Best Real Money Online Pokies in Australia in 2026

• RTP: 96.21%
• Volatility: High
• Max Win: 10,000x
• Reels: 6
• Paylines: 4096
• Where to Play: DragonSlots

Tomb of Gold was a fascinating discovery when I first played it on DragonSlots. I say discovery because DragonSlots stocks more than 6,000 online pokies, and every time I visit this casino, there’s always some new slot to play.

I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun playing an online pokie. It came out in July 2025, so it’s quite new, as seen by its superb graphics, crisp ambient sounds and soundtrack, and an Egyptian theme that makes the game incredibly immersive.

The payout engine follows a familiar pattern: left to right, with between 3 and 6 matching symbols forming a win. There are 4,096 ways to win, thanks to the game’s layout, featuring an extended grid with 4 rows on 6 reels.

The game’s volatility is rated high, which would suggest bigger but less frequent wins. But this isn’t the case. From the first 100 spins, a winning combination occurred every 4th spin on average, and many of the base-game wins were A$2 or more, while my bet size was A$1.5 for most of the time. The only thing missing from this game is a buy feature option. But does it really need one? In my opinion, no. Why? Because it’s packed with features that energise the gameplay.

I had the budget, so I set the game for 50 auto spins. After about 30 spins, three Sphinx Scatters landed and activated the free spins wheel. This is a wheel of luck of sorts that awards a random batch of free spins. I got 15 more spins from the wheel, with multipliers. By the time I used up the free spins, I had won about A$480. The multipliers can make a lot of difference in boosting the final win here.

The Stack of Gold makes this game worth playing long-term. It can activate one of four in-game jackpots that will boost your current bet 20x, 50x, 100x, or 1,000x for the Grand jackpot. I played inactively for about 2 weeks, which is too little to hope to hit one of the bigger jackpots. However, I did win the 20x mini jackpot twice.

But the Lock’n Gold feature (similar to the Hold and Win) is not something you need to wait for that long. In fact, I triggered it after fewer than 200 spins when 6 Coin Scatters appeared on the reels, awarding 3 respins. And the beauty of this feature is that each new Coin Scatter that lands during the re-spins triggers three more spins. Oh, and when 4 or 5 Coin Scatters landed, I got a ‘second chance’ spin at getting one or two more of these symbols to activate the feature.

One thing I didn’t like about this game is the session expiration. I had to play actively, and even five minutes of inactivity would render the sessions expired, forcing me to relaunch the game.

• RTP: 96.4%
• Volatility: Very High
• Max Win: 30,000x
• Reels: 5
• Paylines: 243
• Where to Play: Ricky Casino

When I just want to unwind, enjoy the game, and collect some good payouts, Yggdrasil is my go-to pokie provider. It is known for its adventure-themed games, mostly drawing from Nordic mythology and boasting superb graphics, audio and thrilling gameplay. As per my expectations, Barbarossa Revenge follows in that same tradition.

Apart from the excellent audiovisuals, as I continued playing, I started enjoying the game even more for its features. The multiplier symbols are immediately noticeable on the screen, and with every new win, the multipliers increase, starting from 1x to 8x. Moreover, the maximum multiplier doubles with every win via the Double Up mechanic.

Thanks to the wilds, which lead to multiple successive cascading wins and boost the multipliers, I snatched more than a few solid payouts in the base game. The volatility is rated ‘super’ high, but this didn’t prevent the game’s engine from producing regular wins every 4-6 spins.

Another reason why I find Barbarossa Revenge to be one of the best online pokies for Aussies is the bonus buy features. Free spins (7 FS) appear randomly in the base game with 3 or more scatters, but I was also able to pay to increase the probability of landing scatters by increasing the bet by 0.5x. This is the Golden Bet feature and adds a thrilling twist to every spin, at a relatively low cost.

I didn’t trigger the free spins this way after about 20 spins, so I used the bonus buy to purchase 7 free spins for A$100. The great thing is that in the bonus game, multipliers don’t reset to the original value after a losing hand; rather, they stay at the boosted value after a win, and only increase with every new win, earning me a total win of over A$160.

There was also a more expensive option to buy ‘random free spins,’ but I only managed to break even with this one.

