Betting on sports in South Africa is very popular. South Africa is home to a vibrant sports culture, with a wide variety of sports available for punters, ranging from soccer, rugby, cricket, and horse racing.
One of the factors that have contributed to the popularity of sports betting in South Africa is the availability of online betting sites that offer sports and betting options. These platforms provide a convenient way for bettors to place their bets, check their odds, and receive payouts if their bet is successful.
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In South Africa, soccer betting is the most popular form of sports betting, with the local Premier Soccer League garnering significant interest from local sports fans. Horse racing is another popular sports betting activity in the country, attracting a large number of bettors due to the high caliber of races and the potential for significant payouts.
The South African sports betting market is also attracting international operators, with some of the world’s biggest sports betting companies establishing a presence in the country. This development has brought more betting options and higher odds to South African bettors, making sports betting more exciting and lucrative.
The National Gambling Act of 2004 regulates gambling in South Africa, including sports betting. According to the law, online sports betting is LEGAL, as long as the operator has a license in South Africa.
How Do Sports Betting Odds Work?
Betting odds fall into two categories: fractional and decimal odds. These are different ways of expressing the probability of an outcome, which, in turn, tell us how much we can win.
Fractional odds are the possible winnings if we were to stake a certain amount. An example of a fractional odd is 2/1. The number on the left is what we would get if we staked the number on the right. This is also called an odds on. So, for every R1 bet, we would get R2 as our winnings. They would also return our stake, which means our total winnings would be R3.
However, if the number on the left is the same as the number on the right, for example, 2/2, this is called ‘evens’. Whereas, if the number on the right is bigger than the number on the left, for example, 1/4, it is called ‘odds-against.
We express decimal odds as a whole number followed by the decimal place, for example, 2.00. They represent the total winnings, including the stake. The player simply needs to multiply the stake by the odds. Therefore, if you bet R1 at 2.00, the return will be R2. That means R1 will be the winnings, and R1 is the returned stake.
Favourites vs. Underdogs vs. Pick’em
Anyone who wants to bet on sports games should be familiar with these terms. However, they may not fully understand what they mean. While the favourite is the participant that the sportsbook predicts most likely to win, the underdog is the least likely to win. Instead, Pick’em is different. The sportsbook judges that the teams are so evenly matched that there is no clear favourite. In this case, they only offer moneyline bets, as there is no need for a point spread to even out the differences between the teams.
Moneylines
This is considered to be the simplest form of bet. It is a wager on who wins or loses. There is no point spread or anything else to think about. It can be used on many events, not just team sports. For example, players can place a moneyline wager on who will win a cycling race, or which horse will come first in the Grand National.
Spreads
These bets are wagers on how many points you think a team will win or lose by. They are often referred to as point spreads or spread betting. An example of a spread bet would be:
The Sharks are the favourites and have a minus sign (-) in front of their points, while the Lions are the underdogs and have a plus sign (+) in front of their points.
The Sharks are given a -6.5 handicap, which means they need to win by 7 or more points for the bet to be successful. On the other hand, if you bet on the Lions, they can win the game outright or even lose by 6 points or fewer, and the bet would still be successful.
Betting on the Sharks gives a higher likelihood of winning, but the potential payout would be lower. Betting on the Lions gives a lower chance of winning, but a successful bet would result in a higher payout.
Over/Unders Explained
In the world of betting, these bets are also called ‘totals’. This is because the bet is based on the combined total number of points both teams make at the end of the game. The sportsbook predicts a total score for the game and the bettor wagers on whether they think it will be over or under that amount. An over/under can be applied to numerous wagers, not just the total score of a game. For instance, bettors can wager on the total number of goals a player will score in a soccer match.
How to Place a Bet
Sportsbooks have worked hard to make betting as easy as possible. There are a few simple steps to follow to register and make a bet on these sites, which we will detail below.
Locate the right site
Check that the site holds a valid license and carries the sports you’re interested in.
Look for welcome bonuses: Sportsbooks try to attract new players with welcome bonuses. Some of them can be of great value, so it’s worth looking at a few sites and comparing their bonuses.
Registration
Click on the ‘Register’ button on the homepage and fill in the form.
Add payment details
Provide your payment details and choose your preferred payment method.
Make your first bet: Navigate to the sport you want to bet on. Click on the wager you want to place and submit to the bet slip, which places the bet.
FAQ
Yes, sports betting is legal in South Africa, and there are several licensed bookmakers operating in the country.
There are a variety of sports that you can bet on in South Africa, including rugby, cricket, soccer, horse racing, and more.
You can place a sports bet in South Africa either online or in-person at a licensed bookmaker. To bet online, you will need to create an account with a licensed bookmaker and deposit funds into your account.
There are several types of bets you can place in South Africa, including single bets, multi bets, spread bets, and more.
Yes, many licensed bookmakers in South Africa offer betting markets for international sports events, including the Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, and more.
All licensed bookmakers in South Africa should display their license number on their website. You can also check with the National Gambling Board to ensure a bookmaker is licensed. Or check the list on our website, we list only local and legal bookmakers.
As with any form of gambling, there are risks associated with sports betting, including the potential loss of money. It’s important to only bet what you can afford to lose and to gamble responsibly.
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