It’s hard to image a movie about poker or blackjack not including phrases like “Hit me” or “I fold”. Likewise, the climactic moment when a hand is revealed depends a lot on audiences knowing how a Flush, a Full House, and a Straight line up against each other. Casino games are such an ingrained part of our culture that it’s generally accepted that the audience will understand the basics of all the classic table games.
Casinos have their own terminology and jargon, just like any other hobby or community with shared interests. Knowing the right words can make you feel like an insider and make it easier to blend in. Not knowing what certain phrases mean can make it obvious that you’re a new player. Learning to speak like a cardshark is part of the fun of going to a casino destination like Ocean City.
The move to online casinos has shifted this learning process a bit. It’s easy to look up casino slang online but online casinos introduce an entirely new set of jargon to master. Playing live dealer games means you learn a little bit about OCR software (optical character recognition), slots advertise their RTPs (return to player rates), and social casinos introduce new currencies into the mix.
Then, there’s the new component of online gambling—responsible gaming. Responsible gaming isn’t just a buzzword, it’s an essential component of keeping online gambling a safe and enjoyable hobby. Responsible gaming tools are becoming a common sight at online casinos but that doesn’t mean that everyone knows what they are or how to use them.
Just like every other aspect of the casino world, it can take some research and time to understand all the responsible gaming tools and terms. This article can help with that. We’ll provide a brief rundown of all the most popular responsible gaming terms, what they mean, and why they matter.
Trusted Payment Options
Trusted payment options are a key part of responsible gaming. Trusted payment options are the methods that you can use to make a deposit or withdrawal at a casino that has customer protections in place. These include the most widely used online payment methods, including credit/debit cards, bank transfers, e-wallets, and PayPal.
It can also refer to the newer payment apps and digital banking service providers that are less widely used but still have good reputations for safety and security. Boku is a good example of this. Boku is an alternative payment method that applies charges to your mobile phone bill. If you’ve never heard of it, it sounds slight;y strange, however, it is a trusted way to pay and has affiliations with Amazon, Meta, Spotify, Microsoft, and more big companies.
When you’re unsure about a payment method, consider using an online casino guide—especially if you’re looking at a new platform. For example, if your regular site becomes unavailable and you’re looking for a suitable replacement, using a resource like https://www.newcasinos.com offers all the information you’ll need to stay secure—listing important metrics like the payment options available, licenses, and accepted currencies. It’s always a smart idea to consult a guide like this when using a new payment method like Boku, Chime, Revolut, etc. Using trusted payment methods will mean you’re not losing money to hidden fees, scams, or unreliable payment providers.
Problem Gambling
Problem gambling is a serious concern that responsible gaming tools seek to address. Problem gambling isn’t always obvious to the player and can develop slowly over time. Instead of being a fun way to spend some time, problem gambling can dominate and damage people’s lives and finances.
Some of the signs of problem gambling include a compulsion to play (playing when it isn’t fun anymore or is inappropriate), needing to wager bigger and bigger amounts of money to get the same thrill, chasing losses, and lying about how often you’re gambling or how much money you’re spending on gambling.
Deposit Limits
This tool is used to help players stick to the budget that they’ve set. Deposit limits cap the amount that a player can deposit per day, week, or month. Once that cap has been met, the player can’t make any more deposits until the time period has passed.
Since these limits are set by the player, they can be tailored to each individual’s budget and style of gambling. Sticking to a budget is a key part of responsible gaming, and deposit limits make it much easier to play within a budget. It’s much harder to chase a loss or play your way out of a losing streak when you can’t make any excessive deposits.
Time Limits
Anyone who has played video games or loves reading or any other hobby will understand how easy it is to lose track of time when you’re doing something you enjoy. The same is especially true with online casino games, which are designed to be played repeatedly.
Time limits, sometimes called reality checks, prevent players from losing track of time. They alert the player when they have played for their allotted amount of time. The player then has to take a break before they can log back in.
Loss Limits
Loss limits are similar to deposit limits. They cap the amount a player can lose before they have to take a break from playing. This is a valuable tool because many gamblers easily fall into the trap of chasing losses in the hope that they’ll win everything back.
Just like deposit limits, loss limits are set by the player. They are a useful reminder that casino games should only be played for fun.
Time Outs
Sometimes, you just need a break. Time outs are a responsible gaming tool that lets players impose a gambling break on themselves. This can be done on the casino site. Time outs are typically set for periods between 24 hours and one month.
Self-exclusion
Self-exclusion tools are designed to give players who struggle with excessive gambling more control over the sites they visit. Self-exclusion is like a time out, except it applies for a longer period of time. When a player self-excludes from an online casino, it means that they cannot log in to that site until the exclusion ends. Typically, self-exclusions can be set for six months to a year, but they can be set for much longer.
One of the cool things about self-exclusion is that it can usually be done on the casino’s site and/or with the local regulator. In New Jersey, players can self-exclude from all online or in-person gambling activities through the Division of Gaming Enforcement. They also provide a way to remove yourself from the self-exclusion list.
Limited Celebration
This is an interesting measure introduced for online casinos in Great Britain. Limited celebrations mean that a slot game can’t celebrate a win unless the win is greater than the amount wagered. This was put into place to prevent games from encouraging players to think they’re winning when they’re actually losing money.
A bit less fanfare from a game when you’ve only won 50 cents from a $1 wager helps to remind your brain that a win that small is still technically a loss. It’s a smart and simple change to the games and hopefully, it will be introduced more widely soon.
