South Africa Casinos
South African Online Casinos
South Africa is a tricky country when it comes to online betting. While online gambling with ZAR can be done, in theory, from any country, what are the chances of players in the currency’s homeland getting online and having a spin of the reels?
As it turns out, South Africa is a country that makes it hard for players to gamble legally online, but it isn’t impossible. All you need is the right sort of casino to do the job, and our team has put together an impressive list of those for you to choose from. Whether you want to play at a major offshore casino catering to international players, or a betting that caters almost exclusively to players in the African country, there is something for you here.
Allow us to introduce you to South Africa’s gambling laws, the great games they offer, deposit methods that are available to you, and of course, top sites catering to South African players. We’ll begin by introducing you to a handful of our best real money online casinos for South Africans below.
Best Real Money Online Casinos for South African Players
Online Gambling Laws in South Africa
As mentioned, South Africa is a tricky country when it comes to legal betting options. Is online casino gambling legal in South Africa? If so, where can you find legal gambling sites in South Africa, and what form do they take? Join us as we explore the laws you need to know.
Officially, the law you really need to know is the Remote Gambling Bill of 2014. This establishes a similar pathway to the Australian Interactive Gambling Act of 2001. Of course, we don’t expect you to know what that means, so we’ll tell you:
The Remote Gambling Act of 2014 states that to offer legal services, legit ZAR online casinos must obtain a gambling license from the National Gambling Board of South Africa. They are only allowed to provide services in the province they are licensed in, not nationally. Moreover, the licenses only cover games of chance. Lastly, it states that players must wager with cash in hand, not credit, such as bank cards with overdrafts.
Thus far, everything sounds as though online betting should be legal in South Africa, right? Wrong. South Africa’s Remote Gambling Bill of 2014 remains a draft. It has not been passed through, and because of this, online gambling is technically still illegal in the African country. The exception to this rule is sports betting, where legal and licensed bookmakers and sportsbooks are in operation. They are not permitted to offer casino games, though.
What can South African players do if they want to bet online, then? Allow us to introduce you to several types of gambling sites and how you can bet at them below.
Online Casino
Online casinos are effectively illegal because the Remote Gambling Act of 2014 bill has still not been passed. Therefore, if you want to bet on casino games, you’re going to have to look beyond South Africa’s shores to offshore or international casino sites. These are not licensed in South Africa, but because of that, South African gambling regulation doesn’t apply to them. Yes, the South African authorities do try and shut out access to these sites with ISP blocks, but a decent VPN will get you access to any casinos that are geo-blocked, and most aren’t.
For now, legit South African online casinos consist purely of these international sites. However, many of them offer the South African rand currency and have payment methods that are well suited for players in the country.
Online Poker
We’ve looked at casinos, so what about poker? Well, online poker is a game that is not really tolerated right now. It is a game of skill, and games of skill aren’t any more legal than games of chance. You can visit online poker rooms if you fancy having a crack at the cards, but again, these will have to be offshore poker rooms, as South Africa’s National Gambling Board hasn’t yet had the authority to administer gambling licenses to operators save for sports betting.
Online Sports Betting
As touched on, sports betting is wholly legal in South Africa. The laws behind sports betting are akin to those that the government wants to put in place for all forms of internet betting. In short, sportsbooks are locally licensed in each province and can cater to all South Africans living in those provinces. There are bookmakers who are licensed in every province (or near enough), and these are as close to nationally licensed bookies as you’re going to get. Fortunately, a wealth of offshore sportsbooks also cater to South Africans to fancy a punt on sports.
Online Lottery
Lottery games are permitted in South Africa, and these fall under the same state rules as online sportsbooks and sports betting. These are licensed, governed and regulated by the National Gambling Board of South Africa, and each province has the right to take full control over its own local lotteries. Lotteries cannot be played online in South Africa, though. If you wish to partake in international lotteries, you can do that via offshore sites.
Online Bingo
Online bingo is not overly popular in South Africa. It is not deemed to be the same type of game as lotteries, even though that is the case in most other countries. As a result, if you wish to play online bingo in South Africa, you will once again have to visit an offshore bingo room for the time being.
South Africa Gambling History
As you might imagine, gambling laws and the history of gambling in South Africa is something of a muddled affair. What you really need is a website that can straighten it all out for you. Below, our team has done exactly. Let’s take a brief look at some of the most important moments in the gambling history of South Africa.
- 1673: The Dutch arrive in South Africa and bring a few gambling games with them. Gambling will remain largely low scale for the next few hundred years.
- 1965: Despite being “illegal” for almost a century, South African finally commits to putting its first Gambling Act to paper. The new law states that save for horse racing, all forms of betting and gambling are illegal.
- 1970s: Land-based casinos first start to appear in some provinces. During an age of apartheid, brick-and-mortar gambling venues in native lands were not welcoming to white South Africans, and so-called “white casinos” were equally as dismissive to their counterparts.
- 1995: Unregulated gambling leads to over 2,000 casinos (most of which were illegal) being run in the country. Most consist of nothing more than a back room. New laws come into place the following year, as the National Gambling Act requires any proprietor of gambling activities to obtain a license. This leads to the legalisation of casino and lottery games under license. Again, horse racing is made an exception. The demand to obtain licenses sees the number of casinos fall.
