Lightning Network
A fast lane on Bitcoin's back that moves small payments in seconds for almost no fee.
Think of Lightning as an express lane stacked on Bitcoin. People lock BTC into payment channels and pass money along a web of those channels. The main Bitcoin chain only gets involved when a channel opens or closes.
Why you'd care at a casino
Send BTC the normal way and you might wait 10 minutes, or a full hour, and pay extra when the network's jammed. Lightning usually lands in seconds and the fee is tiny, closer to an Interac e-Transfer feel. A growing list of crypto sites accept it for deposits, and a few pay withdrawals through it too.
What's different
- Instead of an address, you get an invoice to pay. Most start with "lnbc", and they time out.
- Your wallet has to support Lightning.
- Big payments can fail if there's no route with enough room, so casinos often put a cap on Lightning withdrawals.
Classic mistake
Regular BTC sent to a Lightning invoice won't work. Same thing the other way: an on-chain-only wallet can't settle a Lightning invoice. Match the deposit option to what your wallet actually supports.