• RTP: 96.07%
• Volatility: Very High
• Max Win: 12,395x
• Reels: 5
• Paylines: 25
• Where to Play: King Billy

Betsoft’s Gold Nugget Rush is a super-fast and potentially high-paying pokie that really stands out from most of the new games I’ve played lately. I love “Hold and Win” pokies, and this game puts a cool, unique spin on that feature (pun intended). The regular gameplay has decent payouts, with 20 fixed paylines that pay traditionally from left to right, and you need at least three symbols for a win.

To hit the Hold and Win feature, you need six or more bonus symbols, or one Boost symbol and five scatters. There’s no option to buy your way into the round.

Even though it’s a high volatility game, the Hold and Win round seems to trigger surprisingly often. With three or four bonus symbols popping up almost every other spin, you just need a little patience to land the last two or three. I finally activated the feature after about 60 spins, with total bets around A$30 (betting low at A$0.5 and starting with 40 auto spins). That was a small total bet for the potential payout of the feature.

The Hold and Win round paid out about A$60, thanks to the sticky bonus symbols and the re-spins you get with every new bonus symbol drop. I kicked off with three respins and ended up using around 12.

The action keeps going with the base game’s free spins feature, which hits when you land three scattered Gold Carts, awarding 8 free spins. I was keen to see how this one works, so I set up 50 auto spins at A$0.5 a spin. Even though I couldn’t land the free spins, the frequent bonus symbols and the game’s unique Gold Rush feature led me to trigger the Hold and Win round three times in just about 35 spins.

The unexpectedly high hit rate for the Hold and Win feature is a huge plus of this game. I can’t remember playing any other pokie that’s been this generous with one of its best features.

• RTP: 96.02%
• Volatility: High
• Max Win: 10,000x
• Reels: 6
• Paylines: Megaways
• Where to Play: PlayMojo

Okay, so this game is set in the classic American Midwest – think prairies and desert plains – but it still manages to stand out from all the other ‘Buffalo’ pokies. The design is quite impressive (more on that later), but let’s start with the exciting features first.

This is a true Megaways game, so you’ve got that expanded grid with six reels and four to five rows. That high-payout engine uses a special algorithm to churn out thousands of potential wins on every spin, hitting a maximum of over 80,000 ways to win here.

It’s officially rated as having high volatility, but I found myself getting wins every 3-5 spins, which feels more like a medium-volatility slot. The payouts themselves were usually on the smaller to middle side. Still, the base game can definitely pay off, especially once those wild symbols with multipliers start landing.

I got pretty lucky and hit four bonus symbols within my first 50 spins to trigger the free spins. That’s super fast for a high-volatility slot that usually makes you wait for hundreds of spins before landing top symbols or triggering a bonus feature.

The free spins round can be a hit or a miss; it all depends on how many wilds you manage to snag. Here’s the key: every wild that’s part of a winning spin gets a multiplier. This multiplier keeps growing with every new win when a wild symbol lands. Catching the right sequence can lead to a massive haul. Just to give you an idea, I bought the free spins for a A$100 and only walked away with a little over A$150. Given the huge potential, that was a bit of a letdown.

If you don’t want to buy the buy-in option, there’s a ‘triple chance’ toggle button. Switching this on bumps up your bet size a little, but it significantly increases your odds of naturally landing those essential bonus symbols needed to trigger the free spins.

• RTP: 97%
• Volatility: Medium
• Max Win: 5,000x
• Reels: 5
• Paylines: 40
• Where to Play: Neospin

Wild Tiger 2 by BGaming, despite its seemingly low 40 paylines compared to other modern pokies, delivers an engaging experience.

My initial test began with a A$200 balance, using A$1 or lower wagers to feel out the base game. The medium volatility allowed for consistent wins, typically every 4-7 spins. The win amounts generally matched the medium volatility, staying around, slightly above, or slightly below my bet.

A customizable lines-per-spin feature is available, though it increases the total bet from A$0.40 for 20 lines to A$2 for 100.

High-value symbols include scatters, wilds, and bonus symbols. Three or more scatters award wins regardless of their position on the grid, while expanding wilds on the second, third, or fourth reels combine for solid payouts, substituting all symbols except bonus symbols and scatters.

