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 betting sites 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.

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 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?

✏️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.

🌐Sport betting coverage

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.

The sites with the best betting coverage are:

💳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:

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.