Pokies online are the trademark of the online gambling industry. They’re fun, easy to play, and highly profitable. It’s everything a casino game should be! Both novice and seasoned gamblers never stop to admire the unique charm and unmatched quality of the best online pokies. In this comprehensive guide, we’re going to cover all aspects of real online slots and introduce our readers to the fabulous world of online pokie games.
Evolution of slot machines
Before online slots became a thing, slot machine games had gone through a long evolution from mechanical 3-reelers to super advanced video slots online. The first real money slot machines emerged in the 19th century in the United States. Back then, real money pokies looked nothing like they look today. Those were mechanical real money pokies that resembled large metallic boxes. They attracted players with flashing lights and distinctive sounds. Mechanical slots had a lever which was used to spin the reels, as well as a slot through which players threw coins into the machine.
For the most part, the first pokies only had 3 reels. (Compare that to 243 reels in modern casino pokies!) An average slot game had no plot or characters. The player was just making a spin after a spin, landing winning combinations along the way - if they were lucky, of course. Back in the day, you didn’t have to visit a casino in order to play pokies. Of course, land-based gambling venues offered dozens of the best casino slot games but they were not the only places where gamblers could enjoy pokies. The thing is that old-school slot machines were available literally everywhere. You could hardly find a bar or a restaurant that wouldn’t have at least one slot machine standing in the corner.
Classic slots
Needless to say, modern online slot machines have come a long way from their predecessors. When playing top-notch online slots for real money, one can hardly imagine what it was like to play mechanical slots for real money. Let’s take a closer look at the pokie machine games that were popular throughout the 20th century, before the invention of video pokie games.
✔️ Real pokie machine games used to have a very limited suite of symbols. The most popular symbols on slot reels were the vibrant images of fruits. Due to this distinctive feature, classic pokies were dubbed “fruities”. Back in the day, vibrant fruit icons were the hallmark of slot games: Cherries, Watermelons, Oranges, Lemons, Grapes, Bananas, Apples, and so on. Other iconic symbols included the Bell, 7, and Bar. Do you know the story behind the Bell symbol that has become the staple of real pokie machines? Well, the thing is that the very first slot machine was nicknamed “Liberty Bell”. It was invented in 1985 by Charles Fey who worked as a car mechanic in San Francisco, USA. The reels of that groundbreaking slot machine featured the card suits (Hearts, Diamonds, etc.), as well as the Liberty Bell, the well-known symbol of the American independence.
✔️ Compared to top-of-the-range online slots, classic slots for real money are considered basic and rudimentary. Real money casino slots mostly featured 3 reels and 1 to 5 paylines. Despite a straightforward gameplay and lack of exciting bonus features, vibrant pokie machines were No. 1 choice among casino enthusiasts and continue to retain this coveted title to this day.
✔️ Real casino slots had very low betting limits that started from 1 cent. These casino pokies were nicknamed “penny slots” and were extremely popular among gamblers with a scarce gambling budget. To play real slots, you didn’t have to save up for weeks and give up other entertainments and enjoyments. A player-friendly betting limit made pokies gambling more accessible to common people, contributing greatly to the unparalleled popularity of casino slots.
✔️ Classic casino slot games had no progressive jackpots. Indeed, the first real pokies came without the life-changing money prize - which, however, didn’t take away from their popularity. The first progressive slot machine was presented to the public in 1986. It was the IGT-powered Megabucks slot. Generally speaking, when it comes to cash rewards, old school slot pokies can't hold a candle to advanced 3D real online pokies.
Online pokies: Key features
Now that you have a basic understanding of what classic real money slots were like, it’s time to delve deeper into the modern igambling scene and scrutinize advanced online pokies for real money. How are they different from classic slots? Do they have any flaws compared to their predecessors? Let’s break it down!
- Pokies online have a bigger number of both reels and paylines. Slot producers develop online real pokies equipped with 5 to 1024 reels. As for the number of paylines, it usually varies between 1 and 50. Some real online pokies come with a whopping 243 paylines! This means some online pokie games have 243 ways to form winning combinations. Something is telling us that landing payouts on multi-payline real pokies online is a breeze!
- Pokie slots are jam-packed with additional mini games, bonus rounds, and other lavish extras. When playing pokies online for real money, you have a myriad of opportunities to make a big buck by simply spinning the reels! Major slot manufacturers are interested in making their online casino pokies more profitable for the player. With that in mind, they fill the best online pokies for real money with bonus features, risk games, bonus multipliers, special symbols (Wilds, Scatters, Cascading Wilds, Expanding Wilds, etc.). If you’re lucky, playing online pokies for real money can be a very lucrative pastime! You never know when you’re going to trigger a hefty cash reward!
- Real slot machine games attract gamblers with tremendous progressive jackpots. When enjoying real money pokies online, you stand a chance of hitting a multi-million cash prize. No one knows when it’s going to happen which makes jackpot hunting an exciting and exhilarating pastime! If your online slot machine makes part of the progressive jackpot network, you automatically become eligible for winning the gigantic jackpot prize. All the more reasons to play online casino slots for real money!
How to choose the best online pokies
Choosing the best online pokie is a task that is both enjoyable and challenging. Here are some guidelines for finding the best pokie machine to play at top Australian online casinos:
✔ Choosing the right virtual casino is the key to enjoying top-quality real online pokies. Reputable and honest online casinos tend to have a stunning collection of the best online pokies. Teaming up with the industry’s top-of-the-range slot manufacturers, major gambling sites provide their clients with world-class igaming content. Plus, they process withdrawal requests fast and efficiently, so you won’t have the slightest trouble releasing the money that you’ve won playing online casino slots.
