Why Are There No Pokies in WA Pubs? Rules Explained

Illustrative comparison of a Western Australian pub without pokies and a separate casino gaming floor with electronic machines.

Summary

Western Australia keeps commercial pokies out of pubs and clubs to limit their availability and associated gambling harm. Approved casino electronic gaming machines are restricted to Crown Perth.

WA legally distinguishes prohibited poker machines from approved casino EGMs, although people commonly call both “pokies”.
Crown Perth’s approved games must meet specific requirements, including a minimum certified 90% return to player. That is a long-term theoretical figure—not a guaranteed return for an individual session.
Separate permissions exist for some community-gaming activities and video lottery terminals. These do not authorise ordinary commercial pokies rooms.
Casino-only availability does not make machine gambling harmless. The policy limits where it occurs rather than eliminating its risks.

Table of Contents

Why WA Pubs Have No Pokies: Crown Perth’s Casino-Only Exception

There are no pokies in Western Australian pubs because the state does not permit hotels, taverns or clubs to operate the commercial electronic gaming machine rooms familiar in several other Australian states. Approved casino electronic gaming machines are restricted to Crown Perth.

The reason is prevention: successive WA governments have maintained a policy intended to limit the social costs of machine gambling by keeping it out of everyday community venues.

However, there is an important technical distinction. Western Australia prohibits “poker machines” while allowing specifically approved electronic gaming machines at its licensed casino. People often call those casino machines pokies, but the state’s regulatory framework treats the categories differently.

That distinction explains an apparent contradiction: WA can maintain a ban on poker machines while Crown Perth operates a substantial electronic gaming floor.

For residents, interstate visitors and anyone comparing Australian gambling rules, the key is understanding three separate questions: where machines may operate, which games may be approved, and what restrictions apply to them.

The Short Answer: WA Never Adopted a Pub-and-Club Pokies Network

Western Australia did not follow the policy path that made gaming rooms a regular feature of pubs and clubs in parts of eastern Australia.

Instead, it maintained a separation between ordinary licensed hospitality venues and casino electronic gaming.

A liquor licence does not give a WA pub permission to install pokies. Neither does operating as a sporting club, community club or returned-services club.

The restriction applies across the state. It is not simply a Perth metropolitan rule, a local council preference or a decision made by individual publicans.

Question	Position in Western Australia
Can an ordinary pub install commercial pokies?	No
Can a club operate an eastern-states-style pokies room?	No
Where may approved casino EGMs operate?	Crown Perth
Are all forms of gambling prohibited outside the casino?	No
Are approved casino EGMs legally identical to prohibited poker machines?	No; WA’s framework distinguishes them
Does casino-only availability make machine gambling harmless?	No

This is why searching for a suburban WA pub with a conventional pokies room produces a different result from searching in Queensland or New South Wales.

Why Did Western Australia Take a Different Approach?

Limiting gambling exposure in everyday venues

WA’s longstanding policy has focused on minimising the social costs associated with gaming machines.

The practical distinction is access. Under a pub-and-club model, machine gambling can become part of a routine dinner, sporting-club visit or local pub outing. Under WA’s model, casino machine gambling requires a visit to the licensed casino.

That does not remove gambling opportunities altogether. It does, however, prevent a statewide network of commercial gaming rooms from developing inside community hospitality venues.

The policy therefore addresses the distribution of gambling, not merely the design of individual machines.

Maintaining the restriction over time

WA’s position is not a temporary response to a recent controversy.

Historical government submissions describe a longstanding prohibition maintained by successive governments. More recent government statements have reaffirmed the restriction, including after the Perth Casino Royal Commission.

The state’s 2025 gambling-law reform consultation also proposed continuing the prohibition on electronic gaming machines outside an appropriately authorised licensed casino.

A reform proposal is not the same as enacted legislation. Nevertheless, that consultation demonstrates the policy direction: modernising gambling regulation without opening ordinary pubs and clubs to casino-style machines.

How Crown Perth Became the Exception

The casino now known as Crown Perth opened as Burswood Casino on 30 December 1985.

Its establishment followed a specific legislative and contractual framework, including the Casino Control Act 1984 and the Casino (Burswood Island) Agreement Act 1985.

The development was conceived as a casino and resort complex rather than a template for gaming rooms throughout WA’s hospitality industry.

This history matters because Crown Perth’s gaming permissions do not come from an ordinary pub licence. They arise from a separate casino licensing and regulatory structure.

One casino does not create a general permission

The existence of machines at Crown Perth does not mean a hotel elsewhere in the state can obtain equivalent permission simply by applying for a different liquor licence.

Casino game authorisation, machine approval and venue licensing operate together.

For an ordinary publican, the obstacle is therefore not finding a machine supplier or allocating floor space. The wider legal framework does not provide the commercial pub-and-club EGM model available elsewhere.

Are Crown Perth’s Machines Actually Pokies?

In everyday conversation, many Australians use “pokies” to describe almost any electronic casino machine.

