In recent years, numerous new betting sites have emerged in the South African online betting market. Due to the large number of bookmakers, it has become difficult for punters to stay updated. Our team of betting experts at CompleteSports has dedicated time to researching the South African online betting scene to identify the best betting sites. After a comprehensive research process, we have pinpointed the top betting sites in South Africa.
In this article, we cover topics on the best betting sites, their pros and cons, how to choose a betting site that suits your preferences, the best welcome bonuses, the best free spins, and much more. If you don’t have the time to read through all of this, we recommend reviewing our list of the top betting sites, registering with them and playing to win real money.
Best Betting Sites in South Africa
Here’s a list of the best betting sites in South Africa today. We only include sites with easy registration, valid gaming licenses and a good user experience.
Our Picks for the top betting sites in SA
Below is a summary as to why each of these betting sites have been rated highly. Visit the individual bookmaker review pages to read the thoughts of the completesports betting experts.
Hollywoodbets
Hollywoodbets is not only the premier betting site in South Africa but it is also the largest online bookie in the country. There is something for everyone as there is an extensive sportsbook available as well as the ever popular range of Spina Zonke games.
| Pros | Cons |
| Largest betting brand | Poor welcome bonus |
| Excellent range of promotional offers | |
| Hundreds of live Spina Zonke games |
Betway
This bookmaker is one of the household name for South African punters. They are packed with an excellent range of casino games,an amazing sports market and very competitive odds. Betway SA has a great R1000 welcome bonus that can be chosen for sports or casino games.
| Pros | Cons |
| Choice of sports or casino welcome bonus | Limited number of promotions on site |
| Superbly designed mobile app | |
| 24/7 Customer support |
10Bet
10Bet is one of the newer betting sites in South Africa but have garnered a large number of punters in a short time, thanks in the main to their fantastic promotional offers. Their range of sports and games can rival any of the more established betting sites.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy access to welcome bonus | Limited live betting markets |
| Variety of sports and casino games | |
| Easy to download mobile app |
Playabets
Playabets is a wholly South African brand that caters exceptionally to the needs of the local punters. Their not only have a wide range of all the most popular sports but also have live games that the locals love like Lucky 7 and Lucky 5.
| Pros | Cons |
| R2 000 Welcome Bonus | No mobile app |
| Well designed site with easy navigation | |
| Excellent odds on all major sports |
Sportingbet
Sportingbet often boast about having the largest sportsbook which we confirmed to be true. In addition to over 40 sports that you can bet on, they have hundreds of live betting events everyday that are available for punters. Their range of live casino games is among the best on the local betting market.
| Pros | Cons |
| Largest sportsbook in South Africa | Poor customer service |
| Market leading features like Edit My Bet | |
| Widest range of live betting markets |
Gbets
Gbets have been one of the leading betting sites as they are part of the Goldrush Group Casinos. Their online site has an excellent gbets welcome bonus as well as an extensive range of sports and live games. Their odds on cricket in particular are the best on the local online betting market. Read all about gbets on our gbets review.
| Pros | Cons |
| Double pronged welcome bonus | User interface is confusing on site |
| Super fast and easy to use mobile app | |
| Best odds on cricket |
Yesplay
Yesplay started their operation with Lucky Numbers being their primary target market as punters could bet on Lotto draws from across the globe. In recent years they have diversified into sports and casino betting but remain the leaders of the hugely popular Lucky Numbers.
| Pros | Cons |
| Largest markets for Lucky Numbers | Limited sports betting markets |
| Fantastic welcome bonus | |
| Easy navigation of site |
The Best Betting Sites By Category
Choosing the top betting sites in South Africa has become an incredibly tough task,due to the sheer number of sites that are currently in operation within the country. We, at Completesports have used our expertise in the world of online gambling to rank these sites. We have used stringent criteria to rate each betting site. Here are the most important factors that we have taken into account before rating a site.
Legality of the site
It’s really important to pick a sports betting site that’s licensed and regulated. The site has to have a licence from one of the country’s provincial gambling boards. This makes sure you’re safe and that your betting experience is fair and honest. Licensed sites have to follow rules closely so they’re more trustworthy.
Competitive odds
The odds offered by a bookie is the single most important factor that will determine how good your winning returns will be. The better the odds, the more money you could win therefore it’s crucial to find a website that gives good odds for different sports and types of bets. To make sure you’re getting the best odds, you should compare the prices from different sports betting sites.
