Why Play Online Pokies?
With thousands of unique online pokies available, there are so many advantages to online pokies. Here are just a few:
- Huge Selection: Thousands of titles to choose from
- Easy to Learn: Gameplay is fairly simple to learn which makes it easier to start winning bigger amounts
- Easy to Win: All it takes is one lucky spin and you could win money and maybe even the jackpot
- Huge Jackpots: Potentially huge jackpot payouts for very little risk
- Game Modes: Ability to play for real money or for free
- Fun Themes: Unique themes and stories
- Bonuses: Interactive special bonus rounds
- Auto Play: Useful built in features such as ‘auto play mode’
- Play in NZD: Deposit and collect your winnings in NZ Dollars, without the need for currency conversion fees
- Low Betting: Can bet low amounts and still have a great opportunity to cash in
- Many Styles: Many different styles to choose from, including classic three reel, five reel video pokies and progressive jackpots
- Patriotic: New Zealand themed online pokies make it more fun for true Kiwis
- Multipliers: Most pokies have features like Wilds, Multipliers, and “Scatter Symbols” that help you win more money
Got another reason? We would love to hear it! Send us an email at [email protected] with your reason for playing pokies.
If you’re still unsure about what kind of pokies would be right for you, why not try out a few? Figure out which is the best New Zealand online casino platform you like best as well as which pokies you enjoy playing the most. Pay attention to the software developers who created your favourite slots and then you’ll get an even better idea.
Play the Best NZ Pokies For Free or Real Money
If you want to get started playing right away, simply head over to one of the best NZD casinos we link to on this page and select one of the pokies. There will often be two options: Play for Real or Play for Fun. If you select Play for Fun, you will be taken to the slot game page and the game will load. The online casino may call it "Play for Fun", "Demo" or "Try Free". The casinos we have listed above give a great variety of pokies from all the major software providers and the small ones too.
Casinos that do not offer free pokies will instead pop up a registration box, or worse, automatically start the download of their casino software when you select a game. Note that progressive jackpots like Mega Moolah will not allow you to play for free. This is because every spin of the game increases the jackpot size. The provider only allows playing for real money in order to increase the jackpot size. Some casinos, however, give players free spins for very low minimum deposits. See our comprehensive list to find a great $1 deposit casino in New Zealand!
randomness so any sort of manipulation can be excluded. This means the games will not be rigged and saves you the hassle of worrying about implementing a special strategy.
Winning Pokie Patterns
Online pokies are slightly different to classic pokies, and are more advanced offering many alternative ways to win big:
| Winning Pokie Patterns |
|---|
| Pattern | How It Looks |
|---|
| Horizontal |  |
| Diagonal |  |
| Zig Zag |  |
| Wild Symbol |  |
| Scatter Bonus |  |
| Free Spin |  |
What To Look For in Online Pokies
When it comes to online pokies, there are a few things to look for. First of all you will want to play casino pokies with high payouts, which means a payout percentage of 95% or higher (a payout percentage is the percentage at which a particular game ‘returns’ winnings or ‘pays out’. Fortunately, the casinos we promote all offer such slots and pokie with high payouts. At the casinos we recommend (see casino reviews NZ for more info), you can expect to win big jackpots and special bonuses, on top of fast payouts.
For the best online pokies experience, you will want to play the well-established and popular pokies that offer the best payouts.
To choose the right pokies for you, we have identified a few key features shared by the best online pokies and the casinos that host them. These factors are:
- The number of reels and paylines on offer
- The coin value variety that one can use per spin
- The particular payout percentage* of that pokie
- The additional features, bonus screens, game symbols and so on
- Whether the pokie is low or high variance
- Whether the pokies are on a secure, licensed site, since your sensitive information will be needed.
- How easy it is to deposit money into your casino account so you can start playing pokies
- How easily your pokie winnings can be withdrawn
- Whether funds are available in local currency. In our case, we only look at casinos that accept New Zealand dollars.
- The kinds of slot bonuses available for the particular game and others. These bonuses are free money for you to use!
How to Win the Jackpot in Online Pokies
Playing online pokies may seem simple but there are things to keep in mind with them as well. In order to win the most, you should remember to follow some simple, yet effective, strategies. Here are a few tips you will want to follow:
- Manage your bankroll: Make sure you don’t invest too much of your bankroll into a single spin. While it may be thrilling to bet high, online pokies can take time to pay up so you will want to make sure you have enough money to spin that slot a few hundred times at least.
