House rules are the specific rules a casino or sportsbook sets for play at its venue or on its platform. Some are universal, such as never touching another player’s chips. Others are the venue’s own choices, such as a dress code that turns away sportswear and shorts, table minimums, or whether the blackjack dealer hits soft 17.
Online, house rules live in the terms and conditions. They include bonus wagering requirements, the maximum bet allowed while a bonus is active, void-bet policies, settlement rules for postponed events and complaint procedures. The phrase is also used for rules that friends agree on before a private poker night, though less often. Operators should publish their house rules clearly and apply them the same way every time, because regulators and dispute services judge complaints against exactly these terms.