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Online sports betting in South Africa is now prevalent. South African bettors can enjoy an incredible range of modern online bookmakers, including local and offshore sportsbooks. From bookies in New Zealand, the UK, and the US to an Australian bookmaker, South African bettors have plenty to choose from. This brief report aims to bring you the following information about the South African betting industry:
- What are the best betting sites in South Africa?
- What promotions are available at South African sportsbooks?
- How to choose the best bookmaker?
Full List of South African Bookies
The list of betting companies in South Africa is long, meaning that you may find it difficult to find the best one. You want to be on the lookout for an online operator that offers you plenty of betting options and great odds and is entirely safe to use. Some of the most trustworthy operators available in South Africa are offshore bookies like Betway and Sportingbet.
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Easy to useCash outMany bonusesHowever, South Africa is home to some excellent online sportsbooks, including Sunbet and Hollywoodbets. These online operators can be found to be entirely trustworthy and legitimate while also providing their customers with a top-quality betting experience.
Popular Promotions for South African Bettors
As is the case in the rest of the world, South African bettors can enjoy a wide range of promotional offers. A South African bettor should continuously lookout for a promotion that suits their particular betting style. As most online operators give out promotional bonuses frequently, you should regularly check back with an operator to ensure that you take full advantage of their offers.
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Some popular South African betting bonuses include free bets, no deposit bonuses, and matched deposit bonuses. Betting offers in South Africa can often be found under the “Promotions” tab on many online bookmaker sites.
South Africa Sports Betting Market Overview
| 📅 Sports Betting Legal Since: | 1994 |
| 🏢 Regulatory Body: | The National Gambling Board |
| ⚖️ Legal Acts: | The National Gambling Amendment Act |
| 🧾 Taxation: | Winnings are not taxable |
| ⚽ Favorite Sports to Bet on: | Cricket, football, and rugby |
| 🏅 Widespread Tournaments\Competitions to Bet on: | The South African Athletics Championship, the Badminton Championship, and the South African Premier Division |
| 🎰 Other Popular Gambling Markets: | Lotteries and online casinos |
| ⭐ Most Popular Sportsbooks: | Rabona, Wazamba, SpinBetter |
Bet of the Day for South Africa
The sports betting SA market is fairly broad. Many of the best South African bookmakers will let you bet on various South African-based sports and events. For example, many sites allow you to bet on popular South African sports and sports teams. Similarly, many sites let you bet on individual players. The best South African bookies will ensure you have plenty of home betting options, with some giving you additional betting opportunities like the national lottery or casino-based games.
WHAT IS THE BEST BET FOR TODAY?
Bet on Sports
While legal sports betting in South Africa can revolve around practically any sport in the world, the South African betting public has been seen to focus their betting practices on three sports in particular. Cricket, football, and rugby are the most popular sports betting options for South African punters.
Fortunately, South African sportsbook operators tend to have excellent odds and plenty of betting options for these three sports. The majority of good South African bookies will still give you plenty of sports gambling options on top of these three, though, such as golf options, tennis, motorsports, MMA, and even fantasy sports.
Bet on Competitions
South Africa has its fair share of national sports competitions. It seems as though with every month that passes, a new sports competition is starting. Because of this, sports contests are a popular option on many South African betting sites.
The South African Athletics Championship, the Badminton Championship, and the South African Premier Division are all given time to shine in the local betting market. These sports competitions, and many others, can usually be found in the “Featured” section of many online bookies' sports betting areas.
Bet on South African Teams
The sports betting market in South Africa is a wide one. Many online sportsbooks allow you to bet on your favourite South African sports and wager on your favourite South African teams.
The National Cricket Team, the National Rugby Union team and the National Football Team, are all popular betting choices for international betting. On the local front, the Cape Town Spurs, Orlando Pirates, and the Moroka Swallows are famous football teams that are incredibly popular betting options.
Bet on South African Players
The best South African sportsbooks will widen the already vast sports gambling market by allowing you to bet on individual South African sports personalities and players. Some of the most popular players to bet on are cricket players.
Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Quinton De Kock, and Kagiso Rabada commonly bet on cricket players due to their sheer popularity in the South African cricket scene. Of course, football players are also heavily bet on, with names like Peter Shalulile, Frank Mhango, and Lebogang Manyama frequently featured in South African bookies.
