Slot machines by country

In Australia, "poker machines" or "pokies" are officially called gaming machines. These machines often use video screens to copy the look of physical reels, usually five in number. They include features like bonus games, free spins, and extra screens. Players can choose from many lines (up to 200) or ways (up to 3,125) to win.

On multiway games, players bet on all positions of each reel instead of fixed lines or patterns. For example, in a 243-way game, if a player bets on one reel, symbols in that reel can pay in any of the three positions, while symbols on other reels only pay in the center. Unused areas are darkened. If a player bets on all five reels, symbols can appear anywhere in the window, as long as there is one in each reel. Most games still require symbols to appear from left to right, sometimes including scatter symbols. Scatter symbols pay the same as in other games, with payouts multiplied by the total bet and the number of ways or reels played. Some multiway games use 4×5 or 5×5 reel patterns, allowing up to 1,024 or 3,125 ways to win. These are called Xtra Reel Power and Super Reel Power by Aristocrat. These games usually cost more than 243-way Reel Power games. IGT and Konami Australia also make multiway games. Konami uses patterns where symbols pay if they are next to each other, often with hexagonal reels. Unused patterns are darkened, and scatter symbols still pay in darkened areas, just like on standard machines.

In Australia, rules about gaming machines are set by state governments, so they differ between states. Gaming machines are found in casinos (one in each major city), as well as pubs and clubs in some states, such as sports, social, or RSL clubs. New South Wales was the first state to legalize these machines in 1956. Research has shown that the spread of poker machines may increase problem gambling, but more studies are needed to understand their long-term effects.

In 1999, a report said Australia had about 185,000 poker machines, more than half in New South Wales. This was 20% of similar machines worldwide or 2.4% of all gambling and prize-based machines globally. On average, Australia had about five times as many gaming machines per person as the United States. In 2002–03, revenue from gaming machines in pubs and clubs made up more than half of the $4 billion in gambling revenue collected by state governments.

In Queensland, gaming machines in pubs and clubs must return 85% of bets, while those in casinos must return 90%. Most other states have similar rules. In Victoria, machines must return at least 85% (including jackpots). Since 2007, machines that accept $100 notes or automatically play when a button is held are banned, except in Crown Casino for VIP players. All machines in Victoria have an "i key" button that shows game rules, paytables, return rates, and winning combinations.

Western Australia only allows specific gaming machines in Burswood Casino, and no machines are allowed elsewhere. This rule, the strictest in Australia, was reinforced by a 1974 report that called poker machines addictive and harmful.

In Japan, slot machines are called pachisuro or pachislo, a mix of "pachinko" and "slot machine." They are found in pachinko parlors and adult sections of arcades.

In New Zealand, slot machines were introduced in 1991. A 2009 study linked their presence to higher crime rates. Norway banned slot machines in 2007.

In the UK, slot machines are regulated by the Gambling Act 2005, which replaced the Gaming Act 1968. Casinos built under the 1968 Act can have up to 20 machines of categories B to D or any number of C or D machines. Large casinos can have up to 150 machines of any combination of categories B to D, while small casinos can have up to 80. Category A games, planned for "Super Casinos," were canceled. Category B games include fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs), often found in betting shops. Category C games, called fruit machines or one-armed bandits, are based on random number generators. If a pseudorandom generator is used, the odds are not fully independent.