Glossary

Q: What is the glossary section on FastPay?

The glossary is a handy guide that explains the common casino terms used across FastPay. It helps players understand things like pokies features, bonus conditions, and betting language without having to dig through complicated rule pages.

Q: Why is a casino glossary useful?

Online casino platforms often use specialised terms that might not make sense straight away. The glossary breaks those down into plain English so punters can understand how games, promos, and wagering rules actually work.

Q: What does RTP mean in casino games?

RTP stands for Return to Player. It’s the theoretical percentage of all wagers a game pays back over time. For example, a pokie with 96% RTP would return about £96 for every £100 wagered across the long run.

Q: What does volatility mean in pokies?

Volatility describes the risk level of a slot game. Low volatility pokies tend to pay smaller wins more often, while high volatility games might go quiet for a while but can land bigger payouts when they hit.

Q: What are wagering requirements?

Wagering requirements show how many times you must bet a bonus before you can withdraw any winnings linked to it. For instance, a £20 bonus with 30× wagering means you’d need to place £600 in bets before cashing out.

Q: What do wild and scatter symbols do in slot games?

Wild symbols usually replace other symbols to help form winning combinations. Scatter symbols often trigger special features like free spins or bonus rounds and typically don’t need to land on specific paylines to activate.

I review pokies and live casino platforms, and one thing I've noticed is that players who understand the vocabulary of live casino games make better decisions at the table — not because terminology is exciting, but because it tells you the actual cost of every bet you place. This glossary covers the terms you'll encounter across the live casino and pokies lobby at FastPay, all in plain Australian English with AU$ examples that make the numbers mean something rather than sitting as abstract percentages.

What live casino terms do you need before sitting at any FastPay table?

House edge — the casino's mathematical advantage per bet, expressed as a percentage. The lower the number, the less each AU$ bet costs you in the long run. At FastPay, house edge ranges from 0.42% on blackjack with basic strategy to 14.4% on the baccarat tie bet. Choosing your game based on house edge is the highest-value decision most live casino players can make.

Expected value (EV) — the predicted return on a bet over a very large number of repetitions. All live casino bets are negative-EV for the player — the house edge is what makes them negative. The practical question isn't whether to play a negative-EV game (all of them are) but which one costs the least per AU$ wagered.

Basic strategy — in blackjack, the mathematically optimal decision for every combination of player hand and dealer upcard. Using it consistently brings the house edge to its minimum of 0.42%. Not using it increases the effective edge — typically to 2–2.5% for casual play. The chart is freely available and using it at the live blackjack tables at FastPay is entirely permitted.

La Partage — a French roulette rule that returns half your even-money stake when zero lands. It halves the house edge on those bets from 2.70% to 1.35%. Available on Evolution's French Roulette tables at FastPay. If you're betting red/black, odd/even, or high/low at roulette, always choose French with La Partage over European.

Banker bet — in baccarat, the bet that the banker hand wins. Carries the lowest house edge of the three bet types at 1.06%. The 5% commission on winning banker bets is already factored into that edge figure. Always bet banker in baccarat — it is the correct play every hand.

Tie bet (baccarat) — a bet that player and banker totals will be equal. Pays 8:1 but carries a house edge of 14.4% — the highest available in live casino at FastPay. Never place it. The payout sounds attractive; the edge makes it one of the worst bets on any live table in Australia.

Push (blackjack) — when player and dealer totals are equal, the bet is returned. Not a win, not a loss — AU$ stays in play. Understanding push reduces misreads of the game state at fast-paced live tables.

Soft hand / hard hand — a soft hand contains an ace counted as 11 without busting (Ace + 6 = soft 17); a hard hand has no ace or one counted as 1. The distinction matters for basic strategy — soft 17 should be doubled against dealer 2–6, not stood. Hard 17 is always stand.

Author's tip from Zoe McAllister, Pokies & Casino Review Writer: "The tie bet in baccarat is the one live casino bet I actively steer Aussie players away from in every review I write. The 8:1 payout looks decent on paper — it isn't. A 14.4% house edge means you're expected to lose AU$14.40 per AU$100 bet over time. The banker bet at 1.06% costs AU$1.06. The difference is AU$13.34 per AU$100, every single time you place it."

