About Us

And let’s face it, the surest way to lose money online is to jump right in on an online pokie with real money before you get a proper feel for how it works. That’s why Pokies Online Free exists. We simply wanted an Australian-friendly place where we could try out online pokies games, see if we liked them, and then decide if we wanted to play for real money.

We are an independent website and no casino owns us. This means that no casino is given more positive reviews because of how many dollars they’ve thrown at us – more on this below. We simply look at the best online casinos that allow Aussie players, review what they’re offering to the community, and then write about them clearly without the marketing jargon.

Pokies – Free Play First

Most sites simply have free play as an afterthought, and usually, it’s tucked away underneath information about the sign-up bonus or some other detail. We take a much different approach. We believe that free pokies play is the most underrated tool for a new player. With a demo game, you can learn about the volatility, bonus rounds, and how the game feels before any real money changes hands. Some pokies are erratic, have small but frequent wins, while others go for long periods of time before hitting again. You can’t tell any of this from a screenshot or a paytable; you have to spin the reels to feel how the game plays.

Which means much of what we do is simply play a game in free play mode, over and over again, to decide which games seem fair and playable and which games seem to be slowly taking money from players. We only then look at whether the online casino offering the same pokie for real money is also offering the same gameplay, as that is not always the case, particularly with RTP settings, table limits, or promo restrictions.

The Details

Properly reviewing a casino takes longer than many think, but here’s the rough process we take:

• Licensing – Who is actually licensed to oversee the casino? The Malta Gaming Authority, Curaçao eGaming, and, in some cases, the UK Gambling Commission are some of the most common names we come across. There are no online casino licences offered in Australia, so an offshore licence is the only thing between a player and a casino operator who can do pretty much anything they want.
• Game libraries – Not just how many games they have, but the actual software providers. NetEnt, Microgaming, Pragmatic Play, Play’n GO, Evolution, and Big Time Gaming are all names we see frequently, simply because they’ve established a reputation for fairness by having their software’s random number generators (RNGs) externally tested by independent auditors.
• Bonus terms – Wagering requirements, contribution rates from the game type, maximum bet rules during bonus play, and expiry times and conditions. A bonus is only worth what its terms are – and the terms are worth nothing if nobody actually reads them.
• Payments – The timeframes involved with both deposits and withdrawals (withdrawal time is never a matter of simply reading the FAQ), the minimum amount that can be taken, and any fees that may be incurred.
• Player safety – SSL encryption, secure processors, and whether responsible gambling tools are embedded within a site as an integral part of its ethos, rather than added on as a regulatory requirement.

None of this research is done sitting behind a desk with press releases in hand. Our reviewers sign up, make small deposits, request payouts, wait in queue with customer service agents, and otherwise interact with the casino in the same manner as any punter would. If a live chat operator on a casino’s site takes 20 minutes to return a message, that feature will be noted as sub-optimal in our review.

The Games we Cover and Why Pokie Reviews get such Prominence

Pokies, or slots in the language of most of the rest of the world, are the games players in Australia are searching for, and that is reflected in the attention we dedicate to them. Traditional three-reel slots, feature-rich video pokies, the popular Megaways format with 117,649 ways to win on offer, and jackpot games that offer players the chance to win a million dollars or more, each pokie is distinct and is not to be treated as the same. Players may enjoy a low variance slot for an evening where a smaller win at more frequent intervals is expected, while the jackpot pokie is a different proposition, requiring a different set of circumstances and bankroll.

However, this is not to say that we only cover pokies at Pokies Online Free. While Blackjack or Baccarat are games that can offer better odds, if played to a good strategy, Roulette comes in two main variants, and there are subtle distinctions to make between the two. European Roulette, for example, generally offers a lower house edge in comparison to the American style. Live Dealer games have proven themselves to be a great middle ground that offers the benefits of online play, without the lack of authenticity that comes with online-only offerings. Live Dealer casinos stream from professional studios with fully functioning human dealers, and offer players the opportunity to interact and play games in real time. Specialty games also exist, including keno, scratch cards, crash games, and virtual sports, and there is a long tail of unique products out there that don’t get as much coverage but still warrant mention, so we try to be as thorough in our research of all game types.