The ‘Hold and Win’ bonus round activates with six or more bonus symbols. After about 50 spins without triggering it in the main game, I opted to buy the feature. This is possible from A$60 with a minimum A$1 bet, with higher bets increasing the purchase cost.

The Hold and Win game is the standout feature of Wild Tiger 2. My first purchase, costing A$180, resulted in a A$220 win, starting with two 5x and one 4x multiplier on the reels. A subsequent purchase, however, only yielded A$75.

There is a progress bar in the bonus game that shows collected Coin bonus symbols, and if more of these appear during the bonus round, it can lead to added 2x or 3x win multipliers, which can boost the final payout.

• RTP: 96.18%
• Volatility: High
• Max Win: 3,600x
• Reels: 3
• Paylines: 5
• Where to Play: Richard Casino

Coins of Zeus: Hold & Win takes the classic three-reel slot machine and gives it a serious upgrade.

Forget those old-school three-reel fruit slots. This game looks great with modern graphics and excellent ambient sound that immerses you in the game. The symbols and background have a polished feel and smooth gameplay.

While a lot of three-reelers are low volatility with small wins, Coins of Zeus has high volatility. This means you can hit some solid medium-to-high base-game wins relative to your bet, even though it keeps the paylines low (just five).

The Wild symbol is handy for triggering winning combos in the base game by replacing lower-value symbols. But the main event is definitely the regular bonus symbols and that special Zeus bonus symbol.

To kick off the Hold and Win game, you need at least three regular bonus symbols or just one Zeus symbol. That gets you three free spins to start. This seems low, but the free spins can re-trigger. This effectively creates more opportunities for landing additional bonus symbols during the round, which would add even more respins.

The great thing is that the bonus symbols have Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand prizes attached to them. The Zeus symbol locks in and acts as a collector of these prizes, scooping up the total value of all the regular bonus symbols that land.

Other than these features, the game is pretty straightforward, with the usual customisation buttons for setting your bet and an auto-spin option.

• RTP: 96.54%
• Volatility: High
• Max Win: 19,000x
• Reels: 5
• Paylines: 7,776
• Where to Play: Ritzo

The race for the top payout pokies is always competitive. Each game offers, in some way, good base-game returns and chances for big wins. However, Pragmatic Play’s Sugar Rush 1000 surpasses all others, especially in the size and frequency of the payouts.

This game pays out very well over time, with 97% RTP and reels that tumble with each winning combination, creating multiple wins in a row every 3-7 spins on average.

I played Sugar Rush 1000 over several days. In that short time, it proved to be the most rewarding of all pokies. On several occasions, the game dropped 3 or 4 scatters, automatically triggering the bonus game with 10 and 12 free spins.

Some winning symbols explode. If they explode 2 or more times, it awards a multiplier, which doubles with each new explosion. The multiplier can reach up to 1024x, but even smaller ones can be a big boost to the final payout.

The audiovisuals are a bit silly and boring over time, so it’s not the most absorbing of games, at least in terms of visual appeal.

But you can buy free spins and Super free spins if you want to take control of the game’s top features. The latter free spins have a much bigger price tag, but that risk comes with considerable advantages, and multipliers on every win during the bonus game.

• RTP: 96.24%
• Volatility: Medium
• Max Win: 10,000x
• Reels: 5
• Paylines: Scatter Pays
• Where to Play: Wild Tokyo

I feel like every other new pokie that comes out has the cascading symbols mechanic, and Pragmatic Play has been spearheading it with its mega-popular releases like Sugar Rush and Sweet Bonanza. However, I recently came across Cloud Princess, and, unaware that it’s a Hacksaw Gaming pokie, I actually thought it was another Pragmatic Play release.

Cloud Princess is heavily influenced by anime, one of the genres that still hasn’t been taken over by the ‘pokie invasion’. The visuals are exceptional, and the game feels very modern. I expect nothing less from Hacksaw, but with Cloud Princess, I feel like they’ve outperformed themselves.

With an RTP of 96.24%, it won’t break any ground, but I find the medium volatility refreshing. It does feel like wins occur more often, especially when compared with the majority of extra high volatility pokies we see these days. The grid is 6×5, and as I mentioned, it uses the ‘cascading symbols’ or ‘tumbling reels’ mechanic, however you want to call it.

