bonus in the form of slot spins at a fixed bet, paid for by the casino. Winnings from them usually arrive as bonus money with a wagering requirement. The same name is also used for the free spins feature inside the game itself.Game weightingThe share of a bet that counts towards the wagering requirement, depending on the game. Slots usually count 100%, roulette and blackjack 5-20% or nothing at all.Max bet ruleThe limit on bet size while a bonus is active. It stops players from clearing a bonus with a few big bets on volatile games. Breaking the rule usually voids the bonus winnings.Max cashoutThe limit on the amount a player can withdraw after wagering a bonus or free spins. Anything above it is forfeited. The cap cuts off the most expensive bonus outcomes.No deposit bonusFree spins or bonus money given without a deposit. It usually comes with high wagering, a low max cashout and an identity check before withdrawal, because it is the offer people most often try to claim dishonestly.Promo codeA code a player enters at registration or deposit to get an offer. It also shows where the player came from: an affiliate, an influencer or a specific mailing.Reload bonusA bonus on a repeat deposit for existing players: usually smaller than the welcome bonus, tied to days of the week or to an occasion. The key question is not its size but who actually needs it.Sticky bonusA bonus you can play with but cannot withdraw: its amount is deducted from the balance at withdrawal. With a non-sticky bonus, real money is played first, and the bonus kicks in only if that money runs out.TournamentA competition between players for a prize pool: points are awarded for play on selected games, and the top-ranked players win prizes. It gives active players a reason to play without personal bonuses.Wager-free bonusAn offer whose winnings turn into real money straight away: usually free spins or cashback. It is clear and builds trust, but it costs almost its full expected value.Wagering requirementHow many times a player must bet the bonus amount before they can withdraw. A €100 bonus with x40 wagering requires €4,000 in bets.Welcome bonusAn offer to new players on the first deposit or a series of first deposits: a deposit bonus, often together with free spins. It is the main tool for turning registrations into first deposits.
CRM and retention14
Abandoned depositA payment attempt that a player started but did not finish: they left the form, got a bank decline or could not find their method. This player already wanted to deposit, and they are the quickest to win back.ChurnThe loss of players who have stopped playing or depositing. Churn rate is their share of the active base over a period. You set the inactivity window yourself, and it should depend on the player's usual rhythm.Contact policyThe set of rules on how many marketing messages a player gets over a period across all channels combined, at what times and in what priority. Without it, unsubscribes grow instead of deposits.Control groupA random part of a segment that does not receive the campaign. The difference in results between the campaign group and the control group shows the true effect (uplift), not the players who would have come anyway.CRMCustomer Relationship ManagementThe system and the team that run communication with players: segments, trigger flows, offers and channels. The goal is to retain players and grow their value without unnecessary bonuses.Cross-sellMoving a player into a neighbouring product: from casino to sports betting, from slots to live casino and back. It works when it builds on the player's own interest, not on the urge to sell everything to everyone.GamificationA layer of game mechanics on top of the product: levels, missions, achievements, tournaments, a prize wheel, a reward shop. It gives players a reason to come back without a personal bonus, as long as each mechanic serves a clear motive.Marketing consentA player's permission to receive marketing messages in a specific channel. Without it you cannot send the player promos, while service messages about payments and security are handled separately.OnboardingThe work of the first hours and days after registration: helping the player make a first deposit, explaining the offer, finding games they like and getting verification done early. Whether a second deposit follows depends on onboarding.Player lifecycleThe path from registration to VIP status or leaving: first deposit, second deposit, habit, churn risk, churn and return. At each stage CRM has its own goal, its own metrics and its own offers.ReactivationBringing dormant and churned players back to depositing through offers, messages and personal contact. The result is measured against a control group, otherwise any bonus looks like a success.Retention rateThe share of players who are still active after a set period. The figure depends on what counts as activity and which window you take, so both rules are written next to it.Second deposit rateThe share of first-time depositors who make a second deposit. Players who make a second deposit stay with the product noticeably more often, which makes it one of the key retention metrics.Trigger campaignAn automated message sent in response to a player event: registration without a deposit, an abandoned deposit, a missed regular play day. It arrives at the moment when it matters to the player.
Segmentation and analytics7
A/B testA comparison of two variants of an offer, email or page on random groups of players. The winner is the variant that does better on a metric chosen in advance, usually deposits or NGR.Active playerA player who took a qualifying action in a period: a real-money bet, a deposit or at least a login. Retention, churn, ARPU and comparing reports across teams all depend on this definition.Cohort retentionThe share of players in one cohort, for example those who made their first deposit in the same month, who are still active after 1, 3 and 6 months. The curve shows where players drop off and where retention reaches a plateau.Conversion funnelThe player's path step by step: registration, first deposit, second deposit and beyond, with the conversion rate at each step. It shows the step where the most players are lost.Dormant playerA player who used to be active but has not placed bets or made deposits for a long time: for example, 30, 60 or 90 days. In some markets the same term covers an inactive account with money on the balance.Player segmentationSplitting the player base into groups with shared traits: lifecycle stage, value, behaviour, geo and risk. Each group gets its own offer, channel and frequency, and some need no offer at all.Recreational playerSomeone who plays for fun: small stakes, irregular sessions, no expectation of making money. Such players make up most of the base and bring stable revenue.
