Free Pokies in NZ: Everything You Need to Know in 2024

There's never been a better time to play free pokies online in NZ! 

We love playing slot games, and we've put together a super fun list of pokies that you can play for free below. Just click on the image to try the slot for free or hit the 'Play Now' button to start playing at one of our favourite free pokies sites. 

Also, check out our guide to free pokies to learn all the ins and outs.

Guide to Playing Free Pokies

If you’re looking for the ultimate guide to playing free pokies online in NZ, you’ve come to the right place. Our casino experts, who have a lot of experience and have already tried out the best online pokies in NZ, cover everything you need to know about playing free online pokies. This includes game types, themes, bonus games and the benefits of playing for free. (Trust us, there are plenty)!

How and Where to Play Free Pokie Games Online

You can access free pokies for NZ players by registering at a licensed casino in New Zealand and verifying you are over the age of 18. After doing so, you can easily access a vast range of the most exciting free pokies on our page. 

Here are the three best ways to find a free pokie game to enjoy:

1. Type in your favourite game title in the search box above. This is the most efficient way to find the specific pokie game you’re looking for.
2. Click on the “Sort” button to choose progressive pokies or to sort the list by release date or RTP. This way, you can see the newest releases first or find games with the biggest potential jackpots.
3. Use the “Filter” function to select your favourite software providers, features, volatility level, or themes. This is a great tool to utilise if you have an idea of the features you like to see in a pokie but don’t have an exact game in mind.

Alternatively, you can check out my huge list of recommended free demo pokies. Browse through the games until you find one that catches your eye, or try your hand at several to find your new favourite. That’s the beauty of free pokies. As long as you are 18 or older, you can try as many demo games as you like without spending a single cent! These days, most, if not every new casino online offers games in demo mode as well as for real money. 

Free Pokies vs Free Spins

Before I get any further, it’s important to note the difference between free pokies and free spins. Free spins are bonus spins handed out by a casino that does not dip into your online casino bankroll. You’ll typically find them offered as part of an online casino welcome bonus or reload reward. Free spins usually have a pre-set value on a pre-selected game and are a way of playing pokies for free.

The term ‘free spins’ is also used when referring to a pokie’s mechanics. Many fan favourites will contain a bonus or free spins round, where you win in-game spins that don’t require an additional stake. This freebie is an excellent addition to your gameplay, but you won’t receive it anywhere except within the game itself.

On the other hand, free online pokies are demo games you can play that don’t offer real cash rewards. Every spin in a free pokie game is considered a free spin since you’re not using your funds to wager with. Yet, when I refer to free online pokies, I am referring to these free demo replicas of real cash games.

When it comes to playing free pokies in New Zealand, your options are vast. You can enjoy almost as many free pokies NZ as you can real-money games, including the latest and greatest releases from top software providers. These games have all the excitement and none of the risks of real-money games, which is why they’re such a hit with NZ punters. I’ve detailed some of the most popular pokie types below.

Free Megaways Pokies

Australian developer Big Time Gaming was the first brand to release Megaways pokies. These games use a unique shape-shifting feature known as the Random Reel Modifier. The modifier produces a random number of symbols on every spin, resulting in thousands of paylines and huge maximum wins.

The mechanism first appeared in BGT’s 2016 pokie Dragon Born, though it was Bonanza that really put Megaways on the map. Dozens of developers have since used the mechanic to up the ante on their own pokies, meaning you can find these games at pretty much any of my recommended top online casinos. Popular free Megaways pokies include White Rabbit Megaways, Gonzo's Quest Megaways and Divine Fortune Megaways.

Free Jackpot Pokies

Free jackpot pokies allow you to score a massive prize with a single spin. Even more lucrative than regular jackpots are progressive jackpot pokies, where the prize pool increases with every stake.

You can play demo versions of several jackpot pokies at my recommended sites, though free progressive jackpots are a little harder to come across. Still, playing jackpot pokies for free is a great way to weigh up the risk involved before dipping into your online casino bankroll. The most popular free progressive jackpots include Mega Moolah, Divine Fortune, and Hall of Gods.

