South African Online Casinos

Best 3 Casinos in South Africa Reviewed

There are only too many online casinos out there, but not all of them deserve your attention. Check our short review on the best online casinos for South Africans at the moment.

New Online Casinos in South Africa

Online casinos are prohibited in South Africa, by the National Gambling Act, which means that no online casino, local or foreign, is allowed to cater to the South African audience. Still, many offshore casinos welcome South African players, offering convenient payment methods, and above all, discretion.

We’ve reviewed three fantastic casinos for South African gamblers. Those casinos are licensed in the most demanding jurisdictions and are completely safe to play. Still, such restrictive laws aren’t really appealing to casino operators. It explains why this market is less dynamic in South Africa than in gamble-friendlier countries.

Most Popular Slots in South Africa

Check below the games that South African gamblers have been playing the most. Some of them came from land-based casinos, but all of them are completely compatible with mobile devices. Here, you’ll find a short review of each game.

88 Fortunes – SG Gaming

Enjoy an Eastern Asian adventure full of mystery and, of course, gold. 88 Fortunes has a 5×3, 243 ways to win, and an RTP rate of 96.27%. It also has four different jackpots: Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand Jackpot. The maximum win is 500x your initial wager. Bets range between 88c and ZAR 88.

The game is full of symbols related to Chinese culture painted in gold over a red background. The soundtrack is very pleasing and really sounds like Chinese folkish tunes. Symbols include playing cards from Nine to Ace, golden coins, golden ships, a turtle, and a figurine, plus a Scatter (a gong) and a Wild (a fu-bat).

The Fu-Bat Jackpot Feature is randomly triggered when more Wilds come into play. Wilds also add coins to your Coin Pot; the more cash in the pot, the higher are the chances of triggering a progressive jackpot. There are also free spins, which four or more Scatters award. During the free spins, you can trigger the Picker feature.

China Shores – Konami

Here’s another great option for panda lovers. China Shores, developed by one of the most traditional gaming studios, is ready to take you to China once again. This game goes on a regular 5×3 grid, with 30 paylines, an RTP rate of 96.1%, and a maximum win of 300,000x the initial bet. Bets go from 30c all the way up to ZAR 150.

Symbols include playing cards from Nine to Ace, plus five special symbols. These are the usual Ying Yang, teapot, golden tortoise, a lamp, and of course, a panda. Additionally, this game counts with Action $tacked Symbols, a feature that assigns different adjacent positions for each reel.

Free spins are triggered by the Ying Yang (scatter) symbol when they land in combinations of three or more. During this feature, you can opt out and bring your winnings with you, clicking on the Balance of Fortune. This option is only available when you still have 20 or more free spins remaining. A panda represents the Wild symbol.

Starburst – NetEnt

This timeless classic by NetEnt keeps making new fans around the world since 2012. It’s an outer space-themed game, with incredibly colourful graphics and pleasing sound effects. The game runs on a standard 5×3 grid, ten paylines, and an RTP rate of 96.09%. Bets range between 10c and ZAR 100. The best combination awards 500x the original stake.

This game has a sort of Bejewelled feel to it, as almost all the symbols are gems, spinning on a deep-blue background. The exceptions are the special Bar Sphere and 7 Sphere symbols. NetEnt kept things simple for this title and there’s only one special feature available awards free spins and re-spins.  Last year, NetEnt released a revamped version of this game, Starburst  XXXtreme, where players can win up to 200,000x.

Other Popular Casino Games in South Africa

Land-based casinos have already been allowed in South Africa for more than 50 years. During this time, South Africans developed a taste for the casino classics. Check below for a short description of the most played casino games in the country.

• Blackjack: South Africans love blackjack, and it’s definitely one of the favourite options for casino-goers. It’s also known as 21 or Vingt-Un.
• Poker: Poker is a mandatory game in any casino, land-based or otherwise. This game is also immensely popular in South Africa. Texas Hold’em and Omaha are still the most played versions of this game, but there are many others.
• Roulette: No other game is more associated with casinos than roulette. It’s been there since Renaissance times, and South Africans love every variation of it.
• Baccarat: Baccarat is another French card game that can’t go missing in any casino.
• Keno: Keno is a Chinese game that works very similarly to bingo. There are tickets with numbers on them, from 1 to 80.
• Video Poker: Video poker games are widely popular among casino-goers. It’s based on Draw Poker, using five cards. There are many different kinds of video poker, like Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, and Joker Poker.

