For a long time, paylines on online pokies only counted from the leftmost reel to the right. Then a studio in Sydney’s tech corridor figured out punters were sick of near-misses, and the “win both ways” feature was born. In plain speak, it means winning combinations are counted from both ends of the reels, so a match starting on reel five counts just as much as one starting on reel one.
Aussie players have always liked a pokie that pays in unusual ways, whether it’s a hold-and-spin bonus or a cascading grid. The twist of paying both directions sounds small on paper, but it changes how often the reels fire and how the maths feels in a session. Here’s how win both ways pokies work, which Aussie-friendly sites host them, and what to look for before chucking a few bob into the spin.
What win both ways actually means on the reels
Traditional five-reel pokies use fixed paylines running left to right. Three matching symbols only count if the first lands on reel one, the second on reel two, and so on. Win both ways pokies flip that around: matching symbols can land from the rightmost reel and count back to the left, doubling the directional possibilities without doubling the reels themselves.
In practical terms, the feature is bolted onto standard line-based games and doesn’t replace wilds, scatters, or free spins. It adds a second evaluation pass after the reels settle, so a line that didn’t pay going left might pay going right, and vice versa. Some studios take it further with paylines that run both ways at once, hence the 243 ways to win format rather than the old 25-line setup. Developers lower symbol values slightly so the extra combinations balance out, keeping the return-to-player percentage in a similar band while the base game feels a touch less likely to go cold for ten spins in a row.
Why Australian players gravitate towards pay-both-ways pokies
The pub pokie is a cultural institution in Australia, from the front bar in Bondi to the RSL in Geelong. Online, players want the same thing: a game that feels alive between bonus triggers. Win both ways pokies deliver that rhythm because the reels keep producing something – a stack of wilds here, a three-of-a-kind there – even when the big feature hasn’t shown up. Players who enjoy longer sessions, especially the casual arvo spinner, often prefer titles where something connects every few spins.
That said, “win both ways” is a feature, not a guarantee. It still relies on the underlying random number generator and the volatility setting chosen by the developer. Anyone who treats it as a surefire system is in for a rude shock, but as a way to keep the base game interesting between features, it’s hard to beat. The feature is now common on popular franchises, which means the pickings are wide on most licensed offshore sites that accept Aussie players.
Comparing the top Aussie-friendly pokie sites
Not every online casino loads the same catalogue, and the difference shows in how many win both ways pokies are actually live. Here is a quick look at how a few Aussie-facing brands stack up across the things that matter to a regular punter: game count, pay-both-ways coverage, banking options, and bonus fairness.
| Casino | Win both ways pokie count | Welcome bonus | Banking for AUD | Live dealer | Mobile play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Fortune | 180+ | Up to A$2,500 + 30 free spins | PayID, POLi, crypto | Yes | iOS + Android browser |
| Uptown Pokies | 150+ | A$8,888 welcome package | Neosurf, BPAY, eZeeWallet | Yes | Browser-based |
| Fair Go Casino | 120+ | A$1,000 + 100 free spins | PayID, POLi, Visa | No | Browser + app |
| Kahuna Casino | 100+ | A$4,000 + 200 free spins | POLi, Neosurf | Yes | Browser-based |
Joe Fortune has carved out a strong reputation locally as one of the leaders of the Australian market, particularly for crypto-friendly banking and a deep RTG catalogue. Uptown Pokies sits close behind and leans into bigger welcome packages, while Fair Go and Kahuna round out the four with different bonus shapes and game mixes. Players chasing the win both ways feature specifically should use the search filter under “features” – not every site exposes it cleanly in the lobby.
Bonus features, jackpots and the Dragon Bonus side bet
The win both ways feature usually sits alongside other crowd-pleasers. Free spins rounds, expanding wilds, and random multipliers are common bedfellows, and many games drop into a hold-and-spin mode when six or more bonus symbols land. Some jackpot pokies layer a progressive prize on top, which can climb into six figures before someone in Brisbane or Perth finally lands it.
A lot of Aussie punters don’t stay on the reels the whole session, and that’s where table games come in. One popular baccarat side bet worth knowing about is the Dragon Bonus, which pays out when the chosen side wins by a large margin, such as 4-0 or 9-2 on a natural-style count. It’s not a pokie feature, but it shows up in the same cashier lobbies at hybrid casinos, making it a handy side option for anyone who fancies a quick switch between reels and cards.
Jackpot hunters should know that progressive prizes sometimes drop on a timer rather than at a fixed ceiling. The maths of a seed value plus contribution rate determines when a prize must fire, so the longer a jackpot has gone unclaimed, the closer it gets to its must-go level. For most recreational players this is just colour; for the chase crowd, it’s data.
Responsible play and smart picks for chasing win both ways pokies
Australia’s interactive gambling landscape is a patchwork. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 restricts locally licensed operators from offering real-money online casino games to residents, which is why most Aussie-facing sites run offshore under international licences from Curaçao or similar jurisdictions. ACMA keeps a close eye on things and can ask ISPs to block non-compliant platforms, so it’s worth sticking with operators that have a clean track record.
Responsible gambling tools are non-negotiable at the better sites. Look for deposit limits, cooling-off periods, and self-exclusion options that actually work, and check that the platform links out to Gambling Help Online and similar services. Off the reels, anyone chasing a big session might find that planning a mate’s trip with an outback 4×4 crew does more for the soul than another late-night spin.
“Set yourself a session budget before you log in, and treat any win both ways pokies payout as a bonus rather than a forecast,” says Matilda Brown, Responsible Gambling Adviser at Outback Gaming Research. “The feature increases the number of ways a line can hit, but the underlying RTP hasn’t shifted, so bankroll discipline matters more than the slot’s directional logic.”
Smart picks for chasing win both ways pokies
- Filter the lobby by features and search “win both ways” before joining a new site, since not every casino exposes the setting cleanly.
- Compare RTPs across the same game on different platforms, as some studios allow operators to choose lower-returning versions.
- Use PayID or POLi for AUD deposits to avoid currency conversion fees that quietly eat into a small bankroll.
- Play the free demo first on any new release, especially if it’s from a studio you haven’t tried before.
- Set a hard loss limit before you start, and walk away when it’s reached – the pay-both-ways feature doesn’t soften a cold streak.
- Look for sites that publish monthly payout reports or independent audit certificates from labs like eCOGRA or iTech Labs.
- Keep lottery play and pokie play in separate buckets – services like The Lott draw on a different schedule and budget line entirely.
Where to head next
If you’re keen to give a pay-both-ways pokie a proper run, https://uptownpokiesaustralia.org/au/ is a solid starting point with a deep game library and AUD-friendly banking. Sign up, claim the welcome package, and try a few directional-payline titles in demo mode before committing real cash. Lock in a session budget, set a reminder, and enjoy the reels the way they’re meant to be played – as a bit of fair dinkum fun, not a financial plan.