Free Egyptian Pokies

You can play free pokies online in NZ in every shape, size, and theme imaginable. However, Egyptian pokies are one of the earliest and most enduring pokie themes to exist. These games remain extremely popular among bettors in New Zealand and across the globe. 

From casino staples like Eye of Horus to modern classics like the Book of Dead pokie, developers are constantly finding ways to reinvent the (chariot) wheel. It should be noted that one of the first games that achieved global fame and popularity had an Egyptian theme – many still play IGT's iconic Cleopatra pokie.

Free Cluster Pays Pokies

Standard free demo pokies typically contain a set number of winning paylines. However, games that use a Cluster Pays mechanism pay out anywhere on the grid. Forming clusters of the same symbol will constitute a winning payline, adding a layer of unpredictability and excitement to the gameplay.

Since NetEnt released Aloha! Cluster Pays in 2016, hundreds of games now use the same mechanism. Some popular free Cluster Pays pokies include Jammin' Jars, Rise of Olympus 100, and Reactoonz.

The volatility of a pokie refers to the measure of risk involved. Each free demo pokie you come across will be measured as “high”, “low”, or “medium” volatility. High volatility pokies have a lower hit frequency but higher payout, and vice versa.

Though free demo pokies won’t pay out in cash, you can use them to play games you might usually avoid. With no financial commitment involved, you can play demo versions of high volatility pokies and enjoy the high-risk, high-reward experience (without the risk, of course, but to be fair, without the reward as well).

Some of the best free high volatility pokies are Big Bass - Keeping it Reel, Starburst XXXtreme, Fishin' BIGGER Pots Of Gold, and Thunderstruck Stormchaser.

Free Penny Pokie Machines

Penny pokies do exactly as they say on the tin. These games offer stakes as little as $0.01, making them perfect for budget betting. In this case, you would be playing them without a single penny, i.e. just for fun, for free.

Free penny pokies are a great way for beginner bettors to dip their toes in the water. Start by playing the demo version of these low-stake games, then transition to the real deal for a taste of real bets with minimal financial risk.

Free Pokies on Mobile Devices

All of my recommended casinos offer free mobile pokies games, allowing you to gamble on the go from any iOS or Android device. These demo games are built on and optimised with HTML5 technology, which ensures they are just as responsive as their desktop counterparts and adapt to any screen size. Modern pokies are built using the mobile-first approach, so many actually look even better on smartphones and tablets. 

Simply load your chosen game on your mobile browser, and voila! Alternatively, you can access free demo versions of your favourite pokies by registering at one of the best mobile casinos in New Zealand featured here. The sites I recommend offer free mobile replicas of real cash games. Playing them on your mobile device allows you to access free mobile pokies from anywhere, anytime.

Many online casinos also offer compatible casino apps for iOS and Android, streamlining the process even further. Alongside alerts and notifications on the hottest game releases and the latest bonus offers, mobile casino apps also provide enhanced usability and connectivity. Choose one of the best online casino apps and enjoy casino games on the go wherever you are in the world.

Here are the best casinos online that offer mobile pokie games.

As experts in the pokies business, Casinos.com reviewers have seen it all. Below, I’ve listed some of my favourite online mobile pokies from our experience, with a few reasons why I love them so much. 

Other famous online mobile pokies that deserve an honourable mention include Big Bass Splash by Pragmatic Play, Tombstone R.I.P. by Nolimit City, and Sakura Fortune 2 by Quickspin. Most of the pokie providers mentioned in this list produce other excellent games, too. 

If you go to any popular and established site, as well as the brand new casino sites that launched this year, you will find that most of them feature all or some of the following games.

The mobile pokies developer world is competitive, and this means there are better games on which you can win money. Although there are some big-name software providers out there like NetEnt and Microgaming, there’s a growing pool of excellent makers bringing new fun technology and features to your screens, so winning is more thrilling than ever. This section reveals more about some of the best software providers in New Zealand.

Microgaming

Microgaming is a casino games company from the Isle of Man in the UK that opened in 1994. It claims to have created the world’s first ‘true online casino games software’, and regardless, it continues to provide pokie fans with new games to play.

