How to Choose the Right Pokie for You
There isn’t such a thing as a perfect online pokie. A game one player likes might not be another player’s cup of tea, and vice versa. Therefore, we can’t tell you what exact title to try out, but we may be able to help you choose a great pokie yourself.
Your choice will depend on what you’re looking for in an online pokie. Is the primary purpose to have fun, to win lots of money, or a combination of both? Let’s discuss the different parameters you should consider when choosing the game for you.
Pick a Theme
There are loads of different themes among today’s pokies. You can find chirpy Irish-themed games that are often relaxing and easygoing. Egypt pokies are as popular as ever, and they always add a little bit of mysticism to the atmosphere. Do you want to enjoy some great music while you play? Try pokies that celebrate bands and musicians, like the Jimi Hendrix pokie from NetEnt.
If you find all these colourful themes somewhat distracting, you can always opt for regular casino-style pokies that feature classic symbols like number sevens, gold bars, bells, and fruits.
Check Out the Game’s Layout and Bonus Features
Some pokies have simple 3x3 or 5x3 layouts, and most players like them. Still, others prefer a bit more complexity and are more interested in pokies with six or more reels, Megaways, or cluster pays pokies.
A worthwhile pokie should have some replay value. It should contain enough bonus elements that add versatility to the gameplay, thus entertaining the players for a longer period and making them come back to the game. A pokie with lots of features, multipliers, free spins, and bonus rounds is always a good choice.
Mind the Game’s Betting Range
Are you a small-time gambler or prepared to go all out in the hunt for the big jackpot? Some pokies have optimal betting ranges that cater to both types of players, while others are targeted toward one or the other.
Find a game that will let you wager just a few cents per round if you're playing for fun. On the other hand, high-rollers should look for pokies where the maximum betting limit is $100 or more.
Check the RTP and Volatility
RTP numbers should always be taken with a grain of salt, but they are still worth looking into, especially if there’s a great difference in the RTP between two games. Again — the higher the RTP, the more rewarding the pokie should be, at least in theory.
It comes down to the player’s preferences when it comes to volatility. However, most players prefer high volatility pokies in which the winning combinations occur more rarely but are comparatively much higher than those in low volatility games.
Choose by Provider
It’s never a bad idea to pick an online pokie from one of the biggest providers. After all, there’s a reason why these providers are so successful, and it’s certainly not because they make bad games.
A good place to start is by scanning our table above, which contains some of the biggest pokie providers in Australia alongside their top games. Most online casinos have search filters that let you find games by provider.
Read Online Pokie Reviews
While you should always try a pokie for yourself before deciding whether it’s good, it never hurts to look at reviews made by pokie experts. These will tell you exactly what to expect from the game, give you all the technical information, list some pros and cons, and more.
Play for Free First
Although we left this point for last, it is by far the best way of determining whether an online pokie is right for you. If a game looks interesting to you, give it a few spins in demo mode. You will have no pressure of losing money, so you can see what it would be like to risk a little more.
You’d also experience the game’s visuals, sound effects, features, and bonus games. Playing for free is available in almost every online pokie, as most online casinos allow you to test their games out before investing real money.
Playing Pokies With Online Casino Bonuses
In a rather competitive iGaming market, online casinos are continually battling for players’ attention by featuring quality games, making their platforms mobile-friendly, providing quick payments, and offering 24/7 support. However, the most effective way in which casino operators lure new customers in is by giving them bonuses.
These bonuses often come in the form of cash or free spins, both of which can be used when playing online pokies.
Playing Pokies With Cash Bonuses
A cash bonus is usually acquired as a deposit match. Let’s say you deposit $100 as a new customer, and the casino matches your deposit 100% and gives you another $100, as stated in the welcome bonus deal. You can now use that extra $100 to play pokies and other casino games.
Unless stated otherwise in the bonus terms and conditions, you can choose the size of your bet while using the bonus credits as you please, as well as play any pokie available on the website.