VIP and loyalty7
High rollerA player whose deposits and bets are far above the average for the player base. They bring in a large share of revenue, but a single win of theirs can also push the month negative, so offers for them are built on separate rules.Loyalty programmeA system of levels and rewards for all players: points for bets, statuses, cashback or rakeback and bonuses for reaching a new level. It gives players a reason to come back without a personal bonus.RakebackA return of part of the house edge on every bet, win or lose. It depends on play volume, not on results, so it is paid even to a player who is in profit.Reinvestment rateThe share of revenue from a player or segment that the casino gives back to them as bonuses, cashback, gifts and service. It is the main budget lever of a VIP programme.TierA step in a loyalty or VIP programme: bronze, silver, gold and above. It is earned through play or value over a period, and each tier unlocks better terms. What matters in tiers is not the gifts but visible progress.VIP managerThe person who personally looks after the most valuable players: talks to them in their preferred channel, sorts out withdrawals and checks, and makes personal offers. Freedom in approach, but the offer maths is the same for everyone.VIP programmeDedicated service and terms for the most valuable players: a personal manager, fast withdrawals, higher limits, personal offers and gifts. Its budget is calculated as a share of the revenue from these players.
Games and product10
Bonus buyBuying a slot's bonus round straight away at a fixed price, for example x100 the stake. Such a round costs as much as a hundred spins and has a much wider spread of wins, so volatility and hold swings go up.Crash gameA game in which the bet multiplier rises from x1 until it crashes at a random moment. The player has to cash out before the crash or lose the bet, and the house edge is built into how often a round reaches each multiplier.Game aggregatorA company that connects an operator to hundreds of providers through a single integration. In return it charges a markup on top of the provider fees, and contracts, reports and catalogue updates all go through it.Game providerA company that develops games, has them certified and connects them to operators. The provider usually takes a percentage of the GGR from its games, and the rounds run on its server.House edgeThe mathematical share of bets a game keeps for the casino over the long run. It equals 100% minus RTP: a slot with 96% RTP has a 4% edge.JackpotA large prize on top of a game's regular payouts. A fixed jackpot is set in advance, while a progressive one grows from a share of every bet until someone wins it, and that share is already included in the game's RTP.Live casinoA category of table games and game shows run by real dealers and streamed from a studio in real time. Many tables have a low house edge, so live games usually carry a low weighting in bonus wagering.RNGRandom Number GeneratorThe algorithm that picks the outcome of every round in slots and digital table games. Each result is random and independent of previous ones, while RTP is set by the game maths, not by the RNG itself.RTPReturn to PlayerThe theoretical share of stakes that a game pays back to players over a very large number of rounds. An RTP of 96% means that, on average, €96 of every €100 staked comes back.VolatilityA measure of how unevenly a game pays. High volatility means rare big wins and long runs without them, low volatility means frequent small wins. The RTP can be the same in both cases.
Sportsbook8
AccumulatorA single bet on several selections that wins only if all of them win. The total odds are the product of the selections' odds, and the margin grows with every selection, so hold on accumulators is higher than on singles.Bookmaker marginThe edge built into the odds: how far the implied probabilities of all outcomes in a market add up above 100%. On a 1.90 / 1.90 market the total is 105.3%, a margin of about 5.3%. Margin is the price, while hold shows what was actually kept.Cash outClosing a bet before the event ends, at a price the bookmaker offers. The price is based on the current probability of the bet winning and includes a margin. It can be full or partial, when the player sells only part of the bet.Free betA free stake in sports betting. If it wins, the player usually gets only the winnings, without the stake itself. A €10 free bet costs the bookmaker well under €10, and the cost depends on the odds.In-play bettingPlacing bets while an event is under way: odds are recalculated as the score and clock change, and the market is suspended at dangerous moments. The in-play margin is usually higher than pre-match, and the quality of the odds depends on data speed.OddsThe price of an outcome in a bookmaker's market. In decimal format the payout equals the stake multiplied by the odds: €10 at 2.50 returns €25. The value 1 / odds shows the probability of the outcome with the margin already built in.Odds boostA promotional price on an outcome above the normal odds. If the bet wins, the bookmaker pays the difference, so the cost of a boost is that extra payout multiplied by the probability of the outcome. Boosts are capped with a maximum stake and built around the player's favourite sport.Sharp bettorA professional player who beats the bookmaker's line over the long run. The key sign: their bets consistently get better odds than the closing price, which means they bet before the market moves their way.
