Online pokies

Online pokies are some of the most popular online casino games.

There are thousands of online pokies at gambling sites available to New Zealanders.

Of all these great NZ online pokies, players mostly opt for the ten most popular; those promoted via portals, advertisements and online casino offers.

But what are the best online pokies to play online? If you dive deeper into our Pokies NZ guide, you’ll find the answer immediately.

Here you can find the essential details about online pokies NZ, including: 

  • What distinguishes pokies 
  • What factors make a pokie excellent or bad game
  • Explanation of pokies features
  • Introduction to Pokies developers
  • The best online casino sites where you can play pokies for free or real money. 

So let’s dig in.

Reviews of Online Pokies NZ 2024

Top 10 best online pokies in NZ for 2024

Here is the list of the top 10 best NZ online pokies:

RankPokiesRTPVolatilityDeveloper
1.Dead or Alive 296.82%HighNetEnt
2.Narcos96.2%LowNetEnt
3.Book of Dead (Books)96.21%LowPlay n’ GO
4.Trump it Deluxe Megaways96.21%HighFugaso
5.Immortal Romance96.80%HighMicrogaming
6.Book of Tattoo 296.50%HighFugaso
7.Romance 596.00%HighFugaso
8.Mega Moolah88.12%MediumMicrogaming
9.Jurrasic Park96.67%MediumMicrogaming
10.Cash Bandits 297.00%HighReal-Time Gaming

Best online pokie of the month (2024 March)


The Book of Dead pokie game, launched in 2014 by Play’n GO, is the best online pokie in New Zealand for this month. It is known for its engaging gameplay.

With an RTP (Return to Player) rate of around 96.21%, it offers players a balanced return on their wagers. The game’s medium volatility ensures a mix of frequent wins and decent payouts, creating an exciting gaming experience.

Featuring an ancient Egyptian theme, the Book of Dead slot captivates players with its rich graphics and immersive storyline. It boasts 10 paylines, allowing for various winning combinations. The standout feature is the Free Spins round, triggered by the Book symbol, which also acts as a wild and scatter.

What is the best online pokie site?

Determining the “best” online pokie site can be subjective, as it depends on individual preferences, such as game selection, bonuses, user interface, and overall gaming experience. However, when it comes to the New Zealand region, some well-regarded online pokie sites that are known for offering a wide range of games and positive player experiences include:

  1. LeoVegas: LeoVegas is known for its extensive selection of pokies from various software providers and its user-friendly mobile platform.
  2. 888 Casino: 888 Casino is a reputable and established online casino that offers a diverse range of pokies along with other casino games.
  3. Casumo: Casumo is known for its innovative and gamified approach to online gaming, offering a unique adventure for players.
  4. Royal Panda Casino: Royal Panda is a well-known brand that provides a variety of pokies along with a comprehensive sportsbook.
  5. HellSpin Casino: HellSpin has been in operation for many years and is recognized for its large selection of pokies and progressive jackpot games.

We always consider factors such as licensing, security, customer support, and payment options when choosing an online pokie site. Additionally, we also check for the most recent reviews and ratings from players’ feedback across different forums, Reddit, and other social networks to ensure the site meets our expectations and provides a safe and enjoyable gaming environment.

What are online pokies?

Online pokies are a virtual version of classic pokies that we can play in real casinos – slot machines. Online pokies are games only available virtually on online casino sites. Pokies can be played for free or for real money.

Online pokies listed in casino games category.
Here, some online pokies are listed on the casino’s games page.

Today, gaming companies launch thousands of pokie titles yearly. 

Online pokies come in different variations, such as 3d slots, video slots, fruit slots, progressive jackpots, 3 reel slots, 5 reel slots.

Also, Players can find online pokies in various categories and topics such as movies, series, multiple sports, characters, and television programs. Just think of a trendy topic, and if you search, you will find online pokies with such a theme.

How to find the best safe online pokies NZ?

Finding the best safe online pokies NZ is difficult because many factors affect their behaviour, outcome, and payout.

Pokie providers offer accessible game modes available at almost every online casino. 

