Tag Archive: pokies

Perhaps you can thank the brutal Australian history for their present-day love of gambling. After all, life was incredibly tough under the watchful eye of British Colonial rule. So many different gambling games formed an outlet for those looking for a needed distraction away from the day-to-day hardships of life, so far away from home. Today, Australian gamblers flock to the slots machines. Down under, these are known as "pokie", and to say they're popular would be a massive understatement.

Though your average Aussie likes to gamble, the Australian government had concerns that the sheer popularity of betting would lead to serious social problems. With the introduction of online gambling in the late 1990s, it became apparent that existing laws were too lax. As a result, the interactive Act of 2001 passed. This simply banned all forms of online gambling. All internet-based casinos and sportsbooks are cut off from the antipodes, though you can still use a trusty VPN to go offshore.

Though New Zealand is presently more famous for Middle Earth and the "One ring to rule them all", there are other cultural aspects to the country. And, of course, gambling is one of them. Kiwi's love to gamble and a much larger percentage of them take part in gambling activities than us Europeans. By far and away, their favourite gambling vice is playing the New Zealand Lottery. Though gaining ground every year in the number of players, are the online slots, known in the Antipodes as "pokies."

In Australia, everyone loves a punt. In fact, Australian gambling has been on the rise over the last decade, to the point where the country has overtaken Hong Kong as the number one gambling nation in the world. Aussies have a culture of betting and gambling. They don't see this activity as something negative and fully embrace all gambling activities, be they sporting events or casino games. Now with the introduction of internet casinos, Aussies can enjoy their favourite pastime at all times.