International Betting Sites in South Africa

The local betting market has grown in leaps and bounds in the last decade and it comes as no surprise that many international betting sites have started their operations in South Africa. We will be investigating if these sites are equipped to cope with the needs of the local punter. You can join any of these international betting sites in South Africa today by following the link to the bookie of your choice.
Updated: | Author: Indran Naidoo

Local or International Betting Sites: What’s the Difference?

Betting has become the favourite pastime for millions of South Africans who bet on sports, casino games and live Betgames. With the increasing popularity of online betting, there have been many new betting sites both local and international satisfying the needs of the local punters. We will now be comparing the local sites to the international sites, looking at their pros and cons and highlighting the differences between the two as we search for the best international betting sites.

Local Betting Site: These sites often have a strong understanding of the local sports and events, which can be an advantage for players who are looking for local betting opportunities. One of the main benefits of using a local betting site is that it can be more accessible to players, with local payment options, customer support, and faster transaction times. The local betting sites also offer the punter more peace of mind as they have their headquarters within the country in the event of any disputes.

There are also some drawbacks of a local bookie as they may have limited options in terms of the sports and events they offer especially compared to international betting sites. The betting markets and odds may be less competitive than those offered by international sites which could mean that players may not get the best value for their bets.

International Betting Site: An international betting site is one that has started their operations outside of South Africa and often with a wider range of sports and events than local sites. These sites cater to players from around the world and may offer a variety of payment options and customer support to meet the needs of a global betting market. International sites often have more players on their sites, which means that they can offer more competitive odds and better promotions.

International sports betting sites can also have some drawbacks as they may be less regulated than local sites, which can mean that players may have less confidence in the security of their transactions. Also, international sites may have slower transaction times, especially if they are based in a different time zone or if the payment method used is not accepted in the player’s country.

Comparison between the local and international betting sites

When comparing local and international betting sites, there are several factors to consider including range of sports and events, odds, and security. In terms of accessibility the local sites have the advantage as they are obviously easier to access with local payment options and faster transaction times.International sites offer a wider range of sports and events, better odds, and larger jackpots, which can be an advantage for players who are looking for more variety and better value.

When it comes to security, both local and international sites have their pros and cons. Local sites are often more regulated, which can mean that players can have greater confidence in the security of their transactions. However, international sites often have larger customer bases, which can mean that they have more resources to invest in security measures.

What factors should be considered when selecting an international betting site?

These are some of the factors when looking for the top 10 international betting sites. Players must also look out for international betting sites with free bets as this will give them an opportunity to take advantage of bonus offers.

✏️Betting odds

The odds comparison is essential in choosing a betting site in terms of winning amounts. The odds determine the amount that your bet wins. The punter must always aim for the highest possible odds as sometimes the slightest of difference can make a huge difference to your payouts especially when it comes to accumulator bets.

The international bookies that offer the best odds are:

Our team has prepared special rankings for Best Soccer Betting Sites & Best Rugby Betting Sites.

💳Payment methods

One of the most important things to consider while choosing the right international betting site is the available payment methods. This is not usually an issue when it comes to local betting sites but the international sites have plenty of payment options that local punters cannot access.

Some of them for example do not have the popular methods like the voucher system and OZOW available for punters.

The sites that have the most convenient payment options are:

🎁Bonuses and Promotions

One of the biggest attractions to a betting site is their bonuses and promotions. This is an area that the international sites excel in as they not only offer a host of great promotions but have very innovative bonuses for new and existing players.

They have many sport specific bonuses and also offer some promotions not seen before in our country like allowing the player to take out 100% insurance on their bet.

The sites with the best promotions are:

Sport betting coverage

Discover betting opportunities across horse racing, football, cricket, and rugby with comprehensive insights.

You probably want to know which sports the betting site offers. If you are a football or rugby fan then you can expect to find them in almost any sportsbook. However, if there are other less popular sports you wish to bet on, you should take a closer look and see what level of coverage the site offers. The coverage of football from around the world should also be taken into account as some sites have betting markets for all the major and minor leagues. Cricket is another sport that has grown in popularity on betting sites due to the number of T20 leagues that have started in recent years. The most exciting feature for cricket punters is live betting as you can bet on the outcome of every delivery in a T20 match.The sites with the best betting coverage are Sportingbet, Hollywoodbets and Betway.

Horse racing

Horse racing was the only legalised form of gambling in the country for many decades. This is why there are millions of punters that bet on the horses everyday. The very international horse racing betting sites have ample betting markets for horse racing from Australia all the way to England they have coverage of race meetings. Punters should also look out for which sites offer promotions before big race events like the July Handicap. A site cannot be classed as an international horse betting site  unless they have excellent coverage of worldwide race meetings.

Football

Football is the most followed and played sport in the country so naturally there is a huge following of people betting on the sport. The best international football betting sites have excellent coverage of the sport. There are football leagues from every country that are available to bet on. From the smaller countries like Kenya to even the leagues in China. The most in-depth coverage is reserved for the European Leagues. The major tournaments like the FIFA World Cup and the Champions League have proven to be most popular with punters. The very best football betting sites cover even the amateur leagues in various countries.

Cricket  

As mentioned earlier, cricket betting is at its peak currently because of the shortest format of the game, T20. Betting sites are offering excellent coverage of the leading T20 leagues like the IPL, BBL and the Caribbean Premier League. The most popular league remains the local SAT20 where some international cricket betting sites offer brilliant promotions during the tournament. It is important to research the local betting sites to find out the best cricket coverage.

