The world of online gambling in South Africa can be a complex and confusing place to be thanks to some questionable legality muddying the water for players and casinos alike.
There are no online casinos based in South Africa, but that doesn’t mean that players are out of luck when it comes to playing. There are plenty of great online casinos offering the best games from the best software providers available today and for the players, there’s nothing illegal to worry about.
So what are the best South African online casinos, what is the legality of online gambling in South Africa and what can you expect from the software providers?
Best South African Online Casinos
There are plenty of casinos catering to the South African market but thanks to the legal situation, there’s plenty of dodgy ones out there too.
If you’re looking to cut to the chase and find the top South African online casinos, you’re in the right place. Take a look at the table below to see the top sites currently accepting players from South Africa.
Unique online casino, operated by the same guys of All British casino, winner of 2020 Casino Meister Best Casino Award. Their support is second to none: highly responsive, professional. Withdrawals are instant for ewallets and very fast for other methods.
Plus, you have huge selection of games to choose from: WMS, NetEnt, Novomatic, Microgaming, Thunderkick and many other high profile providers.
You can try Yeti casino with up to R3,333 Bonus and 100 Free Spin on first deposit.
Yebo Casino is one of the most popular sites focused specifically on one market which is South African one. It is tailored to players who are eager to have quick deposits and withdrawals in ZAR via such convenient payments like EasyEFT or EcoPayz. Plus, the minimum deposit is rather low – only R25.
Yebo Casino is powered solely by RTG so you can enjoy a full range of slots and table games from this provider.
There is a generous welcome pack that awaits you. It is spread on your first 3 deposits starting from 150% match up to R2,250. In total you can claim R12,000 in bonuses. Who would say NO to such an offer if even the name of the casino is YES from South African language of Zulu?
Bondibet Casino went live in 2018 and has built a strong market reputation in a very short time. It became quite popular among players from Australia, Canada and some European countries. In addition, Bondibet targets players from MX, AR, CO providing them with necessary payment options and ability to play in Peso or Real.
The site offers multiple software providers – Betsoft, Pragmatic Play, Octopus Gaming, Vivo, IGTech like any other casino powered by 5th Races.
While the choice of games is not that wide, Bondibet spoils players with generous promotions like 25 free spins no deposit and a huge welcome package that consists of 3 match bonuses. For example, you can choose a 200% bonus or 100% cashback on top of your first deposit at Bondibet.
Punt Casino is a solely focused on South African market providing players with big casino deposit bonuses available in ZAR and all necessary payment options like EasyEFT or Ecopayz. The design of the site is quite modest but it is easy to navigate through it. The company that owns Punt also has another popular SA site which is Yebo Casino.
This site offers only games from RTG which can be considered a huge plus or for some players it maybe not enough. However, it is rather rare to find a casino that has RTG and targets SA players so we think it is more of an advantage.
You can try Punt with R200 no deposit bonus and then also claim 3 deposit bonuses on top of your first 3 deposits!
In few words: Without a doubt, one of the best online casinos on the market. Since it’s launch in 2017 it was pretty clear where King Billy is headed.
Winning numerous awards, including Best New Casino of 2017, #2 in Player’s Choice Casino in 2018 and others, King Billy sets high standards in every aspect of online gambling: superb product, very professional and friendly support (one of the best we encountered in many years of gambling online), almost instant payouts and what not.
Great casino that caters specifically to European and Australian casino players. Offers amazing selection of games my a dozen software providers and highly lucrative bonuses.
New players can enjoy 100% up to $/€100 bonus + 100 Free Spins.
If you use ewallets and other online payment methods, the winning are processed instantaneously!
Box 24 is a multi-software online casino. It focuses mainly on Australian, NZ, CA, German, Spanish and French markets. The casino offers a fantastic range of games and online pokies from six different providers, such as Pragmatic Play, BetSoft, iGaming Tech, Octopus Gaming, ViG and Vivo.
Launched in 2009, it was initially a US friendly casino, but it changed owners and turned its focus to players from Down Under and its NZ neighbors.
Box 24 is known for its high bonuses. Its welcome package consists of 5 bonuses which can be worth up to AU$6,750 and 150 free spins.
You can try it now for free with 25 no-deposit free spins.
Winnerama is a nice addition to 5th Street Entertainment casinos that are known for the quality products with the main focus on AU, ZA, FR among many others.
The site offers games from various providers like Betsoft or Octopus gaming totalling up to 170 games. Not that much but these are some classic slots and table games. Live casino part is covered with Vivo Gaming.
This group of casinos is quite generous when it comes to bonuses since each has a no deposit bonus and huge welcome pack of 3 bonuses. The first one is 200% bonus while 3rd is an epic 300% match!
Rich Casino has an evocative and inviting name. What player doesn’t dream of walking out of their next session richer than they came into it? This is probably one of the reasons why Rish Casino is an attractive player destination. Its sister sites Thebes and Winward Casino are also fan favorites.
