Betting on most sports in South Africa is completely legal. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Sports have gathered much recognition and interest in South Africa. For this reason, it should come as no surprise that betting on sports events is both regulated and popular in the country. Much like citizens of several countries, South Africans do not hide their interest in wagering on their favourite sports competitions and events.
This article is aimed at providing deep insights into sports betting regulations in South Africa and other parts of the world
Is sports betting legal in South Africa?
South African sports betting is completely legal. Many licensed bookies provide gambling services on soccer, cricket, rugby, horse racing and many more. Sports betting and the horse racing industry are related since they ensure that gamblers can wager on both sports competitions and horse racing events with the same bookie. There are over 300 sportsbooks and 400 betting shops that are available to wager offline.
Furthermore, it is worth stressing that punters in South Africa can gamble legally on gambling sites, as long as the services provided are not on casino games or poker. There are nine provinces in the country, and each of them has an institution that is charged with regulating sports and horse racing events gambling. Betting sites must obtain the necessary license — by meeting certain requirements — to operate legally and provide gambling services to South African punters.
How does the sports betting regulation within South Africa compare with other countries in the world?
The legality of providing betting services — not involving poker or casino games — on sports and horse racing events has already been established. However, there is a need to look into how this is done in other countries.
The United Kingdom is a country that undoubtedly fancies sports as an activity. For this reason, just as it is in South Africa, betting on sports events is completely legal, with licensed betting operators as explained on safe betting sites uk. Betting in the UK is regulated by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission.
In Australia, sports betting is legal, but unlike South Africa, where there are regulatory bodies monitoring how betting services are provided, there is no given legislation that oversees how gambling is carried out in the country. Rather, it is regulated at federal and state levels. The most prominent restriction lies in the inability to engage in in-play betting, which is prohibited to be carried out online.
In the United States, online sports betting has been legalised to a certain degree in 18 states. There is no federal law that particularly prohibits wagering on the internet. This ensures that the complex relationship that exists between the US legal system and the betting industry is a result of the state’s power to support or restrict gambling.
In addition, the South Africans and citizens of the Republic of Ireland have something in common: finding much interest in sports events. Because of this, betting is completely legal with a licensed betting operator.
Which sports are available to bet on in South Africa?
Punters within the country can place wagers on almost all sports, even though they tend to prefer their national teams, including Springboks (Rugby) and Bafana Bafana (Soccer). There are other sports events hosted within the country that players can gamble on, including the ABSA Premiership, Super Rugby, and many more.
Similarly, there are other sports events outside the country that punters can try their hands on. American events like MLB, NBA, NFL, and MHL, are available to wager on.
Conclusion
Sports betting keeps getting interest from punters across the globe. To keep these activities in check, regulation is essential. While this activity is totally or partially legalised in some countries, it is completely prohibited in others. However, one thing is for sure: the gambling industry can only grow in popularity.