Best Online Pokies Casinos for Real Money
If you are looking for top gambling sites that operate in New Zealand and Australia and offer real-money online pokies you have come to the right place. We put much effort and time into researching a chocka of platforms, looking for the ones that deliver the best online pokies NZ by award-winning software providers. Stick with us and learn the names of must-play casino slots right now.
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How We Evaluate Top NZ Online Pokies Sites
Being pokie game players ourselves, we understand what you are looking at casino sites in New Zealand and Australia. Ideally, you want to have a smooth and safe experience, get access to the best online pokies NZ with high RTP, feast on promotions, and taste your winnings.
To reassure you that the casinos we listed in the table above meet the toughest criteria, we decided to guide you through our comprehensive research process and introduce you to the way we study and pick gambling platforms for you.
Selection of games
As the topic of this article is online pokies real money, the first thing we do is check the lobby. You will be pleased to know that some of the gambling sites on the list host over a few thousand slot machines. Yes, you heard that right. You are just a few steps away from accessing the newest and the hottest casino slots with a rocket-high return to player, bonus rounds, multipliers, and life-changing jackpots.
Reliability of games
The online pokies that you will find at the listed casino sites are not rigged and provide a totally random outcome. We can confirm that the local gambling sites and apps on our list hold fairness certificates issued by iTech Labs, Gaming Associates, or Technical Systems Testing. Aussie and Kiwi players can be confident that the pokies that they are about to play offer a fair and random experience.
Safety measures
There is nothing more important than safety at a gambling site you choose. We check licensing information. The casinos on our list hold recognized and reputable gaming licenses: Mala Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission, Curacao eGaming, Alderney Gambling Control Commission, and Kahnawake Gaming Commission. Spotting these licenses, we know that local casino sites operate legally, follow strict regulations, promote responsible gambling, and use solid encryption technology and safe payment methods.
Payment methods
Apart from testing games, we carefully check what type of payment methods NZ and AU casino sites offer. The listed gambling site gives players a large choice of deposit and withdrawal options, including Bank Transfer, Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafecard, MiFinity, ecoPayz, and a choice of crypto including Bitcoin cash, Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Ethereum, and USDT. We also make sure local casino sites charge no or little fees and process transactions within a few hours maximum.
Customer support
And since players’ experience greatly depends on how clear their interaction with the customer support team is and how valued they feel, we always test this department, too. We can say without a doubt that the listed gambling platforms offer knowledgeable and friendly customer support that can be reached via live chat or email.
What Are Pokie Games?
Pokies are Kiwi names for slot machines. Pokies usually take around 80% of all games in online casinos and are considered the most popular games. The reason why so many Kiwis adore pokies is because they deliver the most entertainment and thrill. Pokies NZ are filled with quality graphics, and sounds and offer different themes, like animal pokies, ancient Egyptian pokies, fruit pokies, sci-fi pokies, Irish pokies, etc.
Types of Online Pokies
As you sign up at popular NZ gambling platforms, you will come across quite a few types of casino slots. For example, in the lobby, you will be offered to search for pokies by the name, the name of the provider, or type. So, let’s take a squiz at the most popular types of pokies NZ and see what difference they make for players.
- Classic slot machines: These are the oldest and traditional slot machines featuring 3 reels and a limited number of paylines. They are the best choice for beginners and players who fancy simple gameplay.
- Fruit slot machines: Some of the most popular slot machines found in land-based casinos are stuffed with fruit symbols and, when creating a line of 3 matching fruits, trigger a win.
- Branded slot machines: Branded pokies are linked to recognized brands, such as movies, TV shows, music bands, and celebrities.
- Video slots: The most played online pokies real money that features 5 and more reels as well as numerous paylines, offering players more chances of winning compared to classic slots.
- Progressive jackpots: A trendy type of pokies where the jackpot prize increases until it is won.
- 3D slots: Thrilling pokies with impressive graphics that make the gambling experience for players more engaging.
- Megaways: Another popular type of slots NZ that usually feature 6 reels and where a win is triggered by landing a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 matching symbols on adjacent reels. Megaways pokies can enable thousands of ways to win.
- Bonus buy pokies: Must-try slots NZ with an option to skip a base game and move onto a bonus game that usually unlocks free spins, enhancing players’ winning opportunities and level of fun.
