There are many reasons to visit South Africa. The country has modern cities, scenic attractions, incredible wildlife parks, delicious food, and world-famous bungee jumping spots. For this reason, you might want to add the country to your must-see African destinations.

Unfortunately, the country’s gambling market is not developed as most gamers would expect. South Africa also has strict gambling policies. It is therefore not surprising that local authorities strictly regulate the country’s gambling industry.

Despite the restrictions, gambling is popular in South Africa, as indicated by a recent survey, which claims that more than 80% of the country’s population spend money each week on national lottery tickets. Aside from lotteries, SA players also enjoy sports betting and casino offers.

Read on as we explore the legality of gambling in South Africa.

The Legality of Gambling in South Africa – What Is and What Isn’t…

Gambling for real money prizes is one of the most controversial issues in South Africa. People who support the game claim that it creates thousands of jobs in South Africa. These gambling supporters also claim that gambling also helps the government to earn tax revenue. On the other hand, some people are against gambling in South Africa. These people believe that gambling “benefits” low-income people, further deteriorating their quality of life.

Despite numerous attempts to revamp the gambling scene in the country, gamblers in South Africa can only access bingo, sports betting and lotteries – other betting offers being illegal. You can indulge in these games on online gaming platforms or at more than 2000 physical gaming establishments nationwide. It should be noted that the tight regulation of the country’s betting scene is driving the rise of offshore gambling at sites that accept South African players and the South African rand.

Remember to play on safe and secure sites if you want a storybook gaming experience in South Africa. These platforms have legitimate and verifiable licenses.

Explore the evolution of gambling laws in South Africa over time

Gaming enthusiasts in South Africa can play a variety of real money games. But this has not always been the case. All forms of gambling have been made illegal by the Gambling Act 1965. However, the 1965 law did not prohibit betting on horse races.

Many local gambling enthusiasts in South Africa were willing to gamble despite the fact that gambling was illegal. Consequently, many brick-and-mortar casinos have opened their doors to customers in regions like Transkei, Ciskei, Bophuthatswana, and Venda. You can indulge in real money gambling at these establishments. However, remember that these gambling sites are illegal.

The gambling scene in South Africa was transformed by the democratically elected government, which came to power in 1994. The newly elected government invested its efforts in streamlining the gambling scene in South Africa using the procedures designated by the National Gambling Act 1996.

You will be happy to know that South Africa National Gambling Act 1996 legalized various forms of gambling. The law outlined the necessary steps that brick and mortar establishments must follow when applying for their license.

The act also facilitated the establishment of South Africa’s national lottery and legal casinos while granting 40 licenses to gambling operators in the country. Accordingly, the National Gambling Board controls all gambling activities in South Africa.

Getting started with online gambling in South Africa

South Africa has one of the most developed physical casino gaming scenes in Africa. The country’s online gaming scene is in its developing stages and has a lot of potential, especially as online gaming becomes popular with local gamers.

Rob Davies, the Minister for Trade and Finance, is one of the people who believe in the potential of the online gambling scene in South Africa. Davies says the South African gambling market can be more competitive than other overseas or regional gambling markets if the right regulatory framework is in place. Besides Rob Davies, a 2011 Gambling Commission review also found that more regulations were needed to make South Africa’s online gambling scene attractive to local and foreign gamblers.

As mentioned earlier, the strict gambling policies and regulations in South Africa push most players towards offshore gambling platforms. Note that the National Gambling Board website states that offshore gambling (playing real money games on betting operators with servers outside of South Africa) is illegal.

Besides the national gambling office, you will come across a play and race board in each of the 9 provinces of South Africa. Gambling operators need licenses from these gambling regulatory and supervisory bodies to operate in the provinces of the country. With a total of 32 licensed online bookmakers, the Western Cape Gambling Board is the main issuer of online casino licenses.

Gamblers in South Africa have access to legit gambling platforms with great sports betting and horse racing offers. All legitimate gambling platforms in the country operate with licenses from the country’s National Gaming Board or Gambling and Racing Board. So be on the lookout for licenses from these gaming watchdogs before signing up to any platform to play real money games.

All forms of interactive gambling are illegal under the national gambling law. Here the term interactive gambling refers to casino offerings such as bingo, poker, baccarat, blackjack, etc. Similarly, the National Gambling Act 2004 states that internet gambling is illegal if a resident of South Africa accesses internet gambling operators that are not licensed in the country.

Playing on the go in South Africa

Imagine winning the national lottery while enjoying an intimate moment with the wildlife or nature reserves of South Africa. Yes of course. Claiming generous cash prizes while playing on the go is fun. So don’t hesitate to spice up your outdoor activities with entertaining and action-packed casino or sports betting offers. Who knows? You could walk away with life-changing prizes while enjoying some of the best attractions South Africa has to offer.

Gone are the days when gaming enthusiasts had to access online gambling offerings through bulky desktops and laptops. Technological advancements have made mobile devices affordable, powerful and portable. Hence, you can enjoy an immersive gaming experience from your iOS or Android powered device.

Game operators that allow gamers to enjoy a gaming experience on the go use web and mobile apps optimized to deliver immersive, smooth and entertaining gameplay. So you don’t have to worry about game lag when playing your favorite offers through smartwatches, smartphones, tablets and iPads. The functionality of mobile platforms is identical to that of desktop sites. Therefore, you can register, claim offers, enjoy live games and transfer funds when enjoying mobile games on South Africa igaming sites.

Safety and Security at Gambling Establishments in South Africa

You can enjoy real money gambling in South Africa on legit platforms which are also safe and secure. In addition to operating with verifiable licenses, the country’s secure gaming platforms also use random number generation (RNG) technology to ensure that game results are fair and consistent.

The safe and secure sites in South Africa’s online gaming scene also use the latest encryption technology to prevent hackers and unauthorized third parties from accessing sensitive player information like; real addresses, names of governments, contact details, banking information, etc.

Significant years in South Africa’s gaming timeline

Explore the table below to follow the evolution of the gambling scene in South Africa.

Year	What happened
1673	Dutch settlers widely restrict all forms of gambling in South Africa
1965	The National Gambling Act 1965 outlaws all forms of gambling except horse racing.
1994	The first democratically elected government puts in place policies that change the perception of gambling. Marks the introduction of pro-gambling policies.
1996	The National Gambling Act of 1996 comes into force and legalizes casino gambling. Now casinos and the National Lottery can operate after obtaining a license.
2004	National Gambling Acts 2004 come into effect making online gambling illegal in South Africa
2008	The National Gambling Amendment Act of 2008 comes into force with the aim of legalizing and regulating the nation’s online betting scene.
2014	The Remote Bill 2014 comes into effect. The bill resembles the Australian Interactive Gambling Act of 2001. Note that the bill has not been published. For this reason, online gambling remains illegal in the country, except when offered by locally licensed bookmakers.

Is gambling in South Africa worth it?

The short answer is yes. South Africa has one of the strictest and most controlled gambling scenes in the world. Gambling operators in the country can provide their services without much hassle. However, the same cannot be said for iGaming operators since online gambling is illegal in the country. Additionally, South Africa has gambling policies and regulations that restrict online gambling.

The country’s gambling scene is growing every year. More and more South Africans are also realizing that gambling is a fun pastime. Hence, the government might relax its gambling policies as this will make the country’s gambling scene more competitive. When this happens, the government can expect to earn more tax revenue due to an increase in gambling activity in the country. Likewise, players like you will be entitled to competitive betting offers, generous real money prizes and more personalized offers.