✔ The best online pokies for real money offer you good money making opportunities. It’s no secret that many gamblers play real casino slot machines mainly for the sake of winnings. In addition to having a high RTP value, a good casino slot must be packed with bonus games, multipliers, special symbols, and so on. The more extras, the better! Each extra feature can generate nice cash prizes. How do you identify the best paying pokie machines? It’s simple. Read the description to the slot machine, as well as players’ reviews. If you see that the pokie machine has a good money potential, go ahead and give it a try! It can become your goldmine!
✔ The best online pokies are the fruits of hard work of major casino software companies. While the igaming market is swarming with up-and-coming software brands, we recommend sticking with famed slot providers, such as IGT, Microgaming, Playtech, Play’n Go, and others. Online slot games from these well-known companies are the true masterpieces. Using the latest innovations, high-quality real slots for real money blow the minds of online gamblers. These top-class online pokies feature stunning animations, pixel-perfect graphics, immersive sound effects, and breathtaking plots. It’s a dream come true for any casino slot fan.
Offline pokie machines vs Online pokies
Which one is better? To play online pokies at a land-based casino or enjoy top-tier pokies online? We recommend that you play slots online. Yes, we’re avid fans of gambling on the best casino slot games online. Allow us to prove to you our point!
- When you play pokies online for real money, you can do that with zero risk for your bankroll. Moreover, you don’t even need to create an account with the casino and put money into it! All the best online slots on any gambling site are readily available in free demo mode. Find a legal online casino site, go to the “Slots” section, pick any online pokie, and play it for free! There are various reasons why gamblers are using the free mode. For beginners, it’s the only way to get acquainted with real slot machines without worrying about losses. Plus, you can use the demo mode to test the slot machine and make sure that it’s worthy of your money. If you like the plot, characters, multipliers, bonus rounds, and other facets of the pokie machine, you can go ahead and play this slot online for real money. If you grow tired of demo mode and want to play pokies for real money, just sign up with the casino, top up your account with some money, and start placing real money wagers!
- Gambling sites can boast a greater diversity when it comes to online pokies for real money. While land-based casinos can fit in a couple of hundreds of real money slots, major gambling sites offer endless catalogues of online slots for real money. Even up-and-coming online casinos tend to offer 500+ top Australian online pokies for real money. Real money online pokies cover a vast spectrum of exciting themes, including Adventures, Ancient Words, Space Battles, Pirate Ships, Historical Events, Detective Stories, Films, Comic Books, Literature, Everyday Life, Romance, Holidays, Sea Life, Animals, and so many more. No brick-and-mortar gambling facility can ever provide you with such a stunning choice of top-class real money online pokies!
- Over the last decade, mobile technologies have seen a major breakthrough. As a result, devout casino fans got a new gambling option which is called “mobile gambling”. Now you can play online pokies for real money on your mobile devices. Yes, online casinos give you a fantastic opportunity to play slots at any place and time! All real money online pokies are compatible with smartphones and tablets running on the three most commonly used operating systems (iOS, Android, Windows Phone). Optimized for mobile play, the best online pokies run smoothly and efficiently on all types of hand-held gadgets, allowing you to take your gambling passion literally anywhere with you! Now you can play real pokie machines on the move, enjoying the freshest igaming releases on the screen of your smartphone!
- And last but not least! Among gambling sites, it’s a common practice to pamper their clients with juicy bonuses. The occasions on which you can receive a nice cash reward are plentiful, starting from casino registration and ending with your birthday! You’re welcome to use these bonuses to explore real money pokies. Claim a bonus and play real money slot machines without spending your own bankroll! There are pokie machine fans who can't find the courage to fund their account and start playing pokie games for real money. Casino bonuses can help them take that important step! Playing casino slots with the casino’s money is much more fun than spending your own budget, right? Also, gambling sites often give out free spins that gamblers can use on specified real slots for real money.
Tips for playing top Australian online pokies
We’re nearing the end of our all-inclusive guide to real money online pokies! For dessert, allow us to give you a few guidelines for playing real money online pokies and making the most of your slot machine experience!
- Real slot machine games are games of chance which means they’re immune to any type of winning strategies. Believe us, there is no betting system - regardless of what other gamblers might be telling you! - that can predict winning combinations on the reels of a casino slot. So, don’t waste your time searching for and testing smart strategies for real casino slot machines and let yourself enjoy these wonderful games as they are!
- Keep in mind that online pokies for real money can be very addictive. The spinning of the reels seems to have a near-hypnotic effect on the player. As a result, you keep making a spin after spin after spin until you find your casino balance heartlessly empty! Be smarter than that. When gambling on pokies online, try to keep your head cool and take short breaks every 15-30 minutes. When it comes to the best online pokies, discipline is of paramount importance.
- If you’re conflicted about whether or not a slot game fits your personal taste, don’t think twice before testing it in free demo mode. It’ll give you the necessary understanding of the online pokie, its theme, characters, extras, payouts, etc. Real money slots can wait! You should only play online slot machines for real money if you know for sure that the game is worth it. We advise you against recklessly wasting your bankroll on unfamiliar slot machine games.
