Online pokies are becoming one of the most popular casino game types in Australia, and for good reason: they deliver all of the same fun and excitement as those you’d find in any live casino. If you’re looking for the excitement and entertainment value of a brick and mortar casino, without leaving the comfort of your own home, Online pokies are definitely something you should be considering.
Online pokies are appealing because they tend to offer better odds and more features than traditional casino live poker machines. Convenience is key with online pokies, you have access to thousands of games available on the internet, all in the palm of your hand. Play from your mobile device, tablet or desktop, and you will receive the same entertainment value that you would in an actual casino.
Want to know more about specific poker machines? We have more than 150 pokie reviews current as of 2018.
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Founded in 2000, Royal Vegas Casino is the well-established forefront member of the renowned Fortune Lounge Group and an eCOGRA (eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) approved Internet casino that offers a wide variety of pokies that Australians love to play. Royal Vegas encourages new and existing players to test out their practice games to get a feel for what they have to offer before they decide to play with real money.
If large jackpots are what you’re looking for, Royal Vegas provides some of the highest progressive jackpot slots in the market — this includes Mega Moolah, the biggest interactive progressive jackpot online, which consistently pays out over $1 million AUD. Royal Vegas pays out every game in AUD, so no need to stress about exchange rates or processing fees. Alongside its progressive games, bettors have access to more than 400 different pokies, along with free sign-up and software download for your computer.
Looking to play pokies on your mobile? There is an abundance of mobile casinos to choose from, and numerous titles can be enjoyed on smartphones and tablets with the official Royal Vegas Casino app, which you can install by tapping the ‘Get the App’ button. If you rather a no-download option, you can access Royal Vegas’ mobile casino on your mobile’s web browser, just as you would on your computer.
Mobile gaming has exploded in popularity in the last few years, thanks to rapid advancements in online gambling software, smartphone technology and mobile security – and playing online pokies on-the-go has never been this safe or easy.
The increasingly sophisticated technology of Apple iOS, Android, and Windows have enabled casino sites to expand their target audience by making compatible mobile pokies games, without sacrificing quality.
These mobile pokie games often make use of touch-screen interfaces and the gradual power increase in mobile chip-set graphics to integrate unique features and present stellar-looking and sounding virtual slot machines on-the-go.
Some online casinos, like Royal Vegas, have released mobile-specific downloadable apps now legally available for Aussies to install to further enhance the gaming experience. They also have the option to access their preferred gambling site through their device’s web browser in the no download, instant-play Flash version.
Click or tap on either of the following links to learn more about the Apple iPhone mobile gambling market as well as Aussie Android mobile and tablet gaming, to find the best sites to play.
The catalogue of genuine Australian cash pokies offered online is more varied than a live casino has to offer. Players have access to an assortment of games, from the traditional 3-reel classics and fruit machines, to graphically intensive 5-reel video slots, 3D slots with impressive animations, to the more contemporary 243 Ways and even 1024 Ways games, which is exactly how many chances you have to win big.
Many pokie games have themes to make them more visually engaging, and even more are centered around popular media franchises and licenses such as The Dark Knight, Hitman, and Tomb Raider. If you’re craving a spin of such games or even popular original titles like Avalon, Thunderstruck II or Queen of the Nile, these live casino favourites are easy to find online — and easier to play online, at your leisure.
The increasing popularity of online slots have led to very unique game variations that are not typically available in live casinos. MegaSpin Pokies, which allow you to play up to nine pokies at the same time, are a great option for those who like to multi-task. Progressive Pokies are Internet pokie games with a progressive jackpot which starts high, and keeps increasing until one lucky player wins it all.
Progressive pokies are easily the most popular type of online slots, and almost always reach over $1 million AUD in games like Mega Moolah and King Cashalot. Modest titles like Cash Splash have a smaller jackpot, but suit players who may want to play with a smaller bankroll or face less competition to win the big jackpot.
All of our recommended sites streamline the process of deposits and withdrawals with extensive and secure support for a range of banking options: bank wires and transfers; cheque accounts and services like Citadel Direct; credit and debit cards, Mastercard, Maestro and Visa; e-wallets such as ClickandBuy, ECOCard, Entropay, Neteller, and Skrill (Moneybookers); and pre-paid services like Ukash. A popular all-in-one banking service for Australian players is POLi, which is supported by major Internet casinos and is frequently used as an alternative to PayPal.
Just like every other casino game available on the Web, playing pokies on your computer or mobile device at one of our recommended, licensed sites is as safe as using the Internet to deposit money into your bank account.