Rich has slots from Pragmatic Play, Rival, Octopus Gaming, Habanero and more! They payment methods could be improved. They don’t use e-wallets, which we find to be one of the best ways to make a quick deposit.
When it comes to bonuses, it is important to mention their renowned 5th Street Races. They also have loyalty cash-back that you can get as an active player at Rich Casino.
Tangiers Casino is a rather new brand to the online gambling scene, having been launched in 2016. However, over the past few years the casino has gained a good reputation and has become a popular destination for players from various GEOs like Australia, South Africa, France and others. We think the reasons are impressive collection of games and daily bonuses.
Speaking about games, you can enjoy latest releases from Betsoft, Pragmatic, Octupus Gaming and others. You can start your casino experience with Tangiers with 30 no deposit free spins and then claim your first deposit bonus of 200% match or 100% cashback. It is an interesting approach to the welcome bonus since you can choose the one you like.
Also it is worth checking out the famous 5th Street Races and compete with players to receive cool rewards like free spins or cash.
Is online gambling legal in South Africa?
Gambling at an online casino has been ruled as illegal in South Africa since 2010, despite land-based casinos permitted to function.
However, players in South Africa looking to play online aren’t without options and a number of casinos targeting solely South African players are available. Although online gambling is recognised as illegal, these online casinos are not actually based in South Africa and exploit a loophole as they function as offshore platforms.
The government has been rumoured to take action to access these offshore casinos, but these are empty threats as of current. Saliently, at the time of writing, players accessing these sites are not prosecuted, allowing them to play freely at foreign-based sites.
The SA online casino market
Although there are no online casinos available that are based in South Africa, there are a number of casinos that cater to and specifically target the South African market.
It is currently illegal to advertise as well a operate online casinos within South Africa, however plenty of sites including ZARCasino, Springbok Casino, and Thunderbolt Online Casino all offer casino games to SA players.
However, with the illegality of online gambling in South Africa, some casinos have taken this as an opportunity to cheat the system and the players that trust and sign up to their sites. It’s important to do your homework before signing up and checking with trustworthy sources (like ourselves) to ensure that you’re signing up to a high-quality casino.
Looking for a valid gambling license and ensuring that the casino adheres to gambling regulations is a great start. The UK Gambling Commission, Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner, Alderney Gambling Control Commission and Isle of Man Control Commission forming the best of the bunch in the licensing world with others not quite performing to the highest level.
What South African software providers are available?
There are many different software providers available to South African players looking to play online at foreign casinos.
The software choice is dictated by the casino chosen with each online casino offering slightly different providers and thus slightly different games. Some of the most popular software providers can be found below.
NetEnt
NetEnt, otherwise known as Net Entertainment, is one of the best known most popular and well-known software providers in the industry thanks to a selection of award-winning games.
The focus in undoubtedly aimed towards slots with a rich arsenal including Gonzo’s Quest, Starburst, Twin Spin and countless others. There’s also a selection of branded slots ranging from “Guns N’ Roses! And “Ozzy Osbourne” to “Street Fighter II: The World Warrior” and Jumanji.
Microgaming
Microgaming is another well-known game provider available for those in South Africa to spot in foreign-based online casinos.
The software producer offers everything from the famed “Mega Moolah” and “Thunderstruck II” slots as well as plenty of table games inducing “Multifire Roulette” and “Vegas Strip Blackjack” alongside countless others.
Playtech
Playtech offers plenty of different games that the average online casino frequenter will be able to spot thanks to a slot-focused library.
Games such as “Great Blue”, “Man of Steel” and “Age of the Gods” all stem from the Playtech factory, making their games some of the most played across the globe.
Evolution Gaming
Evolution Gaming is the go-to game provider for all things live dealer, standing head and shoulders above the competition.
Their live blackjack, roulette, poker and baccarat is the favourite of many live casino players, but it’s their own twist and game inventions that really set them apart from the crowd. The Lightning game selection adds an extra level of excitement whilst games such as Dreamcatcher and Monopoly add a game show feel to the online world.
What South African banking methods are available?
The majority of sites that cater specifically to South African players will accept the South African Rand (ZAR) as the main currency of choice.
Taking ZARCasino as an example, deposits can be made via debit card, EFT or Bitcoin and can then be withdrawn via wire transfer or Bitcoin.
Banking methods will differ from casino to casino so it may be worth checking out if you’re looking to bank in specific ways when gambling online.
Summary
Advertising and operating an online casino in South Africa is illegal, but choosing to play at a foreign casino is not.
Residents of South Africa looking to enjoy online gaming can do so without the fear of prosecution thanks to a number of foreign casinos catering to the SA market. Casinos such as ZARCasino, Springbok Casino, and Thunderbolt Online Casino form just a small part of the market, but there are many sites available for players to enjoy.
Due to the legality, it’s important that players conduct their own research, ensuring that sites of interest are licenced and abide gambling regulations to avoid being cheated at an untrustworthy online casino.
