The two words point at the same machine, but the documents do not use them equally. The Acts speak of a gaming machine, and the sites file their games under slot far more often than under pokie.
What the Act says
Queensland: what playing a gaming machine means
a person is taken to play a gaming machine if the person, directly or indirectly - (a)inserts a gaming token into; or (b)causes gaming machine credits to be registered by; or (c)makes a bet on; or (d)causes the activation of any process relating to the game of; or (e)makes or participates in the making of the decisions involved in playing; the gaming machine.
Section 12 of the Gaming Machine Act 1991 (Qld), in-force text on legislation.qld.gov.au, pulled 12 September 2026.
Northern Territory: what the Act calls an unlawful game
(1) For the purposes of this Act: (a) a game: (i) which is or is intended to be a game of chance; (ii) which is or is intended to be a game partly of chance and partly of skill; or (iii) which is a trick or sleight of hand, played with an instrument of gaming, contrivance or device whereby money is or goods are gained or disposed of; (b) a game from which a person derives a percentage, part or share of the amount or amounts wagered, staked or played for or for which a charge is made; or (c) a game declared under the Regulations or by the Minister under section 53(2)(a) to be an unlawful game, is an unlawful game.
Section 54 of the Gaming Control Act 1993 (NT), in-force text on legislation.nt.gov.au, pulled 12 September 2026.
Our own count over the operators' sitemaps
Across 8 sitemaps we pulled ourselves, 68,821 game paths carry a word we can count. 600 of them contain slot and 5 contain pokie. That is the operators' own filing, counted by us:
| Site | Game paths in its sitemap | Paths with slot | Paths with pokie | Sitemap read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LuckyOnes | 172 | 4 | 0 | 11 September 2026 |
| RollXO | 134 | 4 | 0 | 11 September 2026 |
| CrownSlots | 45 | 1 | 0 | 11 September 2026 |
| 7Bit | 9,001 | 164 | 1 | 11 September 2026 |
| Winz | 8,201 | 106 | 1 | 11 September 2026 |
| CrownPlay | 17,089 | 107 | 1 | 11 September 2026 |
| Neon54 | 17,087 | 107 | 1 | 11 September 2026 |
| StoneVegas | 17,092 | 107 | 1 | 11 September 2026 |
What this does not settle
A URL is a filing decision, not a description of a game, and a site can use one word in its navigation and another in its marketing. Nothing here counts what any lobby shows a player in Australia.
Licence status in Australia
None of the sites on this page about the two words for one machine names an Australian licence; each is an offshore operator as far as Australian law is concerned. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 and the ACMA's powers under it are quoted on our law page. Amounts are quoted as each operator prints them; nothing is converted to A$.
Play safely
18+ only. Gambling Help Online 1800 858 858 - free, confidential, 24 hours a day, Australia. Self-exclusion register: BetStop.