Key facts
- Aristocrat Interactive’s rules for the online Buffalo (read 17 October 2026): 8, 15 or 20 free games for 3, 4 or 5 scattered coins; during free games, each Sunset on reels 2, 3 or 4 multiplies the spin’s total win by 2 or 3.
- The online Buffalo has two RTP settings, 91.821% and 94.724%; the casino chooses which one it runs.
- The rules state no number of ways. “5×4, 1,024 ways” is how Aristocrat describes Jackpot Carnival Buffalo, a different game.
- Free play: the Australian store listings of Heart of Vegas, Cashman Casino and Lightning Link Casino, Aristocrat’s Product Madness apps, name Buffalo games. They run on virtual coins only; we did not open the in-app lobbies.
- Online casinos open to Australians: 0 of the 12 lobbies we search list Aristocrat’s Buffalo; the Buffalo games there are other studios’ (17 October 2026). See why Aristocrat games are not at offshore casinos.
What Buffalo is
Buffalo is an Aristocrat game that began on casino floors. Aristocrat’s own page, archived in 2016 and 2017, called it “a cult classic that has stampeded its way across the world”, with multiple cabinet configurations.
The Aristocrat documents we found give no release year, so we do not print one. In December 2024 Aristocrat’s online division said its Buffalo games had captivated players in land-based casinos for more than a decade.
The game first went online for real money in September 2023, starting in New Jersey. Aristocrat’s online real-money division ran the launch. It was called Anaxi then; in 2024 Aristocrat combined Anaxi with the NeoGames businesses into Aristocrat Interactive.
Other studios and app makers also use the name Buffalo. Their games are not Aristocrat’s. On 17 October 2026, Aristocrat’s website index listed 62 game pages with buffalo in the address, counting regional copies separately, and none for the original game. Other Aristocrat titles we cover include Queen of the Nile and Lightning Link.
How a round works in the online version
Aristocrat Interactive’s rules for the online Buffalo list a short set of features: a Sunset symbol that substitutes, scattered coins, and free games with multipliers.
| Online Buffalo (Aristocrat Interactive rules) | |
|---|---|
| Wins | Xtra Reel Power: wins start on the leftmost reel and pay left to right on adjacent reels, except scatters; a winning symbol can sit anywhere on its reel; no number of ways stated |
| Substitute | The Sunset substitutes for all symbols except scatters; it appears on reels 2, 3 and 4 only |
| Free games | 8, 15 or 20 for 3, 4 or 5 scattered coins |
| Multipliers | During free games, each Sunset on reels 2, 3 or 4 multiplies the spin’s total win by 2 or 3 |
| Retrigger | Free games can be won again during the feature; 2 scattered coins in a free game add 5 free games |
| Bet | Minimum 40 credits; total bet is the 40-credit reel cost multiplied by the bet multiplier |
| RTP | 91.821% or 94.724%, depending on the version the casino runs |
Aristocrat Interactive, game rules for Buffalo, read 17 October 2026. The pay table is given as images, so we print no symbol pays, and the rules give no credit value in dollars.
The multipliers belong to the free games. Outside them, the rules give the Sunset no multiplier. They also do not say how two or three Sunsets in one free game combine, so we do not either.
Xtra Reel Power is Aristocrat’s name for how wins are counted. Each winning combination takes one symbol from each adjacent reel, wherever it sits on that reel, so there are no paylines. The rules give no number of rows or ways. The 1,024 ways printed by many reviews appears in Aristocrat’s documents only for Jackpot Carnival Buffalo, which its July 2025 release calls a “5×4, 1,024 ways-to-win online slot”.
The rules describe the online game. They say nothing about cabinets on casino floors, and we found no Aristocrat document with the venue machine’s rules. Aristocrat’s page for a later version, Buffalo Grand, calls the symbol a Sunset Wild; the online rules say only that it substitutes.
Buffalo Gold and the other versions
Buffalo Gold has no plain online version in the documents we read. Aristocrat Interactive calls the venue game Buffalo Gold “a fan-favorite in land-based casinos”, but we found no Aristocrat document describing its venue mechanics. Online games with Buffalo Gold in the name include Buffalo Gold Collection, Buffalo Gold Revolution and Buffalo Gold Max Power, which Aristocrat calls an online adaptation of Buffalo Gold. Buffalo Gold Collection adds a 20-credit Gold Bonus bet and gold buffalo heads to the classic free games.