Players can try pokies for free without registering and making a deposit at the casino.

So you can turn a few rounds for fictional cash and get acquainted with the game, its functions, paylines, bonus game and more.

A few critical factors to look out for when choosing the pokies include: 

  • RTP percentage
  • volatility
  • features
  • bonus play
  • wilds
  • scatters
  • and free spins

If you are a more experienced player, these terms will be familiar. You will know what we are talking about, but half of the above factors are unknown and have no sense if you are a beginner.

Therefore, we will explain what they are and why you must pay attention to them when choosing the online pokies game you intend to play. So let’s go.

What is RTP online pokies percentage?

RTP or return to player is the theoretical percentage of the money played on a pokie game that will theoretically return to the player in the long run. The higher the RTP percentage is, the lower the house edge is. Learn more about house edge here.

The RTP percentage ranges from 94% to 96% at most online pokies. So, for every $100 spent, the pokie should return the player around 94/96 dollars (in the long run).

Of course, you can’t expect that instantly, after losing $ 100; the pokie will return your RTP percentage in the long run. Unfortunately, no one knows precisely when the RTP function will light up on the pokie and give you a win.

It must happen to you that after a few slaps on the pokie, you won a huge amount, without any loss of won money. You think that is luck, but actually, that was the RTP turned on just in time when you were playing.

Either way, always choose a slot game with a high RTP percentage, as the odds will be on your side.

What is online pokies volatility?

Volatility is how pokies work when landing winning symbols on reels.

Many think that slot volatility and RTP are the same things. Still, although they are closely related, they are two different things.

Online pokie NZ can be divided into three categories when it comes to volatility or variance, which are:

  • High slot volatility: Slots designated as high volatility will give players high win amounts in a more extended period of play. Don’t expect frequent wins on these pokies, but you will win less frequently, but when you win, the amount will be high.
  • Medium slot volatility: Here, you can expect something in between high and low volatility. We always recommend playing at medium volatility pokies where you can experience both ways of winning frequency. 
  • Low slot volatility: Low volatility pokies will give players low wins at more frequent intervals.

How does the gamble feature or risk game works at Pokies?

Double-up slots with a gamble feature or risk game offer players the option of doubling the prize after winning combination lands.

Double up slot feature after the win offers you the option to “collect” or “gamble”, where you try to double, quadruple, and even multiply your original victory.

Usually, in that double-up game screen, you must guess a bigger or smaller card, a card colour, or a sign. If you miss, you lose all the winnings.

What are pokie wilds?

Wilds are high-value symbols that rotate on slot reels. There can be from one to over five, and they transform when they land next to two low-value symbols and give a winning combination.

Take, for example, the slot game from NetEnt developer Dead or Alive 2, where we have five wild symbols, including Billy the Kid, Apache the Kid, Jesse James, Belle Star, and Della Rose.

If two low-value symbols, like two 10, land in the pay line and one wild Della Rose symbol lands next to them, it means that Della Rose will automatically transform into symbol ten, and you will win the amounts specified in the game depending on the size of the bet you are playing.

What is a scatter symbol and bonus game?

Scatters are also pokies symbols of high value, even the most valuable. Why? The scatter symbols on the pokies take us to a bonus game where we get free spins.

Take, for example, the slot game Book of Dead in which the scatter symbol represents a book, and by landing three books, we get a win and a transition to a bonus game with free spins where everything multiplies.

Pokies with scatter symbols are a favourite among experienced players because they give a chance for big wins.

Free spins at online pokies

Free Spins are the best and a favourite among new, old, experienced, and amateur players.

Players receive free spins with no deposit NZ without the required deposit and free spins on deposit as part of the welcome bonus.

Players can also get free spins as rewards for loyalty or other reasons. If you chase this kind of free spins and other rewards, check out our casino rewards for NZ players.

But let’s get back to the core of this subject in which we are talking about free spins that we get during the gameplay on the slots.

These free spins we get after landing three scatters on the reels are an excellent opportunity for a big win as we have already said.

