Playa Bets

Playa Bets South Africa Review (2023)

There are plenty of different sports betting sites available to South Africans, with Playa Bets among the many operators out there hoping to snap up a share of the audience.

Playa Bets combines sports betting with lotteries, live games and Bet Games, so those who decide to sign up for an account here have access to a lot of different gambling options.

And new users can make the most of the Playa Bets welcome bonus, which gives them a 100% deposit match bonus when they create an account, with the offer going up to R1000. There is also the chance to claim R50 in bonus bets when a user joins and bets R25 on sports.

Those promotions will no doubt earn Playa Bets a lot of attention among sports fans in South Africa who want to be able to bet on the big game of the day. But before committing to the site, they are likely to have questions such as about the history of the brand and any VIP deals.

Our complete review of Playa Bets for South African players has all the details, so read on.

Introduction to Playa Bets

While the Playa Bets online betting site has not been operational for as long as some of its main competitors in the industry, the company has a vast amount of experience in the sector.

Run by the Vаn dеr Vyvеr family, who have been involved in the betting world since the 1950s, Playa Bets also has bricks and mortar stores in KwaZulu-Natal as well as in the Western Cape.

While the Playa Bets online betting site is still regarded as quite new, users can therefore feel assured they are joining a company that certainly knows what it is doing in the gambling sector.

Online sports betting is fully legal in South Africa so players do not have to worry about breaking any rules if they create a Playa Bets account either. The site is licensed and regulated by the KZN Gambling and Betting Board, as well as both the Western Cape Gambling and the Racing Board and Eastern Cape Gambling and Betting Board as well. This covers all of the bases.

Playa Bets claims that it has paid out billions in prize money over the years and is regarded as one of the most trustworthy betting brands in South Africa as a result of this. And with more than a million sports betting opportunities every month, the variety on offer is unparalleled here.

Banking options that can be used to make deposits and withdrawals out of Playa Bets accounts include Visa and MasterCard credit cards, as well as Instant EFT, vouchers and many more.

Those joining Playa Bets can also download the site's mobile betting app for Android and iOS - we will have a full review of that later - so anyone who wants to bet on the move can do so. What else can new Playa Bets users expect if they sign up for an account? Let's take a look. 

Sportsbook

While there are other online gambling options at Playa Bets, most people will probably join this online betting site for the sportsbook, so we will start in that section for our complete review. At the Playa Bets online sportsbook, South African sports fans will be able to find a strong array of options, though horse racing appears to be a notable omission. Anyone who wants to be able to bet on the big race of the day may therefore want to consider joining Hollywoodbets instead.

As with many other top online sports betting sites in South Africa, football is the main sport to bet on at Playa Bets, with cricket, rugby union and tennis also very popular here. Esports betting is an area that many believe will come to dominate the world of sports betting and Playa Bets has made a big effort in this department, offering lots of betting markets on plenty of leading esports including Call of Duty, Dota 2, CS:GO, League of Legends, StarCraft, Rainbow Six and others.

For football betting, there were more than 600 different matches to bet on at the time this review was compiled, which will be more than enough choice for most soccer fans to get their teeth into. The Playa Bets football betting offering is solid with their odds some of the best around.

Among the promotions offered to those who bet on sport at Playa Bets is a boost for multiples. Those who place this type of wager on the site can get their odds improved by up to 30% and there are also special promotions and bet boosts for major competitions like Euro 2020 and the Copa America. Features such as cash-out are also included in the Playa Bets sportsbook.

Live in-play betting is a strength of the Playa Bets sportsbook. Even for a relatively low-profile football match in the AFC Champions League, the site had more than 150 different bets on offer for users to pick from during the action. Players also get access to a range of statistics, such as the number of shots that have been blocked in the game, to help them pick winning wagers. Data on offer also includes the head-to-head record between the sides, which most of the other leading online sports betting sites in South Africa do not offer, so Playa Bets has the edge here.

Naturally, South African sports fans will be very interested in the promotions, bonuses and offers they can get if they sign up for an account at Playa Bets. They are able to claim R50 in bonus bets when they sign up and bet R25 on sports at odds of 1/1 or more. However, users have to request the bonus bet to be added to their account via email, rather than it being put into play automatically. Players should also note they can only have one active bonus at any one time. Acca insurance is a popular sport betting promotion in South Africa these days. Playa Bets is among the sites to have this type of deal. Users who back a multiple bet on seven or more matches can get up to 10 times their money back in bonuses if just one leg of the bet loses. However, to get the 10x bonus players must bet on 21 or more teams at odds of at least 250/1.

The terms and conditions of the Playa Bets sportsbook promotions are restrictive compared to some other top sports betting sites in South Africa. Overall, though, the live in-play betting product at Playa Bets ensures this site is certainly worth joining for the country's sports fans.

