Betting Sites in South Africa

On this page we are going to tell you about sports betting in South Africa. Online betting is a young and developing field in the country. Most of the online sports betting sites offer everything that betting fans need, but features such as live streaming and mobile apps are still rare. Check out our review for more details.

Match Center South Africa


List Of Online Bookmakers in South Africa

Last updated: -/-/-

Other legal bookmakers

The position of the bookmaker in this list is determined on a commercial basis. The ratings on Match.Center are compiled as honestly and objectively as possible, so we indicate "Not for sale" to make it clear which are based on merit.

#3

6,7

#8

6,3

#14

6,2

#15

6,1

#20

5,3

#22

5,1

#24

4,9

#25

4,9

#26

4,9

This page contains the best bookmakers chosen by us based on the experience of our Match.Center authors. We are a global project. We evaluate the legal betting businesses of various countries based on best practices . We take into account all the finer details including how they adhere to legislation as well as their day to day business practices. The evaluation criteria doesn’t change regardless of whether a betting company is our partner or not.

Sports Betting South Africa 2023

South Africa's legal betting market is still young. The country lifted its gambling ban in 1994. The first National Gambling Act was passed in 1996. Gambling activities are now regulated by a similar act from 2004, with some amendments made in 2016 and 2018. The national regulator is the National Gambling Board (NGB).

The industry grew dramatically in the 2000s. According to the NGB, bookmakers' profits increased tenfold between 2001 and 2021, from R1.009 billion to R10.605 billion.

NGB chart of SA bookies’ gross gaming revenue (GGR) in the 2000s

NGB chart of SA bookies’ gross gaming revenue (GGR) in the 2000s

The growth is ensured precisely by sports betting, which the regulator counts separately from horse racing. Betting on horse racing has also increased, but the scale is not as impressive. In the last 5 years, GGR has increased by about R0.5 billion. Meanwhile, sports betting has tripled from R2.63 billion to R8.17 billion.

NGB chart of sports betting and horse racing GGR in 2016-2021

NGB chart of sports betting and horse racing GGR in 2016-2021

In addition to the federal one, there are also regional regulators who also licence bookmakers. One betting company can have several licences if its land-based betting agencies are located in different regions. A single licence is enough for the online betting site.

In South Africa there is the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) passed in 2003. Its purpose is to prevent financial crimes such as terrorist financing and money laundering. Licensed bookmakers comply with FICA and request from the customer as much personal data as possible to confirm their identity.

Advantages Of Online Betting South Africa

There are many advantages of online betting over betting in-store: 

  • You can bet on sports from the comfort of your own home;
  • There are a variety of online Sportsbooks, so you can choose the best betting odds and markets;
  • You can fund your betting account with a credit card or other convenient payment method. The same applies to withdrawing money;
  • You can place bets on a variety of sports events, including live games;
  • Online betting sites regularly offer bettors bonuses and promotions;
  • Online sports betting is typically more efficient than in-person betting, so you can save time and money.

There are a wide range of online sports betting sites in South Africa, which we will cover in this article.

What To Look Out For When Choosing Betting Sites In South Africa

Our ranking of the best betting sites is the result of significant research and analysis of all the features of South African betting. We only consider legal and licensed bookmakers, so you can be sure you're betting safely. The Match.Center team impartially compares all the betting sites' features that are important to bettors. Here are our evaluation criteria:

  • Security & Reputation. All the bookmakers listed here are licensed. We will never recommend a sports betting site that does not have a South African licence. Match.Center will never compare or rate betting agencies that do not have it. SSL technology, which is one of the greatest methods of information protection, is used by many of these websites. All data is translated into a meaningless string of characters and numbers prior to being sent. It is only decoded after it has reached its destination point. Since the data is scrambled, only the receiver can decode it. Data transferred to the wrong location will be useless.

