Africa is a big market in the global online casino world, with South Africa at the top of the list, and 1 in 10 citizens enjoying online gambling in some form or another. But since 2010, it’s been illegal for citizens to play at South Africa casinos.
That shouldn’t deter you, established platforms continue to offer players the chance to play and win in Rands, and they’re perfectly above board. If you’re keen to flex your gambling muscles, look no further. We’ll help you find the best legal South African online casinos right here, complete with sweet bonuses, reliable payment methods, sports betting and all the casino games you can imagine. Your journey to a safe and rewarding online casino starts right now.
The Best Online Casinos in South Africa
9
1
New Casino
100% up to R10,000
100 free spins
2
100% Up To R3,333
100 Free Spins
3
R11,500 Welcome Bonus
4
50 Free Spins
5
R10,000 Welcome Bonus
6
100% Up To €500
7
Up to €800
100 Free Spins
8
100% up to €200
50 Free Spins
9
Up to R3,000
How to Play Online Casino from South Africa
Getting started at the best South Africa online casinos is as easy as throwing a couple of chops on the braai.
Go through our top list of South Africa casinos and find one you like the look of.
Register a new player account and verify your details via the SMS or email link that you’ll receive.
Log into your new casino account and head to the cashier.
Choose your preferred payment method and follow the instructions to make your first deposit.
Claim any welcome bonuses on offer (after reading the terms and conditions).
Choose games to play!
Is Online Casino Legal in South Africa?
That’s all there is to it. Provided you familiarise yourself with a casino’s terms and conditions, and you take a look at bonus wagering requirements, you’re all set.
We do have a few tips, though, to make sure your gambling experience is the best:
Try the games out in free practice play mode before you play for real money. This gives you the chance to get a feel for the games and the South Africa casinos.
Play on Wi-Fi as much as you can, because playing on mobile data will eat into data usage big time. Just make sure you only play on private and secure Wi-Fi networks.
Choose online casinos in SA with good deposit bonus offers.
It’s just as good as playing in demo mode, as you can play in real money mode without risking your cash.
Always play responsibly. Make sure you have a proper budget in place that you can easily manage and stick to. If things aren’t quite going your way, cut your losses and take a break.
When you’re ready to make a deposit at your preferred South Africa casinos online, you’ll likely have to go through a KYC verification process. This is the casino’s way of making sure you are who you claim to be and that your funds don’t land up in the wrong hands.
For the verification process, you need to submit copies of certain documents, either by uploading them to your casino account or by emailing them through to the customer support team. Since the process takes around 48 to 72 hours to complete on the casino’s side, we recommend having your paperwork ready and submitting it when you register your casino account.
While land-based casinos are a big hit in South Africa and have been for as long as anyone can remember, owning, operating and playing at South Africa casinos online is illegal in the country, and has been so since 2010.
But it’s a grey zone. Before 2010, it seemed like the country was heading towards legalising online casino gambling, with regular discussions taking place around regulation and legislation. Sadly, there are no specific reasons behind banning online gambling activities and sports betting online remains perfectly legal.
But many offshore online casinos cater to South African players. These are online casinos that are based in another country and while rumours abound that the SA government wants to take action against these international casinos, little has come of that.
As things stand at the time of writing, South Africa casinos based overseas freely welcome SA players to their sites – and often with a generous welcome bonus.
Common documents required by casinos for KYC purposes include:
The most important thing is to take note of a bonus’s terms, conditions and wagering requirements.
Safe & Secure Deposit Methods
Every gambler has their preferred method of payment. Whether it’s cryptocurrency or credit card, nobody wants to use a payment method outside of their comfort zone. This is why we list the best South Africa casinos that accept convenient and safe deposit methods.
To Sum it All Up
One of the biggest downfalls when it comes to playing at South African casino sites is that not many allow you to play in ZAR. So, you’ll need to navigate a foreign currency when making bets, and that means you’ll incur conversion fees when you deposit into your casino account and when you request a withdrawal.
Here at South Africa Casinos, you’ll find a list of the top online casino sites that do accept South African Rands, and if they don’t, they make it as easy as possible to convert your gambling bankroll.
Something else we want you to be aware of is taxation. In reality, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) doesn’t tax online gamblers who play for entertainment. But they do tax players who make a living out of their winnings.
But if you’re a casual punter, and your gambling activities don’t constitute a form of income, you don’t have to pay tax on your winnings, regardless of whether you’re having a flutter on horse races or playing your favourite online casino games.
In theory, though, winnings obtained from offshore South Africa casinos may be liable to capital gains tax. If you’re in any doubt about your requirement to pay tax on your casino winnings, we suggest talking to a tax professional for further clarification.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About South Africa Casinos
Provided they are licensed and make it on our top list, South Africa casinos online are completely safe.
Yes. When you register an account at South Africa casinos on our recommended list and transfer funds, you can play all the games in the lobby for real money, and that means you can win real money, too.
It’s a grey area. Online sports betting is legal, but when it comes to online casinos for South Africans, gambling is prohibited. However, you can safely play at offshore casinos based outside of the country, some of which accept ZAR.
South Africans love to gamble, and that includes lottery games, sports betting, table games, slots and live dealer games.
Yes, all the South Africa casinos we recommend are optimised for mobile play – be it through your device’s web browser or by downloading a native app to your iOS or Android device. Just make sure you have a secure 4G or Wi-Fi connection when gambling on the go.
It’s all a bit complicated when it comes to SARS. Lottery winnings, for example, aren’t taxed, but you do need to notify the SA Revenue Service if you win. When it comes to casino winnings, you need to declare your winnings on your IRP5 tax returns, but they won’t be taxed. If you’re a professional gambler who makes a living playing at South Africa casinos, you will be taxed on your winnings, but it’s not likely when you play at offshore casinos.
Our recommended South African online casinos accept major credit and debit cards, e-wallets, EasyEFT and cryptocurrency. The best casinos also accept payments like SID, which is supported by Nedbank, Absa, FNB and Standard Bank. You can also use e-wallets to fund your online casino account.
Yes, most of the top online casinos in South Africa allow you to try the games under the free play or demo option. All you do is pick a game and start playing. When you’re ready to try your luck at winning, you can swap over to playing for real money.