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Showing results for tags 'aussie'.

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  1. Australians spend at least $24 billion AUD on slot machines every year. But if you use the term slot machine in Australia, people are bound to know you're not from there. Down under, these machines are more often referred to as pokies. Pokies have a long history in Australia and a big influence on the culture today. If you're wondering how the term originated and what makes pokies different from regular slots, you'll need to understand more than just the history of gaming in Australia. Keep reading for an explanation of all that and more. What Is A Pokie? As we've already hinted, a pokie is a slot machine. They're found in casinos across the world and, of course, in Australia too. But here, pokies are allowed in clubs and pubs as well as on casino floors. A pokie room describes a room that has both pokies and video poker machines. It's a reference to all video gambling machines, regardless of how they're played. Pokies have evolved from a machine where you actually insert your money and pull down a lever to machines with video screens and electronic buttons. But the term is also used to describe online slot machines. Where Did the Term Pokie Come From? To understand where the term pokie comes from, you have to understand that Australians abbreviate everything. In fact, Australian English has more than 4300 diminutives in their lexicon. That makes them the country with more shortened words than any other English speaking country. A few examples serve to help understand this. "G'day" is a short form for "good day". "Arvo" means "afternoon". "S'arvo" refers to "this afternoon. "Petty" is the equivalent of petrol or gasoline. "Cuppa" is a "cup of tea". And while some older Australians believe that this shortening of the language is a product of the younger generations, the tradition of abbreviating words is actually far older than millennials. Indeed, the earliest examples of the use of diminutives in Australia date back to the 1800s. While not quite that old, the term pokie dates back as far as the early 19th century. It's believed to be an abbreviation of the word "poker machine". But why would the term for a slot machine be an abbreviated version of poker machine? That has to do with the history of the pokie in Australia. The History of the Pokie The very first slot machine came from the United States and was developed by a man named Charles Fey. In 1895, Fey introduced the game he called the Liberty Bell. This machine became very popular, very quickly and, by the early 1900s, similar gaming machines had made their way over to Australia. It wasn't until the 1950s that the Australian business class saw the potential for slot machines. Although illegal, they had become rather popular among Australian game-players. So, in 1953, a company called Aristocrat developed the Clubman, which was replaced by the Clubmaster in 1955. Only one year after Australia started developing its own gambling games, gaming machines became legal - at least in New South Wales. After this legislation passed and gaming machines were allowed in registered clubs, the future of slot machines in Australia was sealed. It's thought that, by that time, slot machines were already known as pokies. But how did that happen? Some theorize that the first slot machines that arrived on the shores of Australia were actually not slot machines. Rather, they were poker machines. Hence the shortening of the word "poker machine" to "pokie" in the fashion of Australian slang. Another theory holds that the proximity of poker machines to slot machines in pubs and clubs led to them all being called pokies. While they may have had a different name at some point, the Australian fondness for shortening words led to any kind of levered gaming machine being called pokies. Pokies In Australia Today Pokies are extremely popular in Australia. So much so that the country has 200,000 pokie machines. That's more pokies per person than any other country in the world, not including casino-tourism destinations such as Monaco and Macau. That popularity is the result of the liberalization of the slot machine industry that took place in the 1990s. In that decade, pokies moved from casino floors to the floors of clubs and pubs. That rings true across the country, except in Western Australia. In the era of digitization and the internet of things, pokies have moved online as well. Most online Australian casinos offer pokies - and you'll find them under that traditional name instead of "slots". Video Poker Versus Pokies If the term pokie came from video poker, what are the commonalities between those and slot machines? The truth is, not much besides the fact they both have video screens and they're both typically found in casinos. Video poker generally requires a lot more strategy than playing slots. Like poker, every decision you make in terms of keeping and discarding cards has a long term impact on your game and your pay back. Slots, on the other hand, involve very little strategy beyond bankroll management and choosing games with the highest payback. You can also win more money on pokies because they have progressive jackpots, sometimes worth millions of dollars. And although video poker games don't usually have as high payoffs, you do have a better chance of winning. Where Else Uses the Term Pokies? If you're looking for slot machines in Australia or New Zealand, you can use the term pokies and find the nearest casino, club, or pub. Outside of these two countries, you're unlikely to find anybody who knows what you're talking about. But other countries do have their own slang terms for these machines. For example, in England, they're called "one-armed bandits" or "fruit machines". In Scotland, they're called "puggy's". Looking to Play The Pokies? As early as the 1900s, slot machines have been called pokies down under. And that has everything to do with the fact that Australians like to cut their words short. Although the term is probably derived from poker machines, it's grown to refer mostly to slots. Pokies are very popular in Australia, owing to their long history and their availability in casinos, clubs, and pubs. But you can also find pokies on almost any online casino. Check out the slots and other games we have available.
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