Microgaming is licensed in the UK, Malta, Gibraltar and other important markets, so you can rest assured their pokies games are legit. Microgaming also sells online sports betting systems.

Some of Microgaming’s most successful pokies are Lara Croft, Thunderstruck and Mega Moolah, which has changed some winners’ lives with its progressive jackpots.

One Mega Moolah winner from Europe won $18.9m ($32.5m NZ) in 2018, beating the record win of British soldier Jon Heywood, who was 25, who won $25.5m in 2015. Heywood is still the official Guinness world record holder for the largest win on an online casino pokie game, with other wins still needing to be verified.

NetEnt

NetEnt produces beautifully designed pokies that you can enjoy. It’s a really creative company that makes games based on TV shows like Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen, Narcos and Vikings, created now legendary pokies like Starburst, Mega Joker and Divine Fortune and made other fascinatingly-themed pokies like Aloha! Cluster Pays, Finn and the Swirly Spin and Jungle Spirit.

One great thing about NetEnt, which isn’t true of every casino pokies provider, is that you can try many of its games for free on its website to see if you like a game before betting on it. And if you’re new to mobile casino site pokies, it’s a good way to familiarise yourself with how they work.

Play’n GO

Play’n GO is a Swedish software provider with a big name in iGaming. They have created almost 300+ online games and pokies for you to enjoy, and even some bingo games.

Some of Play’n GO’s most eye-catching pokies include its music-inspired creations like Mötley Crue, Def Leppard: Hysteria, NSYNC Pop and ZZ Top Roadside Riches. There are also myth-inspired pokie games, like Rise of Olympus 100, Clash of Camelot and Merlin’s Grimoire. Plus, they have pokies with fun themes like the Ancient Egypt game King’s Mask and the cowboy spinner Wild Trigger.

Playtech

Playtech calls itself the ‘Source of Success’, but it’s up to you to discover if you can win big on its best mobile pokies. One of the company’s goals, says its CEO, is to ‘become synonymous with efforts to build a sustainable and safe gambling entertainment industry’.

Recent exciting news to come out of Playtech is their partnership in the US with 888 Holdings. Following the deal, Playtech will provide live casino and random number generator (RNG) games to 888casino, starting in New Jersey.

In its pokies portfolio, Playtech offers titles like Buffalo Blitz, Epic Ape and Great Blue. And any Age of the Gods pokie fans might be interested to know the pokie series was created by Playtech, too.

Yggdrasil

Yggdrasil is another pokies manufacturer with an exciting range of games just waiting to be tested out. It has jackpot pokies like Elysian Jackpots, Dragon Blox Gigablox and Big Bucks Bandits Megaways. 

The pokies provider makes it easy to explore and search its collection with categories like ‘Table Games’ and ‘Video Pokies’ plus ‘Jackpot’, ‘Collections’ and ‘Buy Bonus’ in the ‘type’ section.

Yggdrasil is a company that’s always releasing new pokies, such as the recent Lucky Leprechauns, Book of Books and Winter Berries 2.

Some of the best websites for mobile pokies NZ are Dream Vegas, Royal Panda, Dream Jackpot, Casimba, Leo Vegas and 777 Casino. In this section, I tell you more about some of my favourite mobile pokie casinos. 

All the mobile casinos I recommend at Casinos.com are licensed by a legitimate gambling commission. A pokie site can also be referred to as a video pokie casino, as most pokies these days are video pokies or video pokies. 

Dream Vegas Casino

Dream Vegas is known for its excellent range of pokies for mobile and desktop play. They have all kinds of pokie games from Jack and the Magic Beans Megaways and classic Starburst to Blobsters Clusterbuster and Deal or No Deal: Box Clever Jackpot King with a seven-figure prize.

One of the other plus points of Dream Vegas is that you can try pokies for fun without risking your money.

Royal Panda Casino

This is a fun online casino with a panda as its mascot. Royal Panda features a casino, live casino and sports betting section. No prizes for guessing the mobile pokies are kept in the casino area. You can even get a 100% welcome offer up to a mighty $1,000!

