Here at Fruity King NZ, we like to keep our readers informed about everything to do with online casinos, including more serious information articles and less serious ones. Today we will look at the difference between online pokies and slots.
Slot or pokies games are enjoyed by millions of people worldwide. They come in many themes and genres to suit all tastes and styles. Whether you enjoy the classic ‘fruit machine’ type or game or progressive pokies that offer life-altering cash prizes, there is no doubt that pokies remain one of the most popular casino games, whether enjoyed online or off.
Pokies (or slots) will probably be the first port of call for many new players as they are easy to play and don’t require any skill to get started. The more complicated games can usually be tried in demo mode, which gives you time to get used to how the game works. Still, it would be best to grasp the basics to begin playing.
Another reason that pokies are so popular is their convenience. You can pick up a game whenever and for as long as you want. Technology has advanced so much that you will not have a reduced gaming experience when playing on the go through your smartphone or other mobile devices.
Even if you did crash or lose your internet connection, there is no need to worry. Today, online games will play through for you, and you will not lose out if you are lucky enough to hit a winning streak.
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Where the Name ‘Pokies’ Originates From
Pokes and slot games are the same, but like many other names for objects or actions, names differ from country to country.
Just like you can find slots games throughout the UK in pubs, restaurants, bars and hotels, and in casinos, you can find the same throughout NZ. As mentioned, there isn’t much difference between the two besides their pronunciation and spelling.
The term ‘pokies’ comes from the ‘pok’ in ‘poker machine’. However, it is unknown why the machines in NZ, which are more similar to slots machines than video poker machines, were called so in the first place; perhaps it was just one of those strange things that happened that no one can explain as advertising for slots, has, in NZ always been referred to as ‘pokies’.
However, it is generally accepted that in the early casino days, one of the first games was a poker ‘machine’. As the popularity of slots began to increase, it was easier to bring them under one umbrella and call them ‘pokies’.
But no matter what we call them, pokies (slots) remain to this day incredibly popular amongst all ages.
Different Types of Pokies Explained
One of the main reasons playing pokies is so popular is that you can play whenever and wherever you happen to be as long as you have an internet connection. Exciting and with the potential to offer some pretty good prizes playing pokies accounts for more than 70% of money spent on gambling in the United States alone. Although there are several types of pokies to choose from, they all tend to fall into one of four categories which we shall explain below.
Traditional Pokies/ Fruit Machines
Traditional pokies offer an ‘old-school feel with a 5 x 3 format. Many people will know these machines as ‘one-armed bandits due to the lever you had to pull to spin the reels. You can get these classic games online too. Multi-line pokies usually have two or three reels and up to 20 paylines.
Video Pokies
You will find a lot of video pokies in casinos, and they usually offer a variety of bonus rounds, including free spins and multipliers. Video pokies usually have three reels and one payline, but some games have up to 5 reels and 25 playlines.
Multi-Line Pokies
Multi-line pokies have a set number of lines which you can bet on. You will usually have the choice of how many lines to bet on and the coin value you can bet. Multi-line games have a designated minimum and maximum bet value, and many games also have an auto-spin option.
Multi-line pokies offer bonus rounds, including free spins when certain combinations are hit. It is here where the big payouts are made, as it is possible to re-trigger the bonus rounds on many games, which leads to even bigger prizes.
Progressive Pokies
As one of the favourite types of pokies games, progressive pokies can offer some truly life-changing cash prizes. These games are called progressive pokies because each time anyone plays the game (which can be linked worldwide and playable 24/7), a small percentage of their bet makes up the progressive jackpot. The more people who play, the faster and bigger the progressive prizes become until the prize is won and the process starts over.
In Conclusion
Whether you are playing slots or pokies, you will likely enjoy the same game no matter where you happen to be. The difference in the name is simply something that evolved differently depending on which country it was played. In the UK, some slot machines were known as fruit machines, or some would call them one-armed bandits.
In New Zealand, the abbreviation of words is common. For instance, a mosquito might be known as a mozzie or a surfer known as a surfie, which could be why the longer name of poker machine was shortened into pokies.
