Pokies in Australia: The Impressive Transformation of the Game
The very first pokies (slot) machine was developed in 1895 by Charles Fey in the United States of America. The simple game which became an instant hit was called the Liberty Bell. In not more than 10 years (the early 1900s), the first pokie machines emerged on Australian shores. Though at that time casino pokie gaming in Australia was illegal, pokie machines still became popular amongst gamblers.
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Electromagnetic Pokie Machines
The primary indigenous pokie machine was invented by Aristocrat in 1953. Aristocrat is a renowned gaming developer in Australia. The indigenous pokie machine named ‘the Clubman’ was designed by Joe Heywood. In 1955 the Clubman was upgraded to ‘the Clubmaster.’ After some time the pokies received some light. The pokie (slot) machines were 3-reel electromagnetic devices.
The number of paylines available at that time was 1, 3, or 5 paying lines. Playing was quite simple. To start the reels spinning you were only to pull the handle, then wait for the reels to stop spinning and collect your earnings in case you won. Payouts at that time were significantly small weigh against the present-day standards.
Video Pokie Machines
The inauguration of video pokies in the 1980s was the following great development of pokies. The video pokies replaced the manual movements with computer software-generated action on the screen. The number of reels increased to 5, and the number of paying lines was also significantly increased. Bonus rounds and features like gamble option and free spins were also introduced.
These features gave players greater winning opportunities. Diversity was also initiated in the symbols and graphics. Queensland in the year 1992, South Australia, 1994 and New South Wales in 1997 authorized the use of video pokie machines in pubs and inns. This attracted even more gamers to pokie gaming.
Online Pokie Machines
With wider access to the internet in Australia in the 1990s, the very first online casinos were established. Amongst the first online casinos to provide betting services to bettors was The Gaming Club Casino, which still operates at the moment but doesn’t accept Aussie gamers because it’s an offshore casino from Microgaming.
With the software located at a remote server, you could enjoy playing pokies from the comfort of your sofa at home. Any number of gamers could access and play on one pokie all at once. Online pokies advanced much faster. Progressive pokies also became mainstream as they brought about high-payout jackpots (up to millions of dollars). Various online pokies were now linked to a similar progressive network for much bigger rewards.
Mobile Pokie Machines
Mobile pokies come as the most recent development in pokie machines’ history. Since about 10 years ago you could play pokies from a mobile device (Phones and tablets). The obvious development in mobile technology (both software and hardware) the quality and quantity of mobile pokies has improved. Currently, there are HTML5 mobile pokies plus several apps for various operating systems like Android, iOS, Blackberry, and Windows.
Best Australian Pokies Games
Gambling Laws in Australia
The history of pokies in Australia basically took off 1956 when the government of New South Wales legalized betting machines in enlisted clubs. After that in 1973 casinos were authorized in Tasmania. The first legal pokie machines were just regular things that came with no extras.
Later, in response to the rapid growth of online pokies popularity and gambling as a whole in Australia, the Australian Government passed the IGA, Interactive Gaming Act in 2001. This was done to regulate online casino games and gambling in general. Some of the elements of the IGA include:
- Companies based in Australia offering services to gamers overseas wouldn’t be penalized (except for particular nations)
- Penalties for offshore operators providing services to players in Australia.
- Banning of gambling advertisements of any kind
There have always been efforts to loosen or tighten certain regulations of this act, with the latest repeal being in 2016 that also made offshore payment merchants leave Australia. The change in the laws in 2016 also gave more power to the individual Australian states, to regulate gambling however they saw fit.
Pokies Features
In the present day, pokies machines are all about offering gamers as many features as possible, customizing the way you play a given pokie and awarding you numerous bonuses and unique rounds and during gameplay. Below are details of some of the well-known features that you’d want to look for when gaming pokies online:
Coins – on pokies you use coins to pick the number of bets you will place on every payline. The denomination of the coins will vary.
Paylines – sometimes also referred to as paying lines, these are lines on which you can make winning combinations. Certain pokie machines will offer a single payline, while other games will feature even up to hundreds of paylines.
Ways to Win – any pokie game will offer you numerous Ways to Win. These winning ways are characterized by a specific arrangement of matching symbols on any locations on the reels.
Volatility – pokie machines will not provide a similar kind of experience in terms of how winnings are distributed. Volatility in pokie gaming refers to how constant wins come on a given machine and how much risk is there to you as a player. Highly volatile pokie games will award fewer wins but pay out big when it hits, whereas a less volatility pokie game will pay out more constantly, though they don’t have as many large prizes.
Return to Player (RTP) – RTP will tell you on average how much a particular pokie machine finally awaits to pay out. This comprises all jackpots and bonus features. Normally, RTP is expressed as a percentage; for example, a pokie game having a 95% RTP will repay $0.95 of each dollar used on it. The remaining ten cents will be a profit made by the casino form the machine.
Expanding Wilds: these symbols usually emerge at the start, though can increase to cover a whole reel.
Stacked Wilds: these symbols emerge alongside one another on the reels in groups of 2, 3, or even more, meaning they frequently hi together which at times can result in huge wins.
Sticky Wilds: this type of wild remains in position for your next spin or a certain number of spins consecutively
Shifting Wilds: a shifting wild is quite similar to a sticky wild in the sense that it will remain in the reels for several spins. Instead of staying in one space, however, they will change position in the reels, securing various places all through the feature.
