Pokies (also known as Poker Machines) are computers programmed to look and act like old-style slot machines.
Pokies are a game of chance you play with real money. There is no skill involved. You decide how many lines you want to play and how much you want to bet on each line. The machine spins and you either win or lose.
You cannot improve your chances of winning no matter what you do.
In South Australia, all new pokies must have an expected Return to Player (RTP) of 87.5 per cent or more. But that doesn’t mean every time you play you get 87.5 per cent of your money back. It means that 87.5 per cent of all money put into the machine over its lifetime is returned. But there is no guarantee your money will be returned to you.
While the number of South Australian adults who report playing pokies in the last 12 months has gone down from 30 per cent in 2005 to 19 per cent in 2018, this form of gambling is still a key cause of gambling harm in our community. In 2018, 72 per cent of adults seeking support from South Australian gambling help services identified pokies as the main cause of their problem.
You can find help to manage your gambling at Get Support.