How Big is the Pokies Market in Australia?

Aussies love a flutter on the pokies. It’s estimated that nearly 40% of adults in the country will play a poker machine at least once this year. Most play casually, but over a half-million Aussies are estimated to play pokies weekly.

According to H2 Gambling Capital, Australians lost $20.3 billion gambling in 2014, which is up from $18.4 billion from the previous year. Gambling losses are continuing to rise in the country and most losses are incurred on pokies.

Nearly 75% of gambling losses in Australia can be attributed to pokies. With over 200,000 poker machines, nearly one for every 100 people in the country, there’s no shortage of ways to play.

Pokies can be played online with hundreds of online casinos, in hotels, pubs and almost anywhere in the country. In Western Australia, pokies can only be played in casinos, as they’re banned from being offered in hotels or pubs.

Australians gamble more on a per person basis than any other country in the world. Some territories are decreasing the number of pokies and have started schemes to help businesses better manage their needs.

For example, in a recent report by the ACT Gambling Commission, they have stated gaming machines in the territory have decreased by 376 (5,022 vs. 4,646) through forfeitures, storage and quarantine provisions.

Aussies may lose a lot playing pokies, but you can increase your chances of winning by playing pokies with the best payout percentages. The pokies with the best returns to player (RTP) are often found with online casinos.

Why you may ask? Well, online casinos have a lot less overhead and they can push those savings onto customers by offering better pokies. There are dozens of real money pokies online with a RTP of 96%-97%.

One of the most popular online pokies is Immortal Romance, which has a RTP of 97.9%.

Online casinos will be able to offer you free spins and regular bonuses as well. Many pokies in Australia have a very small maximum payout as well, whereas there are no limits on how much online pokies can payout on a spin.

There’s a $10,000 maximum win limit imposed on all pokies in pubs in Australia. When you consider the odds of hitting a big payout, you’re losing tons of value by playing pokies in a pub with payout limits.

Part of the reason for the limit is to prevent problem gamblers from spending too much chasing a big win. If the jackpots paid out a $1 million, patrons would likely lose a lot more chasing the big wins.

However, the limit hurts recreational poker machine players that want to have a chance to win huge. Online casinos have multiple progressive jackpot pokies that have payouts of seven figures.

The Australian pokies market is massive and revenues continue to grow. Do yourself a favour and ensure you play the poker machines that give you the best chance to meet your entertainment objectives.