The Best South African Online Casinos – Safe Casino Sites in South Africa

While this page is mainly dedicated to online casinos in South Africa, keep in mind that we have a section for famous, land-based casinos, too. All you have to do is to click on the link to casino resorts below, and our quick navigation tool will take you straight to Montecasino, Sun City, and Grand West Casino. Our page has been made easy to navigate and you can jump from one spot to the next; find whichever section interests you the most with ease.

The Results of Our Tests: No Legal Online Casinos in South Africa

Here at Scams.info, we take our research seriously and we’ve found that the results speak for themselves. We’ve created a page that will help give you the best answers to your online gambling-related queries, so stay with us to find out more. The bad news is that there are no legal online casinos in South Africa.

Best Online Casino for South African Players at a Glance – 2024‘s Test Winner

Right now, there isn’t any online casino that we can recommend to South African players. However, the best online casinos all have the same characteristics: state of the art security measures, a diverse game portfolio, guaranteed payout rates, and rewarding welcome bonuses.

Unfortunately, for now South African gamblers will have to make do with land-based casinos situated near them or try their chances with an offshore online casino. However, there are still risks involved visiting online casinos and South African players should approach offshore operators with caution.

A Guide to the Best Casino Sites in South Africa

While there may not be any legal online casinos in South Africa at the moment, this may change in the future. So, with that in mind, we want to make sure that our readers are well informed and suitably equipped to recognise a good casino site when the time may come.

When we go to review a casino, our first main consideration is the security layout of the online casino. We are certain that you would like to enjoy yourself at a reputable operator where your money is safe, and this is why we’ve chosen to place such an exclusive focus on security.

What does security entail? It means licensing through a legitimate authority which tests the casino for various aspects. For example, a casino will be tested on the RNG of their games as well as on their deposit and withdrawal methods to ensure your finances are secure. Unfortunately, there are no South African online casino licences.

There are several criteria for ensuring an online casino operator is legitimate and these are all important. However, none is as important as your online safety and we rank this as our number one priority. Later on in our review, you will find more information on the gambling laws in South Africa and a specific link to these laws.

1. Safety and Scam Protection When Playing for Real Money

There are instances when some players have come across operators which aren’t legitimate, which has meant that they have had trouble with withdrawing their winnings, amongst other financial issues. This is why having a licensed operator and one that guarantees your security, is so crucial.

Right now, there are no legitimate online casinos in South Africa. Even those licensed by the UK’s Gambling Commission or the Malta Gaming Authority are no-goes in the country. These organisations are responsible for ensuring that a casino operator (operating in their jurisdictions) provides a fair and secure gaming experience. However, they do not issue international licences.

The first thing you can do to protect your money is ensure that the casino is licensed. This is only possible in South Africa if the legal situation changes.

The next thing to do is to check which financial operators the casino is affiliated with. The standard financial operators are Visa, MasterCard, Paysafecard, Neteller, Skrill, and PayPal, although there are many others, with Bitcoin recently making an entrance into the market as an accepted payment method.

You can find out which financial operators a casino is affiliated with by either scrolling down to the bottom of the homepage where the icons of the payment methods are displayed or by going to the Terms and Conditions page of the particular online South African casino.

A trusted operator will have this information clearly displayed in its Terms and Conditions page. We’ll talk about the gambling laws in South Africa in a separate section in our review below. For quick navigation, simply click on the link below to take you there.

2. Secure Payments – Depositing and Withdrawing Safely

The South African financial landscape is diverse and advanced. The two most common payment methods in South Africa are the use of debit and credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard. However, since the financial landscape is broadening, financial service providers have become more efficient, granting access to other payments such as e-wallets.

This means that you could use a host of financial services including Neteller and Skrill, proving that you can deposit and withdraw funds with ease, should online casinos in South Africa become legal.

Although there are currently no options for the best online casinos in South Africa, you should still be aware that in any market, operators differ in terms of payments via e-wallets, with some casinos accepting more e-wallet providers than others.

This is why we tend to suggest that the easiest payment method is via Visa or Mastercard. PayPal hasn’t come to South Africa as yet, which is a shame. However, if online casinos in South Africa are legalised, this may change as well. To find out about your eligibility for a casino bonus as a first-time depositor, just click on our link below.

2.1. Visa Recommended Payment Method

Although we normally recommend e-wallets for easier transaction management and a richer payment history, in the case of South Africa, we have to look at what payment methods are most common, in order to get an idea of which payment methods would be available in the future.