Payments and cashier6
Approval rateThe share of successful payments out of all attempts. For example, 780 out of 1,000 deposit attempts went through: a 78% approval rate. A higher approval rate brings deposits and FTDs with no extra spend on traffic.CashierThe section of the site where a player deposits, picks a bonus and requests a withdrawal. It decides how many started deposits actually get paid: methods for the player's country, visible limits, few steps and clear error messages.ChargebackThe reversal of a card payment through the player's bank: the amount is taken back from the operator, plus a fee for handling the case. Card schemes track the chargeback ratio, and above the threshold the operator faces fines and the loss of processing.Crypto paymentsThe use of cryptocurrency instead of cards and bank methods for deposits and withdrawals. It is fast, but it carries exchange rate risk, network fees and the same KYC and AML obligations, and not every licence allows it.PSPPayment Service ProviderA company that processes a casino's payments: it takes deposits and sends payouts via cards, bank transfers, e-wallets and local methods. The PSP determines fees, the share of approved payments and the set of methods in each country.WithdrawalThe path money takes from the player's request to the payout: KYC, bonus status and AML checks, then the transfer to the payment method. Whether the player comes back depends largely on how fast the first withdrawal is.
Compliance9
Affordability checkAn assessment of whether a player can afford their gambling spend without harming themselves. Light data checks come first, documents only at high thresholds. It is not a source of funds check.AMLAnti-Money LaunderingAn operator's programme against money laundering and terrorist financing: risk assessment, KYC, source of funds checks, transaction monitoring, PEP and sanctions screening, and suspicious activity reports. The licence requires it.Deposit limitThe amount a player allows themselves to deposit per day, week or month. A decrease takes effect at once, an increase only after a waiting period. In some markets the limit is mandatory.Gambling licenceA regulator's permission to accept players and bets in specific markets. In return, the operator meets its requirements: KYC and AML, responsible gambling tools, certified games, geo-blocking, reporting and complaint handling.KYCKnow Your CustomerThe process of verifying a player's identity: an ID document, address, sometimes a selfie and the payment method. The licence requires it, usually before the first withdrawal or once deposits pass a threshold.Responsible gamblingA set of rules and tools that keep gambling from harming the player: limits, time-outs, self-exclusion, affordability checks and fair marketing. It is a licence requirement and a condition for long LTV.Self-exclusionA block that players place on themselves for a chosen period or indefinitely. The operator closes the account for play, stops all marketing and prevents the same person from opening a new account.Source of funds (SoF)Proof of where the money a player gambles with comes from: salary, bank statements, sale of property. It is requested when deposits reach set thresholds or when there are risk signs.White labelLaunching your own casino or sportsbook brand on another company's licence and platform. The start is faster and cheaper, but the provider takes a share of revenue and sets the rules: markets, payments, player checks.
Risk and fraud4
Arbitrage bettingBacking every outcome of an event with different bookmakers when the implied probabilities in their odds add up to less than 100%. The player profits whatever the result, and the cost falls on the bookmaker whose price lagged behind the market.Bonus abuseExtracting value from bonuses against the terms: multi-accounting, risk-free betting, big bets above the limit, restricted games. It is grounds for voiding winnings if the rule is written into the terms.Bonus huntingPlaying only for offers: a deposit for the bonus, wagering, and a withdrawal straight after. The hunter follows the rules, so this is not abuse but a question of offer economics. If the segment loses money, change the terms and targeting rather than void winnings.Multi-accountingWhen one person runs several accounts at the same casino: to claim bonuses again or to get around limits or self-exclusion. It is almost always banned by the terms and shut down through checks.
Affiliates and acquisition7
AffiliateA partner who refers players to a casino for a commission: review sites, streamers, media, media buyers. Affiliates are paid on CPA, RevShare or a hybrid, and an affiliate's quality shows in the second deposits and LTV of their players.AttributionLinking a registration or deposit to its source: an affiliate, a campaign, a channel. It decides who the casino pays CPA and RevShare to and which traffic it considers profitable.CPACost Per AcquisitionA fixed payment to an affiliate for each new player who makes a deposit and meets the conditions (baseline). The casino carries the traffic quality risk.FTDFirst-Time DepositA player's first deposit, and also the player who made it. It is the basis for affiliate CPA payouts, registration-to-deposit conversion and the cohorts used for retention and LTV.GEO tiersA group of countries with similar player value. Tier-1 means high revenue per player and expensive traffic, while tier-2 and tier-3 traffic is cheaper and more mass-market. The tier drives CPA rates and offers, but the licence comes first.Media buyingBuying ad traffic and sending it to landing pages and casino registration. It works while player revenue stays above ad spend, so it is measured by ROAS and payback period, not by the number of registrations.RevShareRevenue shareAn affiliate commission calculated as a percentage of the NGR from the players they referred, usually for those players' whole lifetime. The rate often rises in tiers, and the negative carryover rule decides what happens to losing months.
No such term yet. The glossary keeps growing, and new terms appear first in the Telegram channel.