Best Online Pokies in New Zealand 2023
Play Top Real Money and Free Pokies
If you’re looking for the best online pokies to play for free or real money, you’ve come to the right place. On this page, you can compare the various pokies types, find the best bonus for your game and see the leading titles from the most popular games makers.
To get started straight away, play free pokies here, or sign up with one of our recommended sites below.
Our Top Recommended Pokies Casinos 2023
Play Our Exclusive Free Pokies Games
Non-Recommended Sites
All sites on our recommended list of NZ online casino sites have passed our strict review process, designed to protect players from unreliable and unscrupulous casinos.
Below you'll find the latest casinos to have failed our robust checks for safety, security and fairness. In our opinion any sites on this list should be avoided at all costs.
How We Review Online Pokie Sites
Security and Fairness
The first thing we’ll look at when reviewing a pokie site is the security it offers. We will only ever recommend sites regulated by reputable organisations, such as the UK Gambling Commission, as this means that there’s someone keeping a keen eye on everything. We also will only recommend a site if it can prove that its games are completely honest and fair. They usually do this by getting a certificate from an external company such as eCOGRA.
Games and Bonuses
Slots games are at the heart of all the best online pokies sites. There should also be a large selection of free and real money games. They should have big prizes and come in a variety of types and themes. We also expect good bonuses from every online casino in New Zealand, meaning you should be able to grab a great welcome bonus, as well as other bonuses, like free spins and loyalty points.
Banking Options and Customer Service
Banking might not be the most interesting topic, but it’s really important. We want to see a large range of depositing and withdrawing options, including credit/debit cards and e-wallets, plus we also don’t want to see any unnecessary charges. While reviewing a site, we’ll also contact customer service and ask them loads of questions, and we want to get quick and accurate answers to all of them. We also expect to be able to contact the site in question via many methods.
Free Pokies vs. Real Money Pokies
Playing for free is undoubtedly a great way to practice and learn how to play pokies, however you won’t win money while playing free pokies. This means you have to make a choice - play for free or start playing online pokies for real money. Take a look at the pros and cons of both below.
| Free Pokies | You can play free pokies with no download and also without registering for anything | You can try out a large variety of titles and play for as long as you like without worrying about your budget | Playing for free allows you to practice without the risk of losing money while you’re learning how games work | When playing free online pokies, you won’t earn any loyalty points or other bonuses | There’s no chance of winning any money when you play free pokies |
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| Real Money Pokies | When playing real money online pokies, you have the chance to play for the top progressive jackpots | When you play for real money, you’ll find that you have access to a much larger set of games | Bonuses and promotions are geared towards those who play casino games for real money | It takes a little longer to get playing, as you'll need to log in and make a deposit | You'll need to be mindful of how long you play and how much you spend online |
| Free Pokies | Real Money Pokies |
|---|---|
| You can play free pokies with no download and also without registering for anything | When playing real money online pokies, you have the chance to play for the top progressive jackpots |
| You can try out a large variety of titles and play for as long as you like without worrying about your budget | When you play for real money, you’ll find that you have access to a much larger set of games |
| Playing for free allows you to practice without the risk of losing money while you’re learning how games work | Bonuses and promotions are geared towards those who play casino games for real money |
| When playing free online pokies, you won’t earn any loyalty points or other bonuses | It takes a little longer to get playing, as you'll need to log in and make a deposit |
| There’s no chance of winning any money when you play free pokies | You'll need to be mindful of how long you play and how much you spend online |
Best Online Pokie Types
You’ll find that online pokies come in many shapes and sizes, however they can generally be split into five different categories - although some games might span two or more of these categories. From simple 3-reel pokies through to complex video slots, you’ll find everything, so why not try them all and see which type of online pokies you prefer?
- 3 Reel
- 5 Reel
- Video Pokies
- 3D Pokies
- Progressive Pokies
3 Reel
3-reel pokies are usually very simple, with few or no bonus features. They’re best for the purists, who prefer slots how they used to be.
Tips on How to Win at Pokies
Tip 1
While progressive pokies look very appealing, you’ll actually have a better chance of winning money when playing non-progressive titles.
Tip 2
Always play the maximum number of paylines as this gives you the best possible chance of winning on every spin.
Tip 3
Learn how to play pokies on the free games before you progress to playing for real money as this will allow you practice without risking your own hard-earned cash.
Tip 4
Only ever play pokies at a site we’ve recommended as we’ve already double checked to ensure that they’re reputable and trustworthy.
Different types of Jackpots
When you play at real money casinos you might come across four different types of jackpots. Each of these types will help determine the size and frequency of the jackpot payout as well as which players contribute to the prize pot.
- Progressive
- Network
- Fixed
- Local
Each time a player bets on a progressive jackpot, a small portion of that bet goes directly to the prize pot.
Did You Know?
