Is Online Betting Legal in South Africa?

What the Law Says

Gambling is regulated by the National Gambling Act, 2004 (Act 7 of 2004), which sets national norms, and by nine provincial gambling acts, under which each province's board licenses operators. The National Gambling Board (NGB), an agency of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, oversees the system nationally.

Section 11 of the Act, "Unauthorised interactive gaming unlawful", says a person "must not engage in or make available an interactive game except as authorised in terms of this Act or any other national law". The Act defines an interactive game as one played over the internet other than on licensed premises. No national law authorising online casino games has been passed. The NGB repeated this position in a notice to all provincial licensing authorities on 27 February 2026, saying interactive and remote gambling "remain unlawful in South Africa, except where explicitly authorised by national legislation".

Is Online Sports Betting Legal?

Yes, with a licensed bookmaker. In its warning of 11 December 2025 the NGB said online gambling is illegal in South Africa "except for bets placed on online platforms of licensed operators", and that only operators displaying a valid licence from a Provincial Licensing Authority are authorised to offer gambling. Betting on sport and horse racing through such a bookmaker's website or app is the legal route.

Are Online Casinos and Casino Games on Betting Apps Legal?

Online casinos: no. The same NGB warning lists "any online casino" among those operating unlawfully, along with offshore platforms not licensed in South Africa.

Casino-style games on betting apps: the national regulator says no. The NGB's warning also names any "betting app offering online gambling outside of horse-racing or sports betting" as operating unlawfully. Many licensed South African bookmakers nevertheless offer slot-style and crash games such as Aviator and Spina Zonke under their provincial betting licences. We have not found a published provincial-board position that resolves this, so we report the NGB's stated view rather than call these games legal.

Who Licenses Bookmakers?

Licensing is provincial. A bookmaker's footer names the board or boards that licensed it and the licence number. Many bookmakers hold licences from several provinces: Hollywoodbets' footer, for example, lists the Gauteng Gambling Board, the Limpopo Gambling Board and the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator, with specific products licensed by the KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape boards. Of the 11 bookmakers in our licence tracker, 8 hold a Mpumalanga Economic Regulator licence and 7 a Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board licence.

How to Check If a Betting Site Is Licensed

1. Scroll to the footer of the site. A licensed bookmaker shows its legal entity, the issuing provincial board and a licence number.
2. Compare that number with our licence tracker, which lists 20 verified numbers, or with the board's own register where it publishes one.
3. Treat a site that offers casino games with no South African licence number as unlicensed.
4. Expect identity checks. Licensed bookmakers are accountable institutions under the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, so they verify customers (FICA); when they ask differs by bookmaker, see our FICA guide.

Why It Matters to You

Can You Bet Under 18?

No. The National Gambling Act defines a minor as a person under 18, and section 12 ("Protection of minors") says a minor must not engage in a gambling activity or falsely claim to be 18 or over to do so. Licensed operators must not knowingly allow it.

FAQ