- The Online gambling market in South Africa is predicted to achieve ZAR 828.50m revenue in 2024
- Hollywoodbets is the most popular betting site in South Africa
- Online gambling was legalised throughout South Africa back in 2004
Over the past decade, online gambling has exploded around the world. Interestingly, a large percentage of this growth has been driven by South Africa, where online gambling is now big business. Over the past year, 49% of South Africans have placed a sports bet, which is almost half of the population. Of these people, 90% of them placed their bets online, showcasing that South Africa has embraced online gambling with open arms.
Why is online gambling popular in South Africa?
There are many exciting reasons why online gambling has taken over South Africa in recent years. If you’re wondering what these reasons are, here’s an overview of the key driving forces that you might not have been previously aware of.
Free sign-ups with minimum deposit betting sites
The number one reason behind the rise of online gambling in South Africa has been free sign-ups with minimum deposit betting sites. Now, anyone in South Africa can visit minimumdepositbettingsites.com and choose from a variety of online betting sites with low minimum deposits, including the likes of Hollywoodbets and Betway. The benefit of this is that first-time players don’t have to deposit much money at the beginning. Instead, they can play with a small budget while still gaining access to good odds. For example, Hollywoodbets has a minimum deposit requirement of R100, which is easily affordable for most sports bettors in South Africa.
Increased smartphone usage
It’s no secret that gambling is now predominantly an online activity — and this has largely been driven by increased smartphone usage. Now, between 20 and 22 million South Africans use a smartphone. Naturally, this has led to a giant increase in mobile sports gambling and mobile casino games, with many experts predicting that this trend will continue for decades to come in South Africa.
Live sports viewership
South Africa loves live sports. Fans use platforms like DStv to regularly watch all of their favourite sports, including football, cricket, and rugby. While watching these sports, they then get some extra entertainment by betting on the action. Whenever there’s a big sporting event, such as the World Cup, betting numbers normally reach sky-high levels in South Africa, as it’s an activity that is very much part of sports culture in the rainbow nation.
Fun online casino games
Another big reason behind South Africa’s enjoyment for online gambling has been the introduction of fun online casino games. Tropez Casino, the most popular online casino in South Africa, is the most popular option and offers a 100% welcome bonus up to R30,000. Whether you join Tropez Casino or another popular option, you’ll be able play:
- Online slots
- Roulette
- Video poker and more
No matter which part of South Africa you live, all you have to do is choose an online casino that offers the casino game (or games) you like. And if you dive into the action, make sure you’re above the legal online gambling age of 18.
No legal barriers
Lastly, South Africa betting sites have gone from strength-to-strength because of a lack of legal barriers. Unlike other countries the United Arab Emirates and Japan, South Africa allows online gambling, meaning popular gambling sites don’t have to worry about legal barriers. This is also great news for players, as they no longer have to resort to using offshore gambling sites.