Many versions of slot games appear with the Feature buy modification, where players can buy a pass to the bonus game and thus free spins.

How to play online pokies?

Online pokies are one of the simplest casino games. After registration, you can easily find them at the online casino under the section of games and slots.

Each casino offers the option to try them for free before you decide to put in real money.

First, after you enter the game, you should look at and adjust the number of bets and pay lines. Once you have done that, hit the spin button, and the adventure begins.

In each pokies game, you have a “questionnaire” button where you can find more detailed information about a given slot game, payout amounts, number of lines, info about symbols, etc.

If you are unclear, contact customer service at the online casino, and they will be happy to help. If you can’t find the answer, contact us, and we will do our best to help you.

Where to play online?

What are the best gambling sites to play pokies in NZ? The best gambling sites can be easily found. Mostly, all have similar games.

The only and very important thing to pay attention to when choosing a casino to play pokies is to make sure that it is a safe and fair casino by checking the licenses that regulate it.

The Malta Gaming Authority Curacao Egaming and the United Kingdom Gambling Commission are regulatory bodies that license only the best quality gambling sites.

If you don’t have time to explore, check out our list of the best pokies casinos in NZ here.

Offline pokies

Offline pokies can be played on your mobile device or desktop without an internet connection. Also, when we say offline pokies, many players will think of land-based casino pokie machines.

But, that is not the case because here we will explain how to find offline pokies and download them and show you a list of the top 5 offline pokies in New Zealand.

All online casinos available in NZ offer online pokies in accessible demo mode; if you enter the game and your connection break, you can continue to play even if you are offline.

So this is the one way of playing offline. The second way is to download the casino app and play whenever you want. The third option is to go to the app store and download slot games on your device.

Here is the list of the top 5 offline pokies:

  • Heart of Vegas
  • Slotsmash
  • Coin Carnival 2021
  • Lucky Time Slots
  • Lotsa Slots

If you want to play without downloading, check out our best online pokies list.

Free online pokies

Did you know you can play free online poker at every casino on our list?

Yes, you do not even have to create an account. All you have to do is visit the online casino from our list, go to the online slots section, and pick one from the hundreds of free online pokies.

You can find games from different casino industry providers such as Microgaming, NetEnt, QuickSpin, and Aristocrat.

Some popular titles include free online pokies money bears, Wheres The Gold pokies, Starburst Xtreme, and many others.

Pokies FAQ’s

How to find the best payout pokies?

To find the best payout pokies, you need to check the features and information about such casino games. You should pay attention to the percentage of RTP, instability, and frequency of hits. Features like pokies wilds, multipliers, bonus games, and jackpots are things that help increase your chances of winning. Experienced players will always recognize the best payout pokies, so as a player you should inform yourself and increase your playing knowledge in order to find the best payout pokies. There is a lot of useful information here in our guide.

What is the difference between pokies and slots?

absolutely none. Pokies and slots are two different words that mean exactly the same thing. The word slots is most common in Canada and the United States, while in Oceania (Australia and our country) the name for these casino games is pokies. The word originates from Australia where the Aussies used it as a slang run for video poker games.

Is it safe to play online pokies?

If you play at online casinos that are regulated by licenses such as QGA, MGA, and UKCG then you are quite safe to register and look for your favourite casino games for real money.

Are online pokies rigged?

If you play at a licensed online casino that offers games from a licensed and regulated game providers, then the chances of the pokies being rigged are 0%. All pokies that are offered by licensed manufacturers through secure online casinos are provided with a program called a Random Number Generator, and this program is responsible for making every outcome of any online casino game, including pokies, totally random. This program (RNG) is completely independent of online casinos and game developers, and guarantees 100% fair games!

Are there any tricks to winning on pokies?

There is no trick you can use to improve your chances of winning when playing pokies, and any person selling systems with the promise of guaranteed wins might just be a fraudster.

Do the odds of winning increase if the poker machine has not paid out for a while?

No. Every spin on the poker machine has the same probability of being the winning spin. The machine does not record the amount of money that has been slotted in.