Best live dealer casinos accepting players from South Africa:

1. Kassu
2. Casino Gods
3. Woo Casino

South African Sports Betting Sites

Online sports betting is an exception to the prohibition on online gambling. However, online sportsbooks must be licensed by the National Gaming Board. There are over 30 online sportsbooks operating legally in the country, offering an incredible variety of betting lines.

There are no restrictions on what kind of betting lines or sports should be available. So, punters can enjoy a quite decent variety of options here. The most popular sports for betting are football, followed by table tennis, tennis, rugby, and cricket.

These sportsbooks are also allowed to provide eSports betting. It’s great news for those craving a game during the off-season. Sports betting makes 24% of the country’s annual gambling revenue.

The sports betting market enjoys a much more favourable situation in terms of legislation. By consequence, it’s also a much more developed one. Many of them have dedicated apps for mobile devices, although all of them are mobile-friendly.

Here are some completely licensed sports betting sites for a safe betting experience:

• 20 Bet
• MansionBet
• Bet.co.Za
• Sunbet
• Betway
• World Sports Betting

Most Popular Casino Deposit Methods in South Africa

Boku

Boku is one of the most famous mobile payment methods worldwide, and it’s accepted by over 50 countries. It’s an increasingly popular payment method for online casinos due to its convenience. Boku allows players to top their bankrolls and pay for them on their next phone bills.

Players love it because they can start playing without cash. Deposits with Boku have typically low limits, which is perfect for occasional gamblers. Naturally, it can’t be used as a withdrawal method.

Cryptocurrencies

Cryptos are a trendy payment method for online transactions in South Africa. Cryptos are legal but are regulated by the government. A new series of restrictions were imposed by the government last year to prevent financial crimes.

Gambling with cryptos isn’t prohibited, as long as it’s done in one of the licensed land-based gambling venues across the country. Online gambling is completely banned, making it illegal to gamble with cryptos.

Best crypto casinos in South Africa:

1. Wild Coins – 3.50 BTC Bonus
2. TrueFlip.io – 10% Cashback
3. Golden Crown – $10k and 100Free Spins
4. Playamo – €300 + 150
5. LTC Casino – No bonus

Read our crypto currency gambling guide

Visa/Mastercard

Visa and Mastercard are the most used credit and debit cards worldwide, hands down. It’s accepted in more than 200 countries, and it would be easier to list the places that don’t accept them than those that do.

Last year, Visa announced a partnership with Crypto.com to create a debit card for crypto accounts. Mastercard has partnered with Bitkub, CoinJar, to create prepaid, debit, and credit cards for cryptos.

Gambling Regulator in South Africa

The National Gaming Board  is responsible for regulating and overseeing all gambling activities in the country. The National Gambling Board was established by the National Gambling Act in 2004 and worked along with all Provincial Gaming Boards.

The NGB also appoints authorised bookmakers for online betting and makes a strong case against online gambling on their page. There, it says that other forms of online gambling are illegal, and the bank could confiscate winnings made from such activity.

Although gambling follows national rules, provinces have some independence to adjust taxes and minor issues. Before creating the National Gaming Board, the country was riddled with illegal casinos, land-based or otherwise.

The National Gaming Act was a crucial step to give more transparency to this sector, but it has left aside large portions of the gambling activity, chiefly online casinos. An amendment to the Act, from 2008, promised to liberalise this niche but never came to force.

Although the NGB is responsible for licensing land-based casinos on a national level, prospect companies must apply first in the Provincial Gambling Board whenever it releases a Request for Application.

South Africa-Specific Gambling Restrictions

South Africa is a strictly regulated market when it comes to gambling. Online casinos are prohibited, regardless of if it’s a national or a foreign one. Land-based casinos, sportsbooks, and bingos can operate, although also following several restrictions.

Only 41 casino licences can be granted in the country, and those licences are proportionally divided among the nine provinces. While some provinces can grant up to five licences, others can grant only three.