How to Choose the Best Bookmakers in South Africa
There are plenty of online bookmakers in South Africa to choose from. There might be too many. Choosing from the extensive list of South African betting sites can be a somewhat daunting or intimidating task for those new to the online betting scene who don't know exactly what they should be looking for. If this is the case for you, then follow our brief step-by-step guide below to get some useful pointers on what to look out for from an online sportsbook operator:
- If you are unsure about an operator's legitimacy or safety, seek out some sportsbook reviews. A sportsbook review will often tell you exactly what the site has to offer and will give you an indication as to how trustworthy they are.
- Use the top 10 lists to narrow your options immediately. Choosing from ten is easier than choosing from hundreds.
- Choose a site that has great odds on many betting options, including additional features such as live betting.
Who Has the Best Odds?
When looking for an online bookmaker that is best suited to you, you need to find a betting site that offers good odds. Ideally, it would help if you searched for a website that provides the best odds on a specific sport or event that you are likely to bet on. For example, if you know that you will bet on horse racing and soccer a lot, you should search for an operator with excellent horse racing odds and soccer odds.
In general, the betting odds in SA are relatively decent, but there is one standout operator. Betway is one operator consistently found to have excellent odds that are continuously updated and well-researched.
Popular Deposit Methods
The best South African betting sites will give you plenty of payment options when depositing on their website. Some of the most popular deposit methods most SA bookies provide are PayPal, bank transfer options, and credit card and debit card options from popular providers like VISA and MasterCard.
The best method for depositing cash is essentially up to the individual and their financial circumstances and preferences. Any of these options will see the money be deposited into your account within a few hours at most.
Popular Withdrawal Methods
Withdrawing your funds should be fast and straightforward. Thankfully, many South African bookmakers completely understand this and give their customers plenty of withdrawal methods to choose from should they require various options. Popular withdrawal methods include PayPal, VISA and MasterCard payments, and bank transfer options.
The best withdrawal method is probably either PayPal or card payment options, as the withdrawal time with these methods tends to be significantly lower than if you used bank transfer payment options.
Mobile Betting Sites and Apps
The world of online betting is continually changing and evolving. In recent years, online betting has shifted focus to a new platform: the mobile market. Mobile betting is often used now as many bettors' primary form of betting. It is because using a mobile device to bet with is incredibly easy, convenient, and comfortable.
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Superb promotionsMobile appsEasy to useThe best mobile betting apps in South Africa tend to come from leading operators like Betway and Sportingbet. A South African betting app will let you continue your regular betting practices on the go, allowing for a much more convenient and less time-consuming experience.
Live Betting and Live Streaming
The best betting sites in South Africa will offer additional betting features. These features can come in many forms, such as lotteries, virtual sports, or casino-based events. Still, the best other betting feature South African bookmakers use is live betting and live streaming services.
Live betting in South Africa is what many people would consider the pinnacle of the modern betting experience. Nothing matches the thrill of placing a bet on a live, in-play game or race and watching the event unfold through a live stream.
The Legality of Sports Betting in South Africa
The legality of sports betting, particularly online forms of sports gambling, has had a fairly tumultuous time in South Africa. Since 1673, gambling has been heavily restricted across South Africa. In 1965 the government allowed its citizens to bet on horse races but no other sports. By 1994, all gambling forms became legal, with institutionalized casino establishments popping up around the country.
Regarding the online betting landscape in South Africa, it is generally considered legal across the board. However, each province within South Africa has a gambling agency that dictates whether a sportsbook can operate within its region. Once betting companies become fully licensed by the respective gambling authorities, they can accept South African bettors. Unfortunately, even some of the leading betting sites around the world, like Bet365, are still not legally allowed to operate within South Africa.
Local South African Bookmakers vs. Online Betting
Generally speaking, online betting in South Africa is much more popular than visiting a local bookmaker brick-and-mortar store. Perhaps the biggest reason for this is convenience. Using an online betting site or app on your phone is much more comfortable than going out to your local store and waiting in line. Similarly, online betting is simply more accessible to the general public. An online bookie's informal and friendly setting is much more appealing to new bettors than a dingy old betting shop.
Responsible Gambling Organisations in South Africa
Here are a few global corporations and organizations that may offer aid and support if you are facing challenges with gambling in South Africa.