These online pokies in New Zealand may seem different, yet they all have the same purpose - to bring players satisfaction, entertain them, immerse them into gameplay through creative graphics and sounds, and allow them to feel the adrenaline when the cash prize lands into their accounts.
Key Terms for NZ Online Pokies Players
If you are new to online pokies, then it should be a good idea to learn key terminology for this type of casino game. Getting familiar with the main terms will help you navigate pokies NZ much better and understand what is required for winning. Let’s quickly review these unique terms:
- Payline: A lineup with symbols where the payout will be awarded. Modern pokies allow players to have several active paylines, which increases their chances of winning.
- Ways to win: These are pokies with no paylines where 3 and more matching symbols can trigger a win. At top NZ casino sites, you will come across 243-way slots (meaning such a slot features 243 ways to win a cash prize), 720 ways, 1,024 ways, and 117,649 ways titles.
- Scatter symbol: symbols that don’t have to match along one payline. When players manage to land 3 scatter symbols anywhere on reels, usually a free spin round is activated.
- RTP: Return to player measured in percentages. If a pokie offers a 99% return to the player, then by wagering 1 NZD and winning, a player will get 0.99 NZD.
- Expanding reels: Reels that expand during gameplay and allow more space for symbols to match new combinations, increasing players’ winning chances.
- Free spins: a set number of free reel spins that players don’t have to place a bet for. Usually, free spins are activated after landing 3 or more scatter symbols.
- Auto spin: This is a great feature for those platters who don’t want to press the “start” button after every spin.
- Wild symbol: A special symbol that replaces any other paying symbol to complete a winning combination.
- Bonus: Usually referred to as a bonus pokie game with free spins.
- Bonus buy: Feature that allows players to skip the base game and enter a bonus game for a certain bet.
- Multiplier: Feature that makes your win x2, x3, or more, depending on the pokie.
- Paytable: A list of all symbols with their value.
- Bet min: Minimum wager per spin.
- Bet max: Maximum wager per spin.
These are the simplest rules games to understand and with the opportunity to try any slot game you are interested in for free, you should quickly and successfully learn how pokies work and how you win at them.
Most Popular Online Pokies in New Zealand
It is time to move on to the best online slots NZ, highly rated by players around the world. The list of pokie titles we are about to list can be found at almost every gambling site or app.
The Book of the Dead
The famous Book of Dead by Play’n GO was released on 14 January 2016 and still to this day is on the list of 10 best online slots in NZ for several reasons. The slot features the main character, Rich Wilde, who invites players to his latest escapade. The theme is Ancient Egypt, where the Play’n GO software provider has certainly put much effort into creating a realistic experience. The pokie is stuffed with a bonus game that unlocks 10 free spins plus an additional 10 free spins when landing three or more Scatter Symbols during the bonus round. The RTP of the Book of Dead pokie is 96.21%.
Mega Moolah
Mega Moolah by Microgaming Developer is one of the most thrilling progressive jackpot slots. The game was released back in 2006 and, until now, joins the best slots charts in New Zealand and Australia. The slot features an African theme – Serengeti National Park, the home to wild animals. The graphics are stunning, and the sounds will immerse you in a wildlife atmosphere. Three or more scatters will trigger bonus rounds with 15 free spins, during which players’ payouts are subject to x3 boost. The bonus round allows retriggering an extra 15 free spins. Mega Moolah is famous for its high RTP – 93.42% and a large jackpot of €19,430,723.60 that was won in 2021.
The Queen of the Nile
Another Ancient-Egypt themed pokies, Queen of the Nile, was released by Aristocrat Gaming in 2012. The pokie joins the Cash Express Luxury Line game family and features a Hold & Spin mechanism when certain symbols on the reels are held while the rest spin during a respin, allowing players to gain extra spins and hit a jackpot. Queen of the Nile has 20 paylines, 60 bet combinations, and a return to player of 94.88%. Landing 5 Scatter symbols will result in 400x of a player’s line-bet, while landing 3 to 5 scatters will trigger 15 free spins instantly.
Starburst
Starburst, by award-winning NetEnt software provider, has been a favorite of Kiwi players and Aussie players for over a decade. Released back in 2012, Starburst instantly intrigued pokie users with a cool cosmic theme, colorful symbols, and an incredibly high RTP of 96.09%. 10 paylines are paying out both ways, 5 reels and 3 rows only, making the gameplay easy. Starburst is famous for frequent wins since it is a low-volatility game. With a maximum win per spin of x500, Kiwi and Aussie players should certainly have a great time spinning the reels.
