The Best Australian Online Pokies for 2026: Ranked & Tested

• 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: 96.56%
• Volatility: High
• Max Win: 12,150x
• Reels: 6
• Paylines: 243
• Where to Play: Vegas Now

The first thing that brought me to Betsoft’s Golden Destiny Hold and Win was the catchy design. With a masterfully crafted Asian-themed background, symbols, and sounds, it creates a great ambience.

I’m not here only to admire the craftsmanship of Betsoft’s designers. With a high maximum win, over 200 ways to win, high RTP, and in-game jackpots, it’s easy to see why I gave it a high spot on my top 10 pokies list. These features not only look good on the surface but also create an exciting gameplay experience with potential for great payouts.

The high volatility led me to believe the payouts will be less frequent, as is typical for high-volatility games. In truth, the game triggered wins every 4-7 spins. The win rate felt more like a medium-volatility pokie, which is good, of course. The pokie brings the best of both worlds, because wins came pretty often and were mainly higher than my bet, thanks to the increased volatility.

Apart from the familiar Hold and Win Bonus game, the standout feature here is the Mirror Reels. As I played, the feature activated randomly in the main game and mirrored low or high symbols across 2 to 5 reels. When high symbols were mirrored, the payouts were much bigger.

I was hoping to land at least 6 bonus symbols early on to trigger the Hold and Win round, but after about 100 spins, no luck. Since there is a Bonus Buy option, I didn’t want to wait and bought 3 respins for A$45, with 7 bonus symbols.

What’s great is that the bonus symbols remain in place during the round, and the remaining empty cells fill with additional bonus symbols, which award respins. Now, if you do manage to land 15 of these symbols, you will trigger the Grand jackpot prize. I didn’t win any jackpots, but I did collect double the bonus feature cost.

I’d also like to point out that this game has stacked Mystery symbols, which reveal a random high or low symbol (but not wilds and bonus symbols). I hit a few more rounds trying to land the Mystery symbol, but instead, I got something better: 6 bonus symbols, which triggered the Hold and Win game, only this time without using the buy feature. This gave me a nice little payout before I left the game.

• RTP: 96.75%
• Volatility: Very High
• Max Win: 6,000x
• Reels: 6
• Paylines: Megaways
• Where to Play: Lucky Dreams

I’ve been a BGaming fan for as long as I can remember. Almost every pokie they’ve released has become an instant hit, and I still haven’t completely covered their portfolio. Savage Buffalo Spirit Megaways is designed in the spirit of BGaming’s top games, bringing their signature features like Bonus Buy, Free Spins, wilds, and respins.

However, this pokie also takes it a step further. It’s not only one of BGaming’s best games – it’s one of the best pokies out there. Let me explain why. First, it’s not a standard layout. Being a Megaways pokie, Savage Buffalo Spirit Megaways extends the grid to 6 reels, instead of the usual 5 seen in most video pokies.

But here’s the kicker: it adds an extra horizontal reel that moves from right to left instead of up and down. This isn’t just for show. The additional reel works perfectly in combination with the Megaways engine, increasing the number of ways to win on each spin, and it also boosts the chances of hitting a win.

The Chance x2 and Bonus Buy features function the same way as in other BGaming pokies. I turned on the Chance x2 button, which slightly increased my bet, but also doubled the chance of hitting free spins, and it actually worked. I played about 60 spins before 3 scatters appeared and awarded 5 free spins.

The bonus game was a serious winner, mostly thanks to those guaranteed random multipliers that went from 2x all the way up to 25x on the payouts. I even hit three more scatters on the fourth spin, which meant five extra spins, each with brand new random win multipliers. Apparently, this could keep going until someone wins 6,000 times their original bet. I didn’t get that lucky, but the bonus round still paid out pretty well, about 70 times my initial wager.

To make the game even better, BGaming has integrated a Refilling feature, which works similarly to the cascading reels seen in other pokies – winning symbols drop, and empty cells are re-filled with new symbols, which can lead to a series of wins on a single spin.

