Best Online Betting Sites in South Africa (2023)

How We Choose the Best Betting Sites in South Africa

On BettingGuide.com, our experts review and rank each bookie in key areas to make sure the operator provides a legal, safe, and top-tier betting experience for all South African players.

One of the best ways for people to decide which betting site to join is to check out reviews. South Africa is home to dozens of different betting sites and each of them has pros and cons.

Our reviews take into account a large range of factors, at the end of which we decide whether or not we can offer a wholehearted recommendation. Readers can be assured that our reviews are fully impartial and free of bias, which is not always the case with betting site reviews.

Legal, Licensed & Safe

Safety and security is a top priority for potential customers of online betting sites, and rightly so. For this reason, one of the first things we look at is which licences operators have. Without the right licences in place, sports betting sites in South Africa will not be able to operate legally.

It is also worth noting that betting sites offering other online gambling products such as poker, bingo, roulette or slot games will fall foul of the strict online betting laws in South Africa as well.

Tied into licences and regulation is the security measures that betting sites have in place. Encryption should be used to ensure the personal and financial information of customers is protected at all times.

Online betting sites are popular targets for hackers, so they need to make sure that strong defences are in place to keep data such as debit card details secure. Customer support options like live chat - and if it is available 24/7 - is checked out in our reviews as well.

Sign Up Offers

All of the best betting sites in South Africa offer high-value new customer sign up offers to attract new players. It is important to take full advantage of these signup offers, as you can only claim them once (on each bookie), and they almost always offer more value than any other promotion available.

Some punters even sign up to almost every legal bookie available to take advantage of these fantastic free bet offers.

For a lot of people who want to bet, getting the best sign up offers is a must. So many different promotions are out there it can be difficult to judge which of them is the best, but we have sorted through them all for you.

Therefore, you can be assured that all our promotions and bonuses are fully up to date as well. We cover the most important terms and conditions of these sign up offers too.

Here are some of the most popular types of promotion that are used by betting sites:

• Free bets 
• No deposit bonuses 
• Enhanced odds or price boosts 
• Cashback rewards 
• VIP rewards

Free bets are certainly one of the best promotions at betting sites. They offer the chance to make a profit without any risk of losing money. Free bets are offered as welcome bonuses but can be offered as part of a rewards scheme too.

Another risk-free option is by using no deposit bonuses when joining a new bookmaker. These deals do exactly as they say in the name, offering a bonus before you make a deposit.

Enhanced odds or price boosts may be offered on some markets to tempt you into a bet. These are more likely to be available on a particularly big game, for example, or perhaps the Cricket World Cup.

Betting sites in South Africa reward loyalty in a range of ways, including with cashback deals. This could be a rebate on your losses, or a boost to any deposits you make.

Another top way to reward customer loyalty is by offering a VIP rewards scheme. Each betting site runs its VIP rewards in a different way, which we cover in all of our reviews.

But, not all signup bonuses offer good value, and it is important to learn how to spot the best and avoid the worst.

Firstly, look at the wagering requirements on the bonus, to see how much you need to wager the amount to unlock the funds for withdrawal. The best bonuses come with no wagering requirements, but some, require you to wager the bonus 10x the amount, or even more on casino bonuses.

Secondly, check to see what restrictions there are on the bonus, whether you need to deposit using a certain payment method, or if the bonus can only be used on a certain sport, market, etc.

Lastly, it is important to check if you need to enter a bonus code, and what the minimum deposit and bet amount are to qualify for the offer. Not all bonuses have these conditions, but it is crucial to check so you do not miss out on claiming the offer.

Wide Range of Payment Methods

Banking methods vary quite a bit across the different South African betting sites that are available. Users who want to use a particular payment option to make deposits and process withdrawals will want to make sure it is approved by a betting site before they join.

Other factors we look into on this topic include how long it takes withdrawals to be processed, as users understandably want to be able to get their hands on their winnings as fast as they can.

Furthermore, we check to see if there are any fees or charges for withdrawals, as well as the limits that might be in place for various banking methods. For example, some online betting sites allow a certain number of free withdrawals, after which an administration fee is payable to them.