Every major casino website implements state-of-the-art 128-bit digital encryption technology (128-bit Secure Socket Layer), the same virtual protection used by international banks. This ensures no one can read or modify the data you provide. It also prevents any cheating or stealing – of both your cash and your financial and personal information. Your bank account details are never publicly shared, and if a site seems to be flaunting your personal I.D. or asks for your passport, it’s generally a good idea to refrain from signing up and proceed to research whether or not it is approved by gambling industry watchdogs like eCOGRA (eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance).
The best online casinos are ones who reward their members for playing. Similar to a live casino where a membership card is almost always offered, the majority of players want a loyalty program to obtain extra credits and provide incentive to keep playing at the same place. As a general rule of thumb, always sign-up and play pokies at a casino site who offer bonuses while you play to get the most out of your online experience.
On the first deposit, Royal Vegas provides a 100% match bonus of up to $250. A second deposit of up to $200 is matched by 25%, and a third deposit of up to $750 is matched by 50%. If you use a particular casino banking service – Click2Pay, Moneybookers and Neteller – you also score 10% bonuses for deposits.
If you like to play regularly, the site also has a popular and dedicated V.I.P. rewards system which allows registered members to accumulate bigger wagering limits for high stakes gambling, and loyalty points with every real money wager made that can be redeemed for casino credits, free spins and even real cash — should you play enough.
Pokies are essentially games of chance consisting of reels of symbols – usually either five or three reels – which the player must match in order to win prizes. Older pokies featured only a single or maybe three distinct lines where the player was required to match symbols to win, but today, pokies own multiple paylines up to 50, as well as even more modern games which scrap the traditional payline aspect and use ‘winning ways’ – up to a potential 3125 different combinations in which the player can win.
In real money pokies, players have a wide range they can wager on each spin. There are 1 cent, 2 cent, 25 cent and dollar pokies, as well as plenty more other denominations people can play. With online pokies, a single game can be played at a variety of stakes, allowing the player to customise the game to their liking.
There are two other ways to change the amount wagered on each spin. First, the player can choose to play each spin for a certain number of coins – usually, anywhere between one and five (with each coin costing the machine’s denomination to play). In addition, the player can choose to play anywhere between one line and the maximum number of lines; and each line will be played for the amount of coins selected. In total, a spin on a poker machine can cost much more than the listed denomination. The total amount of each spin is the denomination multiplied by the number of coins and lines being played. The benefit of playing the maximum coins and lines is not just the higher payouts, but this is also how players win the largest progressive jackpots.
Both live and online pokies use random number generators to determine the spin of each reel; this guarantees fair results which (in the long run) will provide returns to the player near the level set by the casino. However, it also means winning or losing is a matter of pure luck — there’s no skill involved when playing pokies; they’re attractive for players who simply want to enjoy a game and have an equal chance of winning than those who play regularly.
Some pokies include bonus rounds in which the player can win large payouts after matching special bonus symbols. In these modes, players often get free spins and win at higher rates (or for higher amounts) than in the normal course of play. In some cases, these bonus rounds may even have a light skill element involved, although this is rare. Even in those cases, players generally have only a modest amount of control over their winnings.
Every pokie machine has different odds and it would be foolish to attempt to list the odds for every game. However, there is some data we can use to come to some general conclusions about virtual pokies.
It is generally true that online pokies offer better odds than their live machine counterparts. The overhead involved in running a casino online is much lower than a brick-and-mortar establishment. Which means online casinos can afford to attract players with better odds and more winnings while still turning a profit.
Many surveys of machines in live Australian casinos have found that $0.05 pokies tend to offer players returns of around 90%-93%, while quarter and dollar machine’s returns are slightly higher. Meanwhile, online casinos often surpass the 95% payback level as an average return on all of their machines.
Overall, pokies aren’t exactly the most strategic casino game ever invented. Once the reels are spinning, there isn’t anything you can do to change the result. This is a big reason why many people prefer the game — all you require is luck, and winning isn’t dependent on a player’s skill. However, there are a few small steps you can take to ensure you get the maximum value out of your time playing pokies.
First, always play the maximum number of coins allowed. In most, but not all pokies, you’ll only be able to win the maximum jackpot amounts by max betting. This is especially true on a progressive jackpot, which will almost never pay the full jackpot unless you play for the full amount. For instance, a progressive jackpot machine which takes up to three coins may offer only a small, fixed prize if you play for one coin, 30% of the jackpot amount if you play for two coins, and the entire jackpot if you play all three coins.
On the other hand, you’ll also want to play pokies at the highest denomination you feel comfortable with. This is because casinos almost always have better odds on pokies that are more expensive to play. Putting these two rules together, your best strategy for playing Australian pokies is to play the highest denomination at which you’re comfortable playing for the maximum number of coins allowed. This will allow you not only to play on a machine with higher payouts, but also keep you eligible to win large jackpots.
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