Savage Buffalo Spirit Megawys is really an all-in-one game. It has the best features I expect from a pokie: cascading reels, Megaways engine, free spins, random multipliers, respins, bonus buy, expanding symbols, and an extra reel. Perhaps the only thing missing is jackpots, but the in-game bet multiplier of 6,000x isn’t exactly small either.

• RTP: 96.02%
• Volatility: Very High
• Max Win: 5,000x
• Reels: 6
• Paylines: Cluster Pays
• Where to Play: JustCasino

Dragon’s Bonanza feels more like a video game than a video pokie, and the fact that you can rake in big wins just adds to its charm. The moment I hit that Play button, I knew I was in for a treat. Little did I know this would be a serious candidate for one of the best pokies in Australia. It has six reels and five rows, which is more than the average video pokie.

The game offers impressively quick gameplay, with symbols appearing rapidly on each spin. For even faster action, the Turbo and Super Turbo options can make spins almost instantaneous. Another major highlight is the combination of cascading reels and cluster pays. Wins are formed by clusters of symbols, which can then trigger cascading wins as new symbols drop into place after every successful combination.

Note, the volatility here is ‘very high,’ and I really felt that in the first 200-300 spins: base-game wins usually came every 7-12 spins rather than every 4-8. This is normal for a game with high volatility, but do you know what the benefit of high-volatility pokies is? Much bigger payouts in the base game and bonus round.

And yes, Dragon’s Bonanza has a bonus game awarding 5 or 10 free spins when you land 4 or more scatters. Most pokies require at least 5 scatter symbols to trigger free spins, but here, even 4 will get the job done. I bought 5 scatters using the buy feature and got 10 free games.

The real fun begins with the free spins. Okay, my first five spins were a bust, but seriously, don’t sweat it if the start is slow. Once those cluster symbols dropped, things got wild. I landed a series of back-to-back wins, massively boosted by bonus multipliers that, if you’re lucky, can actually reach 100x. When the round ended, I had pocketed about A$2,560.

Now, this game requires some patience to work for you. The very high volatility doesn’t allow for frequent payouts, but when they do, you are looking at some serious payouts.

Just a friendly tip: Don’t hurry to buy the bonus round. The buy bonus can be costly, but if you allow some time, the bonus game has a surprisingly high hit rate. I triggered it again shortly after buying. The second time around, the payout was even better, around A$5,200.

• 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: 95.70%
• Volatility: Medium
• Max Win: 10,000x
• Reels: 5
• Paylines: 30
• Where to Play: PlayMojo

Playson’s Fire Temple: Hold and Win looks and functions like a typical 5-reel game, at least by design, but once I started playing, it revealed itself to be one of the most rewarding online pokies I’ve played recently.

It has 30 fixed paylines, 5 reels and 4 rows, with options like turbo and auto spins, making it seem like a standard pokies. However, it’s far from a standard game, with four jackpots, bonus symbols that unlock special features, and multipliers to boost your winnings.

When I started spinning, the first 20-30 rounds felt more like a high-volatility game than a medium one, which is great, since it led to considerable wins.

Bigger payouts, worth 5-10 times my bet, came every 15-20 spins. The betting range varies from A$0.20 to A$100, so you have a lot of room to adjust the wagers to your budget, however big or small.

Several rounds paid 20x to 30x my current stake, so the returns weren’t too bad, even though the RTP is below 96%. This made me increase my betting range between A$5 and A$15 to snatch those bigger wins.

I turned on autoplay and activated the bonus after about 80 spins when six symbols lined up to trigger the bonus round. Usually, in most average pokies without a bonus buy, the bonus games come after at least 150-200 spins. The bonus symbols that activated the feature stayed in place, and new ones reset the number of spins to three. This feature extended the bonus to around 18 spins.

The layout also changed during the bonus round by adding new rows when new bonus symbols appeared. I hit about 15 bonus symbols in total and unlocked two extra rows (six total). The added rows allowed more bonus symbols to land, giving extra spins and boosting the total payout.

When I take the bonus game multipliers, the high base and bonus game payouts, expanding reels, and bonus spins that re-trigger, it’s easy to see why Fire Temple: Hold and Win is one of Australia’s best online pokies. Oh, and let’s not forget the four jackpots up for grabs.

