The History of Pokies

Before jumping into the history of pokies, it's probably a good idea to explain where the word pokies even came from. What, after all, are pokie machines? There is no documented date about when pokie machines were first called this in Australia, since it seems that they've always been referred to as pokie machines. It appears to have come, however, from the idea that video poker machines were often in pubs and clubs in the early days. People would say something like, "I'm off to the pub for pokies" and then it simply got shortened to pokies.

The History of Pokies with Pokie Machines

The first of the pokie machines in the history of pokies was developed in the United States by Charles Fey.The first game was called the Liberty Bell and it took off immediately. The first real money pokies games appeared in Australia in the early 1900s. They were illegal - but they sure were popular with gamblers!

Next Up for Real Money Pokies & The History of Pokies

In 1953, an Australian company named the Aristocrat developed its first pokie machines. It was called the Clubman and was designed by Joe Heywood. In 1956, the government of NSW legalized gaming machines in registered clubs and things really started to take off for the pokie machines with that change. These were really basic games that didn't even have lights in them. Real money pokies continued to be quite popular, with almost all of the pokie machines having three spinning reels and either one, three or five lines.

Innovation for Pokie Machines

Then, in the mid 1980s, the pokie machines really took off and the history of pokies grew longer. This was when video slots first came to be. This was a huge new development in the world of real money pokies and set the history of pokies on its way. These games had five reels and they also had more lines and offered more ways to win with free spin features and other great features.

The History of Pokies Up to Today

Today, of course, the history of pokies shows that they will remain around for a long time to come. Australians love pokie machines, and the number and choices of real money pokies just keeps getting higher and higher. Obviously, most real money pokies games can also be played for practice. It's always a great idea to enjoy pokie machines for practice once or twice before jumping into playing real money pokies. Today's machines offer all sorts of excitement and chances to win, showing that the history of the pokies has come a long way, and that the future for pokie machines certainly looks bright!