One of the jewels in Africa’s crown, modern South Africa is a fabulous place to live. One of the major reasons for this is the many things to stay entertained with in your spare time. Gambling is a popular pastime for many South Africans and the nation’s gambling industry is one of the strongest on the whole continent.
It is thought, for example, that around 80% of the people who gamble in Africa live here! This sees it leading the way as a gambling hub for the continent, with a revenue of R3.5bn predicted for 2021. While other countries such as Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria have all welcomed gambling with open arms, South Africa remains top dog. Of course, if you are thinking of placing a few wagers when free, it pays to know the state of the gambling sector in the country.
This ensures you not only stay within the law but also know what there is on offer for players. But how exactly does it look currently and what are the different ways in which you can gamble?
South Africa is safe and fully regulated
Gambling in South Africa is safe and fully regulated. Although on-track horse race betting was allowed before and the Sun City entertainment and gambling resort was built in the 1970s, the sector only really came to life in the mid-1990s. During this period, most forms of land-based gambling were made legal. Modern gambling in the country is regulated by the National Responsible Gambling Programme, which helps to keep the gambling sector in check and protect players who gamble in the country.
National Lottery is a popular game
When it comes to the ways in which you can gamble in SA, one of the most popular choices is the National Lottery. Launched in 2000, this sees people on course to win big prizes if they match up the numbers that are drawn each week. If you fancy something different, why not try out the Daily Lotto game in South Africa? Playcasino.co.za knows the ins and outs of this to help you obtain the knowledge that you need to make the right decision before purchasing a lottery ticket. This operates on the same principle but is drawn at 9pm each night for quicker results. Costing just R3 a ticket currently, if no one wins the main jackpot, the money is split between other lower-level winners. Whichever type of lotto game you decide to play, they form a key part of gambling in the country.
Online gambling in South Africa
We have already noted that this country is one of the best in Africa for strongly regulating its gambling market. This is not such good news currently for online casino fans, though! While you can legally place sports bets online in the country via high-end tech such as the iPhone 13 from Apple, there is no permission for online casino sites to operate here as yet. Although a draft Remote Gambling Bill sought to address this in 2014, no further movement has been made on officially letting online casinos offer classics like poker or blackjack to South Africans. Of course, many players in the country head to offshore online casinos to play instead. This includes both desktop-based platforms and also the latest mobile casinos. Although this is illegal in terms of the nation’s online gambling laws, the government have yet to prosecute anyone for it.
Land-based gambling around South Africa
The picture around land-based casino play in the country is much simpler. This is totally legal and there are around 38 regulated casinos you could try out in South Africa now. This is more than any other African nation to date! As well as being great for locals, these land-based casino resorts help bring much needed jobs, visitors and money to the country. As you would expect, these physical casinos have top games such as slots, roulette and poker to enjoy. While online play is beginning to take over (as we are seeing in the rest of the world), land-based casinos are still important for the South African gambling sector.
Gambling industry in South Africa booming
The current state of the gambling sector in SA is very healthy and robust. Although other industries might have suffered in recent times, gambling is one that seems to only get stronger. With gambling revenues in South Africa looking positive moving forward, it seems that the industry is set for more gains. The above segments of the market in SA are undoubtedly key and show that the gambling sector in the country has lots to offer anyone – whatever type of game you like to play, you are sure to find it!