The top Australian online pokies games are readily available to play at safe online casinos in 2024. OnlinePokieGame.com has its finger on the pokies pulse, with the latest pokies news, pokies bonuses, slots promotions, new pokies games, best casinos for online pokies and much, much more. Our real money pokies guides will teach you about the current climate in Australian online gambling and run you through everything you need to know about online pokies laws, the Interactive Gambling Act, and how it impacts online poker machine players. Click or tap any of the below casinos to start playing online pokies for real Australian dollars.
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Top online pokies sites November, 2024
OnlinePokieGame.com only recommend the best places to play online pokies with real money , along with reviews of the most popular pokies titles, explanations about how the games work, house edge odds, legalities, security, mobile and tablet game-play, and more.
Playing the pokies online is, overall, a much smarter financial move than spending time in front of gaming machines at local clubs and pubs or land-based casinos. Online pokies sites offer players a great amount of benefits and variety which brick-and-mortar establishments simply can’t offer due to overhead costs and restraints of the offline gambling world.
The best online pokies sites for Australians are based in overseas locations, with the bulk of the top options based in Curacao. These online pokies sites are generally powered by Betsoft, RealTime Gaming and other niche gambling companies.
Playing mobile online pokies is the no.1 digital way Aussies play real money slots, but because of the laws in this part of the world, you are unlikely to find casino apps available. Rather you will play online pokies via casinos instant-play website, which works across all screen sizes.
Australian online pokies sites also have some great bonus offers, with these generally coming in the form of deposit bonuses and free spins. Often online pokies casinos in Australia will give their customers a welcome bonus, which could be a combination of both these things.
- Boho Casino pokies
- Wild Tornado pokies
- King Johnnie pokies
- WildCard City pokies
- North Casino pokies
- True Flip pokies
- Joe Fortune pokies
- Kaulana Casino pokies
- Stellar Spins pokies
- Slots Gallery pokies
- Luckzie Casino pokies
Online pokies bonus offers 2024
Online casinos are in many ways much more profitable for players than their land-based counterparts, with one of the best things about playing pokies online being that you receive some great bonus offers and promotions. As a general rule when you sign up at an online pokies site you will receive the option to accept a welcome bonus offer, which usually takes the form of a match deposit bonus, free spins or a combination of both. OnlinePokieGame.com has numerous articles about the best pokies bonus offers and casino promotions for Australians:
* It’s important to remember all bonus offers come with specific wagering requirements, which means you’ll need to spend a certain amount of money at the casino before any winnings from bonus money can be withdrawn. Online pokies are the main area to use a casino bonus as they clear wagering requirements at 100% of all money bet, while other games may only clear a small percentage of money wagered. A standard wagering requirement might be 35 times, which means the player has to turn the money over 35 times before being eligible to cash it out. Always read the terms and conditions of a bonus offer first to avoid future disappointments.
Top Australian online pokies promotions
A number of the top online pokies casinos that we promote on this website have got exclusive promo codes, or bonus codes that we have secured. This means you can sign up at the casino and get something for nothing by entering in the code during the sign up, or deposit process, depending on the offer. The best bonus codes available at Australian online pokies include:
- Wild Tornado pokies bonus code
- Luckzie Casino bonus code
- King Johnnie bonus code
- Kaulana Casino bonus code
- Joe Fortune bonus code
Best real money pokies online Australia
While Australians can no longer play online pokies by industry leaders like Microgaming and Playtech, there are still some great companies that do service the market down under. These casino software companies include brands like Betsoft and RealTime Gaming, which have long been respected in gambling markets like the USA and China.
