Best South Africa Gambling Sites 2023
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Our Ranking Criteria for the best South African Gambling Sites
To bring you the best recommendations for South African gambling websites, our expert reviewers thoroughly test the platforms against a set of strict criteria before submitting them to our shortlist. Below, you’ll find some important factors we look out for.
Localized Gambling Experience
One of the biggest factors in determining if we want to play at a South African gambling website is whether the brand has been localized. What this means is that you should be able to play in the local currency or the South African rand. This will make the onboarding much simpler.
You will not need to worry about conversions from other currencies and play directly in ZAR, accessing bonuses, deposits and withdrawals quickly and without added financial pain. That is why we make sure to pick gambling sites that have optimized their experience to feature the native currency.
Quick and Effortless Banking
Speaking of currencies, we expect real money South African gambling sites to have swift and easy banking methods available. This means that the minimum deposits and withdrawals should be clearly set. Our team recommends websites that process cash outs quickly and based on transparent terms and conditions.
The banking methods should be preferably familiar and popular in South Africa, which adds a layer of ease to the overall banking experience. We take a deep and hard look at the available banking methods and test them ourselves to make sure each gambling site on our list will provide you with the quality experience you deserve.
Safe and Secure Gambling Options
We put security first and foremost. That is why you can expect our team to recommend only the safest South African gambling websites. We test security ourselves, looking for some of the hallmarks of a secure website in all brands we explore and review. The tell-tale signs include SSL encryption and independent audits.
Casinos and sportsbooks may be working with independent third parties that will guarantee the fairness of outcomes which we appreciate. We further check carefully through a website’s entire offer to ensure that it operates as intended and is a reliable option in the long term. This allows us to issue informed recommendations.
We do run our own findings by other reputable sources to ensure that all we present you with in the end is based on fact and evidence.
Good Reputation and License
There are other important aspects of gambling sites in South Africa to consider besides overall security. The reputation of a website is actually important. Usually, reviewers can home in on specific issues that have been flagged in a gambling site’s reputation. Similarly, a license is a big help.
A license means that the casino that operates in South Africa (or the sportsbook) is subject to gambling industry standards. Of course, there is some difference in those standards depending on who is issuing the license, but generally, a license is a good thing.
We still consider reputation and licensing to be somewhat on par and expect to research both and provide you with a full account of what to expect from online gambling in South Africa, specifically from sites that we have listed for our recommended brands.
Streamlined Navigation
Another important factor here is navigation – while this is purely for the sake of cosmetics, there is some functionality to consider. You want to play at those gambling websites that make navigation simple and straightforward, allowing you to access all website features without any downtime.
Navigation does matter if you are playing Live Casino or placing In-play sports bets as you want to make sure that the website will not crash out when a spin happens or when you are cashing out your money during live sports content. The same applies for poker tournaments and regular cash tables.
Bonuses and Promotions
Bonuses and promotions are clearly very important for gamblers. That is why we expect South African gambling sites to do fairly by their players and offer them clear-cut promotional offers that are accessible, easy to grasp, and fair. We are the judge of that in the end, but in general, we expect transparent T&Cs.
We appreciate gambling sites that explain the terms in a clear and concise matter that makes it easy to onboard players. The size of the bonuses obviously matters to a lot of players, but we place greater weight on transparency and honesty because it is usually reflected in other aspects of the whole experience.
Mobile Compatible
Mobile compatibility is crucial to any self-respecting gambling site in South Africa. Whether this is a sportsbook, an online casino, or a poker website, the availability of intuitive and mobile navigation, banking and gameplay are crucial for a wholesome experience that players can enjoy in the long term.
This is why we make absolutely sure that online gambling sites have been tailored to meet the needs of Android and iOS players who prefer to play on the go and from their smartphones as opposed to sitting down at a desktop computer. We test from dedicated mobile devices ourselves to make sure that everything about the websites’ offer is on par and meets industry standards.
Great Customer Support
Another important point for us is customer support. You want to have support agents available in established hours, and in some cases, 24/7. That is why the gambling sites in South Africa we recommend all come with great support lines, FAQ sections, and email that is mostly available around the clock.
Customer support can be crucial in helping you with a number of matters including account verification, answering questions about bonuses, and helping you troubleshoot any account issue. This is why having excellent customer support is so important.
