With the development of the gambling industry, pokies have become an indispensable aspect of the lives of many Aussies. While the old-timers love to use the ones at their local clubs, casinos, and pubs, many others prefer playing online pokies with money instead for a bigger and better variety of themes. Seeing as the country has about one of every five pokies (slot machines) in the world, we decided to investigate the reasons for this huge proportion.
Here are some reasons why pokies are so popular in Australia.
Australians Just Love a Punt
Although Pokies are one of the most popular modes of gambling in Australia, the numbers across other forms reveal that Australians are generally a gambling nation. In 2022 alone, the gross value added by the gambling industry alone was about $420 million. Although Australians tend to lose $25 billion on legal forms of gambling each year, most regular Aussie gamblers generally consider it as a socially accepted and culturally accommodated activity.
As such, many Australians are always quick to take any chance of placing a wager on different outcomes. This mentality continuously generates a growing demand for gambling outlets like casinos, pubs, and online casinos. Among the numerous options, Pokies have risen the most to that demand as they are found in virtually all Australian public entertainment centers.
Pokies Rake in Huge Revenues
The cost of a new pokie machine ranges from $22,500 to 37,500. Yet even small pubs, casinos, and clubs own a couple of them. They can only afford these purchases because the gambling revenues from these machines more than cover their costs.
Data shows that a whopping 48% of the total profit made by social clubs comes from gambling. In response, the Australian government also gets a massive cut from those pokie revenues, as it collects over $7 billion in taxes across all gambling sectors. Other government agencies, such as RSLs, also get a taste. For instance, Victoria’s RSL made over $163 million from gambling in 2022.
Of course, the high gambling rate in the country is responsible for these huge numbers. However, the huge revenues play a vital role in the development of better-poking machines and newer purchases, thus contributing to the continuous increase of pokies in Australia.
Australia’s Relaxed Gambling Regulations
Australia’s general gambling culture and revenues wouldn’t have developed this much without a relaxed regulatory landscape. Pokies started becoming a part of Australia as far back as 1930, when they first appeared in the country. Following a rapid spread, they became legalized in New South Wales after the post-war boom in 1956. This regulatory approval opened the floodgates for other regions like Victoria and Queensland, which legalized it in 1991, South Australia in 1992, Tasmania in ‘97, and the Northern Territory in ‘98.
Although it is illegal to offer online casino gambling in Australia, all eight of Australia’s mainland states and territories permit gambling machine operators as long as they comply with the relevant state and territory regulations. As a result of these relaxed regulations, Pokies are not limited to casinos and gambling houses. Rather, they can be found in pubs, clubs, and pretty much any establishment capable of meeting up with the territory and state requirements.
Some of the Biggest Machine Manufacturers are Based in Australia
Australia is home to at least three of the most famous pokie manufacturing companies: Aristocrat, IGT, and Ainsworth. These companies have a long-standing history of developing pokies across the country and are still rumored to have significantly influenced regulations in favor of pokies in recent times.
Offering household pokie games in 5 Dragons, More Chili, and Queen of the Nile, Aristocrat Leisure Limited is one of the oldest pokie machine production companies in the world. They have been producing thousands of land-based slot machines for years. Where else should they commence distribution if not Australia, their base, which happens to have a high demand for Pokies? The founder of this iconic pokie machine development company, Lens Ainsworth, is also the founder of Ainsworth Games Technology. He is generally dubbed the “Pokie King,” and rightfully so, as he has flooded the Australian market arguably the most pokies since he got in the industry in the ‘50s
Pokies are Fun
Most pokies are just fun.
The games on these machines are usually entertaining and easy to understand. In addition, they don’t often require high wagers, thus resulting in a low entry barrier.
