Pokie Awards 2025: The Best Online Reels in Australia

The Year of the Wood Snake has presented Aussies with many opportunities to score big wins at online casinos in Australia. One thing we’ve learned this year is that Aussies are trending towards games offering consistent wins or big-win potential over flashy or gimmicky games.

This trend is reflected in our 2025 pokie awards. We’ve selected the best online pokies in Australia that offer players the win potential they’re looking for while focusing on features that appeal to all players. To learn more about some of the latest trends, check out our online pokies blog. Now, on to our award winners.

Elvis Frog in Vegas – Most Popular Pokie Among Aussie Players

We can’t think of a single online casino we’ve visited this year that didn’t have Elvis Frog in Vegas either as a featured pokie or a popular one. This game has remained one of Australia’s top online pokies due to its engaging theme, high RTP, and multiple bonus features, including both free spins and Coin Respins.

The Elvis theme is a popular one among all players, and this game has also benefited from being featured in numerous casino promotions. It has a high search volume online and a huge fan following in gaming forums. To learn more about this game, check out our unbiased Elvis Frog in Vegas review and take a few spins in the demo version.

Buffalo – The Original is Still the Best Buffalo-Themed Game in Australia

If you’ve played any buffalo-themed pokie online, it is all thanks to this classic game. Buffalo dropped in 2008 and still remains the most popular version of the variant. This game offers 1024 ways to win, a nature-themed design, and a free spins feature with a multiplier bonus.

While it is true that the game looks a bit dated compared to modern-day buffalo-themed pokies, many Aussies prefer the classic design of the original. If you want to learn more about this all-time great game, check out our Buffalo review and take a spin in the demo version.

Mega Moolah – Still the King of Progressive Jackpots in Australia

It’s safe to say we all could use an extra $2 million. Mega Moolah has been the king of progressive online pokies since its release in 2006 and remains the #1 progressive pokie in Australia. The reason is simple – it produces life-changing jackpots. The base game isn’t anything spectacular, but that’s not why you play this game.

This game offers four progressive jackpots, with the Mega jackpot being the one everyone wants. It seeds at $2 million and has an average win of $6.1 million. The jackpot last hit in June 2025 for $11.49 million, marking the third time it had been won in the last year. This game will always remain popular due to its potential for life-changing money. To learn more about this pokie, check out our Mega Moolah review and play the game for free.

Lightning Link – Most Popular Live Casino Pokies in Australia

While our pokie awards primarily focus on online pokies, we don’t ignore brick-and-mortar favourites. The Lightning Link series of pokies is incredibly popular in brick-and-mortar casinos due to its linked progressive jackpot. The series offers a variety of fun themes, all of which share similar bonus features.

The primary bonus feature is the Hold & Spin feature, which enables you to win massive cash prizes and offers a chance at the linked progressive jackpot. It starts at $10,000 and increases until someone fills in the bonus game board. These games remain popular due to their exciting bonus game and big win potential. Learn more about Lightning Link in our review, and take a few spins in our demo version.

Cash Bandits 2 – One of the Highest RTP Pokies Available in Australia

Cash Bandits 2 is the most popular offering in Real Time Gaming’s Cash Bandits series. It offers the ever-popular bank-robbery theme, a fun and unique bonus game, and a pair of progressive jackpots. The thing that sets it apart from other online pokies in Australia is its high 97% RTP. With many games in the 95 to 96% range, this game gives you better odds than most games you’ll find.

Odds are that you have seen this game featured in promotions at RTG casinos in Australia, but it also has a strong following amongst pokies lovers. It’s Vault Feature offers a unique mechanic that can award up to 190 free spins and a multiplier of up to 17x. Progressive jackpots can also be triggered at any point during the game, offering an additional option for big wins. Learn more about Cash Bandits 2 in our review and try it out in our demo version.

ThunderStruck – Two Decade Reign as Top Norse-Themed Pokie in Australia

ThunderStruck made Thor sexy long before Chris Hemsworth picked up Mjolnir. Since 2008, it has remained one of Microgaming’s most popular pokies. It offers a fun Norse theme and a classic pokies look and feel that players love. Wild symbols that complete a payout double your winnings. The free spins game offers a 3x multiplier, which can give you a max win of 480x if you land 5 hammers on a line.

The appeal of ThunderStruck is its nostalgic design. It takes you back to the early days of online pokies, where base games could provide as big a win as you can find in most bonus games nowadays. This nostalgia helps to keep the game popular after almost two decades. Read more about it on our ThunderStruck review or take a few spins in the demo version.

Dragon Link – Asian-themed Pokies With Massive Progressive Jackpot Potential

Dragon Link is another pokie series that’s exclusive to brick-and-mortar casinos, but remains popular due to its theme and its potentially massive progressive jackpots. The game features a classic 5-line setup, offering multiple games with Asian themes. Games like Golden Gong, Genghis Khan, and Peacock Princess all feature the Dragon Link progressive jackpot system.

Each game has its own free spins game, typically consisting of six free spins. The main draw of the game is its Dragon Link progressive jackpots. There are four progressive jackpots, but everyone is shooting for the Grand jackpot. It seeds at $10,000, but can grow beyond $2 million in some casinos. Discover more about this series of pokies in our Dragon Link review and try the demo version.

Wolf Treasure – Most Popular Animal-Themed Pokie in Australia

Animal-themed pokies are incredibly popular in Australia, and Wolf Treasure is easily the most popular in the genre. The game features a nighttime desert theme with animals such as the bison, lynx, mustang, and eagle, with the majestic wolf the wild for the game. The standout feature is the Hold and Spin bonus, which can win massive prizes, including a jackpot prize.

The jackpots are massive in this one, with the Mega Jackpot worth 1,000x your bet. This game is not only popular due to its theme, but also because it is often used in casino bonuses. It remains one of IGTech’s most popular online pokies Australia. Check out our Wolf Treasure review to learn more about this game and to play the game for free.

5 Dragons – Top Rated Asian-themed Pokie in Australia

5 Dragons is primarily known for its brick-and-mortar version, but you can play this game for free online. The game features an Asian theme with a classic design and one of the most dynamic free spins games around. When the free spins game is triggered, you can pick from seven different options with progressing multipliers. The higher the multipliers, the lower the number of free spins, or you can select the Mystery Choice for a random experience.

This game offers big win potential of up to $16,000 and medium volatility, making it an excellent option for most bankrolls. The ability to play it online makes it an excellent choice for those who love Aristocrat games but can’t make it to a brick-and-mortar venue. Check out our 5 Dragons review to learn more.

Where’s the Gold – Lesser-known Gold Mining Pokie with Low Stake Options

To round out our list of the best pokies in 2025, we look at a lesser-known game. Where’s the Gold has actually been around since 2003 and features a classic design with a fun gold mining theme. The bonus game is unique, where you will pick a character to mine for you, and the results are how many free spins and wilds you’ll have during the bonus round.

This game is popular among players due to its nostalgic theme and low-stakes options, starting at $0.25 per spin. You can get up to 10 free spins in the free spins game with a decent chance of scoring a big win. To learn more about the game, check out our Where’s the Gold review and play the game for free.