In the 1990s, after society moved into the digital age, the gambling industry wholeheartedly capitalized on this transition by launching online casinos and sportsbooks. What initially started with the launch of the Liechtenstein International Lottery in 1994 has since become a widespread trend, with online casinos fanned out across the globe. Today, that branch of the gambling industry is a billion-dollar market.
Understanding The Lingo Of The Online Gambling World
However, just because online gambling and the technologies that have made these platforms possible have made our lives easier by allowing us to place wagers from our homes, that doesn’t mean gambling online is an easy, as it’s ultimately a two-step process.
For instance, you might want to play bingo slot games such as Age of the Gods - Lord of Lightning or Irish-themed Slots o' Luck, but you'll likely struggle to understand the descriptions provided if you don’t know the difference between a progressive slot and a video slot. Or similarly, you could be seeking an online blackjack game with a real-time, live dealer, but with no experience under your belt, you might be lacking an idea as to where to turn.
Online gambling may be an unceasing market that’s forecasted to be valued at over $112.09 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 12%, but unless you know the jargon, you’re not going to have much luck navigating the world of online gambling.
Like with most technologies and gadgets, from smartphones to smartwatches, you have to understand the terminology that comes with new advancements. If you’re using an Apple Watch, and it displays your active and total calories, for instance, you have to know the difference between the two to get the full use of your money. It’s the same for when you’re using online casino platforms. For instance, did you know there’s a difference between bingo machines and slot machines? Well, there is.
With bingo machines, individuals are playing in a virtual bingo room that’s full of players, whereas, when it comes to slot machines, you play alone. Additionally, and as briefly mentioned, there are different types of slots, and what you’re hoping to get will depend on the one you select.
If you want to play a game with a big jackpot that keeps climbing until someone wins, you would play progressive slots. However, if you value intangible aspects like graphics and sound effects, video slots would be the way to go. Within these games, there are additional terms that are worth knowing. These terms include free spins (the chance to spin reels without using your own money), line betting, and scatter symbols.
When playing online, traditional card games like blackjack also have new terms that players must understand before playing. For example, an online casino may offer both blackjack and live blackjack. But what’s the difference? Well, live blackjack has a real dealer who shuffles the cards rather than a random number generator. In addition, in some cases, players can interact with the dealer in the form of live chat.
Technology has revolutionized our lives by introducing several different gadgets we can use for entertainment and day-to-day interactions. Yet, with great power comes great responsibility, and to make sure we use technology to its full abilities, we have to be open to learning the lingo as developments unfold. When it comes to online gambling, this is especially important, as there are hundreds of online options, and each has a unique set of jargon.
Originally published at https://www.gadgetgram.com/
David Novak is an internationally syndicated columnist and expert in consumer electronics. His column appears in over 120 newspapers around the country, and enjoys over 3 million in readership. His website and byline appear all over the world including such publications as Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Men’s Health, Popular Science, PC Magazine, National Geographic, Newsweek, Popular Mechanics, Forbes, Cosmopolitan Magazine, T3, Stuff, Wired, CNET, Engadget, InfoWorld, Men’s Journal, Electric House, HSPA, South Carolina Living Magazine, Georgia Living Magazine, Florida Living Magazine, Kentucky Living Magazine and GQ Magazine.