Cookie Policy
This page catalogues every cookie and similar local-storage technology used by The Pokies, what each one does, how long it persists, who can read it, and how to disable it if you'd rather not have it set. The wider picture of what data is collected and how it's processed is covered separately on the Privacy Policy page; this cookie policy is the technical companion to it. The broader description of what the site is and who writes for it lives on the About page.
What a cookie actually is
A cookie is a small text file placed in your browser's storage by a website you visit. The file holds a short string — usually a random identifier or a preference value — plus a few pieces of metadata: which domain set it, when it expires, whether it can be read over plain HTTP or only over HTTPS, and whether it can be sent to other sites in cross-domain requests. The website that sets the cookie can read it back on subsequent page loads; other websites generally cannot, unless the original website has explicitly allowed third-party access through the cookie's flags.
Browsers also support related local-storage mechanisms — localStorage, sessionStorage and IndexedDB — which behave similarly from a privacy perspective. The Pokies uses cookies and localStorage only; we don't use IndexedDB, fingerprinting techniques, or other unconventional state-storage methods.
What the pokies uses cookies for
Three reasons, in declining order of necessity:
- Strictly necessary. Storing your consent choice (so the cookie banner doesn't reappear on every page load), remembering accessibility preferences (dark/light mode, font-size override), and keeping your position in long pages between sessions.
- Analytics. Anonymous traffic measurement that shows us which pages get read, which inbound search terms send the most readers to which guides, and which outbound links get clicked. The Pokies uses a privacy-respecting analytics provider (Plausible or a self-hosted Umami instance, depending on the deployment); neither sets third-party advertising cookies, both report aggregated visits rather than individual sessions, and IP addresses aren't retained after the request that generates them.
- Affiliate attribution. When you click an outbound link to a casino operator, a short-lived cookie or URL parameter records that the click came from the pokies. If you subsequently register on the operator's site and meet their qualifying conditions, the operator pays us a commission. The mechanics are described in the Affiliate Disclosure. The attribution cookie is set on the operator's domain when you arrive there, not on the pokies — but it's worth flagging here because clicking an affiliate link triggers it.
The Pokies doesn't run advertising on this site. We don't use Google Ads, Meta Pixel, TikTok Pixel, or any other behavioural advertising network's tracking. We don't sell or trade visitor data to third parties.
The cookies, listed
The table below is exhaustive for cookies set directly by the pokies. Cookies set on partner-operator domains after a click-through appear in those operators' own cookie policies, not here.
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Duration | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tp_consent | the pokies | Stores your cookie-banner choice so it doesn't reappear | 12 months | Strictly necessary |
| tp_pref_theme | the pokies | Remembers dark/light mode preference | 12 months | Strictly necessary |
| tp_pref_fontsize | the pokies | Stores accessibility font-size override | 12 months | Strictly necessary |
| _pk_id.* | Analytics provider | Anonymous visitor identifier for aggregate session counting | 13 months | Analytics |
| _pk_ses.* | Analytics provider | Marks a session boundary (rolls over after 30 minutes of inactivity) | 30 minutes | Analytics |
| tp_ref | the pokies | Records which guide or list referred a click on an outbound operator link | 30 days | Analytics |
Local-storage entries are limited to two: tp_toc_state, which remembers whether the table of contents on long guides is expanded or collapsed; and tp_last_visit, which stores a timestamp used to suppress duplicate "back from a long absence" prompts. Both are first-party, both can be cleared by clearing site storage in your browser, and neither leaves your device.
How to switch cookies off
Three layers of control are available, in increasing order of strength.
Browser settings. Every mainstream desktop and mobile browser offers controls to refuse third-party cookies altogether, to clear cookies on close, or to clear cookies and local storage manually at any time. On Chrome, Safari and Firefox the relevant menu sits under Settings → Privacy. The Pokies works fully with third-party cookies disabled — we don't use any.
This site's banner. The first time you visit the pokies you'll see a consent banner. Picking "Decline" sets only the necessary cookies and skips the analytics ones. You can change this choice at any point by clicking the "Cookie settings" link in the footer; the new choice takes effect immediately and overrides the previous one.
Network-level blocking. Browser extensions like uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger or NextDNS can block analytics requests at the network layer, which stops the relevant cookies from ever being set. These tools also block third-party tracking on operator sites you visit after clicking through from The Pokies.
Cookies set by other parties
If you click an outbound link to an operator, that operator may set its own cookies on its domain when you arrive there. Those cookies are governed by the operator's own cookie policy, not by this one. The Pokies can't read those cookies and doesn't control their lifespan. The Affiliate Disclosure describes which outbound links are affiliated and which aren't; clicking an affiliated link triggers an attribution cookie on the operator's side regardless of the consent state on the pokies.
The badges in the footer (responsible gambling resources and DMCA) are static images served from this domain and don't set cookies. The links to Gambling Help Online and BetStop are plain hyperlinks; whether those sites set cookies is governed by their own policies, which you can read on their respective domains.
Updates to this cookie policy
When the cookies set by The Pokies change in any substantive way (the documented process for any content change sits in the Editorial Policy) — a new cookie added, an existing one's duration extended, a different analytics provider — this page is updated and the "Last updated" date at the top is moved forward. The cookie banner will resurface for everyone if the changes affect what's required for consent under Australian privacy law or under the GDPR, even if you've previously made a choice.
If anything on this page is unclear, contact us via the Contact page. We respond in writing, on the record, and keep the answers on file so the same question doesn't have to be asked twice.