It can pay to note that online pokies by companies like RealTime Gaming can have their house edges set by the software company, so you might an online pokies game with a 94% return to player (RTP) rate at one casino site, while the same game might only return 89% to a player at a different online casino. RTG chooses to give operators this freedom so they can still service gambling markets like Australia,
- Best RTG online casinos
- Best Betsoft online casinos
- Top Quickspin online casinos
- Best Rival online casinos
- iSoftBet online casinos
- Play’n Go online casinos
New pokies games for Australia
While the Australian gambling market is not as flush with new online pokies games being released almost daily any more, because many companies no longer operate here, there are still constantly new online pokies titles being released, with some of our favourite latest release slots for November 2024 are:
- Wolf Moon Rising
- Hippie Chicks
- Money Train
- Valley of Secrets
All time best slots for Australians
While we’d love to point you in the direction of massive slots titles like Mega Moolah and Major Millions, which have made more than one Aussie a millionaire, pre-ban on online pokies, there is no point because you can no longer play them. The following are our favourite pokies online still available in 2024.
- At the Copa
- Mr Vegas
- The Mummy
- The Glam Life
How to play online pokies
Online and mobile casinos are the best platforms to indulge in a variety of diverse and entertaining virtual pokies. One of the key benefits to an online casino is the ability to play for both practice and real money. Traditional 3-reel pokies games, 5-reel video pokies, MegaSpin titles, 243, 1024 and 3125-Ways pokies are all available for practice and genuine money play. So once you’ve signed up, you are off the leash and can access hundreds of pokies, and other classic casino games including blackjack, roulette, baccarat, video poker, scratchies, keno, lotto and other table games.
Playing free or Practice play online pokies
Become familiar with the nuts and bolts of Web-based online pokies and have a go at the hundreds of diverse titles for free in practice mode to see which ones you fancy most. Burned through all your free money credits? You can easily top up again and continue to find your feet in the world of online slots. Many of the top real pokies online will also be available to play in practice mode, which means you can try before you buy essentially. Some online pokies, including progressive pokie games which can have prizes into the AUD millions, will not be available in practice play mode.
Real money pokies
Now we’re talking; begin playing at real money casinos and start winning genuine cash. The online casinos recommended on our site allow for easy and safe financial transactions to deposit and withdraw funds from your online casino account. After registration at any of our recommended casinos, you’ll be asked if you wish to deposit Aussie dollars. While you don’t have to do so immediately, when you do choose to make a real money deposit, you can take advantage of some awesome welcome bonuses that are on offer. You will be rewarded with free cash and free spins once your account has been credited with your own money.
How to play pokies
Perhaps the most daunting aspect of pokies is determining what wins and what doesn’t. Before Internet gaming and video pokies, winning at the pokies was fairly straightforward. Most pokies worked on a multiple reel system, usually three or five reels. On the side was a long lever; once you pull on the lever, the reels begin to spin. Each reel has multiple symbols on it, and the trick was to match the same symbol on each reel. Usually a payout table would show which symbol matches won what cash prizes. It wasn’t always cash, either. One of the earliest pokies rewarded your winning spin with a stick of chewing gum.
One of the pivotal changes that made pokies appear more confusing, at least on the surface, was the switch to video technology. Instead of needing to match three or five symbols across each other in a row, new winning lines became possible and the number of “reels” (now video images rather than physical mechanisms) could increase as well.
When playing pokies online, all you need to do is make a real money deposit, set your desired coin size, the amount of coins you wish to bet and the amount of bet lines. Hit the spin button and you’re on your way to a win. Games can also be played on your mobile, using the single one-tap function of your touch screen to place quick, easy bets on the go.
Pokies paylines
The main thing to understand with these newer pokies is how the multiple lines work. Many of the mechanical pokies would only keep one horizontal row of symbols in view. Video pokies and online electronic pokies allow players to see multiple rows of symbols. The multiple lines refer to different ways, such as diagonally, to connect lines of symbols across the screen. Now instead of having just one or three horizontal rows as a winning lines, you can choose to play for dozens, even hundreds of paylines at once.
There are a few key choices to make before the spinning the reels – namely what coin size to use, how many coins to bet per line, and how many lines to play. These decisions determine how much you will wager per turn, how many paylines will be covered and, ultimately, how much you can win on a single spin. In many cases you must bet the maximum number of coins per line in order to compete for the jackpot, so make sure you take a look at the payouts and rules when you play an online slot.
