The Popularity of Sports Betting in South Africa and the Legal Situation
Sports Betting in South Africa is rapidly gaining some traction, especially now that is totally legal andmore people are adopting it.Presently, sports betting is no longer as much of a taboo subject as it was. And millions of people from allover the world are. participating in it. On the list of countries that are known to bet, Nigeria, China,Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, and the United Kingdom top the list. Some of the sports they beton are football, cricket, and rugby.South Africa is not left out of this list, as the country also has active participants gambling in the abovementioned sports, including in horse racing. Today, there are more than 300 sportsbooks and 400 bettingshops, operating throughout the South.Additionally, the establishment of legal online betting sites in South Africa, further fuels the bets ofcitizens, who won’t waste time to wager on their preferred sports. Provided a sportsbook is licensed by theNational Gaming Board (NGB), players are permitted to bet online and offline too.In this article we’ll discuss extensively the popularity of sports betting in South Africa, and what thewhole legal situation is surrounding it. Article Content: An overview of sports betting in South Africa Is sports betting legal in South Africa? Is online sports betting legal in South Africa? Legal state of betting in South Africa Types of popular sports markets in South Africa Regulation of online betting in South Africa Why is sports betting so popular in South Africa? Where does the revenue for sports betting go? Tips and tricks for successful sports betting in South Africa Legal South African betting websites An Overview of Sports betting in South AfricaSince 1996, online gambling sites have been in existence and it didn’t take South Africa long to regulatethem. The 1996 Act was inspired by a 1994 report on gambling titled the Wiehan Commission reports.The law stated that forms of gambling like lottery and sports betting were allowed. Whereas, the localoperations of casino games including poker was prohibited.There was also a 2004 Act that existed to regulate the gambling operations that were allowed in thecountry. According to that law, only online gambling operators who were licensed by authorized bodiesin various regions of South Africa, could cater to the locals. South Africa houses a total of 9 provinces, each one with an authorized body that issues gaming orgambling licenses to operators. However, certain requirements must be met. This is to ensure that licensesare only awarded to qualified businesses that have the interest of the consumers at heart.From 2016 till now, the local gambling revenues have had good results. Before then, South Africa’sbetting market struggled due to economic situation. But, that changed in 2016 when the Gross GamingRevenues (GGRS) grew by 14.3%. Besides sports betting, the lottery also saw more sales.The current GGR of South Africa is estimated to be a value of R35 billion, a massive increase from2016’s R27 billlion. This increase is mostly because of how easy it is for players to access sportsbooksthese days. Thanks to the internet, people can easily bet with multiple bookies. The convenience itprovides is one of the numerous reasons why people are more interested in betting.Today, few betting sites that are popular in the country include 1xBet, Ladbrokes, Betway, Hollywoodbets, Gbets, Bet.co.za, World Sports Betting, Sportingbet, Sunbet, and Supabets.However, although sports betting is widely popular here, there are few South Africans who would preferto be exempted from it and other forms of gambling. One of the many reasons is because they do not wantto have any gambling-related problems.This is why self-exclusion is an option in South Africa. The NGB gvae some guidelines for citizens whowish to practice self-exclusion:● The punter can go to a casino operator or Provincial Gambling Board to help them get self-excluded.● After that is done, the person’s particulars will be sent to other licensed venues to prevent themfrom gambling.● Third-party exclusions can also be adopted by using the courts to get someone who the self-excluder is financially reliant on self-excluded too.Once they have been self-excluded, it is now up to the person to avoid all gambling venues. If they arefound in such places, they will be charged with trespassing and might be arrested. Is Sports Betting Legal In South Africa?Yes, sports betting is legal in South Africa.In this country, there are numerous licensed bookies that offer gambling services on sports like cricket,rugby, soccer, horse racing, etc. The sports betting and horse racing industries are entiwned, as they bothguarantee that punters can seamlessly wager on sports competitions and horse racing events with the samebookie. In addition, it is should be noted that South African bettors can legally wager on betting sites, as long itwasn’t on casino games and poker. Each of the institutuons in the country’s 9 provinces were authorized toregulate bettting done on sports racing and horse racing events.Before a betting site can operate in South Africa, they’ll have to get the neccessary license by completingsome requirements that allow them serve South African gamblers. Is Online Sports Betting Legal In South Africa?Also, yes. Online sports betting is legal in South Africa.Online betting is legalized in this country, for only people who have a licensed bookmaker from theprovincial gambling board. Bettors can legally bet and withdraw funds with zero tax in South Africa, aslong as they are eligible to play.South Africa bars its citizens from using an unregulated international online sportsbook or operating anonline sportsbook that is not regulated. This means limited options for betting on sports online in SouthAfrica in 2022.The legitimate online sportsbooks available to South Africans are ones that have been approved andlicensed by the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board. Since these betting platforms are smaller, youneed to research and review your options when betting in SA.Although, there are laws in place that protect you if a website does not pay you your winnings. But, doadditional research to be sure of the provider’s legitimacy. The Legal State Of Betting In South AfricaGambling has been prohibited in South Africa since 1673, with only horse racing betting permitted as