• RTP: 96.10%
• Volatility: High
• Max Win: 25,000x
• Reels: 5
• Paylines: 243 to 248,832
• Where to Play: Neospin

Temple Stacks Splitz came out in 2020, and to be honest, I was surprised how it has slipped through the cracks. I never played it before, but the catchy game icon caught my eye among Neospin’s pokies, and I’m glad it did, because it’s certainly one of the best pokies I’ve played recently.

First, if you get lucky enough, the game can multiply your current bet up to 25,000x. This is a significant jump from the average win multipliers in pokies, which range from A$5,000x to about 15,000x.

The reel-spinning can feel a bit slow, especially compared to fast-paced pokies like Coins of Zeus: Hold and Win, and I didn’t see any feature for faster play, like the ‘turbo spin’ found in so many games. But as far as ‘negatives,’ that’s about it.

There are between 243 and 248,832 winning lines, which is impressive, especially since it’s not a Megaways game. Even some of the best games on this list don’t come close to these numbers.

Now, paylines are not a deciding factor when I rate pokies, but Temple Stacks is full of other features, and the multi-function free spin symbols are one of the best features here. Between 3 and 5 free spin symbols award bonus spins and a cash prize between A$2 and A$200. I benefited even when two of these free spin symbols landed, turning into hybrid wild-free spin symbols and substituting all other standard symbols to form winning combos.

And the options for free spins are quite unique, in a good way. I landed 3 free spin symbols pretty early in my gameplay and was given a choice between Steel, Bronze, Silver, and Gold spins. The Silver and Gold are the most valuable, but they provide fewer spins compared to the Steel and Bronze tiers. The catch is that, when you first activate this feature, only the Steel spins will be available. The more times the feature activates, the more free spin tiers will be unlocked.

Plus, the Splitz Mystery Stacks feature can really shuffle up the layout, splitting the reel into identical, low-paying symbols, and up to 12 symbols can appear during the free spins round. This may not seem much, but those splitting reels really improve the payout rate in both the main and bonus games.

• 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: 96.38%
• Volatility: Medium-High
• Max Win: 3,000x
• Reels: 5
• Paylines: 243
• Where to Play: Wild Tokyo

I’ve always liked Chinese-themed pokies, yet somehow, in all my time exploring online pokies in Australia, I never got around to reviewing Maneki 88 Fortunes. Turns out, I was missing out. When I was done playing, Maneki 88 Fortunes came out to be one of the best pokies I’ve played recently, worthy of a spot on my top 10 list.

The game looks and feels phenomenal. The visuals, sounds, symbols, and overall interface are super sleek, and the gameplay is smooth. Alongside the standard customisation options like auto spin and turbo spin, there’s an intriguing extra button: Chance x2.

This isn’t a true bonus but rather a modifier that adjusts the game’s algorithm to double the chance of winning free spins.

The great part about this pokie is that the Chance x2 feature is just one of several ways to unlock the game’s special features. The Coin Wild symbol is another. It functions like a regular wild, but each time it lands, it adds value to a progress bar, which increases the probability of entering the jackpot round, where you have a shot at winning one of four jackpots.

The Buy feature instantly unlocks the bonus game. You can purchase between 1 and 5 bonus symbols, with the cost scaling up based on the number of symbols bought.

I purchased 5 symbols for A$193.6 and received 10 spins. In a surprise turn of events, my very first spin landed several bonus symbols, awarding me an additional 10 spins, essentially starting me off with 20 spins.

About 13 spins in, the jackpot feature triggered, requiring me to match 3 coins to win a jackpot. I was really hoping for the Grand jackpot, but I walked away with the Mini jackpot, which paid approximately A$90.

Apart from the fabulous design, it’s the jackpots and easy-to-access features that make it one of the best pokies in Australia. I came very close to hitting a major jackpot, but in the end, I had to settle for the smallest one. The point being, even the top jackpots, which can reach between A$75,000 and A$200,000, are within reach.