According to Absa Bank, Visa credit cards are the most common types of credit cards issued and Absa is one of the country’s top five biggest banks. Keeping this in mind and keeping in mind that e-wallets haven’t yet hit the South African market with as much influence as other countries such as the UK, it is safe to assume that payment with your Visa credit card would be the best option for making deposits.

2.2. Limits and Fees

At any future online casinos in South Africa or in any other country, there will always different payment limits and fees at each site. For this reason, you should have a look before signing up.

There are differences in processing times for the payments and these include up to three business days for regular customers and one to two business days for customers who are part of the VIP clientele of the casino.

3. Reliable Customer Support Service

Customer service at an online casino can range from queries regarding your payments, to whether you can play a certain slot game on the casino’s mobile version. Whatever you need, it is important that the customer care team are there to help you.

At the end of the day, customer service is essential and most casinos nowadays are offering a plethora of methods to contact them, whilst at the same time providing the speediest response possible.

In most cases, the live chat option is the best method for queries that need immediate responses. Email and telephone support are also available, although sometimes these methods might mean a longer lead time in waiting for a response, the standard amount of waiting time with email being 24 hours.

4. Transparent and Fair Casino Bonus Terms for South African Players

While most online casino operators offer a bonus to first-time players, it’s important to know what to look out for in a bonus. Bonuses can entail both monetary rewards such as doubling your cash on a first deposit or an added feature of free spins, or both in some cases.

The thing to remember is that bonuses almost always come with conditions attached. These tend to be wagering conditions. These function by requiring you to bet a certain number of times the value of the bonus that you were given.

On the whole, deposit match bonuses should have wagering conditions of 40x or less, while bonus spins on slot games may see a higher playthrough requirement.

5. Rich Casino Games Selection

Now why do people go to a casino in the first place? The answer is, of course, the games! Every decent casino offers a wide range of games and this is what we’ll cover here.

For starters, most casinos offer slots as their largest selection and at most reputable operators, you’re likely to find the most popular slots such as Starburst, Gonzo’s Quest, Age of the Gods, and Book of Dead.

In addition to slots, there are also table games to consider, although usually, these are much fewer in number compared to the slots. Still, you could expect to find a few dozen options of blackjack, roulette, baccarat and casino poker.

Finally, we have the live games, which means you get to play with a live dealer through some pretty fancy computer graphics which stream the dealer right to your screen. These games are available on desktop and mobile. Again, you will see roulette, blackjack, and poker tables.

Although each operator site will have a different offering, most good online casinos house several hundred games. As mentioned before, the majority of these will likely come in the form of slot games. We expect that this will be the same for South Africa online casinos if they become legal.

6. Stable Software Compatible with All Devices

With games by some of the world’s top software providers such as NetEnt and Microgaming, you’re bound to experience a world of gaming that is complete with crisp graphics to make your gaming experience that much more enjoyable.

What’s also great is that most games are also available across iPhone and Android devices, which means you can take your gaming experience with you wherever you go.

What You Need to Know to Play Legally in South Africa

Each country in the world has its particular views and different attitudes toward gambling and South Africa is no different. During the apartheid regime gambling was banned outright, although illegal casinos popped up in the independent homelands (also known as Bantustans).

When the democratic government came in power in 1994, land-based casinos became legalised and gambling accordingly became legal. The situation was slightly different with horse racing as this was legal since around 1965. Gambling in land-based casinos is therefore legal today, although online casinos have not been legalised.

This situation has been circumvented by South African players, who have not yet been penalised by the courts for gambling online under foreign jurisdictions, although online providers and financial institutions face a hefty fine of R10 million or 10 years’ imprisonment if caught aiding and abetting an online financial gambling transaction. However, this means that we won’t see any genuine South African online casinos any time soon.

Gambling Laws and Authorities in South Africa

The current legislation that is in place for gambling in South Africa is the National Gambling Amendment Act of 2008. This Act overruled the previous 2004 National Gambling Act, which in turn, repealed the new democratic dispensation Act of 1996 which legalised gambling and recognised horse betting as a legitimate form of gambling, too, apart from merely being considered a sport as it was in the past.

Despite the fact that it is legal to gamble at land-based casinos, online gambling remains illegal with a special North Gauteng High Court ruling indicating that financial institutions could be fined up to R10 million for facilitating financial transactions related to online gambling or face 10 years’ imprisonment, and the media and advertising sectors also being banned from advertising any such activities.

The National Gambling Board (NGB) is responsible for the oversight of the regulation in the gambling industry throughout the country and “to preserve the integrity of South Africa as a responsible global citizen.” In addition, each province has its own gambling authority which oversees gambling in each particular province in South Africa, and these will be mentioned in our review in the next paragraph.

