South Africa Online Gambling Market Overview, 2028

South Africa Online Gambling Market Overview, 2028

In South Africa, online gambling is legal, but it is strictly regulated by the National Gambling Board (NGB) and provincial regulatory authorities. South Africa's legal online gambling market Sports betting, horse racing betting, and lotteries are the most popular forms of online gambling in South Africa. A variety of licenced operators, including both local and international brands, offer this type of online gambling. Online poker and casino games are also legal. The country's high internet penetration rate, which has increased significantly in recent years, is one of the key drivers of the South African online gambling market. Furthermore, the increasing popularity of mobile devices has made it easier for people to access online gambling services while they are on the go. As the South African economy expands, more people will have disposable income to engage in leisure activities such as online gambling. This has aided in the expansion of the country's online gambling market. South African online gambling operators are increasingly advertising their services and attracting new customers through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This has aided in raising consumer awareness and interest in online gambling in South Africa. South African consumers can access online gambling services from operators based in other countries because the online gambling industry is global. This has increased market competition and choice, as well as attracting international customers to South African online gambling sites.

According to the research report, “South Africa Online Gambling Market Overview, 2028” published by Bonafide Research, the market is expected to grow at more than 13% CAGR from 2023 to 2028.. In addition to regulating the industry, the government also takes steps to protect consumers from problem gambling. The NGB requires all licensed gambling operators to implement responsible gambling measures, such as providing information and resources for problem gambling, offering self-exclusion options, and limiting betting amounts. In South Africa, the legal age for gambling is 18 years old. This applies to both land-based and online gambling. The National Gambling Act of 2004 prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from participating in any form of gambling, including online gambling. All licensed online gambling operators in South Africa are required to implement age verification procedures to ensure that customers are 18 years old or older. This typically involves requesting proof of identity and age, such as a passport or ID document.

According to the report, the market is segmented into gaming type, sport betting, casinos, poker, bingo, lottery and others. Among them the sports betting holds the maximum share in online gambling market of South Africa due to in South Africa, sports betting is the most popular form of online gambling, followed by horse racing betting and lotteries. This is largely due to the popularity of sports in South Africa, such as soccer, rugby, and cricket, as well as the ease of access to online sports betting platforms. Many South African online gambling operators provide a diverse selection of sports betting options, including pre-match and in-play betting, as well as virtual sports betting. Some operators also provide horse racing betting, allowing customers to wager on races held at tracks all over the world.
Based on device type, the market is divided into mobile devices (phones and tablets) and desktop. The mobile devices holds the maximum market share in online gambling market of South Africa and during the anticipated period the mobile devices are going to dominate the market of online gambling in South Africa as well. In South Africa, mobile devices are the most commonly used devices for online gambling. This is due to the fact that mobile devices provide more flexibility and convenience than desktop computers, allowing customers to place bets and play games from anywhere at any time. To provide a seamless and user-friendly mobile gambling experience, many South African online gambling operators have developed mobile apps or optimised their websites for mobile devices. These apps and mobile sites typically provide a diverse range of sports betting options, as well as horse racing betting and other forms of legal online gambling in South Africa.

South Africa's new democratic government legalised land-based gambling in 1994 in order to generate revenue and create jobs. However, until the National Gambling Act of 2004, online gambling was unregulated and illegal. South African law prohibits all forms of online gambling, including sports betting and horse racing betting, as of 2004. This law was contentious, with critics claiming that it drove online gambling underground and into the hands of unregulated operators. The ban on online gambling was declared unconstitutional by the North Gauteng High Court in 2010, paving the way for the legalisation of online sports betting and horse racing betting. These forms of online gambling were legalised by the National Gambling Amendment Act of 2008, but not online casino games or poker.

Recent Development:
• Betway: In 2020, international online gambling operator Betway entered the South African market, offering a wide range of sports betting options and online casino games.
• Tsogo Sun Gaming: In 2019, Tsogo Sun Gaming, one of South Africa's largest gaming and entertainment companies, expanded its online gambling offerings with the launch of its BetXchange sports betting website.
• Sun International: Another major gaming and hospitality company in South Africa, Sun International, has also expanded its online gambling offerings in recent years. Its Sunbet platform offers sports betting, horse racing betting, and online casino games.
• Hollywoodbets: One of the largest sports betting operators in South Africa, Hollywoodbets, launched a mobile sports betting app in 2019, making it easier for customers to place bets from their mobile devices.
• Tlou Consulting: In 2021, South African consulting firm Tlou Consulting launched an online gambling platform called Playa.bet, which offers a range of sports betting options and virtual casino games.

Considered in this report
• Geography: South Africa
• Historic year: 2017
• Base year: 2022
• Estimated year: 2023
• Forecast year: 2028

Aspects covered in this report
• South Africa Online Gambling market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Game Type:
• Sports Betting
• Casinos
• Poker
• Bingo
• Lottery
• Others

By Distribution Channel:
• Mobile Devices (Phones and Tablets)
• Desktop

The approach of the report:
This report consists of a combined approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and listing out the companies that are present in the market. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, annual report of companies, analysing the government generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducted trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this we have started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us we have started verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience
This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to Online Gambling industry, government bodies and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.