There are also different games which all contribute to the same prize pot, making the jackpot rise quickly.
Playing Pokies on the Go
These days, it’s more important than ever that we can take our entertainment with us wherever we go. Thankfully, most online casinos and games makers understand this and have created apps and mobile sites, so you can take your favourite games with you. Whether you’re an iPhone or Android user, you’ll never have to miss out on the fun.
Top Pokies Providers in NZ
It’s a common misconception that casinos create the pokies. Instead, they’re created by various software providers, and you can learn about the biggest and best of them below…
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Microgaming
The biggest name in the casino world and the company everyone else aspires to be. They have created some of the world’s biggest and best pokies and have been doing so since back in 1994. Most notably they created Mega Moolah, the progressive slot with the biggest ever jackpot.
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NetEnt
NetEnt is a massive name and they are synonymous with creating innovative and interesting games, such as Starburst, Gonzo’s Quest and Finn and the Swirly Spin. When you start playing a NetEnt slot, you never know what the twist will be, plus the jackpot should be massive.
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Playtech
Playtech is the final name in the big three, along with Microgaming and NetEnt, and they have been making pokies for years. We think that their progressive jackpot slots in the Age of the Gods series are superb, plus we also really love playing titles like Gladiator and Top Gun.
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BetSoft
If you’re playing a BetSoft slot machine, you’re probably experiencing some of the best graphics around. BetSoft slots often have 3D graphics, plus the animations are great. It’s not all show though, as BetSoft slots also often have great bonus features and really big prizes.
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Play n Go
You might not have heard of Play n Go, but if you’re a pokies fan, you’ll probably have played one of their games. Book of Dead is one of their biggest titles and many casinos offer free spins on this game, plus you should also love playing Wild North and Golden Ticket, amongst others.
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Aristocrat
Aristocrat is an Australian company, best known for making land-based pokies. They also have a foot in the online market with their popular Australian online pokies, and have converted many of their best games into online slots. Popular Aristocrat slots include Zorro, Queen of the Nile and Lucky 88.
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IGT
IGT are also well-known for their land-based pokies, but they’re also responsible for creating some of the biggest ever online titles as well. Da Vinci Diamonds and Cleopatra are both massively popular with players, offering loads of excitement and huge jackpots.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do pokies work?
To start, you’ll need to choose how much money you’d like to bet with. Then you spin and wait for the reels to come to a standstill. After that, you’ll be able to see if you’ve won or even triggered an exciting bonus feature.
How do you win online pokies?
There’s no sure-fire way to win on pokies, but there are some strategies that can help you out. One way is to familiarise yourself with the game by playing for free first. This will help make you more aware of the game’s features, buttons and bonuses when playing with real money. If you want to try and win big, games with progressive jackpots are your best bet.
What are the best sites to play online pokies in New Zealand?
There are plenty of online gaming sites for New Zealand players, so it may seem difficult choosing just one to sign up for. Our team of expert reviewers have created a list of the best online casinos to play pokies at based on our detailed testing criteria.
What are the best online pokies games?
It all comes down to personal preference. Some people go for eye-catching jackpots, unique visuals, a certain number of lines or just great bonus features. To find something for you, we’d go with any pokies from top software providers like Microgaming, NetEnt and Playtech.
Are online pokies rigged?
No, as long as you pick a reputable casino. The best casinos online are all externally monitored for fair gaming practices. This means that they use Random Number Generators to run their games – one of the fairest software methods for online gaming.
What percentage do pokies payout?
Typically, online pokies have a payback percentage of between 75% and 99%. However, this is not an indication of how often a player can expect to win. There’s always an element of randomness that predicts the outcome for pokies.
Are online pokies safe?
Yes, as long as you choose a secure online casino to play at. Each casino that we recommended is tested for its SSL encryption as well as how well they protect player’s personal details. Beyond that, we check to see if a casino has been verified by global gaming regulators.
How do online pokies compare to land-based versions?
The rules remain pretty much the same. However, online casinos typically can have a wider variety of pokies to choose from and give you 24/7 access to games – so you can play whenever you feel like it.
What progressive jackpots are available?
There are hundreds of high-quality pokies, many of which have progressive jackpots. Some of the best in quality and winnings are the Marvel pokies like Iron Man, which all contribute to the same jackpot. Other notable games include Mega Moolah, Mega Fortune, and Dark Knight Rises.
How do I find the best free pokie games?
Many online casinos offer their pokies for free so that players can learn the game features before playing with real money. Head to our exclusive free pokie games table to get started today, with no download required.
How to pick a winning pokie machine
All pokies are random so unfortunately, there’s no secret strategy that will help players win the top prizes. However, it’s worth keeping an eye on the prize pots for different games, and avoiding any that have been won recently.
How do pokies jackpots work?
It depends on the type of jackpot. Progressive jackpots are the biggest, but there are several other kinds you can win.
