Pokies consist of different parts. The parts are external and internal. The main parts include:

External
Cabinet
comprises the game and may be of a variety of types
On a Video Screen the game is displayed
With the help of the Buttons  a player manages the game
The section Note and Coin Acceptor is for inserting coins or notes

Coin tray is placed at the base of the pokie machine and is used to take coins paid for the game

Top Box and Belly Panel display how game is played

Coin Tray – is placed at the base of the machine. The coins won in the game are given there.

Internal parts

  • Motherboard
  • Meters
  • Cables
  • Note Validator
  • Lights
  • Cash Box
  • Hopper
  • Speakers

Risk games which are played in the casinos exist for centuries. While the creators of most of these games are not known, the history of most popular and cost effective mechanic device comes from the United States. Originally the first slot (pokie) machine was designed by Charles Fey in 1887. A mechanic from San Francisco invented the pokie machine.

Before Fey’s gadget other coin operated risk games exist. These were poker machines giving a player a possibility to obtain a cigar or free drinks in case they scored a winning combination.

Fey’s gadget offered a very plain game -the Liberty Bell. In Australia the first machine appeared in the 1900′s and became extremely popular.

In the prospects of becoming highly demanded one of the big Australian companies decided to invest in the slot machine business. So from 1953 the history of Australian slot machines or pokies starts. The company developed their first game – the Clubman developed by Joe Heywood.
In 1955 the government licensed slot machines in the legally working clubs. The pokies received a great love of a general public and became a success among gamblers.  The games offered were very simple and unsophisticated.  All slot machines of these times had three spinning reels and up to five lines. The jackpots were comparatively small.

In the 1980′s the first video slot machines appeared and made a revolutionary in the gambling industry. The new machines were equipped with five reels, more lines and provided several playing benefits for winning (free spins).

Nowadays slot machines are an integral part of casinos brick and mortar or online. Pokies are considered to be one of the most prevailing and most liked games worldwide.

The most essential fact everyone should know when playing pokies is that they all have a payout percentage of less than 100%. A player has an 87% chance at winning on a normal pokie machine because the payout rate is set by the government at 87%.

The payout of lower than 100% will finally result in all money losing, if a gambler plays for a long period of time. Some lucky gamblers win large jackpots after a short period of playing and never play again while others play for a long time and lose everything.

Online pokie gives the average chance of winning in 97 times from 100. Some online pokies offer up to 99% payout rate, this is made to attract more players.

A person should remember while playing pokies that every spin is made at random and cannot be altered by the previous spins. Each spin has the same chance at winning the jackpot. Those problem players should keep in mind that if they have lost on a slot machine for a long period of time there is definitely no certainty that the machine will start “returning” them money.

Long term playing pokies give the same chance of winning as playing for a short period of time.

It is obvious that the real winners are not the players. The real winners are gaming operators and the government taking gambling taxes.

The reason why there is really no chance to be a long term winner if you play pokies over a long period of time is simply that all pokies have a payout percentage of less than 100%. So sooner or later if you play too long you may lose your money on a slot machine. The fact is the more you play the more you lose.

The pokies numbers represent some information about Australian slot machine industry and give reasons to speculate upon when you like to play pokies.

1)    Australia possesses over than 20% of the all gaming machines of different types in the world;

2)    It is estimated, that Australia has approximately 200,000 slot machines;

3)    From 200.000 slot machines,  100,308 are located in New South Wales;

4)    The population of Australia makes up 20,264,082  people, so it makes one game for every 101;

5)    Approximately 39% of all adults living in Australia play pokies;

6)    In 2003 – 2004 Australian gamblers lost $16.21 billion  playing gaming machines, more than 9 billion was lost in slot machines;

7)    The survey conducted in Australia has shown that over 300,000 Australians are problem gamblers.

