If you are a frequent visitor of land casinos, or high-grade halls of slot machines, you should know such a slot machine, as «the Queen of Nile», developed by the Australian company Aristocrat. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most popular games for slot machines which is also popular in many casinos of America, and all over the world. If you know, what video slot is you know about the Australian slot machines. Namely since Australia video-slots have conquered the whole world...

All Australia slot machines, as a rule, are called either "video poker", or "poker automatic machines", or simply "pokies", but their official name is Gaming Machines. Strange as it sounds, but all slot machines from Australia carry such name irrespective of the fact, whether they have any relation to video-poker or not.

For you to understand what slot machines mean for Australia, we will result some official statistics. In the middle of the 20th century Australia became the witness of changes in the laws which have led to fast growth of quantity of places of access to slot machines in different states. Especially it became notable in the New Southern Wales, Victoria and Queensland. Incomes of slot machines in bars and clubs have made more than half of aggregate profit from game business in 4 billion dollars received by the state authorities in 2002 - 2003. In 1999 the Australian Commission on Efficiency has informed, that in Australia there are about 180 000 slot machines, more than half from which are in the New Southern Wales.

This figure corresponds to 21 % of slot machines from total all over the world! Another fact which can strongly surprise you: in Australia in 5 times more slot machines, than in the United States of America per head of the population. In the New Southern Wales the income of slot machines has increased from 425,2 million of American dollars in 1978 to 238 billion in the year 1998. Rough distribution of slot machines has led to the declaration of their negative role in increase of gambling problems by the religious and social organizations.

The main difference of so-called «aussie slots» (the Australian slot machines) from the classical slots is that slot machines of the Australian type use video screens to simulate the real reels, of which there are usually 5. These automatic machines have additional bonus system and special functions of the second screen, such as free prize-winning games and display of additional prizes.

They also allow playing on some lines (to 50) or some ways (to 243) simultaneously. This highest level of complexity of execution of slot machines gives to players of more possibilities for a prize. Anyway, it is supposed to. But what is even more important is that such slots are much more interesting and fascinating from the point of view of players. This fact also became subsequently solving, having played a key role in popularization of Australian video slots worldwide.

Slot machines in Australia are played both in a casino (approximately one in each medium-sized city), and in bars, clubs (usually sports, public or clubs of the Australian League of Service - RSL). There are fears, that such general availability of slot machines can aggravate a problem of gambling addiction, however this question remains opened. The New Southern Wales came to be the first Australian state which legalized this game in 1956, when slot machines have received the lawful status in all the registered clubs of the state.