In Gold Collection the reel cost is 40 credits plus 20 for the Gold Bonus, so the minimum bet is 60. The free games start with 15 gold buffalo heads on the reels. Collecting 4, 7, 13 and 15 of them turns the eagle, cougar, wolf and elk into buffalo symbols. At the start of each paid spin, a Sunset may become a ×2 or ×3 Sunset. The table sets the later versions side by side, each with the document it comes from.
| Version | What Aristocrat’s document says | Market, date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo (online) | Rules as in the table above; RTP 91.821% or 94.724% | Online from September 2023, New Jersey first | Aristocrat release (archived October 2023); rules read 17 October 2026 |
| Buffalo Gold | “a fan-favorite in land-based casinos”; no page of its own found | Venues | Aristocrat Interactive release, December 2024 |
| Buffalo Gold Collection (online) | 20-credit Gold Bonus bet, minimum 60 credits; free games start with 15 gold buffalo heads; Sunsets may become ×2 or ×3 at the start of each paid spin; RTP 94.20% or 95.50% | Regulated online casinos; in Pennsylvania partner files | Aristocrat Interactive rules, read 17 October 2026 |
| Buffalo Grand | “All of the fun of the original Buffalo”, plus “a chance to win a $500,000 progressive jackpot” and four other linked progressives | Premiered 28 September 2015 at Station Casinos, Las Vegas | Aristocrat release (archived July 2019) |
| Buffalo Link | Hold & Spin when 8 or more Buffalo symbols land; classic free games with 2x or 3x wild multipliers | US venues; launched March 2021 | Aristocrat Gaming US page (archived April 2021); site index |
| Buffalo Stampede | A 42″ portrait screen, expanding reels and two levels of mystery progressive jackpots | Aristocrat Asia-Pacific page, 2020; no country named | Aristocrat page (archived August 2020) |
| Buffalo Chief (online) | 3,456 ways; a Buffalo Chief Stampede feature with 16,000 ways; RTP 94.03% or 96.01% | Regulated online casinos | Aristocrat Interactive rules, read 17 October 2026 |
| Jackpot Carnival Buffalo | 5×4, 1,024 ways; Hammer Bonus; classic Buffalo free games with multipliers; one of four progressive jackpots | Online from 2 July 2025 in New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ontario and the UK | Aristocrat Interactive release (archived July 2025) |
| Buffalo Gold Max Power (online) | Builds on Buffalo Gold (Aristocrat’s release); up to 46,656 ways (Aristocrat’s release); reels of 2 to 6 symbols | December 2024: New Jersey, Ontario and the UK | Aristocrat Interactive release (archived January 2025) |
| Buffalo Strike | Repeat Win + Hold & Spin; launch titles Shark Fury and Chun Jie | Australia: ACT approval signed 23 February 2026 | Aristocrat Gaming AU page, 17 October 2026; ACT NI2026-102 |
Aristocrat keeps its own count. Its December 2024 release called Buffalo Gold Max Power “the fifth online game” in the Buffalo portfolio. A year later, its release for Cash Express Legend Buffalo called it “the ninth Buffalo™ online title in North America”.
Volatility, meaning how unevenly a game pays out, is not published by Aristocrat for Buffalo in any document we read (17 October 2026). The labels in reviews have no source we could find, so we do not repeat them.
RTP: two settings online, state limits in venues
The online Buffalo has two published RTP settings, 91.821% and 94.724%, and the casino decides which one it runs. Aristocrat Interactive’s partner files for Pennsylvania, read 17 October 2026, list the first for Caesars and the second for FanDuel, DraftKings and Golden Nugget. A partner file lists the rules for that casino; it does not show that the game is in its lobby today.
Return to player (RTP) is the share of all stakes a game pays back as prizes over a very long run. On our arithmetic, 100 credits bet return on average about 91.8 credits at one setting and 94.7 at the other, a gap of about 2.9 credits per 100 bet. Neither figure promises a return on any session, as our guide to what RTP means explains. Gold Collection and Chief have their own settings, shown in the version table.
Venue machines in general must return at least 85% in NSW and Victorian pubs and clubs and in Queensland venues (venue return limits by state). We found no RTP published for any Buffalo machine in an Australian venue, and no source placing the classic Buffalo in one.
