South African Online Betting Guide & Legal Sportbooks 2024

2024‘s Top 8 South African Betting Sites Compared & Ranked

Before we continue with our guide about the top betting sites in South Africa, we would like to advise you that all operators featured on this page are legal and licensed by the National Gambling Board. In the coming topics, we will be covering the most notable features that you can take advantage of while betting on sports, such as bonuses, safety, cashouts, odds, betting markets, and more.

Summary of 2024‘s Best SA Betting Sites

Many criteria need to be considered when picking the best sites for betting in SA. Different operators specialise in various aspects in which they excel more than the competition. Of course, in the end, it comes down to the player’s personal preference when picking from the online betting sites in SA.

If you value having access to the widest variety of sports, then you will surely find what you are looking for in our list of the best sports betting sites in South Africa. Others may prefer having the opportunity to pick from a wide range of bet types, which can also be found when you join one of the best sites for sports betting in South Africa. You can also focus on the most generous bonuses, payment methods, or even the online sportsbook with the quickest payouts.

If you decide to join any of the best online betting sites in South Africa, then you will have the opportunity to enjoy placing wagers on some of the most popular sports among South African players. The most notable sports include football, rugby, cricket, basketball, boxing, golf, cycling, and more. Stick with us as next, we cover the legal information surrounding online gambling and sports betting in general in the country.

Is Online Betting Legal in South Africa?

We would like to advise you that our reader’s safety is our prime concern. That is why, before we show any operators in our guide, our team of experts thoroughly checks the platform and confirms that it is legal and safe. Online sports betting has been legal in South Africa since 2021. Before that, all forms of online gambling were illegal. The bookies featured in this guide operate legally on the territory of South Africa.

In the table above, we have listed the most notable regulators and auditing organisations that you can find ensuring your safety and security while playing at South African betting sites. When we look for SA betting sites to feature in our guides, we first confirm that they are holders of a licence issued by the National Gambling Board or any other legal local regulator. The same organisations will also be responsible for licensing an online casino in South Africa.

Once we confirm that the operator has a valid licence number, we go over the platform and look for other signs that this operator is legit. We look for awards, partnerships with sports teams, partnerships with responsible gambling authorities, SSL encryption and seals of approval by independent auditors.

The Best Live Betting Sites in SA

Most of the best sites for betting in SA will offer great features and technology to their players. In this section, we would like to cover live betting. Also known as in-play betting, this is very popular among South African players. Seasoned punters usually look especially for this feature when they pick which one of the available SA betting sites they should choose.

We recognise just how important this feature is for SA punters. Having a premium selection of operators with in-play markets is crucial if an operator is to be considered one of the best betting sites in South Africa. In the table below, you can find the best online betting sites in South Africa that offer in-play betting along with a wide range of live betting markets:

When you join one of the best sites for betting in SA that support live betting, you can easily navigate to the in-play betting part of the platform. The operators that also offer live streaming of games will have an intuitive interface, which will easily allow you to switch between live events.

The odds will be updated nearly in real-time in most cases. You will also have access to various types of bets. Once you have a confirmed account with the operator, you can view the scheduled live betting sporting events and get notifications before they start.

The Top South Africa Bookie for Cash Out

Another crucial part of the top betting sites in South Africa is that nearly all of them offer you the Cash Out feature. This will allow you to close a bet at any time. Some operators even support Auto Cash Out, which you can set up to close a bet if a specific criterion is reached.

It is quite popular among South African players to use the Cash Out feature when they play. The benefit that this function gives you is to cut your losses or close a bet while you are ahead. This means that this is yet another great tool to maximise your profits while playing at the best sites for sports betting in South Africa.

The Top Betting Sites with a Welcome Bonus for SA Players

Promotions are some of the best ways to enhance your gambling experience and prolong your play session. While various types of offers are available at the best betting sites in South Africa, the most sought-after one among SA players is the welcome bonus. It is only available for new punters that join the platform for the first time.

All of the South African betting sites we have shared in this guide have great new player offers that will help you have enough starting funds to kick-start your sports betting journey. Except for the welcome bonus, you can find other offers, such as free bets, deposit match offers, odds boosts, and risk-free bets. Below, you will find one of our top recommendations for a SA sports betting bonus offer:

Before you go ahead and claim a bonus at one of the betting online sites in SA, we would like to advise you that each offer comes with wagering requirements attached. These requirements, also known as rollover, will need to be completed before you can make a withdrawal. This is also applicable when you join betting sites with a free registration bonus in South Africa.