Companies must apply not only for new licences but also for acquiring existing ones from third parties too. In this case, such companies need to apply for transferring the licence.

These licences also pertain to the number of gaming positions a casino can have.

If a casino wants to expand its game base, it should apply for the related gaming board and pay an additional fee. South African casinos have between 200 and 2,000 slot machines; each one of them must be registered at the Central Electronic Monitoring System. Rules for table games must also be pre-approved by the adequate board.

It’s also possible to find slot machines in places that aren’t gambling venues. These machines are called LPMs or Limited payout machines.

They can be found in clubs, pubs, and sports venues. Such locations must also apply for a “site operator” license.

Are Online Casinos Legal in South Africa?

Online casinos are currently illegal in the country, although such restrictions don’t apply to sports betting. There’s an amendment to the National Gambling Act from 2008, waiting to come into force. Nevertheless, the amendment was fought against by representatives of land-based casinos and also government agencies fearing financial crimes.

Gambling has been part of South African society since at least the 17th century, although it has never been seen fondly by it. Land-based casinos and sportsbooks can operate in the country if aptly licensed. Online gambling is not only illegal but also heavily penalised if caught.

Companies and individuals caught facilitating online gambling are in for a hefty penalty: ZAR 10 million. Additionally, it could result in up to ten years in jail and lose all gambling winnings. Yet, this law has no power to punish offshore online casinos.

Such a dire scenario for online casinos and gamblers is likely to change in the upcoming years. The amendment from 2008, allowing online gambling, hasn’t yet lost its legal power. The government is already raising taxes on land-based casinos, and the prospect of income from regulated online casinos may be enough incentive to legalise them too.

State of Gambling in SA – 2024 Update

Gambling is booming in South Africa, even with the strict regulations in place. Just last year (2023), online gambling alone raked in an impressive US$736.30 million. And when you toss in the earnings from lotteries, bingo halls, and land-based casinos, it’s a staggering amount, right?

Online casinos are illegal in South Africa. So, you might be scratching your head, wondering how online gambling revenue is still off the charts. Well, a good chunk of that hefty sum likely comes from online sportsbooks. Quite a dynamic gambling scene, wouldn’t you say?

Online casinos being outlawed in South Africa doesn’t mean that there are no gambling sites offering games of chance. Of course, many offshore casino operators are capitalizing on SA legislation loopholes, offering games of chance to residents. Sure, there’s the risk of consequences if they get caught. Nevertheless, most have kind of slipped into South Africa’s gaming scene without much trouble.

The crazy part? Players are shelling out billions on them every year. The result is an exponential growth of this illegality. But hold on, there could be light at the end of the tunnel. A Remote Gambling Bill was tabled earlier this year. As such, it is in the “cooking process.”

The bill proposed by Shadow Minister of Trade Hill-Lewis seeks to legalize online casino gambling and create more jobs and a larger tax base. Per its proposals, any online casino operator seeking to operate in South Africa must first open a local office first. Then afterward, be granted a license.

Of course, we can’t dig deeper into the bill details since it is extensive. But the bottom line is the legalization and regulation of online casino gambling is coming. We’re still in the early days of this bill. It’s got to navigate through all the legal hoops before it becomes the real deal. Fingers crossed for a positive outcome!

Gambling Taxes in South Africa

Gambling winnings are liable to taxation, depending on how important these winnings are for your income. If you’re an occasional player with other sources of income, your gambling winnings are taxed, although they should still be declared.

For professional players, gambling is the only source of income, and they should pay taxes normally. On the bright side, professional players can also claim losses in the same way. Lottery prizes are exempt from taxation, but horse betting winnings pay 6% on the source to pay for VAT.

Such a division is rooted in two pieces of law: Graham v Greene (1925) and Morrison v CIR (2009). In the first case, it was decided that gambling winnings shouldn’t be equated to the bookmakers’ profit for the sake of taxation. Occasional gamblers and bettors haven’t paid taxes on their winnings ever since.

The second case decided that if a person lives solely from one’s gambling winnings, it should be considered a profit-making scheme, thus being liable to taxation. Winnings made on foreign, unlicensed online casinos and sportsbooks must pay capital gains taxes, which is 18%.