Where's the Gold
The last pokie machine we believe you will fall in love with from the first spin is Where's the Gold by Aristocrat Gaming. It was introduced to the audience in 2003, so the graphics may be a little bit outdated. Where's the Gold pokie comes with 5 reels, 25 paylines, an RTP of 94.72%, and medium volatility. The theme is gold mining, where every symbol you dig can trigger either free spins or impressive cash prizes. Lansing at least 3 Scatter symbols, which are represented as dynamites, will trigger 10 free spins, which then can be retriggered for higher payouts.
Top Software Providers for NZ Online Pokies
Behind the best pokies NZ are always efforts, time, and creative minds. There are more than 100 software providers in the gambling industry, yet some names are easily recognized. Check our list of software providers, among which are award-winning developers that have been continuously delivering fantastic releases.
Aristocrat
One of the oldest gambling machine manufacturers that was founded in 1953 in Australia. Nowadays, the company focuses on delivering mobile games that match players' demands and tastes. Aristocrat hires a team of 8,500 artists, engineers, storytellers and developers to offer players the best gambling experience possible. It also operated in more than 335 gaming jurisdictions, making their games famous worldwide. The developer's best releases are Queen of the Nile, Buffalo, Where's the Gold, Mr. Cashman, and African Big 5.
Microgaming
Microgaming, based in the Isle of Man, has been operating since 1994. Nowadays, Microgaming supplies online and mobile casino games as well as sports betting to gambling platforms all over the world. The developer takes pride in having more than 210 million bets per day, 86+ million players, and using 70 currencies. Some of the best provider’s releases are Immortal Romance, Mega Moolah, Avalon, Thunderstruck 2, and Game of Thrones.
NetEnt
A recognized premium game supplier that started in 1996 with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. It holds a list of awards, including EGR North America Awards, International Gaming Awards, Global Gaming Awards London, and EGR Nordics Awards, to name a few. The software provider contributes to responsible gambling and supplies its content to casino sites accepting players over 18. NetEnt portfolio fits 200 games with some of the best names, including Gonzo’s Quest, Starburst, Guns N’ Roses, Divine Fortune, and Dead or Alive.
Playtech
Another high-rated software provider contributing to safer gambling was founded in 1999. The company has a premium listing on the Main Market of the London Stock and is dedicated to delivering an engaging gaming experience. Playtech hires 7,700 employees, has over 180 licenses and operates in over 40 regulated jurisdictions. The top provider’s titles are The Matrix, Buffalo Blitz, Age of the Gods, Gladiator, and Ugga Bugga.
IGT
The last slots, lottery, and sports betting provider is IGT or International Game Technology, which has been providing fun to players all over the world since 1990. With over 15,000 employees, IGT is devoted to creating high-end games to meet every player’s taste. The 5 popular pokies featured by IGT are Cleopatra, Wheel of Fortune Power Wedges, Regal Riches, Ocean Magic, and Dragons Temple.
Playing for Real Money in Online Pokies
While most popular pokies offer high and frequent payouts, there is still a chance you can lose money. If you dream of hitting a life-changing jackpot, you should have realistic expectations.
So, these are several strategies you should keep in mind when playing pokies at NZ casino sites:
- Choosing high RTP real money pokies is certainly a good strategy.
- Use bonuses to play with extra cash.
- Play slots in demo mode first to understand the paytable, find winning combinations, and practice gaming.
- Don't forget about gambling limits. Choose the deposit size you are comfortable with sending and set the time you can play so your pastime does not affect your work, relationships, and other departments of life.
Slots NZ are packed with action, fun, and impressive cash prizes, but nothing is more important than your safety. This is why every pokies site in our table holds a reputable license and operates legally. These are safe and reliable gambling platforms that don’t just offer a wide variety of games but ensure they are totally safe and fair.
Our Verdict
Picking a pokies casino from our list, you are guaranteed access to the most famous and newest games. Now you know what software providers to look out for and the names of pokies that are worth trying for free or real money.
We really hope that our review answered your questions on how pokies work, what types exist, and how to win them so you can confidently pick high RTP titles from pokies site lobby. Just remember to play responsibly so you have fun and appreciate your wins.
