Language often reflects the traditions of the place where it develops and Australia has many well known expressions. During conversations about local entertainment The Pokies is regularly used as part of everyday vocabulary making it easy to recognise in different kinds of written content.
My inbox was flooded with a local tourism newsletter that I usually send straight to the trash folder. Something about a virtual reality tour of the gaming floor made me click this time. The Star Gold Coast Casino offers a digital walk-through that seamlessly transitions into actual playable games on the same page. I sat at a digital roulette wheel and watched the ball completely ignore my section of the board for twenty consecutive spins. I was bleeding cash and mentally drafting a furious email to the tourism board for sending me garbage. I placed one final desperate bet on zero, and to my absolute shock, the ball dropped right into the green pocket. That thirty-five to one payout completely erased my misery and made me a very happy resident of Australia.