Popular payment methods accepted by South African Betting Sites:

• Visa Card
• Mastercard
• Ozow
• SID
• 1ForYou Voucher
• OTT Voucher
• Kazang
• EasyLoad
• Blu Voucher
• EFT (Bank Transfers)
• USSD
• MTN MoMo

Design, Style & Usability

It is not all about the functionality of the best betting sites in India for a lot of customers. You want to use a site that looks classy and clean, so we take this into account in our reviews. Design and style include the layout of the site, for instance, how easy it is for users to navigate. 

When you need to place a bet in a hurry, the speed of your chosen Indian betting site is key as well. This is why we run speed tests in all of the bookmaker reviews that we make available.

Sports & Betting Markets Available

Of course, the sportsbook itself is of primary focus in our reviews. We look into the range of sports offered and make sure there are no obvious omissions. Beyond this, the depth of markets is also assessed to see how many different bets customers are able to pick from.

This is also the case for live in-play betting, which is popular among a lot of South African sports fans. Within the betting markets, we also compare the value of the odds on offer to see how they rank across a range of the top sports to bet on in South Africa, like soccer, cricket, rugby and horse racing.

High Betting Odds

Anyone who is serious about online betting in India needs to know the value of betting odds. Even if you think the difference between odds available on different sites is small, it mounts up in the long run if you place a lot of bets on sport.

Shopping around for the best odds on your chosen bet can be useful to boost your profits, while we tell you how good the odds from a bookmaker are in our detailed betting site reviews. Some bookmakers may also be known for having top odds in some sports, but not in others.

But how do we calculate which betting sites offer the highest betting odds on average? Well, you can compare the betting margins for each bookie below, for both live and pre-match markets on cricket, soccer and horse racing bets.

If you did not know, the betting margin is essentially how much a bookie "charges" you to place a bet. Simply put, the lower the betting margin, the higher the odds.

Mobile Betting

More and more players want to use their mobile phone for betting these days. This allows you to place a bet on the big game even if you are not at home, which creates more opportunities for winning wagers.

While betting sites invariably have a good mobile site now, an app can take things to the next level. We will tell you in our reviews whether the betting site in question has betting apps and whether they are available on iOS, Android or other platforms.

We will even review those betting apps to tell you if they are worth using or not, as well as going through what the software has to offer in terms of betting markets and so on.

Compare which betting sites offer betting apps on Android and iOS below, and the results of our tests on our best betting apps in South Africa page.

Customer Support

If you have an issue with your betting site account, you need to be able to get help quickly in order to resolve the issue.

This is why customer support is so vital. The best betting sites tend to offer customer service on a 24 hours a day basis and there might be help on offer in multiple languages as well.

Live chat is one of the most popular ways to use customer service these days. But a range of customer service options is a good thing, as some people prefer to use the phone or email.

The best betting sites offer 24/7 customer support with several methods of contact including a live chat, email, and free phone number. This is certainly not the case across all betting sites, but the top bookies in our list all offer top-tier, 24/7 customer support with several contact methods.

Unique Features

Unique features that betting sites in South Africa have to offer will also be picked out. These might include live streaming of various sports, extra rewards and promotions such as a VIP loyalty scheme like a free bet club or acca insurance, plus anything else that makes a site stand out from the pack in a highly competitive market.

And with a lot of people now preferring to place wagers on the big game of the day while out and about, we review sites' mobile betting apps too.

Best Sports Betting Sites in South Africa

It is often the case that South Africans will be joining an online bookmaker with the intention of betting on one particular sport due to their fondness or passion for that over any others.

As a result, below we have put together a selection of some of the best betting sites in South Africa for a range of different sports to help people to decide which one they join.

• Football: World Sports Betting, Hollywoodbets, Gbets, Betway and Sunbet.
• Rugby: BetXchange, World Sports Betting, Gbets, Sportingbet and Betway.
• Horse racing: Gbets, Sunbet, World Sports Betting, Betway and Sportingbet.
• Cricket: Betway, Sunbet, World Sports Betting, Gbets and Hollywoodbets.
• Golf: World Sports Betting, Sunbet, Gbets, Sportingbet and Betway.

Online Betting Laws in South Africa

Online betting laws in South Africa have long been far from easy to understand. The country has some of the strictest rules and regulations of the gambling industry of any nation in the world.

For a long time, all forms of betting were banned in the country. The exception to this rule was betting on horse racing, which for some reason was allowed. While this does not seem to make sense on the surface, it was a situation that remained in place for many years.

