Over time, gambling and online sports betting in South Africa have briefly met, but they’re actually two very different developments. Put simply, not all gambling in South Africa is legal, but all registered online sports betting is perfectly legal to engage in.
Different Popular Forms of Gambling in South Africa
Legal Forms of Gambling in South Africa
The decidedly most popular form of gambling is the South African National Lottery, with an average of 5 million tickets bought each week. It was established in the year 2000, and the high payouts of up to R3.972 billion is what draws such a large number of players. The only condition is that you must be over 18 with a South African ID to buy a ticket. You can either buy a South African National Lottery ticket in person from an approved retailer, or from a participating bank (which you can now do online, with certain registered banks).
Another popular gambling pastime includes taking part in the games offered by casinos found peppered across South Africa. The largest casino in South Africa, Rio Casino Resort, is also the largest in Africa and the fifth largest in the world.
The third, and oldest of the three, is horse race betting. This was the first legalized form of sports betting or gambling in South Africa, and the most popular up until 1996. Learn more about The History of South African Horse Racing to place informed horse racing bets. It then became popular and available to punter and place horse racing bets online. This has only grown in popularity with the boom of the internet.
Illegal Forms of Gambling in South Africa
All other forms of unlicensed gambling remain illegal in South Africa. Since the licensed establishments became available to everyone in South Africa, the trend of people leaving the country in order to partake in gambling activities (legal or not) has diminished.
The National Gambling Board is responsible for overseeing all forms of gambling, including online sports betting in South Africa (and a number of other African countries), ensuring that all bookmakers have the necessary licenses to operate legally.
Online Sports Betting in South Africa
Online sports betting is perfectly legal if the bookmaker is a licensed South African bookmaker who is permitted to take bets from citizens and residents of South Africa. Sunbet is a licensed bookmaker which allows punters to explore, not only a range of sporting events to bet on, but a variety of betting options like handicap sport’s betting. You can even place a bet on entertainment events like betting on who will win The X Factor or Strictly Come Dancing. Sunbet has developed a platform for online sports betting in South Africa that is safe, easy and legal.
Why Online Sports Betting is Safer than Unlicensed Gambling
To ensure you are compliant with the law when partaking in online sports betting, or any gambling for that matter, the terms and conditions of the site should mention official gambling laws, as well as institutions you can call if you are struggling a gambling addiction. A good example can be found in Sunbet’s Terms and Conditions and Conditions of Agreement. Sunbet received their license from the largest distributor of online bookmaker licenses: The Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board (WCGRB).
Register for responsible, easy and enjoyable online sports betting in South Africa with Sunbet today!