Rugby 

Rugby has the second biggest audience in the country with millions of punters wagering on their favourite teams. The biggest club competitions like the URC and Super Rugby Pacific attract the most attention as these tournaments run for most of the year. The Springboks success at winning the last two World Cups has ensured the sport continues to grow steadily among all sport punters. The best rugby betting sites are currently WSB and Betway as they offer great promotions and excellent odds. Every four years we encounter the rugby world cup betting sites that offer the best deals when the global showpiece takes place. The best sites run promotions like deposit match offers and score prediction competition with great prizes.

Tips on how to win at Rugby Betting

Learn practical strategies and expert advice to improve your chances in rugby betting.

Many punters believe that it is easier to win with rugby betting compared to football betting. There is some truth in this as rugby very seldom have drawn matches unlike in football so most of the time picking team A or team B will result in a winning bet. Another reason that rugby betting may seem easier is that there are not as many bets available with the most popular bets being the three way bet, Handicap betting and Total points. It is a good idea to follow recognised rugby betting tips especially if it’s from a reputable site. These are some rugby betting tips that have been formulated by our rugby expert.

  1. Form of teams: It is vital to check the form of the teams involved in the match and also the historical record of the two teams playing against each other. This will allow you to make an informed decision when placing your bet. 
  2. Weather Conditions: The weather conditions will play a part as a rainy day will favour the team that has a stronger forward pack as there will be many handling errors due to the wet ball. 
  3. Anytime Try Scorer: In the modern rugby union game, the rolling maul has become a major weapon therefore backing the hooker to be an anytime try scorer is an excellent bet as the odds are generally high on this bet and is always a very good rugby betting tip for punters. 
  4. Team Selection: Rugby teams are compelled to announce their teams at least 24 hours before their matches kick off so punters have plenty of time to scout out the team selection before making a bet. If there is an injury to a key player, eg. Anton Dupont is injured for France, which will drastically reduce their chances of winning as we saw in the 2023 World Cup.
  5. Home ground advantage: In rugby as in most other sports playing at home has numerous advantages. In South Africa, playing the Bulls in Pretoria is very difficult due to the altitude factor on the Highveld. 

These are just some of the rugby betting tips that must be considered before placing a bet. 

Sportingbet welcome bonus

Sportingbet has an innovative welcome bonus up to R2000. Your first bet which is equal to your first deposit is basically a risk free bet which means if the bet loses, they will return the stake back to you as a free bet up to R2000. These are the terms and conditions attached to the bonus:

  • Sportingbet reserves the right to verify the details submitted upon registration, for you to qualify for the sign-up bonus.
  • Here, you must sign up and submit FICA documents if needed, to verify that you are at least 18 years of age.
  • Every player is limited to one user account only.
  • This promotion allows for both single and multi-bets while all sports bets and live bets, except for ones including horse racing, will also count towards this promotion.
  • The risk free bet offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional offers or with Sportingbet Cash Out feature.

Betwinner 100% deposit match on Thursdays

Your first deposit on a Thursday will be matched up to R2000. The Betwinner welcome bonus is available every Thursday and the minimum amount to deposit in order to qualify is R200. These are the key terms and conditions attached to this bonus:

  • The bonus can only be awarded if there are no other active bonus offers in the customer’s account.
  • Customers who receive this bonus cannot receive or use any other bonuses for the same deposit.
  • The bonus will be credited to the customer’s account automatically once the deposit has been made, provided that the account details are fully complete.
  • The bonus can be wagered on sports events only.
  • For the bonus to be credited, no withdrawals are permitted before making a deposit.
  • To redeem the bonus, customers must wager three times the bonus amount in accumulator bets within 24 hours of receiving the bonus, otherwise it will be deemed void.
  • Each accumulator bet must contain three events or more. At least three events within each accumulator must have odds of 1.40 or higher.

Betwinner Sports Cashback

Betwinner makes losing that much easier as they refund 3% of your total losses of the week the following Tuesday so don’t be afraid to lose.

At the end of each week, the total amount you have lost in bets on sports events will be calculated (minimum odds: 1.5). The bonus is equal to 3% of the total amount you have lost in bets up to a maximum of R18092. These are the terms and conditions attached to the bonus.

  • Only registered customers can take part in this bonus offer and the following fields must be filled in: full name, mobile phone number (must be activated), email address, and country of residence.
  • Bets on totals and handicaps are not included when calculating the bonus
  • Losing bets must be at odds of 1.5 or higher.
  • All bets must have been settled by the time the cashback bonus is calculated
  • Cancelled, sold, and unsettled bets are not eligible for this offer
  • Each customer can receive a bonus once per week.

Conclusion

It is clear from all the research that there are both advantages and disadvantages of using an international betting site.

Most of these sites that started their operations overseas with international licence from mainly European countries, have now also obtained licences from the provincial gambling boards in South Africa. This is an excellent idea as it will make the local players more comfortable using their sites.

The design of the overseas betting sites are excellent, as they are more user friendly even to new players but the one area that needs improvement is their betting coverage of local sporting events like the Varsity Cup which has a huge local following. Betgames is another truly local favourite that needs to be added to their live games selections. Some of the sites have it but there are others that don’t cover it.

Overall we think that punters need to try out the international betting sites as they have a wider range of innovative bonuses and promotions. The pros certainly outweigh the cons is this situation.