Nowadays, we can also play Internet pokies that don’t use traditional payline structures. These ‘all-ways’ machines instead offer up every possible winning combo, regardless of where they line up on the reels. These machines range from 243 ways-to-win, up to 1024 and even 3125-ways games.
To find out more about pokies paylines, follow the links below:
Online slot features & special symbols
With the advent of video pokies came a whole new level of game-play features, designed to make digital slots both more entertaining and potentially more rewarding. These online pokies features come in many different forms, but all serve the same purpose: to give us the opportunity to win bigger sums of money per spin.
These are special symbols which, when used in tandem with a winning combination (or to complete a payline, as a wild card does), multiply the amount of the win. Different games use different sets of multipliers; some offer a simple 2x or 3x symbol, while others can range up to 15x and beyond.
In some online pokie games, the multiplier value will increase when it comes up in consecutive spins. For example: let’s say our first spin produces a wild 2x multiplier; if the same symbol comes up on the next spin, it might become a 4x multiplier.
These are among the most versatile features on a pokie machine, drawing their roots from the mechanical slots of yore. On many three-reel slots and pub fruities with three to five paylines, the double cherry symbols were called ‘scatters’ because they would pay regardless of where they appeared on the reels – if there were three cherries on the screen, you won.
Nowadays, the role of scatter symbols is much more diverse. They still behave in the same way (i.e. can appear anywhere across the reels), but instead of straight payouts they can offer up a host of different tasty treats – from multipliers, to free spins, to bonus rounds.
Bonus games
This is perhaps the most significant and alluring aspect of the modern virtual pokie. Usually activated by striking a certain number of scatter symbols (three is common), bonus games give us the opportunity to grab big wads of cash via free spins and multipliers. In many cases, we win a certain amount of free spins; and often when we hit consecutive winners, the multiplier value will increase. A lot of the time we can also win more free spins.
Mobile Pokies: Apps and Web-browser play
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The majority of reputable online casinos now provide mobile gambling platforms in order to keep up to speed with the mobile and tablet industry, which is developing at an astonishingly quick rate. Unfortunately for Australians, because of our local laws, online pokies are not available to play via apps on iPhones, although you will find the odd casino with a non-market app for Android devices.
Australian iOS pokies apps
Because the Apple App store is heavily regulated by authorities and every app included must be vetted by the Apple team, you won’t find pokies apps in the Australian app store, although sports betting is regulated so you will find these types of apps. Other iOS mobile phone users in countries with regulated online gambling do allow you to download apps legally, including punters in New Zealand.
Android pokies apps
Australians can download non-market apps or pokies apps directly from the developer if they have one and you are using an Android device. Just be wary that the online pokies you play via apps are not as heavily regulated as the gambling sites we used to play at pre-ban.
Best mobile pokies sites
Alternatively, hit any of our recommended online casinos in the table above from your phone or tablet – the site will immediately recognise the device you’re using, and take you to the compatible mobile pokies site through your browser – easy to use, and thoroughly rewarding. These instant-play mobile casinos are compatible with iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and other Android powered devices. Our top-three mobile pokies sites can be accessed directly using the app buttons below, with no downloads needed.
Aussie real money online pokies sites based offshore
An offshore casino is one located and operated outside of the borders of your country. The common misconception is these offshore sites are rogue operators running by their own rules, ready to take unsuspecting players along for the ride, but there are plenty of offshore pokies sites that are running completely above board, obtaining official gambling licenses from their country of jurisdiction.
Running under strict rules and regulations set by the laws of their gambling jurisdiction, offshore casinos work hard to ensure player safety and game fairness while offering accessible payment options and a range of currency methods. Reputable online pokies casinos make it their mission to run free from criminal activity and provide a safe space for player entertainment. All of the casinos recommended here at OnlinePokieGame.com are legally licensed by reputable offshore gambling jurisdictions and tested for fairness and safety.
Australian online pokies laws
A frequently asked question is whether it’s legal for Aussies to play at offshore casinos. In March 2017, an amendment was passed in parliament on the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 to clarify online gambling would no longer be tolerated unless the casino had official licensing from a state or territory within Australia as of September 2017.
