Best 19 Live Casinos in South Africa

Located on the most southerly tip of Africa, South Africa is a country with a population of over 55 million people. The state is well-known not only for its natural beauty but also its turbulent history, with apartheid dominating the country for decades. The capital city is Pretoria, and the currency is the South African rand.

South Africa is a multi-ethnic society as it is home to numerous cultures, religions, and languages. When it comes to its borders, South Africa borders with Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. It also encircles Lesotho and it partially encircles Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland). About 80% of its residents are of Black African ancestry, while the rest consist of European and Asian ancestry.

While most of the countries in Africa are struggling with poverty and a poor economy, that is not quite the case with South Africa. This country has the second-best economy on the continent and maintains a significant regional influence. However, the crime rate and corruption, together with climate changes remain a massive problem for South Africa.

At the moment, the Gambling Act of 1965 forbids almost all types of gambling in South Africa. Several land-based casinos in metropolitan areas are allowed to operate and the National Lottery is also being conducted.

But, when it comes to live casinos, this market is not regulated very well, which is why it is formally considered illegal. Although land-based and online gambling have been distinguished by law, the government is yet to act on online gambling, which includes live casinos.

It is worth noting that in 2008, an amendment that would regulate live casinos and online casinos, in general, was proposed, but the government is yet to pull the trigger on it. That is why gambling is a very controversial topic in South Africa. Even though the most recent law, which labels online gambling as legal, was passed, it hasn’t been put into effect.

Even though live casinos are technically illegal and the law states that people who are caught gambling online illegally may face up to 10 years of imprisonment, so far, there aren’t any recorded cases of someone being prosecuted or convicted.

The history of gambling in South Africa is quite complicated and it takes everyone back all the way to 1965. In this year, the first Gambling Act was placed into effect and it practically forbids all types of gambling activities except for betting on horse races.

However, all of that changed shortly later. The new Nelson Mandela-run government saw all the economic benefits of the gambling industry, which is why in 1996, they legalized casinos, lotteries, bingo, and online sportsbooks. In the same year, the NGB was established and the government gave licenses to 40 casinos.

Following the 1996 amendment, the Lotteries Act, which legalized lotteries was brought in 1997 and put into effect in 2000. Statistics showed that on the first lottery day, over 800,000 tickets were sold. After the laws were loosened, 2003 was the year when the so-called limited payout machines were legalized.

In 2004, the NGA, which had a focus on online gambling was also brought. While it regulated online sportsbooks, it stated that online casinos are explicitly illegal. Then, in 2008, the Gambling Amendment Act, which approved live casinos and online casinos was passed but never enacted.

These days, the online gambling industry in South Africa is at a still. Live casinos are still deemed illegal, which is why the number of available options for South African players is limited. They can bet on sports and horse races online, but they do not have access to any other casino games. The good news is that the gambling climate may change in the near future.

In the recent period, the government of South Africa has been showing some interest in finally passing the Gambling Amendment Act of 2008 and finally regulating the online gambling industry. After all, there are tons of great benefits that come with it.

First off, live casinos and online casinos, in general, will be able to pay millions of dollars in taxes. Not only that, but these platforms will employ thousands of people and these two factors can be of great benefit to the economy.

And if that is not enough, by legalizing and regulating live casinos, the government will be able to block all unlicensed sites, which ultimately leads to greater player protection. Many unlicensed operators, which are often scam sites, may operate in the region and players can fall victim to these sites.

Apart from the recent positive interest by the government, the people have also pressured the authorities into making these activities, which is also a good sign.

Mobile gaming is set to be the future of the online casino industry in South Africa as well. The active number of mobile users in the country has drastically increased over the past couple of years. In 2021, the number of active mobile users in South Africa is 33.6 million. By 2025, that number will likely increase to 39.06 million and a big majority of the population will own a smartphone device.

That is the reason why all licensed and legal online operators in the country have already started utilizing the latest HTML5 technology and made their platforms fully optimized for mobile and desktop use. In the future, it is very likely for them to develop apps. That way, the access will be extremely easy and the mobile gaming experience will be much better.

At the moment, the gambling industry is in a very complicated relationship with the government of South Africa. Even though the pressure from its citizens has increased lately, this industry remains heavily restricted.

There are 39 or 40 land-based casinos that have a license to operate in this country. Additionally, the law states betting on horse races, sportsbooks, bingo, and lottery are the remaining legalizing gambling activities. When it comes to online gambling, live casinos included, the law states that they are forbidden. Not only that, but South African players could end up with up to 10 years in prison if they are caught gambling illegally.

But, so far, there have been no recorded cases where South African players are convicted and fined or imprisoned. As for the online gambling industry, this is where the regulation gets even more complicated.

In 2004, the amendments made clear differences between land-based and online gambling and the only form of online gambling that was made legal were betting on horse races and sports betting. The reason why the regulations are so complicated is that in 2008, an amendment that stated that all forms of online gambling would be legal was passed, but it did not go into full effect. On the contrary, it is still lingering and the government is yet to acknowledge it.

The main law that regulates gambling in South Africa is the 1965 Gambling Act. In 1996, this law was amended to the Gambling Act. The last amendment came in 2004 when online and land-based gambling were distinguished and most forms of online gambling were made illegal.

