Like many others who live in Australia and New Zealand, you have likely played the pokies.

Perhaps you are a regular player. You might only play at the local casino on certain occasions. No matter your pokie-playing habits, there’s a good chance you haven’t tried online pokies.

Why would you play online pokies?

Pokies can be very expensive, so it is worth considering whether you are going to a pub or a casino. Consider how much you will need to spend before even getting in front of a machine. You will need to pay gas to get to the pub or casino and parking (if you don’t have one), and then you will need to buy a drink. So you’ll have already spent some money before you even deposit a dime in a machine.

Are you a smoker? You are bad luck, as you cannot smoke in casinos or pubs in Australia or New Zealand.

Online pokies are a great option for winning big.

The majority of land-based machines in Australia or New Zealand pay 87-95% of what it takes. In addition, all pokies, including Aristocrat and the IGT machines in Australasia, must adhere to strict governing rules established by each country’s government.

Casinos and pubs have high overheads (power supply, staff, buildings, parking lots), so you can be certain that most of their machines will pay on the lower end. They must pay for the amazing decor! On the other side, online casinos don’t have the same overheads. Online casinos don’t have the same staff or buildings to rent so they can pass on these savings to you as higher payout percentages.

Another advantage to playing online pokies is the unlimited amounts of money you can win.

Yes, that’s right. You get no money!

Because there is so much competition in online casinos for patronage, many will offer free money or even give away money to try and get your business. What was the last time that your local casino or pub did this?

Online casino promotions typically offer a 100% match on your deposits. For example, if you deposit $50, the casino will match it with $50 and give you $100 to play with. You won’t get this offer at the pub, though there may be conditions.

With a payout percentage of up to 98%, the convenience of playing at your home with the fridge nearby, and all the money offered by online casinos, why go to the casino or pub to play pokies?

Although it is not as social, many casinos now offer pokie tournaments where you can play against others for prizes or jackpots.