South Africa is a unitary state which means it is divided into nine provinces which fall under the legal framework of the national government. Nevertheless, each province has its own provincial legislature and a gambling affairs body that deals with applications for gambling licences.

Therefore, in order to apply for a gambling license, one would need to apply to the province in question. Keep in mind, however, that some provinces may not issue Requests for Application (RPAs), which is the specific application procedure for acquiring a gambling license. The specific legislative bodies dealing with gambling legislation and oversight in South Africa are the Eastern Cape Gambling and Betting Board, the Free State Gambling and Liquor Authority, the Gauteng Gambling Board, the KwaZulu-Natal Gaming and Betting Board, the Limpopo Gambling Board, the Mpumalanga Gambling Board, the Northern Cape Gambling Board, the North West Gambling Board, and the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board.

Gambling Taxation – Do You Owe Taxes After a Win?

With gambling, the question of paying taxes on your winnings will always pop up. Let’s look at the various forms of gambling and give you an overview of whether the South African Revenue Service (SARS) will tax your winnings or not. Starting with the national lottery, your lottery winnings will not be taxed although you do need to notify SARS of your winnings.

The next category of individuals that should declare winnings to SARS is the person who gambles for recreational purposes. All winnings must be declared on your IRP5 tax returns although winnings aren’t taxed.

Then we have the professional player who makes his income from playing professionally. These winnings, since they form part of a “personal business’, must be declared and SARS will deduct income tax off of them although losses are taken into account, making the situation slightly fairer. South Africa has a progressive taxing system which essentially means that the more you earn, the more you are taxed. The same will apply to a professional player who makes an income from gambling.

Most Important Legal Texts

The National Gambling Amendment Bill was officially tabled on 20 July 2018. The Amendment Bill – which has existed in various forms since 2016 – proposes several changes to South Africa’s main gambling legislation, including a number of changes to South Africa’s current gambling structures as well as a strengthening of current rules.

Other than that, and before this Bill is put into force, other gambling legislation in South Africa includes the National Gambling Act, Act No 33 of 1996 which was repealed on 1 November 2004 by the National Gambling Act, 2004, (Act No 7 of 2004), which makes provision for the oversight of matters relating to casinos, gambling, betting and wagering and promotes uniform norms and standards in relation to gambling throughout South Africa.

Differences by State

As mentioned earlier, South Africa is a unitary state, which means it is a country which is divided into nine provinces. Despite this division into provinces, there is no distinction in terms of the national law per province.

This means that each province adheres to and is guided by the relevant law of the state or national government, although provincial legislatures do have some power in creating their own legislation. This is why there are minimal differences in terms of bettering authorities per state. Each state has its own regulatory body for gambling, although this falls under the auspices of the National Gambling Board, which regulates all betting throughout South Africa, irrespective of the province.

Sun City is a famous casino resort in the North West province, and this is where a large chunk of the gambling activity takes place in South Africa. Gauteng Province is another major contributor to the gambling sector as it hosts several casinos including Emerald Casino, Emperor’s Palace, Montecasino in the affluent Fourways suburb, and others.

There are casinos on both the East and the West Rand of Johannesburg. As for Kwa-Zulu Natal, you’ll find some lovely gambling venues in the form of Suncoast Casino, Giba Gorge Horse Trails for horse racing, the famous Greyville Racecourse in Durban, and Sibaya Casino and Entertainment Kingdom. Meanwhile, in the Western Cape, you can enjoy yourself at Grand West Casino. It is safe to say that Gauteng, the Western Cape, and Kwa-Zulu Natal are the most popular provinces for gambling, although there are some casinos in the rest of the country, too.

What Might the Future Hold

Online gambling has not been allowed in South Africa due to the large furore raised by land-based casinos, fearing large losses and possible liquidations in the event that online casinos are introduced in South Africa.

This, in addition to the fact that there are many problem gamblers in the country, means that the government, through legislation, is set to protect the consumer and casino businesses from exploitation and failure, respectively.

What the future holds for online casinos in South Africa, therefore, is that their status will remain illegal, although it is unlikely that this will stop some punters from continuing to try their luck elsewhere, by bypassing local laws and trying their luck on betting sites South Africa players should not be using . Sports betting and horse racing will continue to be a major source of entertainment and important income-generating activity.

Comparison with Other Markets

In comparison to the UK, the South African online casino landscape is still illegal. The UK boasts tens if not hundreds of online casinos and this form of entertainment has skyrocketed in terms of popularity among the British public, which can also access games on their mobile phones as online casinos in this country have adapted to the demands made by consumers and have tried to satisfy these demands by providing online entertainment that can be accessed on the go.