Bonuses and Promotions
The large number of online bookies is good news for punters as betting sites offer excellent bonuses to attract new players. Bonuses and promotions can make your betting experience more exciting. There are different kinds of bonuses, like sign-up bonuses, deposit bonuses, no deposit bonuses and free bets. Make certain to read and understand the rules because all bonuses have specific terms and conditions.
Reputation and Trustworthiness
It’s really important to use sports betting sites that you can trust. This keeps your money and personal information safe. Trustworthy sites give you a fair and clear betting experience and protect you from scams. Looking at the social media pages of a betting site is a great idea as you can see the reviews and comments that players have about the site.
User interface and mobile compatibility
Having a user-friendly and attractive interface on their website is a prerequisite for a successful betting site. A good site makes it easy to find and make bets, check out info on events and odds and handle your account. Mobile compatibility is crucial as most punters use their phones to bet. Make sure the sports betting site you pick works well on mobile. It should either have a website that adjusts to mobile screens or a dedicated mobile app.
Deposits and Withdrawals
All the leading betting sites in South Africa offer players a multitude of safe and easy ways to fund their account and withdraw their winnings. They should offer different methods that suit how you like to bet and make it easy to move your money around. Look for sites that take popular payment options like credit cards, debit cards, e-wallets, betting vouchers and bank transfers.
Customer support
Nothing is more frustrating than poor customer support when you have a problem. When you’re checking out a sports betting site’s customer support, look at what ways you can contact them. Live chat, email and phone support are common options. 24/7 customer should be a norm for any top betting site.
Best Football Betting Sites in SA
Football is not only the most popular sport in South Africa but there are also millions of football punters that diligently bet on their favourite teams every day. Some betting sites are better suited for a particular sport as they may offer promotions specific for football punters. Here are some of the most important factors we took into account before ranking the best football sites.
Football odds:
The odds on your football bets are most important because better odds mean you can win more money. Hollywoodbets offers the best odds on both international and local football matches. They also have an odds booster for multi bets, which makes them our top choice. Betway has the second best odds, followed by Playabets in third place.
Betting markets:
Sportingbet has a variety of betting markets for football, offering options on almost every possible match outcome. You can bet on events like whether there will be a red card or a penalty in the match or on which team will win more corners. With so many choices, there is always a market to suit your preference. Betway and Hollywoodbets also have excellent football betting markets.
Football betting coverage:
Since football is the most popular sport in the world, it’s no surprise that there are over a thousand matches happening daily. Sportingbet stands out in this category as they cover football from at least 60 different countries at any given time. This extensive coverage places them at the top with Betway and Hollywoodbets following closely behind.
Football betting features/promotions:
Betway leads the way in football promotions with daily jackpots where players can win R25 000 along with great features like Bet Builder. Sportingbet comes second with excellent features like Edit My Bet and Cash Out. Hollywoodbets have more than five great football-specific promotions which ranks third in this category.
These are the best sites if you want to bet on football.
Sportingbet
Sportingbet has won the right to be ranked as South Africa’s best betting site for football. They have the most extensive betting markets and have very competitive odds on all the major European leagues. Sportingbet was one of the first bookies to introduce the Bet Builder feature which allows punters to select multiple bets in a single football match. They continue with their innovation by offering the Edit My Bet feature where players can make changes to their bet while it is still active.
Hollywoodbets
Hollywoodbets has football betting markets for leagues from every corner of the globe with excellent odds. They also offer an odds boost on all football multiples which the more selections you make, the higher the rewards. There are also a multitude of promotions for football punters.
Betway
Betway constantly has promotions specific to football betting which is great news for football punters. They offer competitive odds and have some of the most in depth betting markets with hundreds of bet types for a single football match.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites in SA
Horse Racing has a massive following in South Africa as it was the only legal form of gambling in the country for many decades. Online betting has made it convenient for these punters to bet from the comfort of home. Most of the leading betting sites have extensive horse racing markets with competitive odds. Punters can bet on race meetings from the Northern and Southern hemisphere on a daily basis. These are the best horse racing betting sites.
Hollywoodbets
Hollywoodbets started their betting operation about three decades ago with horse racing retail betting shops. Their experience in the sport is evident by the sheer number of races covered on a daily basis. There are hundreds of different bet types that are available for players on every race.