The following numbers demonstrate the most interesting things to know before playing pokies:

  • The payout percentage of pokies is  about 90.8%;
  • The average chance of winning the jackpot in 1 line gaming is 1 in 50,000,000;
  • The  chance of winning the jackpot gaming 20 lines is approximately 1 in 2,500,000;
  • The gambler may win in pub the highest sum of $10,000;
  • The ordinary player wastes $380 dollars every year;
  • The problem player may lose $12,000 each year.

There are three main reasons why online casinos offer the players with free money for making the first purchase. The first reason is to win the new players. The online gambling is a fast developing industry challenging the websites to compete with the rivals by attracting more and more participants. To fascinate new members they need to offer more value than their counterparts online and offline. Free cash credits is a way to tempt new players to get more comfortable playing online and thus showing that playing pokies online is much more rewarding.

Secondly, online casinos due to their virtuality practically have no operating costs.  Online casinos don’t pay a lot of costs related to running a land based casino. So they can offer huge free bonuses and have a higher payout rate and a player has more benefits playing online.

The third reason is that online casinos are still considered to belong to the new network approaches. That is why it is necessary for them to motivate the players with bonuses, free credits, free spins, higher payout rates, huge jackpots and other stimulating methods to encourage new people try their games.

Online slot gambling (pokies) has become a worldwide phenomenon, allowing people the ability to play from any location, any time of day and night. The land –based clubs and casinos can sometimes be dangerous. It is far more pleasant to stay at home and without haste and nervousness play online. Besides, online casinos provide bigger jackpots, great bonuses and high payouts. People prefer online pokies due to the higher chances of winning at on average 97%.  Jackpots in online pokies can grow to millions and in addition most of online casinos offer the player free money for the first purchase.

Online pokies as well as simply pokies have originally come from Australia. The invention of the internet in all the spheres of our life and fast developing computer technologies have made it possible to produce virtual pokies games. Now you can find lots of sites providing free online pokies for gamblers that are keen on playing this game the Australian way.

Though pokies are developed mostly for an Australian market, online pokies allow every non – Australian player to take part in the game.

Some online pokies offer the games free of charge. Some websites have carried out a point system for the proficient players.  Once registered for an account on such websites you will be provided with a set of points that you will have to earn in order to enter into drawings for different prizes.

If you think that online pokies are very complicated for you, the best thing you can do, is to try out playing a game on your own.

The word “pokies” has its roots in Australian and New Zealand slangs and is used informally referring to slot machines. The term is used as a standard for all video slots in Australia. Casino commercials usually call the games pokies. The term appears in the time when all devices – video poker machines and slots were called poker machines.

The term has its usage limitations in Australia; the whole world prefers simply slots or slot machines.

Pokies or simply slot machines are casino gambling devices usually with three or more reels which spin after the button is pushed. Slot machines were originally run by a handle on the side of the machine then this handle was transformed to a more useful and easy to operate button. However, a lot of modern pokies have a handle in addition to the button.

The slot machines can be of different types- it depends on the manufacturer, but these days the most popular and widely spread variety of pokies are five video reel, multi-line slot games all of which have a bonus game of some kind. Different types of bonuses are available, but most frequent are bonus game giving the possibility to have free spins.

Pokies or slot machines contain a special built in currency device to confirm that the inserted coins are legal. Modern computer approaches have introduced a great variety of slot machine designs and ideas. Pokies are still one of the most popular ways of casino gambling and form more than 70% of the all casino’s income.

At Pokiesaustralia you will find the information you can trust, because it is based only on facts.  You can learn what the pokies are, some facts from their history, how they work, how to play, tips for winning and strategies. We offer you informative reviews on the most popular pokie games such as Queen of the Nile, Indian Dreaming, More Chilli, 50 Lions and others, and popular manufacturers. You can learn some facts and figures about pokies.  We will also give you some information on terminology used in pokies gambling such as bonus, candle, carousel, coin hopper and credit meter.

Here we provide you with hints, tips and information on slot machines and its types. We also list the best places to play online pokies which can give the gambler higher chances of winning.

Online pokies give you an opportunity to play at your own convenience anytime and anywhere. All you need is an internet connection and an account with an online casino and you’re ready to play.