History of Gambling in South Africa

Early gambling accounts on South African soil date back to the 17th century. The activity has oscillated between legality and illegality quite often in the past century. Gambling was prohibited in 1965, with the Gambling Act. Horse betting was the only gambling activity spared by the ban.

Fifteen years later, land-based casinos were already crawling back into society, but this time, restricted to a few bantustans, like Ciskei, Transkei, Venda, and Bophuthatswana. The prohibition, as per usual, created a thriving illegal market. Official estimates talk about 2,000 illegal casinos operating in the country between 1994 and 1995.

In 1996, casinos were back to legality, thanks to the National Gambling Act, which has licensed casinos and established a lottery. The National Gambling Act was updated in 2004, banning online gambling. Only registered bookmakers can operate sportsbooks, while online casinos remain prohibited.

In 2008, the National Gambling Amendment Act tried to legalise online gambling. However, due to pressures from licensed land-based casinos and financial authorities, the law never came into force. Many offshore casinos are welcoming South African players and operating with ZAR.

However, another round of prohibitions came in 2010, banning offshore casinos. Land-based casinos are still legal in the country, while online gamblers must resort to VPNs to get around restrictions and enjoy a gaming session.

Land-Based Gambling in South Africa

Land-based casinos have been allowed in the country since the late 70s, and there are 39 of them across the country. The national legislation currently limits the number of licenses to 41. These licenses are distributed among the nine provinces, as follows below.

Land-based gambling enjoys much more favourable legislation than its online version does.

The same authorisation enjoyed by land-based casinos also extends to bingo terminals, lottery and sports betting. Licenses are conceded by provinces, following nationwide legislation.

Such licenses are only available to companies and can’t be conceded to individuals. The same goes for third parties, like testing agencies and totalisator operators. There are no limits for the number of games, slots machines, bets, or payouts.

Still, all slot machines must have a Return to Player (RTP) rate of at least 80%. Rules for table games need a pre-approval from the local regulators.

South Africa Gambling Addictions Help

Gamblers with addiction problems can seek help in the NRGP (National Responsible Gaming Programme), organised by the South African Responsible Gaming Foundation (SARGF). The Foundation was established in 2000, born from a public-private partnership between the gambling industry and gambling regulators.

SARGF must report its activities and statistics to local and national authorities, despite its independent status. SARGF is partially funded by donations from the gambling industry, and the minimum contribution is 0.1% of the industry’s revenue in that year.

Gamblers can also file for self-exclusion on NGB’s website.

Did You Know?

• Despite prohibitions, South Africa remains one of the biggest markets for eGaming worldwide. In fact, it’s the second-largest market in the continent for this niche. Gambling revenue is also a sizable portion of the country’s GDP. 
• Data from 2020 suggests that about 10% of South Africans gamble regularly, spending approximately USD 13 billion per year. Slots and table games make about 70% of the country’s annual gambling revenue.

Final Verdict

South African laws can be confusing for fresher gamblers, as there are so many restrictive and seemingly contradictory rules. There are land-based casinos in every province for those who wish to avoid headaches in their gambling sessions.

Additionally, licensed sportsbooks operate in land-based venues and appointed online platforms. It’s also possible to play the lotto online, and indeed, the lotto is the most popular online gambling option, followed by horse racing.

Online casinos remain illegal in the country, and those in breach of this law risk being fined and even jailed. However, such stark rules mainly apply to gambling operators, not gamblers. Yet, the NGB alerts on its website for confiscating gambling winnings coming from such sources.

That’s why many South Africans resort to VPNs and digital to bypass this prohibition. Several trustworthy offshore online casinos accept South African gamblers and even operate with Rands.

The amendment from 2008 that could untie the Gordian knot of South African gambling rules remains dormant. Yet, legislators, investors, and players expect this situation to change in the future, with the prospects of tax income that would result from the regulation of this market.

We always recommend players to choose trustworthy casinos, well-rounded by licences, certificates, and high-end security. Above all, play responsibly and don’t hesitate to reach out for help if you feel you’re conceding to compulsive behaviour.