Australian Pokies: Playing in Land-Based Casino Platforms
We can all agree that spinning the reels of pokie machines is one of the favorite ways of having fun in Australia, right? Thus, it’s not a surprise that there are tens of thousands of pokie machines from one state to another across Australia.
If you are planning on visiting any Aussie land-based casino to have fun on gaming machines, then this guide will give you a better idea of what you should expect. But before we get into any details about pokies manufacturing companies and where you can play, we better start by looking into the law first. Let’s go!
Land-Based Gambling Laws in Australia from 2001 to Date
In 2001, the Australian Government introduced the Interactive Gambling Act that prohibited any offshore real-money casino operators from providing gambling services to Australians. As a result, many gambling operators and software providers fled the Australian market and only providers and developers that had set up shop in the country remained.
As if that was not enough, things got tighter when another law which regulating land-based gambling in Australia was introduced; The Casinos Control Act 2006. This act states that it is legal to run land-based Casinos as long as the gambling regulations that are in place are observed.
However, there was a bit of relief as well because this law gave liberty to the regulation of brick-and-mortar gambling at the level of individual states. That way all territories could now regulate gambling, issue licenses and enact rules and regulations however they liked
Up to now, the laws governing land-based casinos in Australia have had a mostly positive effect, and from the current numbers, the industry is thriving tremendously. It’s no wonder why Australian gambling machines are available in huge quantities. If you ever feel like spinning the reels for a quick rush, you can find pokie machines in many local land-based casino, hotels, pubs and recreational facilities all over the country
Pokie Machine Companies in Australia
We all know that pokie machines wouldn’t be existing without the endless efforts put by the available pokie developer companies. In case you were wondering, here are the most dominant manufactures that currently cater for Aussie gamers
Aristocrat
It is an Australian casino games developer company popularly known for developing high-quality pokies for online casinos and land-based casinos as well. Due to their tireless efforts in giving gamers exactly what they need in the games, Aristocrat is among the top slot developers in Australia and the rest of the world.
Other than providing physical machines, they also provide online B2B and B2C solutions to land-based casino owners who want to expand their services to enter the realm of virtual gambling.
IGT
IGT is well-known for not only manufacturing pokie machines but also as a solution for maintaining and fixing pokies machines that need repairs. Currently, they are the top manufacturers in the Australian Market followed by Aristocrat Gaming.
While they are highly hailed for creating super exciting pokie games, they have also contributed a lot in improving the gaming experience of the players across different casino services. As we speak, some of their best contributions to the industry are the IGT Bluechip Neo-N which greatly improves the user experience and IGT Crystal Dual-I a technology that enhances the general graphics of the pokie machines.
Ainsworth Gaming Technology
Ainsworth has stayed in the pokies manufacturing business since 1953. Since they have been in business for decades, they often have the upper hand in understanding player needs, and you will often see it in the products they create.
For instance, Ainsworth boasts of proprietary jackpots featuring the Double, Triple and Quad shot titles and some pretty mind-blowing Cabinet, Premium Plus and Game Plus gaming systems. You’ll find these systems incorporated in a wide range of gambling machines across Australia as well as the rest of the world.
Microgaming
Microgaming is yet another icon when it comes to the creation of remarkable pokie machines on a global scale. Unfortunately, they moved out of Australia since the introduction of the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001. Most of their clients were international casino operators, and once the law was enforced, Microgaming had to leave the Australian market. So, to date, Aussie gamer’s can no longer enjoy any of the titles manufactured by this provider.
Best Australian Online Pokies
Australian Pokie Machine Population
Australia is one of the countries that boasts of the largest population of pokie machines. In case you were curious about the actual numbers, here is a detailed breakdown of the Pokie machines available per state.
| State/ Territory | Number of Pokie Machines |
|---|---|
| Victoria | 27372 |
| Queensland | 50000 |
| New South Wales | 95000 |
| South Australia | 13113 |
| Tasmania | 3500 |
| Western Australia | 2500 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 2537 |
| Northern Territory | 1190 |
| Ashmore and Cartier Islands | 2233 |
| Christmas Island | 43 |
Top Land-Based Casinos in Australia
Now that you know the number of pokie machines per state, how about looking at the number of pokies per brick and mortar casino, so that you can zero in on where you can go to play? We took the time to round up the top five locations where you will have non-stop action for hours and even switch from one machine to another. Take your pick from the table below!
| Land-Based Casino | Number of Pokie Machines |
|---|---|
| Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex | 2,500+ |
| Crown Sydney Casino | 1,000+ |
| Adelaide Casino | Over 950 |
| Country Club Casino | Over 500 |
| Casino Canberra | 200+ |