  • Usability. It is important for the best betting sites in South Africa to have simple navigation and excellent user experience. They should have clear navigation with bets being processed rapidly. Design is also critical. If an online sports betting site has too many banners and graphics, the user might get lost looking for the game he wants to bet on.
  • Payment methods. Every online sports betting site we examine gives you the chance to discover more about the payment methods available for deposits and withdrawals. You may attain this information yourself via customer support or on the site's special page. 
  • Available markets. There are various betting markets on offer in SA. Winners, handicaps and totals are some of the general markets available. Statistics or particular events are available on certain games. The most popular betting sites in South Africa include many smaller and lesser-known markets. If you want to pick a bookie, you should choose one with a lot of betting options.
  • Bonuses. Almost all online bookmakers in South Africa offer some kind of bonus. Welcome bonuses, deposit bonuses, free bets, and cashback are just a few of the offers you will come across. The rules of every promotion should be carefully studied before registering with a betting site. It is always pleasant to receive a gift, but you should carefully read the rules of each promotion before accepting it.
  • Odds. The most vital factor for many bettors is the odds, as they determine how much you win if your prediction is correct. It is fairly simple to find out who has the most promising odds. You may compare the odds of various betting websites for any event directly. This is exactly what we do when we list the online sports betting sites with the competitive odds.
  • Mobile experience. More and more users are now betting via mobile phones because it is quick and simple. You can bet online via the mobile site or the Android or iOS app. There are several South African betting sites on this list that haven't produced apps yet. A special app for the iPhone is one of those very rare things.
  • Betting features. A modern online betting site includes several other features besides the basic wagering functions. The majority of South African sites are already accustomed to live betting and various bet slip settings. However, live streaming services or bet slip generators are not that common. Companies that offer these options are more likely to be chosen. We believe they enhance the betting experience. 
  • Customer Support & Service. Customers can contact the company's support if they have any questions about the use of the website. The best betting agencies in South Africa have several ways to reach the customer support: by phone, chat, or e-mail. You should contact them by phone or live chat if your issue is urgent. It's important for the support to reply quickly, politely, and competently, as a negative betting experience can make a customer abandon a betting site for good. Also, bonuses in South Africa often need to be requested through support.

Top Ten Betting Sites in South Africa Reviews

Gbets

Best odds on the South African market. For betting on the most popular soccer events, margins can be as low as 3% (the average market margin on top soccer is 4-5%).

Gbets

Gbets

Advantages:

  • Over 35 sports 
  • Cash Out
  • Bet Builder
  • Regular bonuses, promotions and boosted odds
  • Two Android apps - standard and Data free
  • Great welcome bonus: 100% on first deposit up to R1000

Disadvantages:

  • No live streaming

Betway

A reputable international bookmaker with a wide range of betting markets for popular sports: soccer, rugby, cricket. Unfortunately, even on popular soccer matches the bookmaker's margin never drops below 5%, and on other sports it's usually 7-10%.

Betway

Betway

Advantages:

  • Lots of live streaming.
  • Bet Builder option.
  • Cash Out.
  • Daily draw for active customers with R10000 jackpot.

Disadvantages:

  • Low odds
  • Complex wagering requirements for the welcome bonus (free bet up to R1000 on first deposit, but you have to wager it 10 times to withdraw)

Hollywoodbets

One of the most popular online bookmakers in South Africa. Its main advantage is a great offer for horse racing fans. In addition to a large selection of bets, there are also live streaming of the races.

Hollywoodbets

Hollywoodbets

Advantages:

  • Cash Out for some events.
  • Small welcome bonus (R25 free bet) which is provided just for registering.

Disadvantages:

  • Very low odds.
  • Small number of live events.

Sportingbet

A decent bookmaker with more than 30 sports available. However, the range of markets is limited to the most popular ones. For example, you will find about 170 bets on top soccer leagues, and not even 50 on rugby and cricket.

Sportingbet

Sportingbet

Advantages:

  • Good average market odds (soccer usually has a margin of around 5%, cricket - 8%).
  • Bet Builder.
  • Cash Out.
  • Live streaming.