18+ Gambling can be addictive. Play responsibly.Updated 25 June 2026 · Independent · UKGC-licensed operators only
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UK Casino Comparison
Glossary

Terms used across this site, in plain English.

UK casino vocabulary mixes regulator jargon, gaming-industry shorthand and old-fashioned bookmaking terms. Here's a translation layer for the words that come up most often in our reviews and head-to-head duels.

  • UKGC
    The UK Gambling Commission. The regulator that licenses and supervises online and land-based gambling in Great Britain. Every operator on this site holds a UKGC licence; you can confirm any of them on the Commission's public register at gamblingcommission.gov.uk.
  • Account number
    The unique licence number a UKGC licensee is given. The operator must display it on its site, usually in the footer. Useful to cross-check against the Commission's register if you're not sure who you're dealing with.
  • GAMSTOP
    The free national self-exclusion scheme for online gambling in Great Britain. One sign-up at gamstop.co.uk blocks you from every UKGC-licensed online operator for the period you chose, from six months to five years. You can't lift it early.
  • KYC
    Know Your Customer. The identity verification process operators must run before letting you deposit or play. Under current UK rules this happens up-front, not at withdrawal.
  • AML
    Anti-money-laundering. The body of UK regulations that requires gambling operators to monitor account behaviour, check identities, and ask for source-of-funds evidence at certain thresholds.
  • Affordability check
    A check by the operator that the level of gambling you're doing is in line with what you can afford. This may involve a soft credit check, a request for payslips or bank statements, or a softer set of questions. The Commission has been actively shaping where the threshold sits.
  • RTP
    Return to player. The long-run percentage of stakes a slot or game is designed to return to players in winnings, expressed across millions of spins. A slot with 96% RTP is designed to return £96 for every £100 wagered over its full statistical life. It does not predict a single session.
  • House edge
    The flip side of RTP. The percentage of every stake that goes to the operator in the long run. A 96% RTP game has a 4% house edge.
  • Volatility / variance
    How spiky a game's payouts are. Low volatility games pay out frequently but in smaller amounts; high volatility games pay out rarely but in larger amounts. RTP doesn't tell you which is which — two games can share a 96% RTP and play completely differently.
  • Wagering requirement
    How many times you must wager a bonus (or sometimes bonus + deposit) before any winnings from it can be withdrawn. A 35x wagering requirement on a £20 bonus means £700 of bets must be placed first. Game weightings affect this: slots usually count 100%, table games much less.
  • Sticky bonus
    A bonus that can't be withdrawn — only winnings derived from it can. The bonus itself comes off your balance when you withdraw. Compare with a non-sticky bonus, which sits separately and is forfeited if you withdraw before wagering is met.
  • Welcome offer
    The opening promotion shown to new accounts — usually a deposit match plus free spins, or occasionally a no-wagering cash matched offer. Always read the terms before depositing.
  • Free spins
    Spins credited to a specific slot at a fixed stake. Free spins always have terms attached: which slots they apply to, when they expire (often 24-72 hours), the stake per spin, and a wagering requirement on any winnings.
  • Live dealer / live casino
    Real-time video streaming of an actual dealer at a real table — usually run by specialist studios like Evolution, Pragmatic Play Live or Playtech, not by the casino brand itself. The brand licenses the feed.
  • Game studio (provider)
    The company that actually makes the slot or table game — NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Play'n GO, Hacksaw Gaming, Big Time Gaming and so on. Operators license game catalogues from studios; the same studio's games often appear at many different operators.
  • White-label operator
    A brand that runs on another company's UKGC licence and platform infrastructure. Common arrangement. The platform operator (e.g. White Hat Gaming) is the actual licensee; the front-end brand is the customer-facing identity.
  • Native app
    An iOS or Android app downloaded from the App Store or Play Store. Distinct from a mobile-optimised website, and from a progressive web app (PWA).
  • Progressive web app (PWA)
    A mobile website that can be installed to your phone's home screen and behaves like an app, without going through the App Store. Increasingly common for newer casino brands because it avoids App Store gambling restrictions.
  • Self-exclusion
    A formal opt-out from a single operator (operator self-exclusion) or all UKGC operators at once (GAMSTOP). Self-exclusion is not the same as a time-out, which is a shorter, reversible break.