- Find the highest paying pokies: Don’t just pick any slot. Do some research online and find the pokies with high payout percentages. Anything with under 95% should be avoided. pokies with over 97.5% are definitely considered high paying ones, but may be relegated to the high rollers.
- Chase the bonuses: There is no shame in using bonuses to your advantage. In fact, if you like playing pokies online, I highly recommend registering with multiple operators and using all the possible promotions and deposit bonuses to make the most of your deposited money. The most lucrative bonuses are the free spins with no deposit in NZ required.
Learn More on our page about how to win on pokie machines in NZ.
Playing the Best Online Pokies Real Money
Once you decide to play online pokies for real money you will need to consider a few things. Free pokies are a good way to learn about how to play so you can be sure that when real money is on the line, you will not make rookie mistakes. In order to play with your hard-earned cash, you will need to pick a real money online casino in New Zealand. Start with our list of the best casinos, then choose your banking methods like Skrill, Paysafe card or iDebit, then start playing at a casino with a good Welcome Bonus that may include free spins (sometimes free spins no deposit too) on your favourite slot games. Once you sign up, deposit money, and start winning money in games, you’ll need to make sure you manage your bankroll and keep it fun. It is easy to get caught up in the fun of real money online pokies, so make sure to be realistic about how much you’re able to spend each time you play.
Popular Real Money Pokies
The best online pokies in New Zealand have thousands upon thousands of slot games to choose from thanks to a growing demand amongst gamblers and quickly responding software developers. Naturally these are ones that provide high potential for winning – which makes them especially popular! They’re also real money pokies, which means you you’re betting with real money and have the opportunity to win actual cash.
You may have to search a bit for the games you want to play, but these days, most casinos provide a search field where you can enter the game you want to play. Alternatively, sometimes a casino will provide categories that you can select from, such as Video Pokies, Jackpots, and Table Games but most will offer you more control if you search for specific games. Some casinos will also let you sort by software provider or even themes too.
Below are some of the most popular online pokies for real money offered by pokie casinos in New Zealand:
| Most Popular Pokies in New Zealand |
|---|
| Slot Design | Online Slot Game | Reels | Paylines | Special Features | Software |
|---|
 | Mega Moolah | 5 | 25 | Big progressive jackpot | Microgaming |
 | Gonzo’s Quest | 5 | 20 | Unique avalanche feature | NetEnt |
 | Thunderstruck II | 5 | 243 | Jackpot of $1 million or more | Microgaming |
 | Immortal Romance | 5 | 243 | Bonus round with enticing rewards | Microgaming |
 | Starburst | 5 | 10 | Tons of ways to win | NetEnt |
 | Jokerizer | 5 | 10 | Bonus modes that pay out from 1,000 to 6,000 coins | Yggdrasil |
The Best Pokies in New Zealand
When it comes to choosing the best pokies that are available on the market, the list generally quite subjective. However, the pokies that we’re recommending are proven to be the most popular and many players have become quite familiar with them.
Starburst
Starburst is a beginner favorite and it features an intergalactic design with low variance and the chance to win up to 50,000x your bet. This is what has made it one of the most popular pokies around as it provides you with the chance to win big while landing smaller wins.
Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead
Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead is one of Play’n GO’s best pokies and this is the prequel to the Legacy of Dead game by the same provider. This highly volatile pokie has an RTP rate of 94.25% and it has a simple set of features that include wild and scatter symbols, with the latter being used to unlock a free spins game.
Bonanza Megaways
This is the first game developed by Big Time Gaming that had the Megaways mechanic included and it’s proven to be an incredible game. Bonanza features six reels and the main objective is to land the scatter symbols that could spell GOLD on the reels. This will award you with 12 free spins and a multiplier that can increase. This is one of the most popular online pokies real money NZ casino features, which is why it has made this list.
Wolf Gold
Wolf Gold is a 5x3 slot that has 25 paylines and a desert theme. The game focuses on spirit animals which makes it one of few online pokie New Zealand players might be unfamiliar with. Wolf Gold also has a Blazin Reels Free Spins feature that has the second, third, and fourth reels spin together to create a massive symbol. This means that you could walk away with a massive win too.
Gonzo’s Quest
NetEnt’s Gonzo’s Quest is a masterpiece of a pokie and it’s one of the most popular online pokies real money casinos offer as a part of their bonuses. Gonzo’s Quest is an Aztec-themed pokie that has a variety of special features that include cascading reels, a free fall bonus, the chance to win up to 125,000.
