South Africa
Author: Damon Jackson
Last Updated: 20 November, 2024
Thanks to the betting-friendly legislation, sports lovers in South Africa can access a broad portfolio of betting apps and sites. For quite a long time, online sports betting has been legal, and thus, several online sportsbooks have been established to offer wagering options to South Africans.
🇿🇦 Legal sports betting apps in South Africa:
T&Cs apply.
18+. New customers only. T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
18+. T&C apply. Gamble responsibly.
18+. New customers only. T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
18+. Wagering requirements are 6x (bonus) and 1x (deposited funds). Wagering must be made with odds 0.70 (7/10). Maximum winnings are capped to R10,000.
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18+. New customers only. T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
18+. For the first deposit only. You will need to wager the bonus amount 5 times in sports / racing. Only fully settled bets made with odds 5/10 or greater will count towards wagering. To get the bonus, player must den an email to the promotions[at]wsb.co.za with the subject "100% bonus offer".
18+. T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
18+. Bonus is automatically credited for deposits up to 2000 ZAR. Minimum deposit is 17 ZAR. Wager 5 times in accumulated bets consisting of 3 events with odds 1.40 or higher.
18+. In order to be eligible for the bonus, player must play-trough deposited amount at least once. Rollover requirement is 6 times on settled single bets with odds at least 2.00 or greater. Player can also use multi-bets consisting at least 2 events with odds 1.5.
18+. To qualify, player must place bets worth of first deposit with odds 1.5 or greater. Bonus is automatically activated without canceling it in "My bonus" tab. Bonus must be wagered 6 times on settled bets with odds 2.00 or higher. Player can cash-out 10x deposited amount of money.
18+. New customers only. T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
18+ | T&C Apply | Please gamble responsibly.
18+. Minimum deposit for the offer is R50. Deposit needs to be rolled over 1 time with odds 2.00 or greater and bonus must be wagered 4 times on odds 4.00 (3/1). Maximum deposit that allows bonus is R2000.
18+. New customers only. T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
18+. T&C apply. Gamble Responsibly.
18+. Rollover requirement is 5x and it must be done within 7 days with the odds 1.40 or higher.
Online sports betting in South Africa - Legal & booming
Gambling and sports betting have gone through multiple levels of legalization in South Africa. At first, all gambling was illegal until 1965, when the government legalized horse racing betting. During the late 1970s, retail casinos were introduced in the country but were insufficient to cater to all players, leading to the establishment of over 2000 illegal casinos.
In 1994, a change of government led to the legalization of all betting forms, though some specific restrictions remained in place. With this change, the market saw an influx of physical casinos established nationwide, where gamblers had easy access.
As the Internet started to penetrate the gambling industry, among other things, South Africa had to update its legislation yet again. The National Gambling Act, passed in 2004, prohibited online gambling in South Africa with the exemption of online sports betting activities, and this same act still applies in SA today. In a nutshell, it means that sports betting is the only online gambling type available in the country as, for example, online casinos and other forms of iGaming are all still forbidden by law.
However, the 2004 act allows sports betting in SA only via online operators licensed by one of the nine SA provinces and their gambling boards. So, if a sportsbook acquires a license from one of the provinces, it can legally offer online and mobile sports betting services in all parts of South Africa.
However, even with such a licensing system in place, tens or even hundreds of offshore sportsbooks and online casinos still accept South Africans as customers. Even though the NGB has warned its citizens of gambling on offshore gambling sites, there isn't really any legal prosecution or even blocking access to such platforms.
In 2008, the regulatory body published an amendment to the act, finally seeking to legalize other types of online gambling services. However, this act has not yet been enacted, citing internal objections from, for example, the country's retail casino industry.
Sports betting legislation in South Africa
| Is online sports betting legal in South Africa? | Yes |
| Is in-person sports betting legal? | Yes |
| Is daily fantasy sports legal? | Yes |
| Is horse racing betting legal? | Yes |
| Is political betting legal? | Yes |
| Is eSports betting legal? | Yes |
| How many legal sports betting apps are there in South Africa? | 30+ |
| Legal age for sports betting in South Africa? | 18+ |
| South Africa's tax rate for betting/gambling winnings | 0% |
| Who regulates sports betting in South Africa? | The National Gambling Board |
Just as long as South Africans wager on properly licensed betting apps within the country, each individual can access online betting markets basically without any restrictions or categorial exclusions. Therefore, SA betting enthusiasts can wager on pretty much every sports league, tournament, and event nationally and internationally. All this includes horse race betting, which has enjoyed massive popularity in South Africa ever since the 1960s.