This bookie now sponsors the biggest horse racing event of the year, the July Handicap with the race now effectively known as the Hollywoodbets July Handicap. Most of the horse racing venues have also had name changes that incorporate the Hollywoodbets brand.
Playabets
Playabets is another bookie that began their operation with horse racing bet shops in the 90s when it was the only legal form of gambling in the country. They have an array of impressive promotions like the R2 000 welcome bonus that can be used on horse racing. Playabets have good odds on all races, both for local and international races.
Betway
Betway has become hugely popular for horse racing as they offer a promotion that is quite unique. All horse racing winnings are taxed but with Betway, the player is not liable for the taxes and they will pay it. This is one of the reasons they are so popular with punters. They also offer all the most common bet types on all major races.
Best Cricket Betting Sites in SA
Cricket is a hugely popular sport in South Africa, only behind football and rugby. Cricket has always had a major following in the country with many fans now betting on the sport. The advent of T20 cricket has seen the boom in cricket punters due to the shortened and exciting nature of this format. Bookies have kept up with this demand by offering betting markets for matches worldwide. All the major T20 leagues like the IPL, BBL and of course the SAT20 have in depth and extensive betting markets. These are the top three sites for cricket betting.
Betway
There is no bookie that comes close to Betway and their cricket offerings. This bookie has excellent odds on all forms of cricket. They captured the local cricket market when they became the headline sponsor for the SAT20 competition. The tournament was an overnight success and Betway offered spectators at the ground to win a share of R2 million rand in a Catch The Ball promotion. Betway also has live streaming available on selected cricket matches.
Gbets
Gbets have long been the go to site for cricket betting as they have among the best odds for this sport. They have betting markets for matches from all over the world. Gbets has in depth markets for all local cricket, including the four day competition. There are also cricket specific promotions on the Gbets site.
10bet
10bet has quickly established itself as one of the best cricket betting sites as they offer extensive live betting options on all formats of the game. Their odds can rival any of the more older betting sites and they have an excellent welcome bonus for new players. The bonus can also be used to bet on cricket. The 10bet cricket coverage is superb as they have betting odds on local cricket from all the different countries.
Best Lucky Numbers Betting Sites in SA
Lucky Number has taken the South Africa betting market by storm since its inception. The easy nature of betting on Lotto Draws and the possibility of winning life changing amounts is appealing to most punters. In the early stages not many bookies offered Lucky Numbers but due to its popularity, almost all betting sites now offer it. These are the best lucky numbers betting sites.
Yesplay
Yesplay were among the first betting sites to offer Lucky Numbers and punters could bet on Lotto Draws from various different countries. They are still leaders in this department as they have the widest range of Lucky Numbers on the SA online betting market.
Playabets
Playabets have become one of the most attractive options for players wanting to bet on Lucky Numbers. This bookie has a daily odds booster on Lotto Draws that could bump up your already impressive winnings. The Lucky Numbers are easy to access on the Playabets site with promotions designed specifically for Lucky Numbers.
Hollywoodbets
Hollywoodbets offers punters over 2000 Lucky Numbers draws to choose from every week. These draws take place in countries across six continents with draws taking place almost every hour on every day.
Best Casino Games Betting Sites in SA
South Africa has always had a large number of casino fans who used to visit physical casinos in all the big cities. The pandemic changed this as the casinos went into lockdown. Online betting sites seized this opportunity and launched their own online casinos which became hugely popular and continue to grow. Locals did not enjoy online casinos in the past as all the table and card games were fully automated, leading to distrust. This changed during the pandemic when gaming companies like Evolution and NetEnt introduced live dealers for games like Roulette and Blackjack, enhancing the gaming experience and increasing trust. These are the three best online casinos on the local market.
Hollywoodbets
Hollywoodbets is the market leader in casino games mainly due to their Spina Zonke range of games. They offer a wide selection of games from top gaming companies like Pragmatic Play, Evolution, and Habanero. Hollywoodbets provides hundreds of different slot games as well as all the favourite table and casino games. They feature exciting variations of popular games like Roulette often with large jackpots.
Betway
This bookie was one of the first betting sites to offer live casino games and they have continually expanded their selection. Betway Casino now offers just over 400 games which are mainly slot games but also includes table games, poker rooms and a live casino lobby. New players have an option to claim a R2000 casino games Welcome Bonus.