- 2004: South African finally gets to grips with online gambling, which has steadily risen since the early days of the internet. However, rather than regulate it, South Africa opts to slap an outright ban on internet betting.
- 2008: South Africa decides that it wants to legalise online betting. However, the exact nature of doing so proves problematic.
- 2014: It takes a further six years for the Remote Gambling Act of 2014 to come together. However, despite setting forth the ground to legalise and regulate online betting, the bill never makes it through, leading online gambling in South Africa to become a grey zone for many. This is the current state of play.
Future Online Gambling Trends in South Africa.
As we’ve consistently stated, while structured, the Remote Gambling Act of 2014 has not yet passed. For this reason, we would expect that at some point in the future, playing online slots for real money and winning ZAR at casinos should become an eventuality before too long. However, we would stress that it is also possible for the South African government to continually kick this bill into the long grass until it either dies entirely or another new bill is drafted to succeed it. At this moment in time, things could go in any direction.
Is It Safe to Gamble at A ZAR Online Casino?
South African authorities may only really regulate local sportsbooks, but there are some established operators out there who cater to South African players. For instance, it is not impossible to find safe online casinos in South Africa that are licensed out of Malta or Curacao, and possibly even the United Kingdom.
These types of casinos are regulated to varying degrees, but if you choose one of our recommended sites, you can rest assured that you’re playing at a safe betting domain that also promotes responsible gambling.
How to Choose the Best Online Casino?
Given that it is imperative that you choose a safe casino, where do you start? Our team consistently checks South African online casinos to ensure that they fit the bill in terms of betting options, safety, security, licenses and more. Of course, you are always free to do this hard work for yourself. However, simply checking the online gambling reviews of the South African casinos that we have for you here is a great way to start, too.
Read about each of the sections and criteria that make up the most trusted online casinos for South African players below, as we walk you through them…
Casino Bonuses
Any casino worth playing at will carry bonuses that are available in South African rand. On top of that, they will be worth claiming – with fair sums of cash available and reasonable terms and conditions, such as wagering requirements. Lastly, there should be a good range of bonuses, ranging from free spins to cash deposit deals, welcome bonuses, loyalty rewards and more.
Games and Software
You’re going to want to play a host of games at top South African casinos. This means that you should hope to see slots, table games (of both RNG and live dealer varieties), instant win titles, video poker and more. Furthermore, those games should come from a myriad of software providers. The more gambling games a casino has to offer (from a greater array of providers), the less likely you are to grow bored while betting.
The Reputation of the Casino
The reputation of a casino naturally matters. Our team carefully puts each casino through its pace to establish our own take on its reputation. However, what we think and what others feel may be different. Therefore, we regularly check out others’ opinions on our casinos, we scout around for player feedback, and, more crucially, complaints. Together this can all be amalgamated to get a good idea of the real reputation a casino has.
Casino Customer Support
If you need support and assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out for it. Any casino our team recommends should be equipped with an FAQ guide and email assistance at the very least. Although, most of our top domains also provide help and assistance by live chat. These should be as close to around the clock services as possible and always be free of charge.
Payment Methods
South African players need to use the ZAR currency when betting online. This will make things easier for them and allow them to avoid hidden charges like currency conversion fees and dodgy exchange rates. Moreover, the types of payment methods accepted at casinos must also facilitate ZAR transactions, so a nifty range of South African banks, e-wallets and card payment options is the minimum we would expect to see.
Online Casino Games Available for South African Players
Many South African players choose casinos based on the games they offer. For this reason, it is worth taking a closer look at the best online casino games in South Africa. What should they consist of? Do online casinos that accept South African players carry all the biggest hits from the likes of Microgaming and NetEnt? Here’s what you need to know:
- For the most part, South African casinos regularly support several hundred games
- Games come from established providers, such as NetEnt and more
- Progressive jackpot games can be found online
- New online casino games in South Africa regularly debut
- Some smaller, in-house, and proprietary games are often available
- Most gambling games can be played for free or with real ZAR stakes
Online Slots
Online slots in South Africa span most of the types of games you would imagine playing. For instance, classic slots, video slots, MegaWays games, progressive jackpot slots, and Cluster Pays games are all popular slot machines in South Africa.
Online Blackjack
Blackjack is one of the more popular internet table games you can find in the country, and there is no shortage of gambling players who play blackjack online for real money in South Africa. Notable games include Classic, European, Switch and Perfect Pairs variants.
Online Roulette
Roulette is another popular table game amongst South Africans. The best online roulette gambling sites in South Africa should offer you American, French, and European roulette variants but also live dealer equivalents.
Live Dealer Games
Speaking of live dealer games, what types of live casino games can you play online in South Africa? These typically consist of baccarat, blackjack, and roulette but may also be extended to money-wheel, game show, poker, dice, and other table games.
Other Online Casino Games
If none of the above tickles your fancy and you want to play alternative casino games, you can do. South African casinos are also known for hosting dice games, instant win and fixed odds games, scratch cards and keno – some may also offer lottery and bingo games to boot.