Free play: what exists
The free Buffalo games from Aristocrat’s own group are in three Product Madness apps that run on virtual coins. Aristocrat’s website names Product Madness as its social casino business, with Heart of Vegas, Cashman Casino and Lightning Link Casino among its titles.
Their Australian store listings, read on 17 October 2026, name these Buffalo games:
- Heart of Vegas: Buffalo Slots on the App Store and Google Play; Google Play also names Cash Express Legends Buffalo.
- Cashman Casino (Google Play): Buffalo Link, Buffalo Ascension, Buffalo Gold, Buffalo & Friends, Buffalo Triple Power, Buffalo Frenzy and Luxury Line Buffalo.
- Lightning Link Casino (Google Play): Buffalo Deluxe, Buffalo Gold and Buffalo Triple Power.
The App Store listings of Cashman Casino and Lightning Link Casino do not name Buffalo. We did not open the lobbies inside the apps, so we cannot say which version each one runs. The Heart of Vegas listing says the app “does not offer gambling or an opportunity to win real money or prizes”.
The coins can be bought with real money, and Aristocrat offers no demos to Australian players; both points are in our guide to free Aristocrat pokies. Browser sites and apps from other makers that use the Buffalo name are not Aristocrat’s, and we do not link to them. Other legitimate ways to play pokies for free are in our free pokies guide.
Where the real game is playable
Aristocrat’s own releases name the markets where real-money Buffalo games went online: New Jersey from September 2023, later Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ontario and the UK, through casinos licensed there.
| Way | What we found | Source, date |
|---|---|---|
| Australian venues | Aristocrat’s AU site lists one Buffalo game, Buffalo Strike. Aristocrat’s page says “Buffalo Strike is the first time this global gaming beast hits Australia”. The ACT approved two Buffalo Strike games in February 2026. Earlier, in March 2014, the ACT approved an Aristocrat multi-game machine, Player’s Choice Diamond Edition, that includes Buffalo Deluxe; an approval does not show which venues ran it. We found no Australian approval or venue list for the classic Buffalo in the sources we checked | Aristocrat Gaming AU page and site index, 17 October 2026; ACT NI2026-102; ACT NI2014-96 |
| Product Madness apps (virtual coins) | Buffalo games named in the Australian listings of Heart of Vegas, Cashman Casino and Lightning Link Casino; in-app lobbies not checked | App Store and Google Play (Australia), 17 October 2026 |
| Regulated online casinos abroad | Online in New Jersey from September 2023, later in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ontario and the UK; Aristocrat Interactive’s partner files list the game for four Pennsylvania casinos, which does not prove it is in their lobbies today | Aristocrat releases 2023–2025; partner files, 17 October 2026 |
| Online casinos open to Australians | 0 of the 12 lobbies we search list Aristocrat’s Buffalo; a search for Buffalo finds only other studios’ games | Lobby search from an Australian IP, 17 October 2026 |
The 12 lobbies are the ones our free pokies guide uses for title checks; they are offshore, not licensed in Australia, and we do not recommend them. Our Aristocrat guide explains why a real-money Aristocrat game at a site that accepts Australians is not Aristocrat’s product. What Australian law says about online pokies is in our guide to the law.
Safer play. Gambling Help Online is free and confidential, 24 hours a day, on 1800 858 858 and at gamblinghelponline.org.au. BetStop, at betstop.gov.au, is the national self-exclusion register for licensed Australian wagering; it does not cover online casinos. Set a limit before you play, including in social casino apps. You must be 18 or over. More contacts are on our support resources page.
Buffalo FAQ
Who makes Buffalo pokies?
Aristocrat. Its online versions come from Aristocrat’s online real-money division, called Anaxi when Buffalo first went online in September 2023; in 2024 Aristocrat combined Anaxi with the NeoGames businesses into Aristocrat Interactive. Other studios and app makers also use the name Buffalo; their games are not Aristocrat’s.
Can you play Buffalo pokies online for real money in Australia?
ACMA says the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 “makes it illegal for gambling providers to offer some online services to people in Australia” and lists online casinos among the banned services. Aristocrat’s releases name New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ontario and the UK as the markets where real-money Buffalo games went online. On 17 October 2026, none of the 12 offshore lobbies we search listed Aristocrat’s Buffalo; the Buffalo games there were other studios’.