Reading Bonuses Before Claiming

We cover Welcome bonuses, no deposit offers, free spins promotions, reload bonuses, cashback deals, VIP or loyalty programs, and the occasional prize draw or competition as well. When it comes to bonuses, we cover each and all in the same way – it’s what is in the fine print that is far more important than the headline figure. A 300% match sounds fantastic until the 50x wagering comes in handy, and a $10 maximum payout. We prefer to be honest with our readers and explain that a bonus isn’t worth the time over presenting one as a huge percentage number.

If you are new to playing at casinos online, the short version is that wagering requirements tell you how many times you need to gamble through the bonus amount before making withdrawals. Contribution rates inform players as to which games count towards meeting the wagering requirements and how much of the bet is credited (pokies always contribute 100%). Expiry timeframes inform players how long the bonus will remain active, whether you use the bonus or not. These terms and conditions are what are explained in detail in our bonuses, rather than simply assumed, because much of the frustration players have when it comes to claiming casino bonuses boils down to none of these terms being explained clearly to begin with.

Mobile Playability

Because most online gambling happens on mobile phones now, we test games this way as well. Any casino that’s mobile-friendly on a desktop but frustrating to navigate on a 5-in screen isn’t really mobile-friendly. It just wants you not to notice it’s substandard until after you sign up for real money play. If the mobile site loads slowly or the mobile browser version requires a separate app download to operate, those are negative factors. The same goes for how accessible the mobile pokies and other games on the site are. If only half the slot games are available on iOS/Android, or you find that it’s hard to access casino payments on your phone, that’s also worth noting, as that’s not the kind of flaw that’s immediately visible on the surface.

Australian Focused

We’re not just another gambling review site that has taken a one-size-fits-all approach and translated it into twelve different languages to suit a few different markets. This casino site has been written specifically for the Australian player. From banking in AUD to local payment methods, we understand what a typical player here will face while playing in unregulated casinos that take on Aussie players. We’re no longer going to say this is an easy legal landscape to navigate, because it’s simply not. Still, we try to keep things as upfront as we can be.

Responsible Gambling Resources

If you’d rather have it said outright: Gambling should stay fun. Once it doesn’t become fun, it’s time to do something different. This goes for the player who has been playing for ten years as well as the one who is having his first try for ten minutes. If gambling ever stops being fun and you feel like getting help or want to cut losses, we’ll be pointing you in the right direction. Deposit and loss limits, time limits, and self-exclusion are the main ways to self-regulate, and these are all things we’ll mention. If you are looking to speak to a real live person who can help, we’ll direct you to a few support sites such as GambleAware or GamCare. Seeking help doesn’t mean you have a problem or that gambling isn’t your thing anymore. It simply means you know better and are making an adult decision, something we support fully.

Completely Independent

We do get paid for the people who sign up for real play from some of our casinos. This is not an attempt at a “free” online casino review site that doesn’t earn revenue. We simply don’t believe that commission should influence our rankings. A great casino with a generous affiliate offer that pays out slowly will be marked down for having slow withdrawals. A perfectly great casino with no generous affiliate payout won’t go anywhere due to a lack of revenue from it. Because that will make this site worthless, and we all know it. We also ensure things remain up-to-date as bonuses get changed, terms and conditions update without notice, and operators get bought and rebranded, while feedback continues to influence our opinion of a particular casino over time. Outdated reviews have little place in any fast-moving sector. We’ll update our reviews regularly.

What You’ll See at Pokies Online Free

• Our reviews of casinos that accept Australian players are always honest, reliable, and tested
• Australian players get a thorough understanding of pokies and both free and real money play without getting confused by jargon.
• Australian casino players also get bonus comparisons and explanations of the terms attached to them.
• Software is explained by Australian standards, and its importance is detailed as well.
• Gambling responsibly is encouraged, and real-life help from support groups is provided as needed.
• Regular updates take place to reflect what is happening in the constantly changing world of online casinos.

If you’ve read this far, then you are likely the sort of player we are writing for. Someone who prefers to know what they are gambling on and what they are getting into before clicking the first link on a shiny new banner. That’s who we write this online casino review site for, and that is why we are glad to have you here.

If there is a question you have, a correction that can be made, or something you think we missed, feel free to get in touch. We would rather hear from you than be wrong.