In addition to the vast number of online sports betting apps and platforms available, the retail wagering business is booming in SA, as there are hundreds of local betting shops around the country. For example, Betway alone operates over 80 shops in SA, and the same amount sits at 50ish for another UK-based sports betting brand, Betfred.
While the actual DFS is still a much smaller market in the country, multiple fantasy sports sites offer the same type of entertainment for South African sports fans.
Recent updates from the SA sports betting scene
November 6, 2024: Betway, sponsor of the Betway Premiership, partners with the Premier Soccer League to promote responsible gambling during National Responsible Gambling Month. Throughout November, responsible gambling messages will be featured in marketing and fixtures, supported by Betway's brand ambassadors.
October 15, 2024: South Africa's gambling revenue hit a record ZAR59.3bn ($3.37bn) in 2023-24, up 25.7% from the previous year, according to the National Gambling Board. Sports betting led with ZAR35.91bn, comprising 60.5% of total revenue, driven by online betting, which contributed to ZAR28.97bn, nearly half of the overall figure.
August 23, 2024: Cricket South Africa names Dafabet as the Proteas Men's and Women's official Team Associate Sponsor in a three-year deal. Dafabet's logo will debut on the Men's jerseys during their upcoming T20 tour of the Caribbean against the West Indies.
July 30, 2024: Swimmer Tatjana Smith secures South Africa's first gold at the 2024 Olympics after winning the 100m breaststroke final and beating China's Tang Qianting only by 0.26 seconds. Smith's outright odds of winning the gold in this event were +650.
July 24, 2024: The Premier Soccer League (PSL), the top-level soccer league of South Africa, will be called "Betway Premiership from now on after the premier division announced Betway as its new title sponsor.
July 7, 2024: A sprinter, Akani Simbine, and a gymnast, Caitlin Rooskrantz, are named South Africa's flag bearers in the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics.
All legal gambling options in South Africa
| Are online casinos legal in South Africa? | Yes |
| Are retail casinos legal? | Yes |
| Are social casinos legal? | Yes |
| Is online poker legal? | Yes |
| Is the lottery legal? | Yes |
In addition to sports betting, South Africans can access other legal wagering activities. Interestingly, the national lottery, run by The South African National Lottery and established in 2000, is the most popular type of gambling in the country based on the numbers alone. Bingo is also quite popular among South Africans, and Galaxy Bingo alone operates 23 retail bingo sites spread across six provinces in the country.
Further, casinos are prevalent in the country and can legally offer their services. However, SA gamblers must note that they can only participate in land-based retail casinos in their provinces, as online casinos are still illegal in the country. The same prohibition applies to online poker.
Other gambling-related news & stories from SA
November 6, 2024: South Africa aims to leave the FATF grey list by mid-2025, working to enhance anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures. Despite progress since 2021, gaps in casino licensing and regulation remain obstacles to full compliance.
September 11, 2024: Playtech launches its casino and live casino products on Betway's platform in South Africa, expanding its presence in the region to meet the growing player demand for accessible gambling options.
September 10, 2024: Sun International, led by CEO Anthony Leeming, reported strong financial results for H1 2024, with profits rising to R932m ($52m), nearly doubling the R485m ($27.05m) from the same period last year. A R343m ($19.1m) boost from discontinued operations contributed significantly to the growth.
August 5, 2024: Online casino gaming provider Play'n GO enters the South African gambling market after partnering with Betway. With the deal, all Betway customers from SA can exclusively access Play'n GO games on its casino platform.
June 7, 2024: Casino game provider BetGames brings its brand-new card game "Shova 52" to South Africa through a partnership with HollywoodBets.
May 7, 2024: A newly signed partnership brings the casino games provider 3 Oak Gaming products available for all Supabets South African customers. With this deal, Supabets is the first SA gambling site to feature 3 Oak's games.
South Africa - Some commonly asked questions (FAQ)
What is the current legal status of sports betting in South Africa?
Sports betting is legal in SA in retail and online forms without notable restrictions. Online casinos remain still prohibited, but some new gambling bills have been proposed in the country lately, which could open the market even more.
How lucrative is the South African sports betting market?
The annual NBG report shows that sports betting is the most popular form of gambling in SA, with ZAR 23.7bn in posted revenue, compared to the retail casino sector's ZAR 17.3bn. The whole gambling market generates ZAR 4.1bn tax income for the country.
How much do South Africans bet on sports?
According to the data, South Africans spend a total of ZAR 431bn on sports betting and horse race wagering. This means every South African wager on average ZAR 7197 ($395,57) on such sports annually.
Can I get jailed for gambling at online casinos in SA?
Online casinos are still deemed illegal in SA, and the NGB has previously stated that participating in such gambling is a criminal offense. Such actions can lead to a $600,000M penalty fine and even jail time.
