Poker Machines

Poker Machines Online

What are Pokies?

The word "pokies" is Australian slang for online poker machines. Many are a range of gaming machine types but the most popular variety are the five video reel, multi-line game most of which have a bonus game. Most bonus games involve free spins as bonuses but other types of bonuses are available.

The History of the online Pokie Machine

The first pokie machine was developed in the United States of America by Charles Fey. It was a very simple game called the Liberty Bell and was an instant hit. In the early 1900's the first slots appeared on Australian shores. While they were illegal they were popular with gamblers.

In 1953 an Australian company called Aristocrat saw that the poker machine business was the way of the future and developed their first game known as the Clubman which was designed by Joe Heywood. The Clubman was replaced with the Clubmaster in 1955.

One year later the government of NSW legalized gaming pokies in registered clubs. It was this single decision that changed the face of gambling in Australia and around the world forever. The pokies were quickly a hit with players even though at the time they were quite basic games. It was not until several years later that lights were installed in the games.

The next few decades offered not much new in terms of the games. They all had three spinning reels and one, three or five reel spins lines. The Jackpots were by today's standards small and the interactivity was limited to pulling the handle and waiting for the reels to stop.

It was not until the mid-1980's when the first video slots rolled off the production lines and were released to the public. This was the biggest development in gaming since Charles Fey had invented the first game. Not only did the games have five reels but they also had many more lines and offered additional way to win such as free spins features.

Today no matter where you are, if you walk into a casino you are sure to see whole banks of slot games. From Las Vegas to Sydney the pokies are one of the most, if not the most popular form of gambling.

The Future

The future looks bright for the pokie industry and for players who seek the entertainment that the games can bring. Lately the bonus games getting more and more complex and the number of lines and reels seem to be going up and up. International Game Technology Slots have released a series of 20 reels and 6 reel spins games.