pokies explained in relation to online slots

Pokies explained in relation to online slots
Take a step into the world of online casino and very quickly you will realise that there is an incredible amount fo ways to bet online these days - play here.

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The online gambling has never been healthier, with hundreds of online casinos available at the very push of a button, touch of a phone screen or downloading of an app. With so much to choose from in terms of where to bet, how to be and what to bet on, the whole concept of online gambling can be confusing for some.

Gambling lingo and terminology is thrown around at will and the best way to learn about what is going on, is to simply get amongst it. However one term in particular causes confusion within the realm of online slot games - a genre of game that has taken off in the last decade or so.

In the UK, we call them slot machines, fruit machines or maybe ‘fruitys’ at a push. But over in Australia, Down Under, our slightly more tanned cousins down there have their own slang.


What are slot machines called in Australia?
The slot game did not originate in the UK and nor is the gambling format only popular in the British isles, despite some of the biggest wins happening on these shores. For example, one former soldier set a world record when he hit the jackpot on the popular, Mega Moolah slot.

But online gambling is popular all over the world, including in Australia where, as we know, they seem to have different slang for all sorts. ‘G’day’ means hello, ‘ripper’ means good, a Shelia is a woman and apparently a pokie is a slot machine.

You can online pokies, pokies with 3 reels, pokies with 5 reels. Even pokies with free spins and bonus games and mini features. Ripper!


Why are slot machines called pokies?
The name ‘pokies’ it actually very simple as it derives from what was essentially the first slot machine.

Poker machines were the earliest kinds of gambling machines, allowing people to play poker on their own against a machine. From poker, Aussies coined the term ‘pokies’ and it has stuck ever since. They are always shortening words those Aussies, seemingly always in a rush despite their laid-back stereotype.


Is there a difference between slot machines and pokies?
What with pokies being a shortened term for poker machines, it has caused a lot of confusion about whether or not there is a difference between pokies and fruit machines or slots. Quite simply, there is no difference at all and the term pokies, for the most part, purely is a slang term for what we brits call slot machines.

Similarly, even within the UK there are varying slang terms for the humble fruit machine. In Scotland, it is not uncommon to hear them referred to as ‘puggys’ - no explanation available for that one.

On this topic, avid slot machine gamblers were known as ‘one-arm bandits’ among many during the golden era of gambling in the USA.