Curious Facts About the Market

While doing our research, we found some interesting information on the South African gambling market and we’d like to share some of these statistics and financial information with you. For instance, a total amount of R372,987,955,104 was wagered in financial year (FY) 2017.

Casinos accounted for the highest turnover at 73.2% by comparison with all other gambling modes in FY2017. The province of Gauteng accounted for the highest amount of turnover in respect of all gambling modes, the total percentage being 43.5% as compared to other provinces in FY2017. Although Gauteng represented the highest amount of turnover relative to casinos (42.3%), betting on horse racing and sport (63.1%), and bingo (59.0%), the highest amount of money in the limited payout machines (LPM) sector was wagered in Western Cape (29.9%) in FY2017.

Gambling Statistics

According to the National Gambling Board and Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC), “Gross Gambling Revenue (GGR) generated in the casino sector in the 2017FY represented 66.4% of the total amount of GGR generated in FY2017 compared to the other legalised gambling sectors (betting on sport and horse racing, LPM and bingo). A 4.5% increase in GGR generated by the casino sector has been recorded for the period between FY2014 (R16,497,594,915) to FY2015 (R17,234,928,081), by 5.8% to FY2016 (R18,236,685,695), however, decreased by 1.8% to FY2017 (R17,900,747,071) (based on current prices).

The slight decrease in the generation of GGR from FY2016 to FY2017 can, amongst others, be attributed to the decrease of operational positions in Gauteng, Western Cape, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and the Free State.

GGR generated in the betting on horse racing and sport sector represents 18.9% of the total amount of GGR generated in FY2017 compared to the other legalised gambling sectors (casino, LPM & bingo).

Noticeable increases in GGR generated in the betting industry have been recorded i.e. an increase of 22.2% from FY2014 to FY2015, by 28.5% from FY2015 to FY2016, and by 14.3% from FY2016 to FY2017. This is mainly as a result of increases in the generation of GGR by bookmakers offering betting on sport. GGR generated by bookmakers offering betting on sport increased by 36.0% from FY2013 to FY2014, by 59.9% to FY2015, by 50.9% to FY2016, and by 22.0% to FY2017.

GGR generated in the LPM sector represented 10.0% of the total amount of GGR generated by all licensed gambling modes in FY2017. Significant increases in GGR generated have been recorded in the LPM industry – by 19.6% from R1,738,648,662 in FY2014 to R2,079,338,389 in FY2015, by 13.7% from FY2015 to FY2016 (R2,363,501,788) and by 14.1% to R2,696,846,443 in FY2017. The increase in GGR can be attributed to the increase of active LPMs in all provinces.”

Based on the aforementioned statistics, it appears that casinos took the largest chunk of GGR in 2017, with 73.2%, followed by betting with 12.2%, LPM (9%), and bingo at 5.6%. Gauteng, the Western Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal were the three provinces out of nine with the highest GGR turnover at 43.4%, 17.7% and 16%, respectively. Moreover, there is an upwards trend in casino gambling based on comparisons of data from the 2001/2001 financial year to the 2016/2017 financial year.

Gambling Resorts

Land-based casinos, as the only legal casinos in South Africa, are many and prominent. They provide not only gambling entertainment but cater to a fine dining experience as well as hotels and conference venues to garner in sufficient revenue. One of the most popular casino resorts in South Africa is the Sun City resort, which was established in 1979 and has been growing strong ever since. Home to the Valley of Waves and sprawled along the border of the Pilanesberg National Park, Sun City Resort enjoys the distinction of being the only surf-and-safari destination within a two-hour drive of Johannesburg.

Sun City

Sun City is a luxury resort and casino, situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It is located between the Elands River and the Pilanesberg Mountain, near the city of Rustenburg. The complex borders the Pilanesberg Game Reserve. Sun City was developed by the hotel magnate, Sol Kerzner, as part of his Sun International group of properties.

It was officially opened on 7 December 1979. The resort has four hotels: Soho Hotel (formerly known as Sun City Hotel or The Main Hotel), Cascades Hotel, The Cabanas, and The Palace of the Lost City. Sun City also has the Vacation Club, which is not a hotel but rather flats sold in a timeshare scheme.

“Sun City also has two international-standard 18-hole golf courses, the Gary Player Country Club and the Lost City Golf Course. The Gary Player Country Club is home to the Nedbank Golf Challenge that is held annually.

The Sun City resort has hosted various concerts and events, including the Miss South Africa and Miss South Africa Teen Pageant. These pageants take place annually in Sun City’s Super Bowl Arena and the Valley of Waves. It also hosted Miss World pageant five times. In 2014, the movie, Blended, with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler premiered on the premises after being filmed mostly at the resort.”