The welcome bonus we have showcased in the table above is a great example of a good new player promotional offer. The required minimum deposit amount for the bonus to be claimed is affordable and appeals to a wide spectrum of South African players. The validity period in which you can complete the turnover is in line with industry standards.

Best Betting Apps in South Africa

Another popular way to enjoy the best sites for sports betting in South Africa is through a mobile device. This is due to the convenience that mobile betting brings, having instant access no matter where you are. All sites for sports betting in South Africa that we have shared in this guide are mobile optimised and are accessible from your device’s web browser. Here is our recommended app for online betting in South Africa:

All you need is a relatively modern device that uses iOS or Android as its operating system. You can easily access the web-based app of an operator that allows you to play directly in your browser. Some of the top betting sites in SA also have a dedicated betting app that you can download and install on your device.

Sports Betting Markets Available to South African Punters

In this section, we would like to cover which sports and markets are featured at the best betting sites in South Africa. We would like to mention that diversity is crucial for any reputable online sportsbook. This is because South African players enjoy various types of sports and are looking for many opportunities to place a wager.

You will find a wide range of sports available at the best sports betting sites in South Africa. You can bet on South Africa’s most popular sports, such as football, rugby, cricket, golf, basketball, and boxing. Rest assured that you will be able to find the most popular major sporting events and championships. If you’re looking for an operator that excels in a specific feature, then you can check out the best-betting sites in South Africa by market.

Popular Sports in South Africa

eSports Betting Markets

In the table above, we have listed the top betting sites in South Africa that offer eSports. We have also added information on how many markets are available for the top 3 competitive games: CS: GO, League of Legends and Dota2. Just like with betting on sports, you can place a wager on the outcome of an event, place over/under bets and use outrights. Handicap bets are rarely seen in this category of sports.

Bet Types in South African Sports Sites

What is great about playing at the best sites for sports betting in South Africa is that you can not only pick the sporting event that you want, but you can also fine-tune your wagers as you like in order to gain a better advantage. This is because the showcased in this guide online betting sites in SA will give you the opportunity to bet on almost any component of a sporting event, not just the final outcome.

You will have a wide range of bet types that you can take advantage of and combine to maximise your profit. Except for betting on who will win or on a draw, you will be able to make over/under bets and handicap bets at the top South African betting sites.

You can even place outright bets if you’re very confident in a team or player that you think will be the overall winner in a set competition. Additionally, there are plenty of other popular betting types that are available, such as both teams to score (btts), Asian handicaps, correct score, first half/second half, and more.

The Betting Sites with the Best Odds in South Africa

Another way to maximise your winnings while playing at the best betting sites in South Africa is to pick an operator with the lowest profit margins. If you’re into horse racing and greyhound racing, then some betting sites will provide you with a Best Odds Guaranteed promotion. Below, you will see the best online betting sites in South Africa ranked based on their profit margins:

We would like to advise you that the profit margin percentages that you see in the table above represent the overall statistic when all sports are considered. These percentages imply how much you can expect the online sportsbook to charge you for taking your bet.

The Highest Odds for Football

The Highest Odds for Rugby

The Top Payment Methods for Online Betting

Except for your safety and variety of betting markets, when you join any of the betting sites in SA, you should consider the available payment methods. You must have a convenient way to deposit and withdraw in order to have the best experience. Fortunately, all of the best sites for betting in SA that we’ve covered have a wide range of banking options available. Here they are:

While making deposits at your preferred sports betting site in South Africa is instantaneous, withdrawals will take longer to process. Depending on your chosen method, it can take between 24 hours and 5 working days. Most operators have some limits applied for withdrawals based on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. We recommend always double-checking with your financial provider and the betting site for any limits or fees.

Conclusion: Excellent Variety and Great Opportunities

As our guide about the best betting sites in South Africa is coming to an end, we would like to give you a short overview of what we mentioned until now. All operators for sports betting in South Africa that we have listed will offer you hundreds of betting markets, the most popular sports and various types of bets that you can use to maximise your rewards.

We again would like to remind you always to confirm if the operator is legal and licensed by your local authority or the National Gambling Board. Also, you should look for other signs that confirm the safety of the platform, such as SSL encryption, a partnership with the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation and certificates by independent auditors. If we have piqued your interest with this article, below we have other interesting gambling-related articles for South African players.

Frequently Asked Questions

In this section, we would like to showcase the most popular queries that South African players have about betting sites in SA. You can go ahead and take a look at every question and its answer to solidify your knowledge. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any other queries.