The very nature of the question as to which nation is more invested in their pokie market points to a long-standing, but ultimately affectionate, rivalry between Australia and New Zealand. Of course, one area in which they are united is the matter of what to call these ever-popular gaming machines – the rest of the world knows them by a variety of names including:

• Slots
• One-armed bandits
• Liberty Bells
• Fruit machines
• Fruities
• Puggies
• FOBTs (Fixed Odds Betting Terminals)

The most popular term worldwide is ‘slots’ or ‘slot machines’, even though the idea of a slot has become largely redundant in the age of online gaming. But for Australia and New Zealand, they will always be pokies, a term that refers to their origins as poker machines, with the traditional shortening that so many popular terms acquire in both countries.

So which country loves the pokies more?

Whatever you call them, pokies are among the most popular casino games worldwide, for a number of reasons and this is also true in both Australia and New Zealand where pokies top the casino charts. Both nations have traditionally been into sports betting and New Zealand has a thriving online lottery which has only recently been overtaken by their online casino market.

However, the Australian love affair with the pokies has moved to the next level and New South Wales currently has the biggest collection of pokies outside Nevada, where Las Vegas contributes heavily to the total tally. To put that in context, Australia has 27.5 million residents, which represents 1% of the world’s population, but it is home to 18% of the world’s pokies. 

The largest pokie manufacturer is an Australian company called Aristocrat which makes machines for casinos and gaming houses the world over. These are the most popular spots to host gaming machines, with players travelling to play pokies alongside other casino games. 

However, the culture in Australia is such that pokies pop up in all kinds of places, including pubs and bars. While it’s not unusual to see pokies in such places in other areas of the world, 76% of the global total of non-casino-based pokies are in Australia.

This huge number is even more disproportionate when you consider that the largest Australian state, Western Australia, doesn’t allow pokies outside of casinos. 

Why are pokies so popular?

Anyone who has played the pokies will understand their appeal – they are simple and easy to master, yet there is so much variety in themes and gameplay that anyone can find one they like.

Some pay out relatively small amounts reasonably regularly, whereas others build to a larger jackpot that is much harder to win. 

The fast pace of the gameplay is also ideal for players who enjoy the feeling of having plenty of opportunities to win. While many players love to settle into an intense psychological battle, some don’t want to get embroiled in a drawn-out game against someone else and prefer a low-stakes flutter that is purely for fun.

While there are plenty of reasons to play pokies, there are some reasons why they might be particularly popular among players in New Zealand and Australia:

Culture – both countries have a relatively relaxed culture that values time spent outside in nature, active pursuits, and even adrenaline sports. Pokies offer a fun and accessible alternative to real-life risk-taking that can deliver plenty of excitement and adrenaline for times when more physical alternatives aren’t available.

Confidence – the regulatory systems in both Australia and New Zealand provide players with plenty of options for online and offline games that are reliably safe and secure. Pokie fans playing in pubs and bars or online can all be confident that the games they encounter will be fair, creating an environment of good faith that makes playing the pokies all the more appealing. 

Availability – with so many pokies around, players have plenty of opportunities to play without having to travel to a casino. The accessibility of online providers has made finding the best pokies to suit your mood and playing style really easy, so they have become more and more popular among players who might never have gone to a casino to play otherwise. 

Themed pokies – for those who seek out familiarity, the advent of online pokies has delivered hundreds of games that combine the classic playing style with different themes that make each game stand out. From pop culture to classical history, there are plenty of pokies that tie into a player’s particular interest, which can make them more fun to play and even more exciting to win.

While New Zealanders are undoubtedly pokie fans, the unbridled enthusiasm that the Australian public has for pokies remains unparalleled. With so many new games coming to market every day, players in both countries are spoilt for choice.