Why Pokies Are Called Pokies and Not Slots?
In New Zealand and its neighbour country Australia, slot machine games are known as pokies, simply being the local word used for the same game. If players from other countries might find it confusing when they visit NZ casinos or play at NZ online casinos. Some might even consider pokies as video poker games, but other than a resembling name, there aren’t a lot of similarities.
Land-based slot machines, as these games are known elsewhere, first became available in Australia at the beginning of the 20th century. They first reached Australia after which they made their way to New Zealand as well.
In both countries, lots of (or rather heaps of) words are shared with pokie being one of the many examples. Pokies enjoy great popularity worldwide, but NZ players have a special love for them. Most online casinos and land-based casinos offer these games in multiple varieties. Mobile pokies have also become a new trend with the introduction of mobile casinos. In this article, we will discuss how slots have become pokies in our country and what are the fundamental differences between them.
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The Origin Of The Word Pokie
Aussies and Kiwis love to abbreviate almost all the words and things. Thus, it is common to guess that poker machine games got a short name, “Pokie.” As we said earlier, poker machine games arrived in Australia in the 1900s when the casino industry was developing in the country. A few years later, it came to New Zealand casinos and became one of the most popular casino games. It is still unclear why game machine which had similarities to slot games was introduced as poker machine games.
However, some theories also claim that slot machine games and video poker machine games were hugely popular among the players in the 1900s. Since most casinos used to place both different sort of game machines on the same casino floor, this brought the name pokie to the slot machine games. Today many people use the word ‘pokies’ for video poker games, slot machines games, and online slots. Even online casinos that launch their services in Oceania and want to better target local players have adapted the etymology to the local dialect.
Another interesting thing about the origin of pokies is that this machine required players to insert coins and play. In old pokies machines, when a player wins, the coin will pop out for the players to collect. Excited players used to poke their fingers into the machine to collect the coin immediately, and the name pokies came into existence.
Pokies and Slots: Different Countries Use Different Names
This might not be a surprise for a New Zealand player or an Australian player as they have always known every game machine as pokies. However, it is interesting to know how this popular game has a different name in various parts of the world. Slot machines are popularly known as fruit machines in the United Kingdom and puggy in some regions. But most countries, including the USA, refer to them as slot machine games or simply slots. Whether it is an online platform or land-based casinos, these games are known as slots in most parts. Even the United Kingdom has adopted name slots and forgotten fruit machines.
On the other hand, Australia and New Zealand have embraced pokies for all platforms. This is why most online casinos that offer a category of “online slots” for all other parts of the world offer a dedicated section of ‘online pokies’ to online casino players in these countries.
Thus, it is all about slang that is used differently according to the different cultures and regions. Players need to be familiar with these terms. Thus, when kiwi players visit casinos in other countries, they should not get confused with pokies and slot games. Similarly, when players from other countries visit New Zealand casinos or Australian casinos, they should know pokies are no different from slot machine games, and the same rules apply to the game. The gameplay experience may be different, but the core of the game is the same.
Difference Between Pokies and slots
Now you know that these two names of the game seem completely different, and a newbie may think these are different games. Thus, the basic difference is the name. New Zealand and Australia call pokies games, while the rest of the world calls them slot machine games. Pokies may seem like a table game by the name of a new American player in New Zealand.The gameplay is similar, and the basic rules apply the same way. A random combination will appear on the screen, and if it is a winning or jackpot combination, you are likely to get a chunk of money on your little investment. However, you should note that several regions in Australia and New Zealand use the word pokies for all the game machines, whilst the term slot is used to refer only to slot machine games.
NZ players have to keep in mind that next, you visit any country other than Australia; a casino staff may not redirect to the video slots zone when you ask for pokies. Similarly, NZ casino people may not know what slots are if a player from the USA asks for the game. However, in the end, it is one game with a different name. The strategies and techniques are all the same. No matter where are you from, you can play the game with the same rules.
Whether you call it pokies, slots, fruit machine games, or any other name you come up with, your chances of winning the game are the same. You can call it whatever you want.
The popularity of Pokies in New Zealand
Players in New Zealand visit land-based casinos as well as prefer online casinos to play pokies. Due to the rise of mobile casinos, mobile pokies have also enticed NZ players. That’s not all. Online pokies casinos offer various kinds of themes in pokies games. Game developers emphasise offering interesting storylines and high-quality graphics so that players can have an enriched gaming experience.
Another reason behind the increasing popularity of online pokies in NZ is that casino operators provide lucrative bonuses anchored with pokies games. A new player would find free spins on almost every popular pokie game like Book of Dead. In order to help the customers to find the best online casinos that offer quality pokies games collections, KiwiGamber has created a dedication for pokie lovers, providing the best bonuses on pokies at licenced and trustworthy quality casinos. Kiwis will also find the reviews of casinos that provide pokies on our platform. This makes the process very easy when a player wants to find the best casino that provides, pokie bonuses like free spins no deposit, and various types of pokies games.
What Should Players Know When They Play Pokies Online?
When NZ players want to play pokies online, they need to consider various essential things to make their journey joyful and safe. Here, we have enlisted such factors that need the attention of the pokie player while playing online.
- Choose A Casino Wisely: There are lots of online casinos that provide pokies. A new player may get enticed by lucrative bonuses and end up in the trap of scam casinos. That’s why a player must choose the casino after checking all the facts and information.
- Collection of Pokies: Each casino platform has a different collection of pokies. Players should check the catalogue as well as game providers before signing up to the casino. You need to make sure it has a variety of games and different types of pokies.
- Bonuses: Most casinos offer bonuses with popular pokies games, and that is why one should look into the bonuses that are tagged with pokies. This will help you to increase your chances of winning the game.
- RTP: the Return to Player is a percentage which shows how likely it is that a player will win when playing the game on a frequent basis. This will increase your chances of winning. Most pokies have an RTP of more than 90% so that you can pick the best available in the market.
- Responsible Gaming: Players should use consent while playing pokies or other games online. This may include bankroll management and setting limits to the gameplay period. One should play responsibly and manage the risk of loss and addiction.
