Slots, or pokies, are very emblematic games in the gambling industry. The first pokie machine was invented in the late 19th century by a car mechanic from California named Charles Fey. The machine was called Liberty Bell and was pretty minimalistic by today’s standards. It only had one payline in the middle of its 3×3 grid. The original device is still on display in Nevada, EUA, at the Liberty Belle Saloon & Restaurant.
The Liberty Bell was already a roaring success in 1907 when a Chicago manufacturer began to invest in its production. Soon enough, entire floors were dedicated to pokies across Las Vegas casinos. However, you no longer need to be at a brick-and-mortar venue to enjoy your spins. Come with us and learn about the top online pokies in New Zealand.
How To Find the Best Pokies
There are online pokies for all tastes. A single online casino can have thousands of titles available. You’ll find games based on sports, mythology, movies, TV shows, and rock bands; the list is endless. How do you find the best Online Pokies in NZ, then? It turns out there are a few qualities that every great game has.
Pokie is a game of pure luck, meaning your skills can’t affect the outcome of a spin. So your winning chances rely on the Return to Player rate (RTP). The RTP determines the payout percentage of each game. For instance, if you bet $100 in a game with an RTP of 95% over many spins, you’re likely to receive back $95. However, this isn’t the case for everyone. So, if you’re looking for a game with high payout chances, look for high RTP percentages.
You can find much information about the trendiest options by reading casino comparison sites. You can also find valuable information by checking comments on online threads, blogs, and forums from people who tried that particular game. Additionally, some developers have a tradition of releasing high-RTP games. Names like NetEnt and Playtech are some of the most famous in this niche. Moreover, avoid games that rarely pay out.
Lemons, Cherries, and Kiwis
The first pokie machines were legalised in New Zealand in 1989, although they were available long before legalisation. The Kiwis weren’t immune to its charms, and the game became popular outside casinos. There were about 25,000 non-casino pokies around the country in 2003, but they were also in the most prominent casino venues in Dunedin, Auckland, Hamilton, and other places.
Indeed, 2003 was a momentous year for gamblers in the country. The government passed The Gambling Act, which included online gambling among the permitted gambling activities. However, it’s still forbidden to play at gambling sites located in New Zealand; only offshore platforms are allowed.
Popular Types of Pokies
Now that you know how to find the best online pokies for Kiwis, it’s time to narrow your search by game type. There are many options for gameplay, bonuses, and jackpots. While none require skill, you can take more from them if you understand how they work. Most games available today will fall into one of the categories below.
Single-Coin
Single-coin games, like the Liberty Bell itself, are challenging to find these days. Payouts tend to be relatively small, and they don’t have as many bonus features as more modern options. However, bets are usually much smaller, which means your bankroll will likely last longer on those machines.
Multipliers
Multipliers or multiple-coin machines multiply the value of your bet. It means the payout can be considerably higher than on single-coin games. Multiplier games have lower payouts for those betting below the top coin value. While it stimulates players to bet more, the payout percentage tends to be lower.
Multiple Paylines
Traditional games have only one payline in the middle of the grid. Multiple paylines, as the name gives it away, have more lines available. You can activate them simply by adding more coins. If your bet is big enough, you can enable all paylines in the game. More paylines don’t necessarily equate to higher winning chances, though.
Wild Play
Wild play games include unique Wild symbols, which can multiply your stakes up to five times. Wild symbols can replace other symbols on the grid to create a winning combination. In some cases, they can also trigger bonus features, increasing your winning potential even further.
Progressive Slots
Progressive slots are widely popular due to their potential for massive payouts. Progressive games start with a minimum jackpot that increases according to the volume of bets placed in them. That’s why those games can award millions in a single jackpot. Eventually, a lucky winner takes it all, and the jackpot resumes its basic value.
Spinning Around
Since pokies were freed from the physical constraints of mechanical reels, the options of themes and gameplays increased drastically. Find a theme that suits your taste and get spinning! Luckily, most of them have demo versions. So you can try all the functions and strategies you want without taking any risks. Have fun!