Big Bass Bonanza
Fishing fans will love this one, as Pragmatic Play’s Big Bass Bonanza provides you with a simple grid and a few great features that make this a special game to enjoy. Land up to 5 basses on your hook and you can be awarded up to 20 free spins that can be retriggered when landing on fishermen symbols. Furthermore, you can enjoy a decent 10x multiplier when landing on fish symbols. More features await as you attempt to win big.
Legacy of Dead
If you’re looking for a game that has outstanding graphics and simply oozes quality, then Legacy of Dead by Play’n GO is the game for you. This game is set on a 5x3 grid that has 10 paylines and a variety of special features including the option to gamble on your win, this is a thrilling method of attempting to double your winnings.
Primate King
Primate King is a game based on King Kong and Red Tiger Gaming has done an excellent job when it comes to providing us with the experience. The main objective of this online pokies NZ is to collect gold coins that fill a progress bar that will keep awarding you with various wild features. This includes multiplier wilds, super wild symbols, and many more.
Sweet Bonanza
Pragmatic Play’s Sweet Bonanza is a colorful pokie that’s set on a 6x5 grid that allows you to take advantage of a variety of sweet special features that includes bonus rounds that are triggered by scatter symbols, wild symbols, and huge multipliers that could see you win up to 21,175x your bet when placing the maximum bet.
Gonzo’s Quest Megaways
Developed by Red Tiger Gaming, this version of Gonzo’s Quest is one of many pokies to have the Megaways mechanic and this is what has made it one of the best online pokies NZ. The Megaways mechanic changes the number of paylines that are featured on the grid, which means that each spin will provide you with different ways to win. This Aztec-themed slot has a variety of special features such as free spins, an avalanche multiplier, bonus rounds, and wild symbols.
Pokies RTPs (Return-To-Player)
To become more proficient at online pokies, players need to know the RTPs, or Return-To-Player, payout percentages for all the games they enjoy playing. This might be an information that is hard to come by, since not all software providers offer this information, and in the case they provide it, you can’t be sure that you will come by it too easily.
RTP is a phrase that both casinos and game developers use to explain long-term payout percentages and the best odds for casino slots and pokies online from all bets on pokie machines and other forms of casino games. For a great pokie player, having a good strategy is only half of what it takes. Knowing the RTPs of the games you decide to play is a key factor. It’s advised to choose pokies that have a lower house advantage instead of falling for one with a high house advantage which could rob you of your hard-earned cash.
Some players will make the mistake of making a few big wins on one slot machine, and then take these winnings and go play on a completely different slot, thinking they can play bigger wages on the other slot. As long as all these online pokies are part of the same online casino, it doesn’t really make a difference. All slots within a casino are basically one game with various interfaces. This is different from brick and mortar casinos.
Another thing to pay attention to is how fast payouts are. For your convenience, we've compiled a list of the fastest payout casinos in NZ online.
Real Money Pokies vs. Free Pokies
There are pros and cons to both real money pokies and free pokies. Real money pokies allow you to win real money and this is the one major benefit of this type of game. While you’ll need to sign up and make a deposit at your chosen casino, it’s quite easy to get started despite what others may think. However, you’ll need to be mindful of your bankroll when playing, especially once you’ve used your bonus. Another major benefit of playing for real money is that you’ll have access to a larger selection of games.
On the other hand, free pokies are geared towards those that are trying to figure out what they like and this also allows them to build confidence while playing games that are technically the real thing, just without the element of using real money. However, you won’t be able to withdraw anything that you’ve won and these games will have no effect on loyalty points or anything that could benefit you at the casino.
Playing Pokies on a Mobile Device
We live in an era where we’re always on the move and this has forced developers to adapt to provide games that can be accessed via a mobile device. When mobile games were initially introduced to players, they were forced to download an app that would then allow them to access the casino where they would have to download the game they wanted to play. This wasn’t only time-consuming but it also took its toll on mobile devices as they didn’t possess the adequate hardware to support an app of this magnitude.
This changed when developers started to use HTML5 as the architecture for the games and this resulted in them being more mobile-friendly. Now you’re able to play games on any device that has a decent web browser. This has made online gaming much more accessible and players only need to ensure that they have a good internet connection.
Online pokies Software Providers
The online casino software developers are playing a huge part in your overall gaming experience as this will tie into the variety of games that are offered. The more software providers that are featured at an online casino, the better, as this means more diversity when it comes to the selection that you’re presented with. More software providers also mean that you will experience games with different payouts and this will allow you to enjoy games that not only look different but the RTP rates for each one will be different. We generally lookout for the best providers, but some smaller brands have proven to produce great games.