Montecasino

Strategically located 30 minutes away from OR Tambo International Airport, Montecasino is considered to be Gauteng province’s premier entertainment destination not only for its casino, but also its five-star accommodation, nightlife and family fun. Montecasino was constructed to the cost of R1.4 billion and has the look and feel of a classic Tuscan village.

It is a blend of old-world charm and modern convenience. Montecasino provides visitors with that ‘something extra’ through over 30 different dining outlets, night clubs, theaters, sporting grounds, a bird garden, and world-class conference facilities.

Montecasino offers 1700 slot games on its casino floor. The floor itself is divided into areas that cater for all types of players including a main casino floor that is for non-smokers, two smoking casinos and a smoking and non-smoking prive. Since its inception in 2000, Montecasino has rewarded thousands of players with over 100 progressive jackpots that are offered on the casino floor.

Wagering denominations on these progressives range from R0.02 to R100, meaning that it is suitable for low-and high-rollers. Slot games such as Geisha, Shamans Magic, Dolphin Treasure and Ruby Magic continue to pay out top prizes. The table games at Montecasino will also not disappoint, with over 60 games throughout the casino including some of the most popular such as blackjack, American roulette, craps, Let it Ride and baccarat.

Grand West Casino

Situated about 20 minutes from the centre of Cape Town, Sun International’s Grand West Casino has become one of the top tourist destinations for visitors to the Mother City, and a location that is regularly visited by Capetonians looking for gambling and world class entertainment.

Besides the casino complex, visitors can also enjoy fairground facilities, an ice-skating rink, cinemas, a live music venue, a wide range of dining facilities, and retail stores. The casino offers night life, while at the same time, it is suitable for families looking to enjoy a great day out. The casino has a Victorian façade which attracts thousands of visitors every year.

The casino at Grand West has been planned in such a way as to provide players with one of the best gaming experiences. First-time players will enjoy some special features to help them make a smooth transition into the world of gambling, such as the Gaming Information Centre where first-time players will find 12 slot machines, an American roulette table, and a blackjack table to equip them with enough knowledge to learn the games and their rules before moving on to the casino floor.

Once on the casino floor, players will enjoy over 2500 slot machines. The wide variety of slot machines incorporate traditional three reelers, video slots, and video poker. Game denominations begin at 5c and rise up to R100. There are close to 70 table games which include blackjack in different variations, American roulette, Punto Banco, Raise ‘em Poker and others. The casino caters to smoking and non-smoking players.

Famous South African Gamblers

In 2016, the global total for gambling-related revenue earned was $99.6 billion, showing 8.5% year-on-year growth. The Asia Pacific region accounted for nearly half this revenue at 47%, or $46.5 billion. Following on after Asia-Pacific, is North America at 25% with $25.3 billion. This is followed by Europe, the Middle East and Africa as a single category at 24% with $23.7 billion in revenues.

South Africa forms part of this latter grouping, placing it in the third-biggest category of revenue earned during this period, although there are no specific statistics to show the exact contribution South Africa has within the context of the global rankings. Given the fact that gambling in the rest of Africa is not as prominent as South Africa, it can be assumed that South Africa constitutes the largest gambling market in Africa. Latin America as a category accounts for 4% and earned $4.1 billion over the same period.

Frequently Asked Questions

Online gambling in South Africa is a somewhat complicated topic due to the fact that online casinos are forbidden. If you’re after a quick and concise summary of the current SA gambling situation, check out our most frequent queries, outlined below! Should anything change, we will keep this page updated with the newest developments.

🥇 What are the best online casinos in South Africa?

Unfortunately, there are no legal online casinos in South Africa that we can recommend. However, in our guide to gambling in South Africa we provide you with all the criteria for finding safe, reliable casinos online.

🥇 Which are the top 5 South African casinos?

Since online casinos are illegal in South Africa there is no top five that we can provide. In this guide, we share helpful tips for staying safe online if you decide to visit offshore operators.

🤚 Are online casinos legal in South Africa?

Online casinos in South Africa are illegal. However, land-based casinos are legal. At this current moment in time, the legal status of online casinos doesn't look set to change in South Africa.

🤔 Can I win real money at online casinos in South Africa?

Yes, it is possible to win real money at offshore casinos if you are playing from South Africa. However, this does come with significant risks as there is no regulatory body looking after South Africa players' interests at online casinos.

🥇 Which South African casino has the best payouts?

When looking for a reliable offshore casino check to see if it offers offers a fair payout rate. It's individual casino games will each have their own specific payout rates. Always check the RTP of a casino game to see whether the odds are fair.