While the government changed betting rules in the 1990s to make them far more relaxed, this change proved to be short-lived when the relevant Act was swiftly repealed. As a result of this, gambling on online casino games such as roulette, slots, blackjack and poker was illegal.

However, online sports betting is now legal for sportsbooks with a license in South Africa. This means it is not just horse racing betting that is allowed in South Africa. Sports fans in SA can now place wagers on all of their favourite sports - from cricket and rugby to golf and football - safely and legally.

Of course, just because other forms of gambling are banned in the country by the online betting laws in South Africa does not mean they do not happen at all. There are various online casinos that aim to sign up South African players, even though they are at risk of being prosecuted.

Proposed changes to online betting laws in South Africa have been made various times in recent years. At one point, a bill was put forward that would have led to the legalising of online casino games, following in the footsteps of other countries such as the United Kingdom.

However, the plans to relax the industry's rules and regulations were met with a lot of opposition, including from lobbyists representing the offline gambling industry. With South Africa now home to a lot of large casino resorts, the operators of these sites are strongly against online games being legalised due to the massive impact that this would be expected to have on their business.

During the course of 2020, when bricks and mortar casinos had to close down as a result of the coronavirus crisis, there was plenty of speculation that online casinos could be legalised. This is a move various countries, such as the United States, have taken in recent years.

Among the benefits of more relaxed online betting laws in South Africa include the fact the industry would be able to contribute a much larger amount of money to the government in the form of taxation.

But the National Gambling Board issued a swift reminder about online betting laws in South Africa. It said in a statement: "To eliminate any uncertainty in this regard, the NGB wishes to make it emphatically clear that the answer to whether online or interactive gambling is legal in South Africa, is a simple and unequivocal NO with the exception of online sports betting."

For now, then, online betting laws in South Africa remain very strict. The only 100% legal online gambling in the country is to bet on sports such as horse racing, cricket and rugby.

Compliance with FICA

A good betting site should be operating legally in the country where it is operating. Different countries have different laws that they use to ensure that gambling does not become a menace. South Africa passed the Financial Intelligence Centre Act FICA in 2001 and operationalized the Act in 2003. The act was passed with the following objectives:

• Assist in the identification of the proceeds of unlawful activities
• Combat money laundering, and 
• Combat the financing of terrorist and related activities

To be deemed that you are compliant with FICA, you must have your identity and residence verified. These are done by providing copies of the same and once you are verified, you can undertake any transaction in most financial sectors.

What are FICA Documents?

FICA documents are documents that a person has to prove that they are legally in South Africa. The documents required to complete FICA verification include personal identity documents issued by a government and documents that prove that you are lawfully living in South Africa. It is important to note that you do u do not have to be a South African for the laws regarding verification to apply to you because this legislation applies to all legitimate residents. 

Identity documents 

These are documents that are issued by the government, or any other body authorized to issue them under the law. The documents are usually held under a common database, where they can be verified once a person presents them. These include:

• Smart card ID
• Green ID Book
• Valid Driver’s License
• A valid Passport

Where you have lost your documents, a sworn affidavit or police statement and proof of reapplication for an ID from the Department of Home Affairs is required, as well as proof of your income.

Proof of Residence Documents 

These are also important as they prove that you are legally in the country and have a place abode. The documents may be any of the following: 

• Documents showing your service bills, which should have been sent in the last 3 months 
• A bank statement that shows the financial transactions within the country undertaken in the last 3 months 
• Municipality rates and taxes invoices show the payments initiated by you, and they must also be 3 months old.

How to FICA in Betting 

In gambling, all bookmakers are expected to ensure that their clients have been verified before they can withdraw their winnings. This means that they are to submit their documents for verification. The process of submission is pretty similar, although there are a few variances. These are the ways through which you could FICA Identity:

1. Using the self-service portal of the betting sites. You just log in to your account and locate “My Profile” and navigate to the “FICA Documents” button where you upload the relevant documents. Wait for a confirmation email or SMS within 48 Hours confirming that your account has been verified. 
2. Send an Email to the relevant bookmaker’s email address that is available on the website.
3. Hand Delivery to the known offices of the bookies either in the regions or head office
4. Social media- you could send the same documents as messages, but you will need to confirm with your preferred betting company before sending. 

Step-By-Step Guide When Betting on South Africa Betting Sites