Pokies, sometimes known as slot games, video slots, fruit machines or even one-armed bandits, are by far the most popular type of game played at online casinos.

They always have a set number of reels and each contains symbols of different values. And some of which are special symbols. Players win money by having identical symbols in a row or by being able to access the pokies’ special bonus rounds. Such as free spins, where wins happen in any number of ways.

Pokie machines originated as games played at land-based casinos where you had to physically push back a lever to start playing. Hence the name ‘one-armed bandit’ and first went online in the late 90s with the boom of the online casino.

These days online pokies are more like the latest cutting-edge video games. Pokies have brilliant graphics, sound effects, themes, storylines and creative bonus rounds that keep players entertained for hours. Mobile versions also exist that are available from a mobile phone and pokies apps, rather than a desktop or laptop.

Google Play Store to allow gambling apps in Australia from March 2022

What Are Mobile Pokies?

Mobile pokies are pokies games that you can play from a mobile device, be it an Apple, Android or Windows phone. These days the vast majority of pokies players choose to play using their mobiles. Partly out of convenience or because the experience is the same as on desktop or laptop anyway. But mobile is easier and more convenient to use. Online casinos have invested heavily in mobile casino apps and mobile sites to cater to these gamblers.

Most online pokies have two sections a base game and bonus features. The base game is where you simply spin. And try to get three or more identical symbols in a line, usually assisted by one or more Wild symbols which substitute for other symbols, to help you win. The more valuable the symbols you have in a line, the more you win.

Pokies will also have at least one bonus round. The most common type of bonus round casinos offer are free spins where you get to spin 5, 10, 15 etc. times without having to use your own money. And in some pokies wins secured during the round are worth more than in the base game.

It’s also common for the free spins rounds to have Expanding Wilds, cascading reels, multipliers and other extras present. To help you secure bigger and better prizes than what you get in the base game.

Other types of bonus rounds include pick’em rounds, where players randomly pick boxes or treasure chests that have prizes behind them.

mobile pokie with a slot machine arm on the side

How to Play Mobile Pokies

The first thing you’ll need to do is decide on how much you want to wager per spin. With most pokies, it’s just a case of deciding how much you want to risk on your next spin. However, in some cases, you’ll also need to decide how many pay lines you want active. The more you have active, the more you can win, but it will also cost you more to bet on each active pay line.

Most pokies will allow players to start playing in autoplay mode which means they don’t have to press the button to spin each time. Rather, you choose for the game to play as a pre-determined amount of spins in a row.

Pokies Bonuses

Real money sites often give out casino bonuses related to pokies as a strategy for keeping customers engaged. And as a way of giving something back to loyal players and bring new players in.

These often come under two types. The first is deposit bonuses, where customers are given extra money to play with when they make a deposit. A typical deposit bonus would say ‘50% up to 100AUD’ meaning that if you deposit 200AUD, the Casino will give you an extra 50% to use, up to 100AUD. The most common deposit bonus players take advantage of is a welcome bonus.

Players should be aware that casino bonuses such as these come with wagering requirements. That means that if you were to win using bonus money, you can’t just take the money and run. You’ll have to play the money through several times before you can withdraw it.

Deposit bonuses are generally available to use at any type of online casino game the player chooses, including of course pokies.

The other common type of bonus given out by Australian online casinos is free spins. These are different from the free spins that you get awarded while playing a pokie. In this context, free spins are spins credited to you from the online or mobile casino. These can either be used on any pokie or on a particular pokie, especially if it’s a new release. Wins from free spins generally also have wagering requirements associated with them.

Banking Methods

Casinos like to offer multiple payment methods to allow customers to deposit and withdraw their money.

The most common deposit methods are Visa, Mastercard, bank transfer and any number of E-wallets such as Neosurf. But online casinos are increasingly encouraging customers to move their money in and out using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Most online gambling sites also have at least one local E-Wallet available as a payment method to make it easier for their customers.

Customers should always be aware of any charges incurred while using different payment methods. And should use the ones that will cost them less to use. Many of them are free anyway but some of them such as bank wire transfer are actually pretty expensive.

You’ll need to provide some documentation such as a driver’s license or a utility bill before making your first withdrawal with most of these methods. This means you may have to wait a few days while everything is being checked before you can actually receive your winnings.

When you make a deposit, the amount goes into your general casino account. And is there to be used on whatever device you like. Whether it’s an iPhone, tablet, smartphone or laptop. If it connects to Wi-Fi you can play pokies or other casino games from that one casino account.

Which Variations of Mobile Pokies are Available at Online Casinos?

The growth of mobile pokies has seen software providers implement changes. The days of fruit and symbols spinning aren’t over, but technology has changed pokies. there are some of the most common pokies available.

3-Reel Pokies

The most basic type of pokies you can play. And as the name suggests, have three reels, so a very limited number of paylines and ways you can win. These are based on the original Las Vegas ones from the early days of casinos and are also known as classic pokies. Sometimes they still use the old-school fruits, bells and bar symbols just like they did when they first started.

5-Reel Pokies

Most mobile pokes you’ll find these days will be 5-reel pokies featuring Wild and Scatter symbols. Which is the key to activating one or more bonus features. 5-reel pokies will have a paytable that tells you which combinations of symbols offer the biggest wins as well as a set of rules and instructions explaining how bonus rounds work and how you get to them.

Progressive Jackpot Pokies

These for the most part work in the same way as 5-reel pokies, but with one exception. A percentage of each stake wagered goes towards the one or more Progressive Jackpots. These keep on going up in value as long as they’re not won, so every spin played on them by anyone will contribute to the pool. When the Jackpot is finally won, it will be reset but will generally already start at a decent amount.

Free Pokies

Most pokies that are available at Australian casinos can generally be played for free, without risking your money, as long as you’re an active registered user. This is to allow players to try out pokies so they can see which ones they like before playing them with actual cash. The exception is Progressive Jackpot pokies. These are generally only available when playing with real money.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mobile Pokies Australia

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