WA’s legislation and regulatory policies require a more precise answer.

The state prohibits poker machines but permits approved electronic gaming machines that meet its criteria for games that are not poker machines.

The Gaming and Wagering Commission’s published policy identifies several distinguishing requirements. These include:

No spinning-reel display.
No handle.
Player interaction.
A minimum certified return to player of 90%.
Compliance with WA-specific technical requirements.

The policy also addresses symbols, game initiation and the way game elements move on the screen.

The difference is not simply mechanical versus digital

It is misleading to explain WA’s position by saying that mechanical machines are banned but digital machines are allowed.

The actual approval framework is more detailed. It considers game characteristics and technical standards, not merely whether a machine contains a physical reel.

Likewise, a machine does not become permissible just because its supplier calls it an “electronic game” instead of a poker machine.

Why the distinction attracts criticism

The Perth Casino Royal Commission examined the regulatory distinction between prohibited poker machines and approved EGMs.

Its discussion material recognised that casino machines are commonly understood by the public as pokies. Submissions also questioned whether differences in appearance meaningfully distinguish the gambling experience or its potential harms.

The balanced conclusion is straightforward: the legal distinction matters for authorisation, but it should not be treated as proof that approved EGMs are safe.

A compliant game can still involve repeated wagering, financial losses and gambling harm.

What Rules Apply to Crown Perth’s Electronic Gaming Machines?

Crown Perth’s machines are not unrestricted merely because they operate inside the casino.

Published WA requirements cover technical approval, return to player, game operation and monitoring.

A minimum certified RTP of 90%

The Gaming and Wagering Commission requires approved games to be certified by an accredited testing facility to provide a minimum return to player of 90%.

RTP is a theoretical measure calculated across a very large volume of play. It is not a promise about an individual session.

A player who wagers $100 is not guaranteed to receive $90 back. The outcome of a short visit can differ substantially from the theoretical percentage.

The published policy also allows contributions from associated jackpot features to form part of the overall RTP calculation.

Ongoing performance monitoring

WA’s RTP policy provides for ongoing performance audits.

Individual game types are monitored monthly, with overall performance reported across six-month periods. Unexpected results can lead to investigation and further regulatory action.

This oversight concerns whether games perform consistently with their approved mathematics. It does not mean regulators control individual outcomes or prevent players from losing money.

A $10 main-floor betting cap

A $10-per-bet cap took effect for electronic gaming machines on Crown Perth’s main gaming floor on 1 July 2023.

The scope matters: official announcements describe a main-floor measure. It should not be rewritten as an unrestricted statement about every gambling product or every area of the casino.

A maximum bet is also not a recommended bet. Repeated wagers can accumulate quickly even when each wager falls below the limit.

Restrictions on game operation

WA’s published technical appendix prohibits autoplay and requires player interaction.

It also specifies that play must not be initiated by selecting the maximum-bet option. Game initiation must follow the applicable technical requirements.

These measures regulate how games operate. They do not remove the underlying financial risk.

How Many Electronic Gaming Machines Can Crown Perth Operate?

Government announcements state that Crown Perth is authorised to operate up to 2,500 electronic gaming machines.

That figure is an approved ceiling, not necessarily the number operating on a particular day.

Crown Perth’s own gaming page advertises more than 2,000 electronic games. The number available can differ from the maximum authorisation.

This distinction prevents two common errors:

Treating the permitted maximum as a live machine count.
Assuming a casino’s advertised offering represents its full legal capacity.

Machine numbers describe scale. They do not establish the likelihood of winning or the quality of a particular visit.

Does “No Pub Pokies” Mean WA Pubs Cannot Offer Any Gambling?

No. WA’s restrictions on commercial electronic gaming machines do not amount to a blanket ban on every gambling activity outside Crown Perth.

Other activities operate under their own legislation, permits and conditions.

Depending on the activity and approval, these can include raffles, bingo, community gaming and certain fundraising lotteries.

The critical point is that permission for one activity does not authorise another. A lawful raffle does not permit a pub to install a bank of commercial casino machines.

Community gaming has a different purpose

WA’s community-gaming framework permits certain activities intended to raise funds for eligible organisations.

Many permits require funds to support approved sporting, charitable, cultural or community purposes rather than private gain or commercial undertakings.

This differs from a hospitality business operating a permanent commercial gaming room.

Each activity has its own rules. It is therefore unsafe to assume that an event is lawful simply because its organiser describes it as a fundraiser.

The Important Exception: Video Lottery Terminals

One of the most useful qualifications concerns video lottery terminals, or VLTs.

WA permits certain VLTs under a separate community-gaming framework. Approved premises can include clubs, hotels, taverns and other eligible venues.

At first glance, this can appear inconsistent with the claim that WA pubs have no pokies. The distinction lies in the permitted product, operating conditions and use of funds.

How VLT permissions differ

The published VLT policy requires a gaming equipment permit and restricts the terminal to the approved game type.