You need 8 matching symbols on the grid to form a winning combination – and they don’t have to touch. If they form a win, they’re replaced by new symbols, and this can go on forever (as long as you have 8 winning symbols).

The standard game is, well, standard, and even a bit boring. So, the real reason Cloud Princess made my top list is the bonus features. First things first, kudos to Hacksaw for offering so many options. You can activate the Bonushunt Featurespins mode, so each spin is 5 times more likely to trigger a bonus game, the Heavenly Featurespins that guarantees at least one win and one Multiplier Symbol each round, or buy the free spins feature.

So, the multipliers. There are three types of multiplier symbols, Normal, Super, and Epic, and the maximum multiplier is 100x. However, if there’s more than one multiplier symbol, their values are added, so that’s how you can reach the 10,000x max win.

The highlight of this pokie is the free spins. I’ve been playing it for a week, and I’ve hit the free spins round dozens of times, so it’s not an uncommon occurrence. You need 3 or more Cloud Princess symbols, and during the free spins, it’s all about the Divine Multiplier that collects the multipliers of each spin and applies them in the end.

• RTP: 97%
• Volatility: Very High
• Max Win: 10,000x
• Reels: 6
• Paylines: Cluster Pays
• Where to Play: Rolling Slots

I absolutely love this game. Rolling Slots Casino has nearly 5,000 premium online pokies, and Aztec Clusters is easily one of the best. If nothing else, it’s one of the most feature-packed games.

I’ll try to briefly and carefully describe my experience to explain how great this game is. The first 100 spins on a A$400 playing budget earned me about A$380. Until then, I had spent only about A$250. And this is without buying any of the features available.

The base game’s high-volatility algorithm doesn’t pay often, but the cluster pays can connect for multiple successive wins. The regular-paying wins are medium, and this didn’t prove very rewarding until the wilds, sticky wilds, scatters, and booster symbols made an appearance.

That’s because the sticky wilds can trigger multipliers between 10x and 100x. I bought into the free spins game with 1 sticky wild for A$200. The great things about the bonus game are the multipliers and the booster symbol, which appear pretty frequently and boost the value of the existing multipliers.

Additional bonus symbols award extra spins. I started with 10, and on the fifth spin, additional scatters awarded an extra 10 spins. This ultimately helped me end the bonus game with a fantastic payout of A$423.

There is another symbol, the Destroyer, which is one of the best in the game. When it lands randomly in an empty slot, it destroys all low symbols, and new ones fall into their place, all but guaranteeing one or more wins in succession.

• RTP: 96.05%
• Volatility: High
• Max Win: 15,000x
• Reels: 6
• Paylines: Pays anywhere
• Where to Play: Lucky Ones

Most Wanted really stands out among Australia’s best pokies because of its cool ‘pay anywhere’ mechanic with cascading reels, replacing the usual fixed paylines. This means symbols can score you a win no matter where they land, making the base game super dynamic. But the big bucks are usually hiding in features like multipliers and the Manhunt Bonus game.

Initially, I couldn’t activate the bonus game (which needs four or more scatters) after nearly 70 spins. So, I decided to switch things up, hitting 50 auto spins with the Chance x2 feature turned on. It’s a 25% bet bump, but it’s meant to seriously increase your odds of landing those scatters.

That little gamble paid off on the 48th spin. Even before the bonus, the base game was tossing out some decent wins (around $30 to $60 on a $2.5 wager) thanks to random 3x to 5x multipliers. This helped me at least break even before the bonus game started.

The bonus round, which I was mainly chasing for those accumulating multipliers, gave me 15 free spins. While the multipliers boosted the total payout to about A$40, it was a little less than I’d hoped for, though still a solid win.

Given how volatile this game is, my guess is you’ll need between 50 and 70 spins with the Chance x2 feature running to hit those free spins. A win isn’t guaranteed, obviously, but the potential for huge accumulating multipliers makes Most Wanted totally worth a shot.

The game has only 96% RTP, one of the lowest returns from all games in the top 10 list. However, don’t let that fool you. The cascading reels often connect to create multiple wins in a row. Depending on the number and value of symbols landing, those wins can be really generous, from 2x to 3x to 10x your bet.