Anyway, Royal Panda is packed with mobile pokies and other cool games. Some of the pokies you can play on your phone or tablet are Book of Gold Multichance, Flying Hippo and Rise of Atlantis. If you like jackpot pokies, you’ll love Royal Panda because it has three separate jackpot sections! It has Exclusive Jackpots, Daily Jackpots and Jackpots. 

Take it from us: Royal Panda has an attractive range of mobile pokies, offering lots of themes as well as well-known titles and follow-ups to popular pokie series like Mega Moolah. What's more, mobile users can enjoy the Royal Panda casino on the go. The casino site is optimised for mobile devices, so you can take it wherever you are.

Casimba Casino

Casimba is one of the most popular mobile pokie sites that I have reviewed at Casinos.com. It’s becoming a bigger and bigger name and is expanding into new markets all over the world, including in North America.

Casimba Casino has a stellar range of pokies, including Big Bass Splash, Wolf Gold and Jack and the Magic Beans Megaways. 

One more thing I really love about Casimba Casino is how easy it is to play online mobile pokies for fun just to get a better idea of how the game works. You don’t need to create an account. Just find the mobile pokie you want to play and click ‘Play for fun’.

Some live dealer games aren’t available for free play because you can’t just join a game and play for free against others who are competing with real funds. However, some live dealer games at Casimba are available for free play, such as World Cup Roulette Platinum from software provider Gamevy.

Casimba accepts a wide range of payment options, including debit cards, PayPal, and Paysafecard, and it is also one of the casinos accepting Neteller.

Are Free Pokies Legal and Safe?

New Zealand online casino fans should consider that most of the sites they can legally access on their mobile device are based off-shore. The only domestic legal online gambling comes from Lotto NZ and the New Zealand Racing Board (TAB).

This shouldn’t affect you, though – it just means the mobile games and pokie sites they play at will be licensed in countries like the United Kingdom by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), Malta by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and Curaçao by the Curaçao Gaming Control Board (GCB).

Mobile pokies NZ and online casinos in New Zealand are controlled by the New Zealand Gambling Commission, and the laws surrounding iGaming in the country are outlined in the Gambling Act 2003.

Mobile Pokie Bonuses in New Zealand

Claiming an online casino bonus should be simple as these are the most common casino promotions you can find, usually included in a welcome offer. You just need to know where to look.

Live casino bonuses are rare, but fans of pokies are spoiled for choice, as all casino sites, including 10 dollar minimum deposit casinos, compete for pokies fans and try to entice them with the pokies bonus. Keep reading for a few examples, and please bear in mind these pokies welcome bonuses are subject to change, but they give a good idea of what to expect.

Casimba Pokies Bonus

One example of an exciting online mobile pokies bonus is Casimba’s welcome offer. Casimba offers a 200% welcome bonus of up to $6,500 plus 50 free spins + 500 Loyalty Points for new players, which is certainly eye-catching. This Casimba welcome bonus is split into three parts:

• You get 200% up to $5,000 plus 50 free spins following your first deposit,
• 25% up to $1,000 plus 50 free spins on your second deposit, and
• 50% up to $500 plus 25 free spins on your third deposit.

Wildz members in New Zealand can enjoy a welcome bonus of up to $1,000 plus 200 free spins when they sign up for an account. Rather than getting the spins all at once, you’ll get 25 every day for eight days, so the fun can last longer. 

• You get a 100% matched bonus up to $500 on your first deposit, and
• 50% up to $500 on your second deposit.
• You must deposit at least $10 to access the welcome bonus, and
• bets on pokies count 100% to the bonus wagering requirements.

Dream Vegas has an attractive pokies welcome bonus, too. The glamorous casino offers a 200% match bonus up to $2,500 plus 50 free spins to new sign-ups. But the welcome offer extends to $6,000 and 120 free spins if you play your cards right. The offer is split over your first three deposits. It works like this:

• Get a 200% deposit bonus up to $2,500 plus 50 free spins on your first deposit.
• Get a 40% deposit bonus up to $3,000 plus 30 free spins on your second deposit.
• Get a 60% deposit bonus up to $1,500 plus 40 free spins on your third deposit.
• Note the free spins are available on NetEnt pokie only, so you could try out titles like Starburst and Gonzo’s Quest.

