Slot games, commonly known as pokies in Australia, are among the most popular forms of online casino entertainment in the country. Aussie players enjoy these games primarily because they are fun to play, and the gameplay structure is pretty easy to understand, unlike the more complex skill-based casino games.
Thanks to the rapid evolution of gaming technology, the world of Australian online pokies keeps growing bigger and better after each passing month. In the hundreds of legitimate Australian pokies sites online, you’ll find loads of games coming with different themes, bonus rounds, special symbols, among other attractive features. On top of these immersive features, one of the best things that Aussie gamers like about playing pokies online is the fact that they can play free demo versions without spending a single cent.
In case you’ve ever had questions about where this pokie enthusiasm in Australia came from, then you should read on to discover the rich history that Aussies and pokies have and the types of pokies that players currently enjoy.
Australia has played a huge role in modernizing the pokie machines as we know them today. In 1953, Australian firm Aristocrat Leisure Limited invented the slot machine intending to compete against the first slot ever created called the Liberty Bell.
With the introduction of computers, the engineers at Aristocrat managed to fuse a solid-state CPU with a video screen to develop the first video poker. As technology advanced and the legal fights between the Australian government and casinos intensified, the transformation of the video slots into an online machine was the perfect move.
Years later, the Australian state government mediated by introducing the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. Before 2001, Australia already had big business in online pokies. Any Aussie could own and operate an online betting site, but the Interactive Gambling Act rendered online casino sites illegal. Those who were running betting websites before the act came were permitted to continue. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 doesn’t, however, prohibit Aussies wagering on online pokies.
Online slot machines are easy to play, and given that they are games of pure luck, there’s really no surefire strategy that guarantees you a win whenever you play. Even so, there are still a couple of strategies you can use to make sure that you increase your winning potentials as much as possible. But before we cover the tips that will get you ahead, here is a quick guide of how to play Australian pokies online:
You can boost the speed of your gameplay by using the ‘Autoplay’ button
As a standard rule, you are supposed to line up at least 2 or 3 matching symbols on the reels depending on the slot game. And the more symbols you line up, the more money you’ll make, of course, based on the value of the symbol itself in the game.
Now, moving on to the tips that you could use to prime yourself for more lucrative payouts, you should first start by studying the paytable of the Australian slots before you start playing. That way, you can quickly understand what it will take to unlock the unique bonus features like free spins. You may, for instance, be required to land scatter symbols or special bonus symbols before you can trigger the hidden goodies in the game.
And before you start spending your real money on the game, you must at least play for fun so that you can have a feel of the slot machines before risking your cash. The free pokies gameplay mode is particularly great for beginners who are venturing into spinning reels online for the first time.
What Are the Various Types of Australian Slots?
The collection of online pokies offered by Australian online casinos is far more diverse than what you’ll find at any land-based casinos. Australian pokies online provide endless entertainment for newbies and experienced players alike.
Software developers continue to introduce new exciting features to push the level of immersion in these wonderful games of luck beyond that of any other online casino game options. Fundamentally, online pokies Australia come in three major types: 3-reel pokies, 5-reel pokies, and progressive jackpot pokies. Here’s a highlight of what these types of pokies are all about:
3-reel slots are the most basic forms of online pokies. As the name suggests, these games only have three reels and are often simple games with classic symbols such as fruits, bars, and bell icons. They offer a great starting point for newbies as they have fewer symbols and betting options to follow. With their simplicity, three-reel pokies offer players the purest slots experience, which was enjoyed back in the ’90s. That’s why they continue to be popular amongst Australian punters.
5-reel pokies constitute the majority of the desktop and mobile slots that Aussie gamers play as they are usually appealing and engaging. On top of having more advanced visuals, they also come with souped-up features, such as wild and scatter icon, to introduce free spins, re-spins, and bonus rounds. Moreover, the more modern variants of this type of casino games usually come with more intricate game mechanics, such as tumbling reels and MegawaysTM to make the titles more immersive.
Progressive jackpot pokies are often regarded as the best Australian online pokies because they offer players a chance to walk away with life-changing payouts. The jackpot is usually part of an interlinked pool, with wagers originating from different online casinos. The more players bet on these video slots, the bigger the jackpots become.
All other types of slots are usually derivatives of these three main variants, and sometimes, you’ll even find pokies that are a mix of these categories to offer more immersive entertainment on the reels.