As Australia does not issue online casino licenses, these amendments were put in place to prevent Aussies from gambling at offshore casinos. However, as Australian law does not punish players from accessing these sites, many punters continue to do so with no risk of consequences, with many offshore vendors continuing to service the Australian market. If you do choose to play at an offshore casino, we recommend the use of a trusted VPN (virtual private network) for an extra layer of online security.
Overall the threat of a player getting in trouble for playing online pokies at a gambling site based overseas is minimal, with no pokies player ever charged for breaking the IGA rules. There has however been some action against the online pokies operators who have chosen to stay in the Australian market, with several of the popular casinos blocked for a time, but as is the nature of the internet, they never stay offline for long.
There is a growing feeling in Australia that the laws surrounding online pokies are not working, and the only way forward is to regulate online casinos, poker and other forms of what is presently illegal gambling. A regulated online casino industry would allow Australians to play online pokies in a much safer environment, one where the gambling sites they were playing at were based in Australia and had to answer to authorities here.
The major push for change to the online pokies laws is coming from the online poker community, which is believed to be over 1 million Australians, who feel poker has become collateral damage in the war against offshore casinos, that are eating into the profits of major gambling venues. The withdrawal of poker giants like Pokerstars and Full Tilt Poker from Australia means we are left playing at operators like Ignition Poker and Bodog, a much less safe experience.
In conclusion, there is already great posturing from online gambling companies eagerly awaiting the legalisation and updating of Australia’s gambling laws, with the Stars Group (through it’s purchase of William Hill and Crownbet) just one of the major companies waiting for the changes to come.
If online casinos are eventually legalised it would open the door for all of the biggest online pokies providers to re-enter the Australian market, which would give us access to thousands more pokies titles, plus a constant stream of new pokies games, that at the moment are only released into legal gambling markets.
Why AU online pokies are still safe
The sites we recommend all use the highest digital encryption technology, tested and authorised RNGs (random number generators), and are endorsed by eCOGRA (globally renowned independent governing body for fair online gaming) and other player safety testing agencies. They are licensed by international authorities and do not on-sell personal details to any other companies – you should have no concerns about utilising Aussie dollars to play online pokies.
It would be folly not to be cautious when playing pokies online in the Australian gambling climate, with our laws creating almost a Wild West of wagering, where regulation is non-existent and millions of untaxed money pours into offshore pokies sites. However there are a few simply steps you can take that will ensure your safety when playing online pokies.
- Read reviews and player feedback on your chosen online pokies sites
- Make sure there is customer service and a casino is responding
- Read terms and conditions of an pokies bonus offers before accepting them
- Check that the games available at an online casino are from a reputable provider, and not an in-house product
- Making a small deposit first can save you a lot of pain later
Additionally, pokies sites we endorse provide 24/7 customer support via live chat, and you can otherwise call toll-free hotlines, email, or even use Skype to get in touch if you have any concerns.
AUD Online pokies deposit options
With the Interactive Gambling Update receiving a significant update it did not only impact the real pokies Australians could play, it also forced many of the biggest payment processors to withdraw their services from this market. This included giants like Paypal and Neteller and left Aussies with relatively few reliable banking options at online casinos.
Commonly asked questions about online pokies banking
The changes in laws in Australia surrounding online pokies have realistically made it much tougher for Australians to gamble online and have also made it that much more dangerous. Much of the contention around online pokies comes from the banking aspect of it. We answer some of the questions we get asked regularly:
Do any Aussie pokies casinos payout instantly?
Currently there are no online casinos that pay out winnings to Australians instantly. This is largely because they are all based offshore and they generally have to facilitate an overseas banking transaction.
Why can’t I play at pokies sites with Paypal anymore?
Paypal is one of the most respected web wallets and payment processors in the world, that abide by all local rules. Hopefully down the track Paypal will return to the Australian online gambling industry, but it won’t happen until we regulate and legalise them.
What is the minimum I can deposit at online casinos?
