Online gambling has been gaining a lot of traction off-late. The online gambling industry is expected to grow to a whopping $100 billion by 2026!
As the market is growing, it’s attracting a lot of attention—both good and bad. Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned player, you’ve most likely encountered several myths about online pokies.
So, what is the deal? How many of these commonly tossed-around misconceptions are true?
Read on to learn a little more about pokie games and gambling myths.
What are Pokie Games?
“Pokies” is simply another term for slot machines. People often wonder what the difference between pokies and slots is, but they’re just two names for the same thing.
Pokies is what slot games are referred to in New Zealand and Australia—the term has been inspired by poker machines.
Let’s break down pokie game mechanics.
Poker machines have an inbuilt computer program that generates thousands of random possible outcomes per second. As soon as you press the button, the machine randomly picks a result from the countless possibilities.
Since poker machines cannot think or remember, it’s a fair game. The outcome in one round is entirely independent of the outcome in another.
Pokies are gaining momentum around the world, but especially so in New Zealand. Figures revealed that in 2020, the average spend on pokies in New Zealand was equivalent to $204 per adult.
Myths about Pokie Games
There are way too many pokie myths floating around today. Some might seem believable, while others are straight-up bizarre. Let’s inspect some of these myths.
Myth 1: You Have Higher Chances of Winning or Losing During Certain Hours
It is a common misconception that the probability of winning changes according to the time of the day. Some players think playing during odd hours will increase their chances of winning since pokies are programmed to offer low winning chances during peak hours.
This notion is completely untrue.
Any licensed casino would not pass independent testing with such an obvious flaw. Random number generators declare the results, and factors like time do not play a role.
Pokies do not have any plausible reason to restrict the chances of winning at different hours since casinos earn profits anyway whenever people play.
Myth 2: Playing Online Encourages Underage Gamblers
Many people believe that online pokies encourage younger people to play and get addicted even before they reach the legal age of majority.
They argued that physical casinos require ID proof so that no underage activities would take place. However, the same may not be valid for online pokies. A minor might sign up and play with real money by simply creating an account.
Again, the premise is flawed.
More often than not, online casinos require users to submit ID proof as soon as real money is involved. Some KYC departments even ask for additional documents to ascertain the identity of the user.
Most importantly, underage kids will not be able to make payments without a credit card or a valid payment method without an adult.
Myth 3: A Pokie Machine Can Exhaust Itself
Players sometimes believe that if they hit a big win, they need to change the machine. They cannot earn more on the same pokie.
There is no merit to this claim.
As discussed earlier, the numbers or symbols that appear on the slot arise from a random number generator.
The pokie machine is not programmed to remember the time or order of the results generator. Therefore, it is all fair play.
You might play for a long time and still not win anything. On the contrary, you might play for a shorter period and still win multiple jackpots.
Myth 4: Bonuses Do Not Let You Win Big
Online casinos offer plenty of bonuses and promotions to entice players and keep them hooked. Welcome bonuses, in particular, are fascinating.
You could receive different kinds of promotions, such as free spins, no deposits, high roller, or bonuses based on your payment method.
People often believe that these houses aren’t that good because they only let you win minuscule prizes.
In reality, though, that is not the case at all.
Bonuses aim to keep the players happy and retain them. Online pokies do not minimize your chances of winning big when you play with bonuses.
Myth 5: Auto-Play Influences the Chances of Winning
Auto-play is a feature that allows users some flexibility while playing online pokies. Another common slot game myth is that since players aren’t usually around in the auto-play mode, the pokie can be rigged easily.
This misconception is also false.
The auto-play feature was introduced for the comfort of the players, not to cheat them. Auto-spins are much faster, and the number of spins per hour goes up in this mode.
None of this affects your chances of winning or losing since the results are still generated using a random number generator.
Myth 6: Online Pokies are Rigged
One of the most popular online pokies myths is that the pokies are rigged. This stems from the belief that since the players don’t actually get to see the dealer, the game might be rigged to favor the house.
Luckily, this conception is far from the truth.
If you’re concerned about such a scenario, you could quickly check out the game history and run it through an algorithm to identify discrepancies.
It would reflect poorly on the casino if anyone found out that they rigged the game. No casino would like to take that risk in the age of viral media.
In fact, online casinos get themselves licensed by regulatory bodies to foster trust.
Final Thoughts
As more and more people have started playing online pokie games for real money, many myths have also begun to crop up.
Many people refrain from indulging in these games since they are afraid of losing their money, to the credit of such myths. However, it is safe to play online slots these days, as long as they are licensed.
Did you shy away from playing because of the myths? Time to let go of your concerns!