Most Popular Casino Software in South Africa
As you can see, there are quite a few software providers dishing out games to South African players. Microgaming casinos in South Africa are a reality, and there is no shortage of top, safe and RNG certified games at the best NetEnt casinos in South Africa. What about other providers, though?
Here is a quick look at the most popular casino software providers in South Africa:
- Amatic Industries
- BetSoft Gaming
- Just for the Win
- Microgaming (and Quickfire)
- NetEnt
- NextGen Gaming
- NYX Interactive
- Playson
- Pragmatic Play
- Quickspin
- Real Time Gaming
- Red Tiger Gaming
- Rival Gaming
- Thunderkick
- Tom Horn Gaming
- Wazdan
- Yggdrasil Gaming
Banking Information for ZAR Players
Popping money into your account should be simplistic. A great number of online casinos in South Africa accept VISA Debit, credit cards, MasterCard and other card and bank payment options. Finding South African online casinos with PayPal is tricky, though.
Let’s look at the typical payment providers that are available, as well as a few things you need to note:
- South Africans tend to prefer bank transfer and card deposit options.
- Some e-wallets (such as PayPal) aren’t regularly available to South African bettors.
- When depositing with ZAR, you should experience no added fees.
- Pay-by-phone options can only be used for deposits; the same is true of prepaid vouchers.
- It can take up to five days to receive your winnings from some casinos.
- Wire transfers may come with added fees, such as transaction charges.
- You will likely need to clear a KYC process before processing withdrawals, and withdrawal caps may be in place and vary from site to site.
Once you are ready to deposit (or withdraw), you’ll find the following options available often, including:
- VISA
- MasterCard
- Bank Transfer (EasyEFT)
- SID Instant Electronic Bank Transfer
- Entropay
- Skrill
- Paysafecard
- Neteller
- Pay-by-Phone Options
- EcoPayz
Cryptocurrencies
Many South African casinos also permit cryptocurrency deposits. You can typically use Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Litecoin, Bitcoin cash and Tether (USDT) for these, although other cryptocurrencies may be accepted depending on where you play. Why bet with BTC and other options at South African casinos? Here’s why…
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They are typically faster for processing withdrawals than FIAT options
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They offer a touch more anonymity, which is ideal in a country where gambling is often illegal
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You can claim BTC and crypto bonuses at many top South African betting sites
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The overall experience of betting with cryptos is no different than betting with ZAR
Mobile Gaming in South Africa
Most South African casinos are set up to handle mobile gaming from the off, irrespective of whether you prefer to play slots on iOS or Android devices. Online gambling apps in South Africa aren’t necessary, as websites are built in HTML5. This means that you simply need to use your device’s web browser to visit a mobile casino in South Africa to play.
South African Online Casino Bonuses & Promo Codes
When you get started at top South African casinos, you can typically claim a wealth of bonuses, many of which are available to claim in ZAR. However, you only want to claim the best bonus at online casinos in South Africa. These are the types of deals our team has put together for you in our casino reviews. They will typically come with low wagering requirements, low minimum deposit limits, and high win caps (if any at all.)
Our team double-checks to ensure that any South African online casino bonus codes you need to enter are clearly marked, and if not, where you can obtain that information. We also explain how the terms and conditions for each bonus work, so you won’t be caught short struggling to claim an offer.
Allow us to introduce you to some of the hottest, most regularly occurring casino bonuses in South Africa below:
No Deposit Bonuses
When you play at online casinos for the very first time, you might fancy a risk-free offer. That is what a no deposit casino in South Africa provides. Become a new South African player at no deposit casinos to claim a small sum of cash or a few free spins on the house, with the potential there for you to win real money.
Deposit Match
If you like what a South African casino has to offer, then claiming a first deposit bonus at a casino in South Africa could be advised. Most of these sites have welcome bonuses that expand to several deposits. However, whether you wish to claim a single deposit offer or multiple deals, you should always ensure that the South African online casinos you join come with low deposit terms for those bonuses.
Free Spins
Free spins literally do what they say on the tin for all intents and purposes. Offered at an online casino either as a free sign-up bonus with no deposit required for South Africans or as a loyalty offer, they allow you to spin the reels of top slots for free and potentially pocket some real money winnings.
Reload Bonuses
Working in much the same way as a typical welcome bonus, the reload bonus can see you claim a sum of money when you deposit into your account. These deals may be daily, weekly, monthly, or even less regularly occurring, but they provide a chunk of change in exchange for depositing into your account.
New Online Casinos in South Africa
It may be tempting to choose the best, most experienced, and already established online casinos. However, our team regularly looks at new South Africa online casinos, too. If you want to sign up at a vibrant, new, mobile optimised internet betting site primed for South African gameplay, then regularly check back, and see the casinos recently added to our collection. Furthermore, we continually revisit the sites we’ve already given a thumbs up to, to ensure that they are still meeting the strict requirements we ask of them. With our recommended casinos, you can rest assured that you’re playing with the very best.
FAQs
If you still have a few questions about South African casinos and the many things they offer, we’re here to help with our FAQ guide below.