10Bet
10Bet may be one of the newer betting sites in the country but they have quickly established a comprehensive range of live casino games. They offer all the popular slot games like Double Stack and Scruffy Duck along with a full range of table and card games. 10Bet’s games are provided by industry-leading companies such as Evolution, NetEnt and Yggdrasil, ensuring a top-quality gaming experience.
The Best Mobile Betting Sites & Apps
Most punters are using their mobiles to bet therefore the top bookies have launched dedicated mobile apps or mobile versions that adapt to your type of phone. These are the best mobile betting apps currently in South Africa.
Betway
The bookmaker was one of the first to create a mobile app and has perfected it over the years, making it one of the best on the market. They have also launched a Data Free version, which replicates the original app but without the live betting option. The app can be downloaded directly from the main site and is compatible with Android and IOS devices.
Related Article: Betway App
Hollywoodbets
Hollywoodbets was one of the last bookies to launch their betting app which was rather surprising. The Hollywoodbets mobile app offers access to a variety of sports markets, including horse racing, cricket and football. It provides a smooth betting experience with its user-friendly layout and design, allowing punters to place bets and access live scores and updates in real-time. The app is available for download on both Android and iOS devices.
Gbets
It is clear that Gbets spared no expense in designing their betting app. The app’s excellent speed is great news for punters who enjoy live betting, as it keeps up with rapidly changing odds. The app is available for download from the Gbets site and is compatible with both Android and iOS devices.
Best New Online Bookmakers
There is a constant influx of new betting sites entering the South African market. While this can be overwhelming for punters, our readers have no need to worry. Our betting experts have analysed these new sites and which ones are worth registering with and playing for real money.
10bet
10bet has garnered a large number of players on their site although they are one of the newer betting sites in South Africa. This is due to their excellent welcome bonus as well as a fantastic mobile app. 10bet have a wide range of betting markets for sports and casino games therefore punters of different sports are well covered.
Betfred
Betfred is one of the oldest and most successful betting companies in the UK having started their betting operations in 1967. They brought extensive gambling knowledge when they entered the South African betting scene in 2022. Their quick rise in popularity has led to the opening of retail betting stores across the country. Their online betting site is superb and they offer one of the largest welcome bonuses in the country.
Fafabet
Fafabet started their betting operations in the UK in 2021 and quickly found success which led them to expand into South Africa in 2022. They have attracted many punters with their innovative marketing and creative bonuses, starting with their welcome bonus. Fafabet understands that players want love promotions, so they provide one of the largest welcome bonuses as well as a host of other exciting bonuses.
Bettabets
Bettabets has been very popular in South Africa with retail betting shops in three provinces. They became well known across the country when they moved online. They started with sports betting and later added live Betgames and casino games. Bettabets has proven to be trustworthy and reliable with positive feedback from players on social media.
Table showing top trusted betting sites and ratings
| Online Betting Site | Our Ratings( Out of 5) |
| Hollywoodbets | 4.6 |
| Betway | 4.2 |
| Sportingbet | 4.0 |
| Playabets | 4.4 |
How to Signup with an Online Betting Site
To Sign Up with an online betting site, follow these simple steps
- Visit preferred betting site- Visit the site of the betting company you want to join
- Register or (Sign Up)- Once the Home page opens you go to right hand side corner and click on the Sign Up or Register button
- Personal Details –On the home page It will take you to a pop-up window which will ask for your phone number, name, surname, password and email
- Personal Details– You need to fill in a few more personal questions like your ID number, including DOB and click on ‘Terms & Conditions’
- Register- Click on the register button at the bottom of the page to complete your registration process.
- Make a Deposit – Always ensure you make a first deposit to play on the betting site after registration.
FAQs
Can I trust a new betting site in South Africa?
Yes, if the site is licensed by one of the provincial Gambling Boards, then the company is safe to bet on.
What is the benefit of signing up for a new betting site?
One of the benefits of signing up with new betting sites is that they offer bigger bonuses. Additionally, new online betting sites provide a modern platform that is easy to navigate.
How do I choose the right betting site?
Our review highlights the most factors that you should consider before choosing a betting site.
Can I sign up on multiple betting sites?
Yes, you can sign up with multiple new sports betting sites in South Africa. There isn’t any restriction on the number of new betting sites in South Africa to register with.
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