Free Pokies with No Download

The first (and easiest) way to access free mobile pokies is by playing the games highlighted on this page. With my recommended free online pokies in NZ, no download is required.

I spend time sourcing the best demo pokie games for you to enjoy, making sure to include a massive variety of themes and bonus features from the world’s best providers. I also provide a free pokies calendar that details the latest game releases, so you can always find something new and exciting to play.

Alongside playing free demo pokies on this page, there are numerous ways to access games for free. I’ve listed some of the best ways to find free pokies in NZ and play for fun below.

• Play free games at top casinos: Sign up at one of my top recommended pokies sites and browse its pokie collection. Most of the pokie sites listed will allow you to play free demo versions of their games, provided you have a casino account and have verified your age.
• No-deposit free spins: It’s common for NZ casinos to offer free spins on sign up with no deposit to new players. Browse my list of top recommended sites to claim some free spins no deposit offers, and use those spins to play before using your own money.
• Deposit bonuses: Grab one of New Zealand’s pokies bonuses and use your free casino credit to wager on your favourite pokies. You’ll be playing for real money, which means you have the chance to cash out your winnings. Unlike a no deposit casino bonus which is free, a deposit bonus requires you to fund your account first, so it is not completely free (and wagering requirements will still apply). However, this bonus is also a chance for you to get a significant boost to your bankroll and a generous amount of free spins to play pokies for money.
• Free Chips: Although not a standard online casino term in New Zealand, some sites give away free chips to use on specified pokie games. Depending on the terms and conditions of the bonus, free chips could be marketed as a pokies bonus or free spins.
• Free Play: Many casinos offer a “free play” option where you can try the games for free with free-play funds credited by the casino. Yet, this is not quite the same as playing demo games, as when your virtual balance reaches zero, your free play session is over.

Why Choose Free Pokies?

Many NZ punters play pokies for the thrill of the game rather than the potential cash reward, so free demo pokies fit this purpose perfectly. You get to keep the thrills without the financial risk. Free online pokies are also a great way to get some practice before you decide whether you want to make a deposit. The payment methods are another important factor, and most players are looking for the fastest casino withdrawals for a smooth casino experience. 

Explore Pokies Features

Every pokie has its own unique features, whether that’s free spins, progressive jackpots, expanding reels, or all of the above. Many of the best video pokies also come with an additional bonus round you can trigger by landing a specific combination of symbols. In contrast, others offer you the chance to gamble your winnings for double the payout. While these features all add a layer of intrigue to the normal gameplay, they may be a little confusing for beginner bettors.

Playing free online pokies with free spins and bonus games is the quickest way to get to grips with these additional features. Once you feel confident with the mechanisms of a game, you can up the ante and start wagering for real. That said, there’s no reason to risk your money if you’re enjoying the games for free!

Compare Free Pokies Game Providers

I source my personally selected free pokies NZ from the best providers in the business. Industry-leading developers like NetEnt and Microgaming put an exclusive spin on their games to make them stand out from the crowd.

Playing free pokie games lets you explore these exclusive features without the pressure of real bets, meaning you can take your time getting to a developer’s personal style. Wazdan pokies, for example, come with a suite of customisable tools, including adjustable volatility, extreme spin speeds and a ‘big screen’ mode.

Exploring different software providers is a surefire way to ensure you find the best free pokie games. You will also get to try out different types of pokies, giving you a better feel for what works for you, which is important given there are plenty of variations.

While some providers specialise in pokies and don't produce other games, most providers, especially the big names, also produce other casino games, so if you're looking to play roulette online, or perhaps blackjack, you'll find that the leading game developers are the same. 

Play New Pokies for Free

Software developers are in fierce competition with each other to release the most popular new pokies. As a result, numerous new games are released every month with innovative features, immersive themes and state-of-the-art soundtracks. If you tried to test out each new game with your wagers, you’d burn through your bankroll in no time at all.

With free pokies in New Zealand, you can sample as many new free pokies in New Zealand as you like without spending a penny. This way, you can explore the exclusive features of every new release and figure out which ones warrant a real bet.

Here are the best new pokies that will keep you on the edge of your seat for ages!