You might have encountered the term “pokie machine” in your online quest for new and exciting real money online slots. If you’re in uncharted territory, don’t worry, it’s a regional thing. Let’s look at the origins of the word and what people mean when they talk about pokies.
What Is a Pokie?
By now, you must be ready to find out what it is, right? Cue the drum roll. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about a classic title with three reels or a progressive 3D option with all the bells and whistles; a pokie machine is a slot game!
Pokies vs. Slots
Online pokie machines are precisely the same slot machines. So if it’s the same thing, why does it have a different name? Well, the answer lies in geography. You’ll find that the word pokie is endemic to Australia and New Zealand.
Why Are They Called Pokie Machines?
Pinpointing the exact origin and date of the word pokie is difficult. We know the first slot machines were introduced in the 1950s. Video poker machines appeared in brick-and-mortar casinos a few years later.
Australians have a penchant for abbreviating words. Legend holds that the word “pokies” is the short form of poker machines. The name eventually stuck to the more popular slot machines through time.
Search for images of 1950s poker machines and compare them with slot machines. You’ll find that they bear a stark similarity in appearance. Sure it’s different games, but it’s just a lot easier to use one word to refer to both.
Where to Play Pokie Machines Online
Since the advent of the internet and other technological developments, you can access hundreds of pokie machines at online casinos. Australian sites like Joe Fortune actually use the word “pokies,” but you can find “slots” at almost all gambling sites.
Whether you’re a fan of the classic 3-reel games or video slots, there’s a perfect pokie for you at one of the following sites.
| RANK | ONLINE CASINO | BONUS | # OF POKIES | RTP | START |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  DuckyLuck Casino | BONUS 500% up to $7,500 | # OF POKIES 600 | RTP 97.43% | Play Now |
| 2 |  Bovada Casino | BONUS 125% up to $3,750 | # OF POKIES 435 | RTP 96.98% | Play Now |
| 3 |  SlotsandCasino | BONUS 500% up to $7,500 | # OF POKIES 594 | RTP 97.12% | Play Now |
| 4 |  BetUS | BONUS 150% up to $3,000 | # OF POKIES 367 | RTP 96.83% | Play Now |
| 5 |  Cafe Casino | BONUS 350% up to $2,500 | # OF POKIES 176 | RTP 96.95% | Play Now |
Unleash Your Inner Aussie
Don’t ridicule the Aussies and Kiwis terminology since they’re possibly the biggest gambling fans in the world. Over 80% of Australian adults engage in betting of some kind every year.
If you make it to the land down under, remember to write the term on your hand, or you may be the one getting laughed at for referring to pokie machines as slots.