Checkout Real Money Casinos’ list of top software providers and their best games:
NetEnt: NetEnt powered casinos are very frequent nowadays as more and more online casinos use NetEnt online pokies as the most important part of their offering. NetEnt was first established back in 1996 and has been providing games for pokies ever since. With the introduction of the internet, they have switched to providing online pokies and are the makers of some of the most popular pokies and branded slots such as Ozzy Osbourne, Starburst, Planet of the Apes, Vikings, Guns and Roses, and Narcos.
Microgaming: Microgaming is a huge source of some of the top online pokies in NZ for a whole host of casinos, many of them featured on our website. They provide online pokies such as Mega Moolah, Thunderstruck, Avalon, and Breakaway. Microgaming online slots are known for their high payouts, often over 97%. This online casino software giant is virtually unmatched in the sheer number of quality games it has produced, standing at 8,000 games and counting, since they release new titles each month. They’re also known for a fun range of branded slots which include Game of Thrones pokies, Playboy pokies, Jurassic World pokies, and more!
Playtech: Playtech is well-known for producing user-friendly, innovative pokies, many with cool 3D graphics. The brand rose to fame with their fantastic Marvel pokies (no longer active unfortunately), as well as their Universal and Activision pokies. Top Playtech games include Blade, Captain America, Batman, Fantastic 4, Daredevil, Rocky, Iron Man, Gladiator and many others. Playtech, in particular, is known for its advanced live casino games and even has huge, state of the art live casino studios in Riga, Latvia.
Yggdrasil: Yggdrasil has an impressive selection of games, fun gameplay, and high quality, modern graphics. Among their most popular online pokies in New Zealand are Jokerizer and Winterberries
A whole host of other software developers such as Cryptologic create tons of great games at our featured casinos.
Aristocrat: The most famous software provider that every Kiwi knows the games titles of is clearly Aristocrat Gaming. Their pokie machines are all around New Zealand's land-based Casinos that's why the designs and themes are so familiar. Everyone knows Where's the Gold, Queen of the Nile, Lightning Link, Big Red, 5 Dragons or Indian Dreaming. These Aristocrat casino games online used to be available at online casinos for a period but then Aristocrat changed directions and ventured more into social gaming with Big Fish Gaming.
Pokie Tournaments For NZ Players
The best way to practice and become better at anything is to compete against other players. This is especially true about online pokies! Some establishments offer players the chance to compete against other online pokies players by joining the online slot tournaments. Players can win cash prizes, but also become the number 1 player.
Slots tournaments offer 2 formats – scheduled tournaments, that start at a specific date and time, and sit & go tournaments, which start when the needed number of players have joined up for a game. Both formats are easily accessible at various online casinos.
There is a wide range of pokie types available in pokie tournaments. These games include Tomb Raider, Thunderstruck, Thunderstruck II, Gold Factory and Immortal Romance amongst others. This type of game follows the basic rules of any online pokie, but for each spin, the coin bets are taken from your Coin Box. Each win after a winning combination will be added to your Win Box then. The only difference between regular slots and slots tournaments is that you are playing against other players instead of just against the slot machine. All slots players will start with the same amount of coins in their Coin Box. In order to win, the amount in your Win Box has to be higher than the other player’s. There is also a Play Time clock which will tell players how much time is left in the tournament. Usually, players have 15 or so minutes for each game, and it starts with the first spin.
A leaderboard will let players know where they stand in relation to all the other players that take part in the tournament. Your standings will depend on your Win Box amount, and you will see your rankings go up when new coins are added to the Win Box. The prize winner is determined by the final Leader Board standings.
Conclusion
Online pokies are possibly the most fun you can have at real money online casinos as they provide versatility, entertainment and chances of winning the biggest jackpots available in online casinos. Some of the best online pokies around can be found at the online casinos we mentioned, such as Jackpot City casino NZ, Casino.com, Spin Casino NZ, Betway.com, Rizk Casino and Guts Casino. These and all our other casinos offer you a chance to play real money pokies online and access to dozens or even hundreds of online pokies. We have provided a list of the best online pokies casinos for you, with all the bonuses and promotions outlined so that you can take full advantage of every offer and build up your bankroll in a clever and careful way. Take a look at our Casino Reviews NZ page to find out what each casino offers!
Take a look at our list of promoted casinos and find the one that suits you the best. Online pokies players should have more than enough fantastic choices within the list and when you find the casino you like, make sure you take full advantage of their welcome offer as these are the one-time rewards casinos will give you when you register. Best of luck at the pokies and enjoy your bonuses!
FAQs
