Betting Sites South Africa

Online betting in South Africa is experiencing huge growth and gambling in the country is huge – over 80% of people in South Africa buy a lottery ticket each week. Betting in South Africa is relatively new. On-track betting on horse races was the only legal form of gambling in the country until 1996. The Gambling Act of 1996 is widely seen as the start of modern betting in the country as it led to the start of legal sports betting in the country.

Fast forward a few years, and online betting is legal and is now widely available for South Africans, providing operators hold a license issued by any of the nine provinces that can grant them. There are dozens of licensed online bookmakers in South Africa and our guides to the best betting sites will help you work out which bookie you want to open an account with.

We look at everything that a bookmaker has to offer – from free bet offers, to the sports available to bet on, to customer service, payment methods and more!
    South Africa Betting Facts
  • South Africa Betting Sites
  • Best South Africa Bookmakers
  • Best South Africa Bookmakers for Football
  • Best new Online Bookmakers in South Africa
  • Top South Africa Online Bookies
  • South Africa Betting Site FAQs

Best South Africa Bookmakers

Online betting in South Africa is more popular than ever and there are a wide range of licensed betting sites available.

Sun International’s Sunbet is arguably the leader in South Africa when it comes to land-based bookmakers, but online, Sunbet has competition from a number of betting sites with a license to operate.
Foreign operators wanting to obtain a sports betting license to operate in South Africa need to comply with a lengthy list of conditions laid down by the licensing authorities.

There are tough punishments for those who engage in illegal online betting in South Africa, so if you are looking for the best betting sites in South Africa, you have come to the right place as every bookmaker listed on this page is legal, licensed and safe to bet with.

When it comes to picking South Africa’s top bookmakers, the best betting sites currently out there have a fairly similar offering when it comes to betting on the most popular sports, with all giving you a wide range of markets to bet on when it comes to football, rugby and cricket.

As well as covering that trio of sports – which is unsurprising given their popularity in the country – the best South African bookies also offer extensive markets for other sports such as tennis, golf and US Sports.

Horse racing is also popular in South Africa and you’ll find betting available for all major races and meeting, with Greyville, Scottsville, Fairview, Kenilworth, Durbanville, Vaal, Flamingo Park, and Turffontein all covered, in addition to major racing events taking place in other countries such as the Cheltenham Festival in the United Kingdom.

A number of the top bookmakers in South Africa also offer live in-play betting.

Our bookmaker reviews on this page, along with our star rating for each bookie, will give you full insight into betting on their websites. Our list of the best betting sites does change from time to time as we are continually reviewing what each bookie has to offer. Likewise, we regularly review new betting sites once they are licensed and have launched.

Punters in South Africa will want to know which betting sites allow them to play in their local currency, the South African Rand. Of course, the majority of major international bookmakers have ZAR listed as a currency. Some betting sites accept South Africa Rand even if they are unavailable for residents of South Africa, so it is worth checking that you are able to play at the website in your country.

By using our comparison tool, you can quickly change the currency filter to find out the betting sites offering South African Rand, and also find out the payment methods available including various e-wallets such as Neteller and Skrill.

Best South Africa Bookmakers for Football

Football betting in South Africa is big, big business. Football is the most popular sport in the country and as well as following domestic clubs, there is huge interest in overseas competitions such as the Premier League and La Liga, with teams such as Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona having huge support in the country.

The majority of legal sports betting sites in South Africa have a good range of odds and markets relating to all major football competitions.

Sportingbet is one of the strong performers in the country, offering a good free bet bonus when you join them in addition to highly competitive odds on most football matches.

We’re fans of 888sport and Ladbrokes as well when it comes to betting on football, with all offering live in-play betting and a range of regular bookie specials for both new and existing customers. The specials may include big price boosts on a football match (sometimes as big as 66/1 for a particular team to win), or money back if your bet on a selected market loses!

Our comparison tables will tell you about the South African betting sites offering the best odds and bookie specials, as well as those with live streaming, strong customer service, and quick withdrawals.

Best new Online Bookmakers in South Africa

With more and more betting sites entering the sports betting market in South Africa, deciding where to open an account can seem to be overwhelming. However, our list of bookmakers in South Africa and the new betting sites opening up in the country makes it easy for punters to see all the options available to them before opening an account.

We don't list every licensed betting site in South Africa, however the ones that are mentioned on this page are fully licenced and have been evaluated and tested by our team.

The majority of betting sites in South Africa listed on this page cover a similar range of sports, so new bookmakers trying to make a name for themselves often try and find a niche or a different angle compared to the competition. This could be in the form of a larger free bet offer than competitors are offering, or the launch of a special promotion code linked to a free bet.

New South African betting websites may also look to offer better odds than their competition, while some look to offer an increased number of markets when it comes to betting on things such as eSports and Virtual Sports, which are rising in popularity.

On this page, we only list new South African betting sites with a licence to operate in the country. If you’re not in South Africa and are looking for a new bookie, we also have plenty of information on new betting sites in your country.

Top South Africa Online Bookies

There are a number of licensed bookmakers in South Africa. We’ve scored some higher than others and naturally, we have our favourites.

Although you may disagree with the scores we give some bookmakers, hopefully you’ll find that our bookie reviews provide full information to betting with one of the various operators in South Africa.
Our reviews tell you about the best betting sites in South Africa overall, and also tell you about the best South Africa bookies for free bets, as well as those scoring highly for customer service, offering a wide range of payment methods, and much more.

For a South African bookmaker to be considered one of the best, they need to offer betting on a wide range of sports, and we’ve got lists of the sports available at each betting site. Our guides provide you with a full rundown on the various payment options available – from traditional banking methods such as bank transfer and credit cards through to e-Wallets such as Neteller, plus we’ll tell you which South Africa bookmakers are fastest to pay out your winnings, which offer the best odds, and which have other features such as Cash Out, which is popular with punters around the world.

South Africa Betting Site FAQs

Can I get a sign up bonus with a South African betting site?

A number of online bookmakers in South Africa offer sign up bonuses for new customers. We have a full list of free bet offers for betting sites operating in South Africa including Sunbet, World Sports Betting, Ladbrokes and Sportingbet.

Can I use Neteller on South African betting sites?

A number of licensed online bookmakers in South Africa accept payment from e-wallets, including Neteller and Skrill. In order to bet at a legal and licensed online bookmaker in South Africa, you must be a South African resident.

Is online gambling legal in South Africa?

Online gambling in South Africa is relatively new but has been legal ever since the 1996 National Gambling Act was passed in 1996. Following a new Gambling Act passed in 2004 and the Amendment Act of 2008, the market is getting closer and closer to a fully regulated form.

Is Hollywoodbets legal in South Africa?

Hollywoodbets is legal in South Africa and is based in Durban. As well as operating in South Africa, Hollywoodbets can also be accessed in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as in Mozambique. Hollywoodbets offers betting on horse racing, football, cricket, rugby, tennis, motorsport and more.

Is bet365 legal in South Africa?

A number of betting sites are available in South Africa but unfortunately bet365 no longer operates in the country. This page will be updated if bet365 South Africa becomes available, so be sure to bookmark it!