However, mind that you must wager the bonus a certain number of times before you can enjoy your bonus winnings. If the bonus terms state that your cash bonus has wagering requirements of 30x, for example, you must wager a $100 bonus 30 times for a total of $3,000 before being allowed to cash out.
This makes the bonus very tricky to clear, but it’s a standard requirement, as no casino will give you money that easily. That’s why it’s always best to check the wagering requirements before choosing a casino based solely on its cash bonus. While you’re there, check to see how much time you have to clear the wagering requirements, as the bonus doesn’t last forever.
You can also get a cash bonus as part of the casino’s no deposit offer. However, this is often a small fixed sum of $10 to $20 that usually has even higher wagering requirements. On the bright side, it doesn’t require any real-money investment on your part, so it’s a nice way to test out some of the casino’s pokies.
Playing Pokies With Free Spins
Another kind of bonus you can get is free spins, which can also come as part of a welcome offer, usually in combination with a cash bonus. You may also get free spins daily or weekly, depending on the structure of the casino’s promotions. These are not to be confused with free spins you may get in-game in certain pokies.
Free spins are a bonus specific to online pokies, meaning you can’t use them on any other casino games. Like cash bonuses, free spins have certain terms and conditions you must follow.
There is a set number of spins you can get, which can be anywhere from ten to several hundred, depending on the offer. Sometimes, if there are a lot of free spins, they are released in increments, so you can’t use more than 10 or 20 per day. Each free spin is worth a set amount (often 10 cents), so you won’t have the freedom of choosing your stake. You can use casino free spins only on one or a few games, so check these out before claiming the offer.
Lastly, free spins have wagering requirements just like cash bonuses, but they work a little bit differently. Instead of a fixed amount you need to wager through with cash bonuses, the wagering requirements on free spins relate to the sum you’ve won after using the spins. For instance, if the wagering requirements are 40x and you won $22 after playing through 20 free spins, you must wager $880 before being allowed to withdraw. Free spins will also have a validity period, so make sure to complete the wagering requirements in time.
Online Pokie Tournaments
Pokie tournaments are a highly popular concept that appeared in Australian online casinos in the last several years. For the most part, pokies are single-player games where there’s no interaction with others.
To spice things up and add a competitive edge to pokies, certain online casinos introduced daily and weekly tournaments where all pokie players can compete for the top prize.
The rules are simple — you play a specific pokie or set of pokies with casino credits within a promotional period, often a day, a weekend, a week, or a month. Once the promotional period ends, the player that won the most credits wins the top prize. Several other players down the list will also win prizes, which can be cash, bonuses, free spins, or physical prizes.
Strategies to Playing Online Pokies
Online pokies are fun, diverse, dynamic, easy to learn and play, and can be incredibly rewarding. However, they also have one major flaw: the outcome of each spin is 100% based on luck.
No matter how hard you try or how much you think you’ve figured out the way to control where the symbols land, everything is decided by a random number generator (RNG), from the base game to bonus features to triggering the jackpot.
Does this mean there are no strategies for playing online pokies? Essentially, yes. If you sit two players next to each other and let them play the same game simultaneously with the same bets, their results will likely be different. A player with more experience won’t necessarily have a higher chance of winning than someone playing a video slot for the first time.
Now, while there are no strategies that can help you win at online pokies, you can still play these games the smart way. Here are some of our tips and tricks for playing pokies on Australian casino sites.
Manage Your Bankroll as Best You Can
If you have a set bankroll, make sure to divide it in a way that allows you to play long. If you bet too much, you can see your bankroll disappear quickly.
For instance, imagine you have a bankroll of $100, and you bet $10 on every spin. You get a dry spell with some classic near-misses, and suddenly, you are left with a big fat zero in your balance. To avoid this, bet smaller amounts. Of course, if you bet too little, you might never move much further from your original balance.
The best strategy is to wager between 1% and 5% of your bankroll on every play.
Never Play on Shady Casino Sites With Pokies From Unknown Sources.
You will always receive fair treatment on a casino site, as long as that casino site is legit and features legit games. Unfortunately, there are plenty of rogue casinos whose only goal is to empty your wallet.
The best way to not end up being robbed by these scammers is to do a quick background check on them and their games. Alternatively, you can always stick to the casinos that we list here on Auspokies.com, as our experts have thoroughly tested them.
Always Use Casino Bonuses
Online casino bonuses are hard to clear, but since you’re getting them for free, it’s always a good idea to use them and try to make something out of nothing. Free spins are especially appealing, as they’ll give you a chance to try out a potentially new and exciting pokie.
Know When to Stop
Losing all your money in an online pokie can be frustrating. In such moments, people often start chasing after their losses, and instead of making up for them, they make more costly mistakes that lead to even further disappointment.
This is when you need to demonstrate control and understand that you must stop and cool off. Once you have enough money to spend on online pokies again, you can give it another try.
Playing online pokies is gambling, and gambling can be rather addictive. If you’re showing any signs of gambling addiction, you should seek professional help.
How We Picked Australian Casinos With the Best Online Pokies
You may have noticed that almost every page on our website contains a list of Australian-friendly casino sites where you can play online pokies and other games. These sites were handpicked by our team of experts who spent a long time sifting through online casinos and deciding which ones are truly worth your hard-earned money.
The way we determine which casinos are going to be featured on our toplist is by looking at several things, including:
- Casino legitimacy — A casino must be licensed by a proper governing body and provide evidence that it keeps up with all the safety standards.
- Number of pokies — There must be at least a few hundred high-quality pokies on the website, and the casino must constantly refresh its library with new titles.
- Software providers — The pokies must come from many different renowned software providers, including NetEnt, Microgaming, Play’n GO, BetSoft, Playtech, and others.
- Bonuses and promotions — A worthwhile online casino always rewards its players, starting with a valuable welcome bonus and continuing through a set of constant competitive promotions.
- Web and mobile experience — The casino must work smoothly on both desktop and mobile and provide players with easy navigation.
- Payments — Many payment options, quick transaction times, optimal limits, and non-existent fees are all desirable when looking into the casino’s banking features.
- Support — If you need any help, the casino should be there around the clock and answer all your questions quickly, accurately, and professionally.
FAQ
You can play online pokies in any online casino that accepts Australian players. We have neatly listed the best of those casinos above, so you might as well start there.
It’s safe to play online pokies in Australia as long as you know where to play them. Some unregulated online casinos may scam you, but if you stick to official casinos that have been properly regulated, you should have no issues.
Online casinos are officially prohibited in Australia, but offshore casinos can offer their services to Australian residents. While these sites are not technically legal in Australia, you should be safe playing on them.
To win at any online pokies, you must match identical symbols across a payline or a grid. Each combination of symbols has its value.
Online pokies that have had their RNG engine tested are 100% fair. If you stick to playing games from top-rated software providers, you can be sure that their games are entirely legit, as they often go through testing and hold proper certificates.
Once you create an online casino account and place a deposit, you can play any online pokie for real money.
You must create an online casino account to make a deposit, which shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes. Go to the deposit page, select one of the available methods (credit/debit card, prepaid card, e-wallet, bank wire, crypto), and input the deposit amount. Confirm the payment and the money should reach your account almost immediately.
Yes, most online casinos in Australia have free versions of online pokies, and some of them will even allow you to try their games without making an account.
Yes, you can play online pokies on your smartphone or tablet, as most modern games are compatible with the latest mobile devices. To play, log in to your casino account through a mobile browser or download the casino app.
To win a jackpot, you must match the most valuable combination of symbols or win it through the game’s jackpot round. Some jackpots can only be won if you wager the highest amount.
Some of the most popular online pokies in Australia right now are Wolf Gold (Pragmatic Play), Book of Dead (Play’n GO), Aloha King Elvis (BGaming), Kensei Blades (BetSoft), Karen Maneater (Nolimit City), Royal Coins Hold and Win (Playson), and Golden Jokers Double Up (iSoftBet), to mention a few.