The minimum deposit limit varies from casino to casino, but as a general rule the minimum deposit limit at real pokies casinos is $10. You can read our casino reviews for further information.
What is the maximum I can deposit at AU online casinos?
This will also depend on your chosen pokies gambling site, or what the limits are on your deposit method. We aren’t seeing any Australian online casinos advertising more than $10,000 with a bank transfer, but trust us, if you want to deposit more the casino will facilitate it, you just need to talk to them about your options.
Tips & strategy for online pokies
1. Enjoy playing the pokies:
People say gambling is not at all about winning money, it’s purely for fun. Give us a break! 100 per cent, our number one piece of advice is to make sure you enjoy yourself while spinning the reels. But if gambling didn’t possess the key feature of punters being able to pocket extra cash, we are going to go out on a limb and say the industry probably wouldn’t be as big as it is today, enjoyed by millions across our country (and worldwide – but we have a unique cultural love for this form of entertainment). So, as the number one rule – have fun and don’t be disappointed if you end up in the red – we know that’s a real possibility involved with the thrill of playing pokies. But hell, we are going to try our damn hardest to come out in the green.
2. Improve your online pokies odds by learning the games:
How to win while playing the pokies is a topic which inspires gambling advice ranging from sensible to ignorant, and it is our job to sift through the bad advice and provide you with the good. All pokies at the places we advise our readers to play are tested for fairness by independent authorities, and work off RNGs. The games are designed so they will turn a profit for their operators over the long haul, but that doesn’t mean we can’t come out on top. But advice you read which contains tactics for guaranteed ways to beat the casino’s edge should be ignored. In times gone by, people were able to use devices to confuse or trick a machine into paying out cash, but in today’s age, it is impossible to cheat either offline or online pokies.
Come across tips which claim that a game which has just hit a major jackpot is no longer due to pay out big any time soon? Disregard it. This piece of advice implies one of two things; either the slot game has a memory of previous outcomes (it doesn’t) or the operators are controlling the pay outs (they’re not).
3. Set spending limits when playing online pokies:
Setting limits on how much cash you can afford to lose (as well as a profit limit) is important, as is playing accordingly to your bankroll. Ideally, you should have a total bankroll you are happy to spend; and whatever that amount may be, divide it appropriately so you get the max amount of enjoyment out of playing online pokies. That doesn’t mean to consistently play $0.01 spins with a total bankroll of $200; you probably won’t get very far, but decide what coin size and cost per spin suits your bankroll ($1 per spin for a $250 bankroll, for example). If you hit your loss limit, stop. If you hit your profit limit, stop. The odds of going broke are slim to none if you bet within your means and respect your own gambling limits.
Why pokies are better online in 2024
Most of us have a choice between playing the pokies in a physical gambling venue or playing online, and while we aren’t advocating against gambling at a brick-and-mortar casino, we do believe that you are better served gambling online. Here are some of the key benefits to online pokies:
More bonuses, lower house edge odds, and better return percentages
Without all the extra overheads land establishments are forced to pay, online gaming websites have the ability to hand their players additional promotions and bonuses like pokies free spins and monthly tournaments and cash prizes, superior player-friendly rules, and greater payout percentages as high as 97%.
Accessibility and convenience
In order to play at a physical casino, the vast majority of us are going to have to drive, or at least take some form of transport, to reach our destination. This takes time, effort and we are already spending cash before even arriving at the casino (petrol, public transport tickets, etc). Play on the Internet and you are already there; connect and play pokies no matter where you are, so long as you have a reliable and secure data connection. Each of our recommended sites feature 24-hour customer support so if you find yourself in a jam, or simply want a couple of questions answered, real people will be on hand to respond to your requests.
A variety of online pokies titles and a range of betting limits
Land-based venues offer great video slot machines with cutting edge technology, graphics and sounds, but Web gambling operators incorporate such features to rival their brick-and-mortar counterparts, and on top of that, offer a whole heap more games than physical casinos could ever make available. Some of our suggested sites feature over 1000 diverse games, all of which can be played for minimum amounts of cash starting from single cents, to maximum, high-roller wagers, while we pick and choose how many pay-lines we wish to cover.