Cascading Reels: these normally form part of the cascading symbols feature. The winning symbols will fall off from the reels after a win. This will then let new symbols take their place and even create more wins for you
Multiplier Symbols: Multiplier symbols will increase (multiply) your win on a given payline or spin. This simply means having these symbols as part of a winning combination could win you double, triple, or even five times as much as normal.
Scatter Symbols: scatter symbols can score wins irrespective of wherever they emerge on the reels. What makes a difference here is the number of symbols on the reels.
Free Spins – just as the name suggests these are free chances to score wins. Normally you would be awarded free spins for hitting a unique combination of symbols that triggers the free rounds. In certain circumstances, you could even re-trigger the free spins during the bonus round.
Gamble Features – normally you’ll able to see the gamble feature after winning spins. These games let you attempt increasing your earnings by playing an easy game, which always is almost a fair bet of doubling your payout or losing it all.
Bonus Games – pokie machines come with numerous bonus games that you can trigger. These range from simple one such as free spins rounds to more complex bonus rounds on video pokie machines such as ‘Pick a Box”. Besides awarding you big prizes as a player, bonus games also help to add variety to the gameplay. It’s not just about spinning the reels every time.
Playing Pokies Machines: The Online Versus Land-based Casino Experience
It’s no longer news that the internet has transformed pokie gaming in numerous advantageous ways. For fans of pokie machines, online casinos enable you to spin and win in more ways unlike in the land-based casinos. Online play is flexible, convenient, and above all, you’re offered a better return for your money. Below we take a look at some of the ways through which online pokies have revolutionized gaming to offer you an amazing experience.
You play when you feel like
Online play is available when and how the mood hits you, whether its midnight, come rain or sunshine you can always enjoy playing pokies online. It doesn’t matter where you are or what time it is. With online pokies provided, you have internet access you can play as long as you want. No need to worry about busy highways, smoke, crowds, or noisy casino rooms.
Mobile has added more flexibility
The era of mobile gaming has made things quite awesome. You no longer have to rely on desktop computers. Currently, hundreds of pokie games are specifically designed for mobile devices to allow you to play them from your smartphone or tablet easily.
Myriad of price points
With online pokies, you choose your price point by adjusting the size of coins per bet. You spend only what you can afford. For a land-based, you'll have to stick to the machine’s denomination
Lucrative Bonuses
Nowadays nearly all reputable online casinos offer new players a welcome bonus plus many more ongoing promotions. This could be a deposit or no deposit bonus, free spins and many more. However, always ensure you go through the terms of the welcome offer before you start gaming.
Free Pokies
In case you want to play without wagering real money then online pokies are a perfect option. You can give a variety of games a try for free before you can start placing real money bets.
Huge Variety of Games
A further great benefit of playing pokies online is that you have unlimited access to as many types of pokie machines that as can find in different casinos.
High Payout Percentages
When compared to land-based casino pokies, online pokies are deemed to have, averagely, greater payout percentages. What's more, with online pokies you can easily find the payout percentages of the particular pokie game you’re playing.
Major Pokies Developers in Australia
The table below is a quick outline of some of the coolest games you can enjoy from top pokies developers in Australia
Software Provider | Examples of Pokies Games Developed |
RTG | Cleopatra’s Gold, The Big Bopper, God of Wealth, and The Three Stooges. |
Rival Gaming | Gold Rush, Major Moolah, Strike Gold, Bank Heist, Big Cash Win |
BetSoft | Boomanji, Good Girl, Bad Girl, Legends of the Nile, and The True Sheriff |
Interesting Facts and Statistics about Pokies in Australia
If you think you knew how deeply pokies have integrated into Australian culture, then wait until you read the following interesting facts!
- There are 196,900 pokies machines in Australia compared to only 97,161 in Canada, and 16,440 in New Zealand.
- Between 2013–14, state governments got A$3.2 billion in levies on pokies machines (clubs and hotels)
- Because of pokie machines, Australia as a country loses more on betting than any other nation.
- 20% to 30% of adults in Australia play pokies no less than once per year (except for Western Australia).
- Pokie machines clubs and hotels make an average of A$56,000 in a year.
- Some pokie games are more profitable than others. For instance, pokies machines in Victoria make over A$200,000 each.
Top Online Casinos to Play Pokies in Australia
Some of the best platforms where you can play pokies and other casino games in Australia include:
FAQs
Some of the best platforms where you can play pokies and other casino games in Australia include:
Yes. Pokies machines use Random Number Generators that ensures all outcomes are arbitrary. Reputable independent testing firms usually certify the fairness of these RNGs
Not really. Winning at progressive pokies relies on pure luck because the outcomes are randomly generated. However, you can increase your chances by studying the game properly and place the maximum wagers per round
Yes. Many online casinos offer free pokies that you can play for free before you start wagering real money.
Yes, just look for mobile-friendly Aussie casinos like Joe Fortune and Fair Go casino, and you can play for real money on mobile
No. These days, many pokies are available via instant play. You can play them right from your browser without downloading any software.
This is a chart indicating how much you’ll win on a wager of a particular value for every single payline. Each online pokie machine has its own paytable to guide players through the game.
Yes, thanks to 128-bit SSL encryption, your transactions are completely safe and secure whenever you carry out an online transaction.