The Best Betting Sites in South Africa for 2024

Is Online Sports Betting Legal in South Africa?

South Africa has taken a mixed approach to online gambling. The wider industry, covering casinos, poker and bingo, was made illegal in the National Gambling Act of 2004. This included both provision of games and the participation in them. This was re-enforced in 2010 when a High Court judgment decided that games provided by companies based outside South Africa were also illegal.

The good news for sport bettors is betting on horse racing or online sportsbooks is not covered by this ban. You can choose from several domestic or international companies if you wish to bet online, and it is all perfectly legal. All online licenses issued within South Africa are done so by the gambling and racing boards of the nine provinces, the largest being Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board.

Horse Racing in South Africa

From 1965, the only legal betting allowed in South Africa was on track betting at horse races. With major races like the Summer Cup in Johannesburg and the Durban July, the ‘sport of kings’ still attracts wealthy South Africans to the 10 major tracks located across the country. Aside from this, other forms of gambling in South Africa were illegal and took place underground.

This changed in 1994, when the first post-apartheid government was elected and voted to legalize all forms of betting activities. This began on 2 March 2000, when the first lottery draw was made, followed by the approval of activities, including sports betting, in 2004. Now, you can find hundreds of betting shops throughout South Africa and even more outlets offering pari-mutuel betting.

Football betting is the largest market, followed closely by horse racing betting. The virtual sports market also enjoyed an enormous boost in 2020 when the COVID virus put a halt to many traditional sports.

Only Sports Betting is Legal

You may have heard that sports betting in South Africa is illegal, but that’s not true. In fact, sports betting is the exception to the rule – other forms of gambling are illegal, but there are no restrictions on activities like rugby betting and cricket betting.

When there was some debate about certain casino games being legal or illegal in South Africa, the National Gaming Board clarified things and made it crystal clear that sports betting is 100% legal when they said: “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.”

The Best Sports Betting Apps for South Africans

Online betting in South Africa is very modern, with a huge proportion of players now preferring to bet on mobile. This is especially true when you consider that only sports betting is legal, and in-play bets are traditionally placed on smartphones.

Android has the more popular product for mobile betting with nearly 90% of the customer base, so if you’re an Android user you’re immediately at an advantage. If you use the same site regularly, you’ll want to consider downloading a sports betting app.

However, if you’re not keen on apps, accessing these same sites via your mobile browser is perfectly fine. Most South African betting sites are mobile optimised, which means the site recognises you’re on a phone or tablet and edits the layout to make things easier for you.

Taxation for South African Sports Bettors

As of May 2012, winnings from recreational betting are not subject to income tax, but the safest option is still to declare winnings to SARS as non-taxable income. If you’re a professional gambler, meaning gambling is your primary source of income, you will be subject to tax. But for most of you, your winnings will not be taxed.

The tax which applies to bettors is a 6% VAT deduction, which applies to all horse racing winnings.

The Future of Sports Betting in South Africa

The National Gambling Amendment Act of 2008 has tried to establish legal online gambling in South Africa, although it has been actively opposed by anti-gambling groups and land-based casinos. The good news is, sports betting is 100% legal in South Africa, as clarified by the National Gaming Board.

While sports betting remains legal, the country’s gambling laws impact which companies can advertise, as many international sites have interests in casino and poker. As the amendment gets worked through different legal stages, there may also be changes to the online landscape in South Africa which may affect online sportsbooks.

Currently, this seems unlikely and a long way off, which means the online sports betting industry in South Africa is free to grow. If your focus is on online sports betting in South Africa, and not casino games, then you’ve got nothing to worry about.