If you’re vising this website from anywhere other than Australia, you may be wondering what the hell we are on about when we talk about “the pokies”. Pokies is an Aussie slang word for slot machines, but the two terms mean exactly the same thing, so all the information on our site is fully interchangeable between the two.
Are pokies and slots the same thing?
Yes – pokies and slots are 100 per cent the same thing. Why Aussies had to create their own word is beyond us, but as the Australian vernacular likes to shorten every word possible, “pokies” has become the most commonly accepted name for poker machines Down Under. Walk past any pub or club in Australia and you’re likely to see a flashing sign in the window advertising pokies.
Other than the different names, there are absolutely no other differences between pokies and slots. All the information you see on our website relates to both terminologies, so don’t let the Aussie jargon fool you. If you ever get confused, just replace the word “pokies” with “slots” and you’ll understand what we are talking about.
Other words for slot machines
Australians aren’t the only ones guilty of confusing people with their nickname for slot machines. Here are some of the other common (and not so common) names for slot machines:
- Pokies
- Slots
- Poker machines
- Gaming machines
- Electronic gaming machines (EGM)
- Fruit machines
- Fruities
- Pub fruities
- One armed bandits
- Puggy
- AWP machine (Amusement With Prizes)
- Tragamonedas (Spanish for coin swallowers)
- Mangiasoldi (Italian for the machines that eat money)
Got another slang term for slot machines? We’d love to hear it.
Why our site uses pokies terminology
Our team of writers is based in Australia, and OnlinePokieGame.com was initially created as the go-to online slot resource for Australian players. That all changed in March 2017, when new laws were introduced in Australian parliament as part of the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill of 2016. Under these new laws, Australians are now banned from playing at any online casino unless it is licensed by an Australian state or territory. While there is nothing in the laws to punish players from gambling online, it means many offshore casinos will move away from the Australian market and Aussies will be restricted from accessing international sites unless they use a VPN (virtual private network) service.
Given the amendments to the IGA, OnlinePokieGame.com now aims to provide a global resource to players from all over the world. Our site covers all things related to the slots, online casinos, online slot software and slot strategy. We have players from all countries covered regarding online gambling laws, casino recommendations and exclusive online bonuses and promotional offers. You’ll still hear us refer back to “the pokies” from time to time (it’s simply that deep in our vocabulary) but rest assured that all information on our site is relevant to what most players will be more familiar with as “the slots.”
Slot machine terminology
When delving into the world of online slots, there are many other weird words you are likely to come across – there’s a lot more to slot machines than just pictures whirling across a screen. To help you out with some of the other slot machine terminology you might not be familiar with, check out our detailed glossary page for an overview of all the common terminologies associated with slot machines, with links to detailed information available for each.