Live Games

The sportsbook is just the first betting product offered to Playa Bets users, who can also take their pick from a range of fun live casino games on the site as well. Those who join Playa Bets can play various games live, such as poker, roulette, blackjack, baccarat and many more.

There is even a live casino game based on Monopoly that can be played at Playa Bets, as well as another based on the popular game show Deal or No Deal. Some of the other top live casino games at Playa Bets include Dream Catcher, Crazy Time, Mega Ball and Football Studio.

Various promotions are on the table for those who opt for Playa Bets live games too. There is a 15% deposit bonus up for grabs during happy hour, though again players have to email the site to get this boost. The maximum amount that can be claimed in bonuses in total is R1000. Playa Bets also gives users 15% back in bonus money on the first deposit that they make into their account on the site on public holidays in South Africa, which is a very nice perk.

The live games section on Playa Bets is also where users will be able to find Jika Sports. Ideal for when there is no live sporting action to bet on at the site, options here include motorsport, horse racing, table tennis and soccer, with Jika Sports likely to be very popular with users here.

Poker players will be able to pick from a few different options to show off their skills at the virtual table. All in all, the Playa Bets live games selection is fantastic and a top-selling point for the site.

Bet Games

Playa Bets Bet Games are also available for those who do not fancy the live games above. Many South Africans will have already tried Bet Games on other similar sites to Playa Bets, which has a very similar range of titles for its customers to pick from in this department.

Bet Games that can be played on the site include Andar Bahar and War on Bets, while there is even a game offered here based on Rock Paper Scissors. Dice games such as Dice Duel are likely to be among the most popular Bet Games at Playa Bets, while there are also a couple of poker variations to test out in this section too. Bet Games at Playa Bets start very regularly so there is always going to be some action for players to join when they create an account here.

Those who are new to Bet Games and unsure of how they work do not have to jump right in. In fact, Playa Bets allows any visitors to watch the live Bet Games taking place, which will allow them to see how they work and get a feel of what they are like before any bets need to be made.

Among the top reasons to try Playa Bets Bet Games is the Playa + Rewards Program, which is the site's version of a VIP scheme. Here, all users get added to the scheme automatically as Green members when they bet R1 or more per month. The top VIP tier sees users at Playa Bets given perks such as an R1000 birthday boost, as well as up to 10% back on losses too.

Lotteries

Along with Bet Games, the Playa Bets sportsbook and its range of live games, lotteries provide yet another betting option for any South Africans who proceed and sign up for an account here. Playa Bets has a few different lucky numbers games to pick from here, including a Keno option.

All types of lotteries from across the different corners of the globe are offered at Playa Bets. As an example, players can place bets on the outcome of lotteries from Russia, Italy, Spain, the UK, Greece and Ireland. Polish lotteries are offered too, as well as South African lotteries of course. It is even possible to gamble on the outcome of state lotteries from across the USA too.

Various different bets are offered in the lotteries section at Playa Bets. This part of the site is very user-friendly too, which is handy for those who have never bet on a lottery before.

Lottery fans at Playa Bets can make the most of the sites refer to a friend scheme, which is yet another way for users to claim bonus bets. An R50 bonus is available for each friend that a Playa Bets customer is able to persuade to sign up for an account, add FICA documents and place bets to the value of R50 or more in real money - any wagers with bonus funds do not count.

As with the other bonus bets offered at Playa Bets, users do need to request that the promotion be applied to their account by sending an email to support@playabets.co.za, which adds a step.

Mobile Betting

For many South Africans, the best way to bet now is via a mobile device such as a smartphone or a tablet. Recent research has found that about 22 million South African adults have a smartphone these days and a lot of them will want to be able to place bets via these devices.

Luckily, Playa Bets is one of the top South African betting sites to have already launched their own mobile betting apps that can be downloaded onto smartphones. Available for both iOS and Android, functions of the Playa Bets mobile app include users being given the chance to choose their favourite leagues and matches to make it easier to find them when opening up the app.

Those with iOS devices can get the Playa Bets mobile app directly from the App Store. However, Android users will have to instead get the app from the Playa Bets site itself. First, they might have to make a small change in their device settings to allow installing applications outside the Google Play store, then it is a case of getting the apk file from Playa Bets.

The process should not take long to complete and it is well worth it. The Playa Bets mobile app for iOS and Android does absolutely everything that users would need and the experience is very sound. Bets can be placed rapidly - including on live in-play action across various sports - so there is really no reason why any South African sports fans should not get this mobile app. The Playa Bets iOS and Android mobile betting apps are for sure some of the best in South Africa.