Know your odds
All forms of gambling are designed so the owners make a profit, not you. While you might experience the odd win, ultimately, if you play enough you will lose.
Remember, you should only bet what you can afford to lose!
How do pokies work?
Pokie machines are not designed to help players make money. You might sometimes have a win, but if you keep playing, you’ll probably lose all the money you put in.
Pokie machines are a video version of poker and are not based on chance. Early versions had reels inside that spun around to reveal a combination of winning and losing symbols. But modern pokie machines are hardwired to show predetermined combinations that will never allow the machine to pay out more than it takes in. If you opened a pokie machine up all you would find is a computer chip.
The symbols displayed when you win or lose are chosen by a 'random number generator', which is electronic and part of the machine's software. Because the generator is created by computer software, it is possible to make the machine frequently display combinations that are close to winning combinations. This can make you think that you have 'almost won' when you haven’t at all. This encourages players to continue playing.
What about the jackpot?
Each machine can only pay out up to $500. ‘Jackpot’ prizes higher than that are not attached to any particular machine. Rather machines are often linked together and each contributes a very small amount to the jackpot. The jackpot is programmed to go off on any one of those machines before the combined total reaches $.