How does house edge compare across roulette variants at FastPay?

Roulette is the game where game selection makes the biggest practical difference in AU$ terms. The column chart below compares house edge across the main roulette variants available at FastPay. The gap between French and American is more than 3.9 percentage points — on AU$100 bets that's AU$3.91 per bet in additional expected cost, every single spin.

Author's tip from Zoe McAllister, Pokies & Casino Review Writer: "Lightning Roulette is worth playing if you're after the multiplier experience — but be clear-headed about it. The 3.00% edge is higher than standard European Roulette at 2.70%, and significantly higher than French with La Partage at 1.35%. You're paying more per spin for the entertainment of the multipliers. That's a fair trade if you know you're making it."

What live casino game terms come up most at FastPay?

What pokies and bonus terms matter at FastPay?

The pokies lobby sits alongside the live casino at FastPay, and some vocabulary crosses over — particularly around how bonuses work across game types. For account setup and KYC details, the login page covers everything step by step.

Author's tip from Zoe McAllister, Pokies & Casino Review Writer: "Game contribution rate is the bonus term I highlight most for live casino players and it's the one most Aussies miss. If live tables contribute 10% toward wagering, a AU$100 bonus with a 10× requirement means you'd need to wager AU$10,000 through live games to clear it — not AU$1,000. That completely changes whether the offer is worth accepting. Always check the contribution rate for your preferred game type before you take any bonus at FastPay."

Quick-reference: best and worst bets at FastPay live casino

Game	Best bet	Edge	Worst bet	Worst bet edge
Blackjack	Standard + basic strategy	0.42%	Insurance bet	7.7% — never take it
Roulette	French + even-money bets	1.35%	American wheel any bet	5.26% — avoid entirely
Baccarat	Banker bet always	1.06%	Tie bet	14.4% — single worst bet in live casino
Casino Hold'em	Raise with pair or better	2.16%	Calling with low unpaired hand	Increases effective edge significantly

Term	Category	Plain meaning	When you'll see it	AU$ notes
Shoe	Equipment	Device holding multiple decks of cards	Live blackjack and baccarat	Standard 6–8 decks at FastPay live tables
Natural blackjack	Blackjack outcome	Ace + 10-value card on initial deal	Live blackjack tables	Pays 3:2 at FastPay — AU$150 on AU$100 bet
Deposit limit	Responsible gambling	Cap on AU$ added per day/week/month	Account settings	Set before first deposit; 24hr delay to increase
POLi	Payment	Aussie open-banking; no e-wallet needed	Deposit and withdrawal	Instant deposit; <24 hr withdrawal once KYC done
Self-exclusion	Responsible gambling	Long-term or permanent account closure	Account settings or live chat	Immediate; covers all licensed Australia operators

For the full FastPay live casino breakdown — game variants, house edge comparison chart, and stake ranges — the home page covers everything. For account setup, KYC documents, and login help the login page walks through it all step by step. Gambling is entertainment for adults who are 18 and over — and at live casino particularly, understanding house edge makes every session more deliberate.

FAQ

What is the glossary section on FastPay?

The glossary is a handy guide that explains the common casino terms used across FastPay. It helps players understand things like pokies features, bonus conditions, and betting language without having to dig through complicated rule pages.

Why is a casino glossary useful?

Online casino platforms often use specialised terms that might not make sense straight away. The glossary breaks those down into plain English so punters can understand how games, promos, and wagering rules actually work.

What does RTP mean in casino games?

RTP stands for Return to Player. It’s the theoretical percentage of all wagers a game pays back over time. For example, a pokie with 96% RTP would return about £96 for every £100 wagered across the long run.

What does volatility mean in pokies?

Volatility describes the risk level of a slot game. Low volatility pokies tend to pay smaller wins more often, while high volatility games might go quiet for a while but can land bigger payouts when they hit.

What are wagering requirements?

Wagering requirements show how many times you must bet a bonus before you can withdraw any winnings linked to it. For instance, a £20 bonus with 30× wagering means you’d need to place £600 in bets before cashing out.

What do wild and scatter symbols do in slot games?

Wild symbols usually replace other symbols to help form winning combinations. Scatter symbols often trigger special features like free spins or bonus rounds and typically don’t need to land on specific paylines to activate.