It is worth mentioning that the Lotteries Act of 1997, which was launched in 2000, states that a national lottery can take place in South Africa. As for the authorities that are in charge of overseeing gambling-related activities in this country, the main regulatory body is the National Gambling Board, or also known as NGB.

Additionally, nine provincial gambling boards which regulate the industry on the regional level are also present and their role is to keep tight control over the industry.

These gambling boards are the following:

• Eastern Cape Gambling Board
• KwaZulu-Natal Gaming and Betting Board
• Gauteng Gambling Board
• Free State Gambling and Liquor Authority
• Limpopo Gambling Board
• Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board
• Northern Cape Gambling Board
• North West Gambling Board
• Mpumalanga Economic Regulator

It is worth noting that the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board is the largest bookmaker license provider in South Africa. As for the legal gambling age in this country, the National Gambling Act states that players need to be at least 18 years old to gamble.

As stated several times, South African players have a hard time accessing live casinos. They are heavily restricted in the country and even though the 2008 amendment of the Gambling Act stated that online gambling is legal was passed, it is still to be put into effect.

Nevertheless, players from this country can sometimes access live casinos, and their top live game is poker, specifically Texas Hold’em. This is a casino game that requires a lot of skill rather than luck. Moreover, the prize pools can be extremely rewarding. Caribbean Stud poker also deserves a mention as this live game variant is popular.

Next up, live roulette, which is a classic casino game, is very popular here. Unlike live poker, this game is very simple to play. All players have to do is wager on the number on which they think that ball will stop in the wheel. The available wagering options are red or black numbers, low or high numbers, or certain columns and rows.

Finally, the last type of live game that is popular in South Africa is not a casino game. It is live betting. Since online sportsbooks are the only form of legal online gambling in South Africa, it is logical that live betting would be at the top of the list of favourite live games by players from this country.

When players from South Africa access live and online casinos, they are always ensuring that the chosen site is supplied by some of the world’s best game providers. The reason for that is because reputable game providers always supply live casinos with the best games on the market, hence a quality gaming experience is inevitable.

With that being said, some of the brands that players from South Africa are on the lookout for are Evolution Gaming, NetEnt, Microgaming, Quickspin, Yggdrasil, Play’n GO, etc. All of these brands are known for supplying live casinos and online casinos with the best online casino games on the market.

Apart from live games, it is worth noting that players in South Africa love regular casino games such as The National Lottery, slot machines, scratchcards, and betting on horse races. In fact, one study in 2008 even showed that over 96% of the population in South Africa had played The National Lottery.

Additionally, the participation percentage for slot machines was 27.7%, 22.7% for scratchcards, and 11.5% for betting on horse races. Bitcoin games have also taken a small swing in the past few years due to the fact that they have very unique gameplay.

Since the first bonus that South African players come across at live casinos is the welcome bonus. In most cases, the welcome offer rewards players with a match deposit bonus. Next up, cashback bonuses are extremely popular as they allow players from South Africa to redeem some of the lost amounts on live games over a certain period.

The percentage depends on the live casino and their status in the loyalty program, that is if the live casino has one. The higher the player is on the casino’s loyalty program, the better the cashback percentage will be.

Finally, literally every bonus that is connected to betting on horse and other sports is very appreciated by South African players. That is due to the fact that online betting is among the few forms of legal online gambling activities. Sportsbook welcome bonuses, cashbacks, Free Bets, reload bonuses, and daily bonuses are just a few of the promotions that deserve a mention.

To claim all of the aforementioned bonuses, players must be registered at the live casino. Welcome offers often come with numerous terms and conditions – they are only available to newly registered players, can be claimed just once, players need to make a certain minimum deposit to claim it, have wagering requirements, market restrictions, etc.

The case is similar with sportsbook bonuses, as well. Out of all the sportsbook bonuses, Free Bets are those that are the most complicated as they are restricted on the category, timeframe, and have maximum bonus winnings. But, cashback bonuses are rather simple to claim. All players have to do is play live games over a specific period then log in on a certain day and redeem some of the lost amounts.

Some live casinos may require players to contact the Support team or enter a bonus code to claim the offer. In some cases, both of these steps might have to be taken. The best way to check what are the policies of the live casino is to visit the Promotions tab and read the T&Cs of all featured bonuses.

Considering the fact that live casinos are mostly forbidden in South Africa and players can only use land-based gambling facilities, cash is the most popular payment method in the country. Players use it when they visit brick-and-mortar facilities to play the featured casino games.

However, online sportsbooks are considered legal in South Africa and players can deposit and withdraw money with credit and debit cards at these sites. They are extremely reliable and safe. Not only that, but they provide players from South Africa with relatively fast transactions.

Other methods that deserve a mention are e-wallets and bank transfers.

Since Bitcoin games have had a small surge in popularity in South Africa, this cryptocurrency can sometimes be used as a payment method. Due to the fact that it provides players with a certain level of online anonymity, has instant deposits and withdrawals, and does not come with any fees, it is superior when compared to other methods.

E-wallets are the only efficient method for fast transactions, but they often come with fees and many operators do not consider them eligible to claim the featured bonuses.