With casino credit, you qualify for a certain amount of money that a casino lends you for a short period of time. How much the casino will lend you is based on the average amount of money in your checking account (between 30 and 90 days) and your credit history as determined by your FICO or Vantage scores or, if you’ve previously established a record of casino credit, your Central Credit score, which is used specifically by casinos.
At the tables, you can draw chips against your credit line by signing markers. For slots and video poker, you get your funds from the casino cashier.
At the end of your trip, you settle up by buying back your markers with your winnings or make arrangements acceptable to the casino for covering your losses.
With front money, you deposit your own funds into a casino account. You can deposit cash, casino chips, a personal check, a bank draft, a money order, or a wire transfer. You draw down your front money, same as casino credit, by signing markers at the tables or making withdrawals from the cage.
At the end of a stay, if you have unpaid markers, they’re debited against your front money. You can withdraw any leftover money or leave it in your casino account for your next trip.
There are a lot of ins and outs connected to casino credit and front money, having to do with minimum amounts, playing to your line, comp considerations, collections on outstanding markers, and the like, but those are beyond the scope of this answer.