How do online pokies work?
Traditionally pokies are mechanical poker machines that spit out random results. These traditional machines have received the biggest shake-up in the last 20 years, despite being around for going on one hundred years.
Online pokies are controlled by random number generators (RNGs) which use mathematics algorithms to spit out random numbers, which eventually determine the symbols that will appear on your computer or mobile device.
These RNG pokies are tested for fairness by third parties like eCOGRA, while often the supplier of the game will also be required to get a license from a government regulator before they can operate in their jurisdiction. (Unfortunately the Australian government does not issue remote gambling licenses).
These basic checks ensure that RNGs are truly random and a pokie game is not cheating you with an unfair house edge.
The other really important thing to understand when playing pokies online is that a percentage of all money put into a game will be returned to a player. The return to player (RTP) rate is the most-important factor when choosing if a game is suitable to play.
An online pokies game could have a RTP rate of 94% which would be better than a rate of 90%, with it effectively meaning the pokie, would pay out 4% more of the money put into it than the other over a period of time. Pokies payout percentages are arguably the single most important factor when playing online or offline. Traditionally the payout rates of online pokies are better for the player than land-based pokies games.
It’s important to note that payout rates work over the lifetime of the machine, so you will not necessarily get $94 back if a machine has a 94% RTP rate — you could get much more money, or bomb out completely and receive nothing.
Retail or pokies venues in Australian cities
While online pokies are open around the clock and are own preferred method of playing, pubs and clubs in Australia are home to many pokies, from your classic machines like Pub Fruity, right through to modern inventions from the likes of Aristocrat Games and many other providers. This section will link you to more information about pokies venues in metropolitan and regional cities.
- Melbourne pokies venues
- Sydney pokies venues
- Playing pokies in Tasmania
- Playing pokies in Perth
- Las Vegas pokies venues
- Canberra pokies venues
- Cairns pokies venues
- Brisbane pokies venues
- Adelaide pokies venues
International online slots
The best international online pokies, or online slots as they are universally called, will largely depend on where you are in the world. For instance, the United Kingdom has got a thriving online gambling sector, including all of the biggest software providers making their games available to punters in a regulated environment. Many other countries have regulated online gambling, particularly in Europe, which has been progressive with updating gambling laws. The USA is another country going through a great period of change, with sports betting and online casinos slowly being regulated in each state. Some of the key countries with legal online pokies include:
Regulated online pokies markets
- Spain
- United Kingdom
- Italy
Countries yet to address online pokies in law
Other countries are slower off the mark when it comes to online pokies and have not addressed them in their laws. These countries are places like Canada and mean that any online casino on the web can target its citizens and not have to pay tax on their earnings in Canada. These casinos could be licensed in the UK or Malta and consider markets like Canada a free hit because they don’t have to go through the nuisance of acquiring licenses to operate there.
- New Zealand
- Canada
- Tonga
- Papua New Guinea
Markets where online pokies are banned
These markets, of which Australia is technically one, have addressed online gambling in their laws and decided that it is illegal. Many Asian countries, whether it be because of religious or moral reasons, have made this decision. Even some of the United States still has a blanket ban on online slots. But like we’ve been saying continuously on this page, it is still possible to play online pokies, even if you are in a gambling market like this.
- China
- Thailand
- Indonesia
- Malaysia
- Singapore
Best International online slots games
Real money slots online offer a huge variety of game styles – from retro renditions of classic one-line fruit machines, right up to the revolutionary new 3125-ways slots and 3D online pokies. Below are just a few of our favourite casino games, all of which are available for real money gambling at the top casinos for International readers.
South Park – join your favourite foul-mouthed Colorado school kids and all the iconic South Park characters in this five reel licensed pokies game from NetEnt, which features multiple bonus round like the Cartman and Kenny bonus games, and Stan and Kyle free spins.
