The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) recently released its annual report on gambling participation among Australian adults, and the findings show that the trend continues. Namely, 73% of all adult Aussies gambled at least once in the past year, and even though there are many different gambling products available, poker machines, or pokies, accounted for 33% of all the participation.
Online pokies have become immensely popular among Australian players, providing a wide variety of options available https://new-betting-sites-australia.com/online-pokies. They’re seen as quick and satisfying entertainment, but selecting the right pokies for your preference and budget can be a daunting task. The main reason for this is the sheer size of the market today. There are hundreds of online casino sites and even more pokie games.
Regardless if you’re a seasoned player or new to the online pokie world, you should have a solid understanding of the key factors to consider if you want to have a hassle-free experience. In this guide on choosing the best Australian online pokies, we’ll do our best to present you with the most important aspects when choosing the right game for you. From RTP rates and variance to software providers, bonus features, and paylines, we’ll help you make an informed decision the next time you want to play the pokies.
Determine What Types of Pokies You Prefer
Pokie is a unified term for all reel-spinning machines in which you have to match several symbols to get a reward. However, they come in many different variants based on the gameplay, so the first factor you need to consider is what type of pokies suits your style.
- Classic pokies – Modelled after traditional fruit-themed pokies, these games usually feature 3 reels, and simple pay tables and don’t come with many added features or bonuses.
- Video pokies – The term came to prominence with the rise of online pokies, and they are games that offer a wide range of paylines, typically from 20 to 1000 – although there are pokies with over 100,000 possible winning combinations. They also often provide extra features like free spins, bonus games, re-spins, wilds, scatter symbols, multipliers, and more.
- Progressive jackpots – As the name suggests, these are pokies that have a big jackpot. A small percentage of each bet contributes to the pool of the growing jackpot, and it can be triggered randomly by any player. The jackpots often reach seven figures.
- Combination pokies – These games combine multiple types of pokies into one. For example, they can include a classic fruit theme but add bonus features such as wilds or progressive jackpots.
Check Out the RTP
The RTP, or Return to Player ratio, is a number that indicates how much the game returns out of all the money invested over a period of time. Generally, the higher this number, the more the game returns.
The industry average in Australia is around 96%, so any pokie with an RTP of over 96% can be considered a high-RTP pokie.
One big advantage of online pokies over the pokie machines you’ll find at land-based casinos is that when playing online, you can easily find out what the RTP of your game is. You can either check trusted analysis of the game, look for the RTP in the game options menu, or visit the software provider’s official site.
Pokie Variance
Slot game variance, also known as slot game volatility, refers to the level of risk and potential for winning in a slot game. It measures the frequency and size of payouts a player can expect while playing the game. Slot games can generally be categorized into three variance levels: low, medium, and high.
The pokie variance, also known as volatility, refers to the level of potential and risk of winning in the game. In other words, it measures how often wins occur and how big they are. For example, if a game has low variance, it means that the wins occur very often, but they’re small in size.
Medium volatility pokies sit in between, with a moderate level of risk and reward. High-variance pokies, on the other hand, are on the other end of the spectrum. In these games, the wins don’t occur as often, but when they do, they tend to be substantial.
About Author
