A brief history of pokies in Australia - the first pokies

  (photo credit: INGIMAGE)
(photo credit: INGIMAGE)

Poker is NO.1 game in Australia, and the number of its fans is still growing. The first poker machines were imported here in 1900, and in 1956 there was the first state permitted to use of such machines in registered clubs. But still, it's interesting to know more about the history of this game to find the reason for the high popularity of poker among players with different gambling experiences. Especially since due to the Aussie casinos’ statistics about 85–90% of poker machines return more money to gamblers than any other type of casino games online. 

Australian Pokies history - learn about the earliest years of the gambling   

Aussie players today really often use the term “pokies” to describe what gamblers from other countries know as “slot machines”. And there are a few reasons for such differences, that all gamblers should know. Especially Aussie players since slot machines originated in Australia. For sure now there are so many different providers from all around the world who create their own slots, but that didn't happen if the Aussie developers didn't make the really first slot machines. 

So due to the history of casinos, the first gaming company in the world was the Aristocrat. which introduced the first pokies in the 1950s. And in 1956 there were so many gamblers who played that game for real money getting some great winnings. But for sure slot machines were so simple and completely mechanical in construction, and up to three reels. Today slots are 100% digitized and there can be more than 5 reels. 

But back in the 80s the whole concept of the first slot machines changed and games got a completely new structure with a few possible variations of gameplay. That was the beginning of the fast growth of the gaming industry and the base for the games that you see now in online casinos. 

Aussie pokies now - what has changed in gambling since the first slot

The next period that had a huge influence on the casino gambling industry was the 90s. That was the time when casinos in Australia started to offer their clients lots of different types of slots and great promotions. At the same time, the government changed some laws so gambling became legal in only a few days. That means that the players got the additional guarantee of their safety and much more simple access to their favourite games. After that, the casino numbers started popping up, so almost in every city there were at least two reliable casinos with licenses. 

But the biggest growth has been after 2010th when the gambling industry became almost 100% digital. And now gamblers have simple access to their favourite games 24/7 only having a phone or other device with a stable internet connection. It's interesting that even now more than 200,000 physical pokie machines can be found in Australia. For sure most of them you will see in online casinos but still, but their first versions still exist. At the same time, the process of searching for the best one for gambling becomes more difficult also because of the huge number of available games and online casinos. As a result, newbies in Aussie casinos online now need to spend more time finding the best game with understandable rules and amusing gameplay. Also, they need more time to find a reliable casino.

This article was written in cooperation with online pokies Australia.