Game of Thrones – available in a standard 15 pay line and 243-Ways version, the GoT pokies game is based on the popular HBO series, featuring multiple bonus rounds including four free spins features – Baratheon, Lannister, Stark and Targaryen. Game of Thrones is one of the biggest online slots of all time and we think it’s absolutely fantastic.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – Five reels, 25 paylines, bonus round, free spins. Although Tomb Raider has been around for years, it remains one of the most popular licensed slots games on the Web. Lara Croft is well-known across multiple jurisdictions
The Dark Knight – Five reels, 243-ways, stacked wilds, scatter symbols, four-stage progressive jackpot. Linked with Mega Moolah on the Microgaming progressive network, with a mega jackpot starting at $1,000,000.
Reel Rush – Five reels, 3125 ways-to-win, wilds, free spins. A game-changing design from Net Entertainment, with a nifty re-spin feature that expands the number of active spaces to allow as many as 3125 winning combos per spin.
Madder Scientist 3D – Five reels, 30 paylines, bonus games, free spins, wilds, scatter symbols. A great example of the BetSoft ‘Slot3’ series, with stunning 3D graphics and highly entertaining bonus rounds.
Other pokies games we love include:
- Starburst
- Mega Fortune
- Guns N’ Roses
- Jimi Hendrix
- Jurassic Park
- Bridesmaids
- Castle Builder
- Hooks Heroes
- Mr Vegas
- Mega Glam Life
For further details on some of the most popular online pokies, check out our comprehensive list of pokies reviews, or for games with specific themed, read these guides:
- Sports themed pokies
- Vampire themed pokies
- Animal themed pokies
- Movie themed pokies
- Holiday themed pokies
- Pirate themed pokies
- Summer themed pokies
History of slot machines & online pokies
Australians have long held a fascination with the pokies. Millions of people or playing the pokies every single day, but most of them may not realise how they actually came about.
In 1885 the very first slot machine was created by Charles Fey. The popularity of the machine grew so much that he began a slot machine factory in 1896. Needless to say, his ingenuity changed the world of gambling forever.
The first Australian pokies came in the early 1900s. It was not until sometime during the 1950s that Aristocrat created the first pokie machine in Australia, called ‘The Clubman.’
Today, slot machines around the world are played 24 hours a day by players who have dreams and visions of becoming rich beyond their wildest dreams. Of course, there are those who want to play pokies just for fun but for the most part, people play because they want to win real money.
In Australia at the average payout on the pokies is around 85%. It is also interesting to note that Australia states have laws requiring the machines to payout a minimum %. This basically means that the machines have to pay that amount out, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are going to be the one to get it.
Over the years a lot of frustration has found its way into the hearts and minds of gamblers over the pokies. Some people insist that these games are rigged so that winning is nearly impossible. The truth of the matter is that the payout percentage, or how much it pays out, and even the jackpot frequencies cannot be altered by any casino, or any other establishment that has the pokies.
The only way that this can be changed is to order a new chip from the manufacturer of the machine. There are forms that the establishment must fill out, and the change has to be approved by the governing body. When you come to this realisation, you can lay all if your frustrations and your fears about the pokies to rest. You will then realise that any outcome is totally random.
As the gambling industry has grown in Australia, so has the number of pokies available. In fact, Australia has more pokies available than America. However, with more and more casinos opening in the United States, that fact can change.
The online casino industry has opened a whole new world for pokies, with 1000s of different games available. The best online pokies early days were from the industry giants that emerged in the early days of online casinos, including Microgaming and Playtech.
There are also so many different types of online pokies jackpots that you can win, bonus features to try, and differing amounts of winnings that you can attain through regular play. Even still, some people are a little bit skittish when it comes to spending money on a game that is completely dependent upon chance.
Commonly asked questions about AU online pokies
Can you play online pokies for free?
There are free versions of online pokies available on social media platforms like Facebook, and flash gaming sites, although we firmly believe that the best online pokies are found at real money casinos. Often real money casinos will allow you to play their online pokies for free, for a set time, or with a limited free no deposit bankroll.
What is the best online casino for pokies?
