Bookmakers in South Africa by licence
Bookmakers in South Africa fall into two legal groups: those licensed by a provincial gambling board, and international sites that open accounts for South Africans without a local licence. Each card below opens a page with the licence line, the welcome offer, the deposit routes and the app.
International bookmakers
International bookmakers open rand or multi-currency accounts for South Africans but hold no provincial licence, so none of them appears on the National Gambling Board list. Some name a Curaçao licence, such as Melbet and 1xBet, and the Board states that South Africans cannot gamble with international companies from within the Republic.
Their pages put the licence position first, then the welcome offer, which is usually larger than at a licensed local bookmaker, and the app, which for most of them is an Android APK.
Bookmakers in South Africa: FAQ
Which bookmakers are licensed in South Africa?
Bookmakers licensed by a provincial gambling board, such as Betway, Hollywoodbets, YesPlay, Gbets and BetOlimp in the Western Cape and LottoStar, SportyBet and 10bet in Mpumalanga. The National Gambling Board publishes the full verified operators list with licence numbers.
What is the biggest bookmaker in South Africa?
Betway, by consumer interest: it took 48.5% of what Blask measured across South African betting brands in September 2026, with Hollywoodbets second on 27.7%.
Can I use international bookmakers from South Africa?
International sites open accounts for South Africans, but none holds a provincial licence. The National Gambling Board states that South Africans cannot gamble with international companies from within the Republic, and a complaint goes to their foreign regulator.
How many provinces license bookmakers?
Each of South Africa's nine provinces has its own gambling board, and each can license bookmakers. Most online betting sites hold their licence from the Western Cape board or the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator.