Online Pokies - it's all the Rage

The first pokies in Australia were not the online pokies we know today. The first pokies came to our shores in the early 1900's. They weren't called pokies yet; their inventor, an American immigrant mechanic from Bavaria named Charles Fey, called his invention a slot machine. It was the first coin-operated gambling machine that paid winners in coins. The top jackpot came when three bells appeared so the machine was called the Liberty Bell.

Charles Fey invented his slot machine in 1887.  The Liberty Bell became so popular that Fey opened a factory to manufacture “slot machines”.  In just two decades the machine travelled across the world to reach Australia.

The history of the term pokies is foggy.  Most likely it came from the poker machines that were popular in Aussie pubs at the time.  So pokies it was and pokies it still is!  Pokies were illegal in Australia at first but were always popular nonetheless.  They were formally legalized in the 1950’s.  Now they are pervasive throughout Australia; in addition to pokies in pubs there are pokies in other non-gambling establishments; we have land-based pokies and online pokies.  In the gaming world it is well known that “Aussies love their pokies”.

Australian online pokies have become immensely popular.  But wanting to play Australian online pokies is only part of the story. 

Choose Wisely from the Long List of Aussie Online Casinos

So, we’ve established that you are looking for the best online Aussie pokies and are looking for a fair, honest, and reputable online pokies casino.  First, look for a casino that has been online for many years.  The term “many” is a bit strange, since casinos have been online for only about 15 years.  But, if a casino has a sound reputation, is regulated, and always passes its frequent spot audit, then you should feel safer there than at a new online casino which has not yet had a chance to prove itself.

Bonuses, Bonuses, and More Bonuses

As you're choosing the best casino for you, you definitely want to take the Welcome Offer into consideration. And we think that All Slots has about the best offer in the industry.

Upon completing their easy registration process, your new account will be credited with a $5 free, no deposit required bonus. This is so you can take a look around the casino and get a feel for the place. Upon making your first deposit, you'll get another $10 free AND a 100% match bonus up to $250. With your second deposit, you'll get $15 free and ANOTHER 100% match bonus up to $250.

Your third deposit will get you a credit for a 50% match bonus up to $500. Your fourth deposit tops off the bonus frenzy with a 50% match bonus up to $600. That makes a grand total of $1,630 in bonus money! And that's real cash to use playing any and all of 700 games.

Many Casinos Accept Aussie Dollars

It was not always the case, but online casinos have come to understand that Aussies are a loyal people, loyal to our land, to our footie team, and to our pokies.  Aussies prefer, for obvious reasons, to play at casinos that accept our currency.

All the casinos we recommend accept Aussies.  Our list is not exclusive; there are other casinos as well that accept Aussies.

Check out their banking terms.  You should be able to deposit and withdraw without any difficulty.  Of course, all information must be encrypted for your safety.  We bring this issue up because banking is a sensitive subject.  Most Aussies like to do their casino banking through POLI so we make sure to tell you about such casinos.

Another touchy subject is Bitcoin.  Bitcoin is an artificial currency that was created in 2008 by a person so mysterious that we are not sure if he exists at all.  Some say that “he” is a group of people.  Bitcoins are “mined” online only by people who know the algorithm and meet other criteria.  We don’t say to never use Bitcoins but our casinos don’t accept them and we have no problem with that.

Service In Deed As Well As In Name

Next, check out their customer service.  Casinos brag about 24/7 customer service but some are better than others.  You can easily contact them by chat or email and see how quickly they respond and how good the service really is.  We recommend opening one of the modern Australian online pokies with 243 ways to win and then contact the casino and ask the agent to explain the game to you! Finally, they should have a free telephone number for Aussie players.

Find out how easily you can play for free without needing to deposit.  Some casinos insist you deposit first. 

Pokies, Pokies, and More Pokies

Now that you’ve gone through the security aspects and general service aspects of online gaming, check out how many online Aussie pokies casinos actually have on offer.  Also find out how many are in the genre or genres you prefer.   Some casinos specialize in other areas of online casino gaming such as table games, video poker, or sports betting.  If you’re a true online pokies fan, you ought to try out a casino with a huge library of pokies in many genres and styles.

Jackpots, Tournaments, and Promotions

You may also want to play at a casino that has many progressive jackpots or one with frequent pokies tournaments.  At the very least, the casino should have several ongoing promotions.  This is one way the casino gets its payback rate to the 96%-97% range.

Perhaps the most important promotion a casino can have is a great Welcome Package.  We will highlight one such Welcome Package, made especially for the Australian online pokies fan.

Mobile Pokies

Before we discuss All Slots Casino’s 500 free spins Welcome Package, let’s discuss the latest in online pokies, mobile pokies.  There are more than 2000 different mobile devices.  The software developers, such as Microgaming which supplies over 500 mobile casino games to All Slots Casino, have to refit their pokies for mobile and tablet play.  Granting that there is a lot of overlap among mobile devices, getting mobile pokies online is still a big project that is not finished.  So, if you’re like almost everyone these days, you’ll want to play mobile pokies.  Therefore, you’ll want to choose a mobile casino that has already converted many of its online pokies into mobile pokies.

Now let’s check out the Welcome Package from All Slots.

Australian Players Can Get 500 Free Spins

All Slots Casino caters to its clientele.  In Australia that means online pokies, so what better way to say thank you to Aussies for signing up at All Slots than by offering a massive free spin bonus: fully 500 free spins.  If you’ve played pokies anywhere before, you have a good idea how lucrative 500 free spins can be!

The 500 free spins are part of All Slots Casino’s Welcome Package.  It’s hard to argue with All Slots Casino’s claim that this is the best Welcome Package available to Aussies.  This offer is good for players who play in English, German, and Swedish.  You can choose from three top-of-the-line pokies: Tomb Raider, Straight Kiss, and Gold Factory.  Tomb Raider satisfies the adventurer in all of us as archeologist Lara Croft braves scary narrow tunnels and dark tombs in her quest for treasure.  In contrast, Sweet Kiss is a romantic pokie with 243 ways to be kissed (win, LOL).  Finally, Gold Factory employs gold to lure you into a world where riches abound amid a circus atmosphere.  Now, 500 free spins are a lot of free spins.  You can play all of them in one place or divide the spins up.  In this special bonus you can move from pokies to pokies as you wish until you’ve used up your free spins.  At that point, you’ll probably want to check out the other several hundred pokies All Slots Casino has on offer!

All Slots Casino has launched a set of apps for Android at Play Store, offering free casino games.  These apps cover many favourite casino games including some free pokies for your leisure time fun.

Casino Reviews

We have used All Slots Casino as an example.  That’s because All Slots simply has so many online pokies in its library.  But we emphasize that there are many other excellent casinos with large banks of pokies, as well. 

Scroll down to read reviews of several here, also. 

Game Reviews

• Thunderstruck is a wildly popular online pokies with a Norse mythology theme.  Besides the beautiful graphics, the biggest draw is the multiplier effect in the free spins bonus.  The basic multiplier in the free spins is 3x but if Thor is involved in the win, the multiplier becomes 6x.
• Avalon is another 5-reel online pokies with 20 paylines.  The theme is royalty.  The graphics and background music all emphasize the regal nature of the game.  The free spins bonus gives you 12 free spins.  The Scatter symbol has a multiplier so Scatter-generated wins are quite lucrative.
• Mega Moolah is a famed progressive jackpot pokie that has made so many people rich it’s been nicknamed “The Millionaire Maker”.  Mega Moolah has an African theme, complete with wild animals lurking about and headhunters.  The Lion is the Wild Symbol.  It carries a 3x multiplier.  The Headhunter Trophy Scatter symbol sends you to the bonus rounds where you can win big at the Wheel.  Here you have four different ways to win.  The super jackpot begins at one million and increases until someone wins it from throughout the network of Mega Moolah-featuring casinos.  We’ve been told that even players who opt for the lesser jackpots love Mega Moolah because it’s just fun to play!
• Break da Bank Again is another online pokies that is extremely popular with Aussies.  It has a jackpot of $375,000.  The Break da Bank symbol is the Wild.  Wins with it are multiplied five times!  The safe is the Scatter, three of which send you to free spins heaven.  Three Scatters give you 15 free spins; four Scatters give you 20 free spins; and five Scatters give you 25 free spins.  In the bonus rounds, wins made with the Wild will truly break the bank as they come with a 25x multiplier!
• In Mermaid Millions, the theme is the deep blue.  The basic symbols all reflect sea life.  The beautiful Mermaid is the Scatter symbol.  Your winnings with the Mermaid are multiplied by the number of coins bet!  The Mermaid also sends you to the free spins bonus round where all wins carry a 3x multiplier and the free spins can be retriggered.  Free spins can be retriggered multiple times if your luck is with you.  The most exciting feature of Mermaid Millions is the Treasure Bonus.  This can also be won during free spins, making them all the more potentially lucrative.  When three or more Treasure Chests appear, you go to the Bonus.  You move deep beneath the surface in the deep blue sea where treasures await.  You choose three, four, or five treasures and collect the winnings.  The number of treasures you choose equals the number of Treasure Chests you got to trigger the bonus.

Pokies Myths

Did you know that some players have superstitious beliefs when it comes to their favourite Australian online pokies?  Here are a few of the most enduring pokies myths:

• Myth number 1: At some point, an online pokies jackpot is “due” to hit.  This feeds into the players’ sense of the law of averages.  A jackpot can hit two spins in a row or not hit for a very long time.  That’s why some progressive jackpots get up in the several million dollar range.  The Random Number Generator (RNG) determines the outcome of every spin.
• Myth number 2: You can determine the chances of winning if you know how many symbols are on each reel.  The RNG is designed to count stops on the reels, not symbols.
• Myth number 3: Casinos can alter or manipulate the RNG.  First, they can’t because the RNG is part of the software.  If they tamper with the software, they’ll be dropped immediately by the software developer.  After all, it’s their reputation for fairness on the line as well.  Second, the regulators and certifying boards would close the casino down if it became known that the casino was manipulating the RNG.

Responsible Gambling

The above section on pokies myths actually is an aspect of responsible gambling.  Every pokies casino we recommend is dedicated to online gambling Australia as a fun pastime with the chance to win big but, even if you don’t, you’ve been entertained so you can see your losses as entertainment costs.

Gamers who try to make the odds more favorable to them by impossible means, such as following myths, may have a gambling problem and should seek professional help.

Online Pokies Are Fun

The bottom line for the vast majority of us pokies-loving Aussies is that online pokies are fun to play.  There are so many genres or themes; so many ways to get free spins; so many multipliers; so many large jackpots, that the fun factor also has that element about it: that you may be the next lucky winner at Australian online pokies.