Working in this industry, it’s stunning how often we get asked what is the best place to play pokies online now Australia has stricter laws. Currently our no.1 online pokies site for Australians is Bitstarz Casino.
Are there any online casinos in Australia?
Australian laws and regulation do not allow online casinos to operate down under. Prior to the IGA there were several online casinos based out of Australia, including land-based venue Lasseters Casino, which is based out of Alice Springs.
Why is the Northern Territory so prominent in online gambling?
The NT is home to the Northern Territory Gambling Commission, which is the biggest sports betting regulator in Australia. The NT was the first of the Australian government jurisdictions to approve licenses for online sports betting.
What is the biggest online pokies site for Aussies?
Some of the bigger gambling brands that have online pokies that still operate in Australia include Emu Casino, Mucho Vegas Casino and Joka Room. If you’re looking for sheer volume of pokies, Emu has probably got the most, with a great selection of slots titles.
Can Aussies get in trouble for playing online pokies?
You can read more about this above in our pokies laws section, but the short answer is no, it’s very unlikely that you will be charged with any crimes for playing online pokies. The laws and the enforcement of them has largely been targeting the offshore online casinos that continue to service the Australian market.
Can you still play online pokies with Australian dollars?
Despite our government banning online pokies in the last few years, many online pokies sites will still accept Australian dollars. This means your balance will be displayed in this currency.
How long to do online casinos take to pay you your winnings?Can you play Where’s the Gold poker machine online?
Unfortunately because this popular land-based slot is by Sydney company Aristocrat Leisure, they do not allow their pokies games to be played online. However you can play it in free-play mode on the Aristocrat website. Overseas readers can play Aristocrat pokie games for real money online, including Where’s the Gold.
What is the best online pokies software provider?
Like we have previously mentioned on this page, many of the best casino software companies are not available in Australia because of the current state of the laws here. As a general rule people regard the big players in the iGaming software industry to be companies like Microgaming, Playtech, Net Entertainment and Boyd Gaming. This is because they only operate in regulated markets and their financial records are usually readily available because they are listed on various stock exchanges around the world. Other big pokies software companies like RealTime Gaming are privately owned businesses and don’t operate in heavily regulated gambling markets, meaning their financial records and true slice of the market are hard to judge. OPG’s staff love the themed games available by Playtech, with games like Iron Man and Super Man some of their most popular.
Can Australians still play jackpot or progressive pokies?
Yes. Australians can play progressive pokies games online, although many of the best jackpot pokies are not longer available, including regular million dollar toppers like Mega Moolah, Major Millions and Mega Millions, which are by Microgaming and Playtech respectively. Australians should now look to RTG titles like Shopping Spree and Betsoft’s top pokie game The Glam Life. Overall you will find progressive jackpot pokies by Betsoft, Play ‘n Go, RTG, iSoftBet and Rival that are available to Australians.
How do progressive jackpot pokies work?
Read our guide on Australian progressive jackpot pokies for further information, but in short jackpot pokies are labelled as such because the game is connected to other casinos version of the game. Every spin made across the games network (it could be at 100s of casinos) will contribute a small percentage of each wager to a jackpot prize, which continues to grow until someone wins it. This means prizes can often reach into the $10s of millions of dollars, although Australians often can’t access these massive jackpot pokies games because of our laws.
What are pokies?
If you’re reading this page looking for information about slot machines and wondering what on earth we’re talking about when we mention “pokies,” please note that pokies is another term for a slot machine. Our team of writers is based in Australia, where “the pokies” is the common slang term used for playing the slots, but rest assured that both pokies and slots are exactly the same thing and all information is completely interchangeable between the two terms.
Can you play other games at online pokies casinos?
Yes, usually online casinos, barring a few notable slots or table game only sites will have a spread of games. Pokies are the biggest money-spinners at online casinos, but often the thing that ropes a player in can be the table games, like blackjack, roulette, baccarat and poker that can rope people in. Video poker, which often gets likened to a more skilful version of pokies, is also readily available at online pokies casinos.