Is there a free version of Buffalo?
Yes, with virtual coins only. The Australian store listings of Heart of Vegas, Cashman Casino and Lightning Link Casino, Aristocrat’s Product Madness apps, name Buffalo games (17 October 2026); we did not open the in-app lobbies. The listings say the apps offer no real-money prizes, the coins can be bought with real money, and Aristocrat offers no demos to Australian players.
What is the difference between Buffalo and Buffalo Gold?
Buffalo Gold has no plain online version in the documents we read. Online games with Buffalo Gold in the name include Buffalo Gold Collection and Buffalo Gold Max Power, which Aristocrat calls an online adaptation of Buffalo Gold. Buffalo Gold Collection adds a 20-credit Gold Bonus bet (minimum bet 60 credits), free games that start with 15 gold buffalo heads, and Sunsets that may become ×2 or ×3 at the start of each paid spin; its RTP settings are 94.20% and 95.50%. Aristocrat calls the venue Buffalo Gold “a fan-favorite in land-based casinos”, but we found no Aristocrat document describing its venue mechanics.
What is the RTP of Buffalo?
The online Buffalo has two settings, 91.821% and 94.724%, and the casino chooses which one it runs. No RTP for a Buffalo venue machine is published in the sources we checked; venue machines must return at least 85% in NSW and Victorian pubs and clubs and Queensland venues.
Sources and method
- Aristocrat Interactive, game rules: Buffalo, Buffalo Gold Collection and Buffalo Chief, read 17 October 2026
- Aristocrat Interactive, partner game lists for Caesars, FanDuel, DraftKings and Golden Nugget (Pennsylvania), read 17 October 2026
- Aristocrat Gaming, Buffalo, Wayback copy of 29 February 2016; the same sentence on aristocrat.com/buffalo, Wayback copy of 1 December 2017; read 17 October 2026
- Aristocrat, Anaxi announces the arrival of Buffalo to iGaming, published 8 September 2023, Wayback copy of 2 October 2023 (New Jersey), read 17 October 2026
- Aristocrat, Buffalo Grand premieres at Station Casinos, published 25 September 2015, Wayback copy of 20 July 2019; product page, Wayback copy of 23 April 2021; read 17 October 2026
- Aristocrat Gaming US, Buffalo Link, Wayback copy of 23 April 2021; launch date from the Aristocrat Gaming site index (March 2021 release); read 17 October 2026
- Aristocrat Asia-Pacific, Buffalo Stampede, Wayback copy of 15 August 2020, read 17 October 2026
- Aristocrat Interactive releases: Buffalo Gold Max Power, 13 December 2024 (New Jersey, Ontario, UK), Wayback copy of 23 January 2025; Jackpot Carnival Buffalo online, 2 July 2025 (New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ontario, UK), Wayback copy of 4 July 2025; Cash Express Legend Buffalo, 4 December 2025, Wayback copy of 8 December 2025; read 17 October 2026
- Aristocrat Gaming Australia, Buffalo Strike, and the site index (pages with buffalo in the address), read 17 October 2026
- ACT Gambling and Racing Commission, Gaming Machine Approval 2026 (No 3), NI2026-102, signed 23 February 2026, and Gaming Machine Approval 2014 (No 11), NI2014-96, signed 18 March 2014; read 17 October 2026
- Aristocrat, Product Madness and Aristocrat Digital, read 17 October 2026
- Store listings (Australia), read 17 October 2026: Heart of Vegas on the App Store and Google Play; Cashman Casino and Lightning Link Casino on Google Play; Cashman Casino and Lightning Link Casino on the App Store
- Game lists of 12 offshore casinos, searched for Buffalo from an Australian IP without an account, two runs on 17 October 2026; the casinos are not named here
- Return-to-player floors in NSW, Victoria and Queensland, checked 11 October 2026: NSW Government, GambleAware NSW: poker machines; Victorian Government, RSG online glossary; Queensland Government, gambling winning odds
- Law: Australian Communications and Media Authority, About the Interactive Gambling Act, read 17 October 2026
- Credits back per 100 bet and the gap between the two settings are our arithmetic from the published RTP settings
Written by: Helene Berner · First published: 18 October 2026 · Last updated: 18 October 2026