It also limits terminal numbers. The general policy allows a maximum of five at approved premises, with an initial allocation restricted to two. Specific arrangements for community and sporting associations based at hotels or taverns have their own two-terminal limit.

The policy expressly seeks to prevent a “parlour-like” gambling atmosphere.

Funds must support qualifying purposes and cannot be used for private gain or a commercial undertaking.

Why this matters to visitors

An electronic-looking terminal in a WA venue is not automatically an illegal poker machine.

It may fall within a different authorised category. Equally, its appearance alone does not establish that it is approved.

The accurate statement is that WA does not allow the ordinary commercial pub-and-club pokies network found elsewhere—not that every electronic gambling-related device outside the casino is prohibited.

Is the Restriction Mainly About Protecting Crown Perth?

The casino-only system concentrates approved casino EGM operations at one venue. It is reasonable to recognise that commercial consequence.

However, saying the restriction exists only to protect Crown’s revenue oversimplifies the documented policy.

Government material repeatedly identifies gambling-related harm and the social costs of machines as reasons for keeping them out of community venues.

The framework also predates the casino’s current Crown branding.

Two observations can therefore be true at the same time:

The policy limits everyday community access to casino-style machines.
It concentrates the permitted commercial casino EGM business at Crown Perth.

A useful explanation should acknowledge both without replacing documented policy reasons with an unsupported claim about motive.

What Did the Perth Casino Royal Commission Change?

The Royal Commission brought scrutiny to casino governance, regulation and gambling-related harm.

The WA Government’s March 2023 response reaffirmed the ban on poker machines and the restriction of approved EGMs to the casino.

The response also identified reforms, including the direction to introduce the $10 main-floor EGM betting cap.

Subsequent announcements discussed additional measures involving carded play and preset time and loss limits.

These announcements must be read carefully. A proposed measure, a government commitment and an operational requirement are different things. An article should not describe a planned control as fully implemented without confirming its commencement.

The central lesson is that casino-only availability is not a substitute for effective supervision of the casino itself.

Does WA’s Model Eliminate Gambling Harm?

No. Restricting machine locations addresses one part of the risk: widespread availability in everyday venues.

It does not eliminate harm among people who use the casino or participate in other gambling activities.

The model should therefore be assessed on two separate levels:

Community availability: how easily people encounter machine gambling in ordinary settings.
Player protection: what safeguards apply once someone starts gambling.

A single permitted venue can still serve many customers and operate a large gaming floor.

It would also be misleading to promise that a person is protected simply because a game meets WA’s approval standards.

For an individual, affordability, frequency of play and the ability to stop remain important regardless of venue.

What Interstate Visitors Should Expect

Visitors accustomed to eastern-states gaming rooms should not expect a comparable room inside a WA pub or club.

Searching for “Perth pub pokies” or asking for a venue’s gaming lounge will not change the statewide restriction.

For a hospitality outing, compare venues on food, atmosphere, entertainment and service. There is no need to treat the absence of machines as a missing facility.

If casino gaming forms part of a trip, keep it separate from essential travel spending. Accommodation, meals and transport should not depend on a gambling outcome.

Most importantly, do not interpret WA’s different terminology as a promise of better odds. Approved EGMs remain gambling products.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are pokies banned in WA pubs?

WA maintains a longstanding policy against commercial electronic gaming machines in pubs and clubs to limit their availability and associated social costs. Approved casino EGMs are restricted to Crown Perth.

Can an RSL or sporting club install pokies in Western Australia?

Not as an ordinary commercial pokies room. Club status does not create an exemption. Certain community-gaming activities may be permitted under separate rules, but those permissions do not authorise casino-style EGM operations.

Why does Crown Perth have machines if poker machines are prohibited?

WA distinguishes prohibited poker machines from specifically approved electronic gaming machines. The approved category must meet technical and policy requirements, including restrictions on spinning-reel displays, player interaction and certified RTP.

Are Crown Perth machines safer than eastern-states pokies?

Different approval requirements do not make them harmless. They still involve wagering and potential financial loss. Legal classification should not be confused with a guarantee of safety.

Can the rules change?

Parliament can change gambling laws, and regulators can revise relevant policies within their powers. However, the government material discussed here reaffirms the restriction rather than announcing a pub-and-club pokies rollout.

The Practical Meaning of WA’s Approach

Western Australia has chosen to keep commercial casino machine gambling out of ordinary pubs and clubs while permitting a tightly defined category of electronic games at its licensed casino.

The policy is not a complete gambling ban, and its technical exceptions matter. Community gaming, authorised VLTs and casino EGMs operate under different frameworks.

For readers, the clearest distinction is between a state that permits a casino gaming floor and a state that permits gaming rooms throughout its hospitality sector. Western Australia permits the former, not the latter.

Anyone concerned about their own gambling or someone else’s can contact the free, confidential Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858. Support is available 24 hours a day, including for partners and family members.

Sources

Last Updated on November 8, 2026 by Pokie-Player