South African Online Gambling

Online Gambling in South Africa: 5 Things You Should Know

When you think of the bright lights of casinos, South Africa isn’t the first place that comes to mind. The likes of Las Vegas and Macau are the locations that are immediately associated with the words ‘casino’ and ‘gambling’.

However, the online game is changing the status quo, and South Africa is gaining more players than ever. The local legal system has a complicated relationship with gaming, but that hasn’t stopped players flocking in their dozens to get a taste of online gaming.

South African Online gambling currency

Most online casinos will allow players to gamble in whatever currency they want. This is great news for South African players, who want to play in local money; South African Rand (ZAR). As any online gambler knows, it’s a tedious task having to constantly translate exchange rates and it can be confusing when you are trying to assess your bankroll.

Most South African casinos cut this annoyance out of their players’ lives, by offering ZAR gaming.

Online Gambling in South Africa regulators

South Africa online gambling is regulated by the National Gambling Act of 2004. It says that gambling is legal in venues and other such places, but has a complicated relationship with online players and facilitators. It was amended again in 2008, but still, many locals to the the country can’t fully comprehend what the state’s relationship is with the business.

The Provinces And How They Work

All of South Africa’s nine provinces have a gambling and racing board and each native online betting operator is licensed by these board. There are offshore betting establishments that overlook this requirement though. In fact, if you look at some of South Africa’s most popular betting establishments, you will realize that they are based in the likes of Malta and Gibraltar.

The Continent and Its Love of Gambling

It’s not just South Africa that’s a big player when it comes to online gambling. Online gambling is also massively popular in other locations on the African continent, such as Kenya and Nigeria. It’s a relatively new phenomena, but one that hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.

Slots and online poker have proven to be particularly popular in these states.

The Casinos That Rule Online Gambling in South Africa

Springbok Casino, Yako Casino and Silver Sands Casino are the establishments that are the most popular among South African players. As previously stated, each one of these establishments offers gambling in the local currency for players.

These are just a small selection of the casinos that online players flock to in South Africa. Many expatriates also play in established British sites, such as 888.com and BetVictor. It has become a worldwide pastime, which South Africa has embraced with open arms. Once the government clears the confusion around its legality, we expect it to grow even further.

That is the current situation with South African online gambling.

A bit of history

Betting market South-africa
Much like the nation , and the gaming market of South Africa went through a tumultuous time of fluctuations. Around 1670, the earliest ban on gaming originated in the Dutch in Cape Colony at 1673, forbidding most forms of betting as the Gambling Act of 1965 authoritatively disqualified a variety of gaming from South Africa, except horseracing due to its popularity. At the late 70s of the past century, even before gaming was legalised, the Southern African gaming industry consisted chiefly of prohibited casinos which were conducted in the socalled Bantustans, the name to get a autonomous land within the boundaries of South Africa and Namibia, where occasionally of Apartheid indigenous inhabitants dwelt. These prohibited casinos became probably one of the main sources of income to people who dwelt there. By the mid-1990s over 2000 unlicensed casinos were in performance, serving the gaming demands of a large number of South Africans.

National Gambling Act South-africa
Created by the nationwide Gambling Authority, the National Gambling Act of 1996 based standards for its lawful joy of slot-machines online casino games, lotteries, as well as also other kinds of gaming. Legalised casinos were opened for people, a couple lotteries were regulated also. From that time on all kinds of gaming must be governed by the National Gambling Board.

The South African American gaming sector is currently the largest in Africa, well regulated, and also something of the principal contributors into the Southern African market.

Online gambling in South Africa
The Southern African online gaming market continues to be a pretty gray place. But, based on the web casinos continued to offer players the possibility to play South African Rands, chiefly as the legislation are aimed not only at the players however at the internet casino, frequently really worth a risk within this business.

The National Gambling Amendment Act of 2008, released in July 2008, has been intended to become an effort to legalise online gaming in South Africa and also make predictions for its regulation of the forex current market, nevertheless also the Act never came to power. The change brought a great deal of resistance from land-based casinos fearing to lose clients and revenue with their internet contest. But, there is every risk that online gaming is going to probably be legalised in the country within the future.

Don’t forget to check the list of the best online casinos in South Africa.

Relevant news