Pokies: every pokie type, game and feature explained

What are pokies?

Pokies is the Australian name for poker machines, the games known elsewhere as slot machines or slots. You choose a stake, the reels spin, and you win when matching symbols land on a payline or across adjacent reels. A random number generator decides each result, and the game's maths keeps a share of all bets over time.

Australians know pokies first from clubs, pubs and casinos, where they are regulated by each state. Online pokies work the same way but come from a wider range of studios, with more features and published RTPs. This page covers both, with the focus on online play. Our guide to how pokies work explains the random number generator, RTP and volatility in depth.

What are the main types of pokies?

The main types of pokies differ in how they pay and how much their results swing.

Hold and spin pokies are the online answer to venue games such as Lightning Link. Our guide to Lightning Link pokies explains the feature and why the original game is hard to find online.

How do you read a pokie's information screen?

You read a pokie's information screen by opening the game rules, usually through an "i" or menu button in the game. It shows the facts that matter before you play:

• RTP: the long-run return to player for this version of the game.
• Volatility: sometimes shown as a scale or as low, medium or high.
• Stake range: the minimum and maximum bet per spin.
• Paytable: what each symbol and combination pays at your stake.
• Features: how free spins, hold and spin or bonus rounds are triggered and how they pay.
• Max win: the largest possible win, often as a multiple of the stake.

If the RTP is not shown, or the casino's version differs from the one quoted elsewhere, choose another game.

Who makes the pokies Australians play?

The pokies Australians play come from two worlds.

Venue makers. Aristocrat, founded in Sydney, makes many of the best known venue pokies, including Lightning Link, Dragon Link, Queen of the Nile, Where's the Gold, More Chilli and 5 Dragons. Aristocrat offers its games online mainly through social casino apps and, in some regulated markets overseas, through licensed online casinos, so these games are rarely found at the sites that accept Australians.

Online studios. Most pokies at online casinos come from studios that build for online play. Pragmatic Play makes Sweet Bonanza, Gates of Olympus, Big Bass Bonanza and Wolf Gold; Play'n GO makes Book of Dead; Games Global supplies the progressive Mega Moolah; other studios specialise in Megaways, hold and spin or jackpot games.

How do RTP and volatility differ between venue and online pokies?

Venue pokies follow state rules that set a minimum return to players; in Victoria, for example, the minimum was lowered from 87% to 85% in 2014. Online pokies publish their RTP in the game rules, often in the mid-90s, and many studios release each game in several RTP versions, leaving the choice to the casino.

That means the same online pokie can return different amounts at different sites. Check the RTP in the game rules each time, and prefer the higher version when you have a choice. Our guides to best payout pokies and jackpot pokies explain how returns compare. For the studios behind the games, see pokies providers.

How do online and venue pokies compare?

Online and venue pokies share the same idea, but the experience and the rules differ.

What do common pokie terms mean?

How do you choose a pokie for your budget?

You choose a pokie for your budget by matching its stake range and volatility to the money you are willing to spend in a session.

1. Set your session budget first, for example AU$50.
2. Pick a stake that gives you enough spins: AU$50 at 50 cents is 100 spins before wins.
3. Match volatility to the budget. Lower volatility pokies stretch small budgets; high volatility pokies need a bigger cushion between features.
4. Check the RTP in the game rules.
5. Try it in demo mode before playing for money: see our guide to free online pokies.

Which pokies are new?

New pokies are released every week, often with new versions of proven mechanics. Our guide to new online pokies explains what to check in a new release and how to judge it before you play for money.

How do you keep pokies play under control?

Pokies are fast and repetitive, so limits matter. Set a deposit limit in your account, decide your session budget and time before you start, and stop when you reach either. Never chase losses. If gambling stops being fun, Gambling Help Online offers free, confidential support 24/7 on 1800 858 858. For the sites we currently feature, see our online pokies Australia guide.

Gambling is for adults only (18+).