- GambleAware
- GamCare
- Gambling Therapy
- Gamblers Anonymous
- GamStop
- Net Nanny
- CYBERsitter
- GamBlock
- Qustodio
- Gamban
- Betfilter
How to Win at Betting in South Africa
While the South African betting market may be very accessible to newcomers, it is not necessarily easy. It will take a lot of practice for new bettors to learn how each online bookmaker works and how to make consistently successful bets. There are, however, a few strategies that can help out new players. The first of which is to know your sport inside out. Ideally, you should stick to one sports gambling option if you want to succeed truly.
You will need to know all about the sport's general trends, who usually wins, what teams are the best, what competitions will earn you the most, etc. You should also use the odds effectively and learn exactly when to place your bet and when you shouldn't.
Using Betting Tips and Predictions
Betting tips can be beneficial, especially for those not entirely knowledgeable about the subject they are betting on. In basic terms, a betting tip is when a third-party source predicts a particular event. This prediction is likely accurate as they know more about the subject than the betting site you are using.
For instance, if you were betting on football matches and News24 makes an informed prediction about a game. Still, your betting operator had that prediction at a lower chance; you could place a profitable bet by using the odds to your advantage.
Matched Betting
Matched betting in South Africa is a popular form of low-risk betting. Essentially, a bettor needs to use a site's promotional offers, mainly free bet offers, to ensure a winning bet. Bettors must place both a back and lay bet on the fixture, using a free bet for one of them. It ensures that one of the wagers is successful and guarantees a profit, as half of the stake has not cost the bettor any real money, only a free bet.
Betting Sites in Other Countries
An Overview of Betting in South Africa
The section below acts as a summary of the betting landscape in South Africa. Many of the main talking points in this article have also been condensed into the list below:
- South Africa has 3 capital cities: Cape Town, Pretoria, and Bloemfontein. Two of the largest cities in South Africa are Johannesburg and Durban.
- Some of the most spoken languages in South Africa include Afrikaans, Venda, English, and Swati.
- The official currency of South Africa is Rand, but the British Pound and US Dollars are also accepted.
- Some popular payment methods for online betting include PayPal, VISA cards, MasterCard, and bank transfer options
- Some of the most famous betting sites in South Africa include Betway, Sportingbet, and Sunbet.
- Some of the most popular sports in South Africa include cricket, football, and rugby.
- In South Africa, significant sports competitions include the South African Athletics Championship, the Badminton Championship, and the South African Premier Division.
- Popular South African sports teams include the National Cricket Team, the National Rugby Union Team, the National Football Team, and the Cape Town Spurs.
- Some of the most well-known South African sports personalities include Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Quinton De Kock, and Kagiso Rabada.
Bottom Line
The South African betting market shows no sign of stopping anytime soon, with many sportsbook sites available to the South African betting public. If you are currently living in South Africa and looking for your next online betting experience, head to one of our recommended sites today to get started.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Is sports betting legal in South Africa?
Generally speaking, sports betting is legal in South Africa. Online forms of sports gambling require some additional legal documentation before they are allowed to operate in South Africa. If an online sportsbook wishes to work across the country, it must receive a gambling license from the South African province's gaming authorities. Once an operator has all of the necessary licenses, it can continue to operate throughout the country.
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Which betting site is the best in South Africa?
There are plenty of betting sites to choose from for a South African bettor. The best local sites are Sunbet and Hollywoodbets. These operators come directly from South Africa, giving South African bettors plenty of opportunities to bet on local and national sports events and teams. However, offshore betting sites are also popular in South Africa, with Sportingbet and Betway being some of the best due to their great odds and additional betting features.
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How do sports betting work in South Africa?
A South African bettor can access the whole world of online sports gambling. All they need to do is head to an online sportsbook of their choice, create an account with the operator, place a deposit and click on the “Sports Betting” tab on the website or app. From here, a range of sports betting odds and fixtures can be bet on. Successful wagers will award players with real cash for subsequent betting or cash out.
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Is Bet365 legal in South Africa?
Currently, Bet365 is not legally accessible in South Africa. The only way for a South African bettor to access the site is via a VPN, which would be considered illegal.
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Is Hollywoodbets legal in South Africa?
Currently, Hollywoodbets is completely legal for South African bettors. It can be expected as Hollywoodbets is an online sportsbook operator with its headquarters situated in South Africa itself.
