Zarbet Review: A New Licensed Bookmaker, Still Casino-First
Zarbet holds a real Western Cape bookmaker licence, and its 200% first-deposit match is one of the larger headline offers we cover. Its website leads with slots and live casino, but its own official App Store listing (4.7/5 from 814 ratings) confirms a real sportsbook too — "Bet on everything: soccer, rugby, cricket, tennis, and more." One thing worth knowing before you sign up: the operator's website footer and its own App Store listing quote two different licence numbers and issue dates for the same licence.
By Dilgo Media Ltd · Last updated: 5 September 2026 · Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.0/5
A real licence, a genuinely popular app, and a paperwork inconsistency worth knowing about. Zarbet is operated by Apollo Gaming (Pty) Ltd under a Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board bookmaker licence. The 200% first-deposit match up to R2,000 (minimum deposit R20) is one of the larger headline offers we cover, and its official App Store listing — 4.7/5 from 814 ratings — confirms real sports markets alongside the slots and live-casino content its website leads with. One thing to check before you commit: Zarbet's own website footer and its own App Store listing quote two different licence numbers and two different issue dates for what's supposed to be the same licence. That's the operator's own materials disagreeing with each other, not a third-party typo, so confirm the current one directly with the WCGRB if it matters to you. Our score: 4.0/5.
Western Cape Gambling & Racing Board bookmaker licence · trading since March 2024
Minimum deposit R20 · full banking menu and bonus terms are behind sign-upOur Zarbet Score, Broken Down
Zarbet rating
4.0/5Bonus headline, minimum deposit and licence details were read from Zarbet's own public pages on 5 September 2026. App & site experience and sports-market depth are backed by Zarbet's official iOS App Store listing (4.7/5, 814 ratings, developer verified as Apollo Gaming PTY LTD): its own description lists sports betting alongside slots and live casino, and that rating volume shows a real, actively-used product. Deposits and withdrawal speed sit slightly lower since the full banking menu is behind account sign-up rather than published openly. See how we rank betting sites.
Is Zarbet Legit? The Licence Check
Zarbet holds a genuine bookmaker licence — that much is clear. The exact licence number and issue date are where it gets messy, and not because of a third-party error this time:
Zarbet licensing
- Operator
- Apollo Gaming (Pty) Ltd (reg. 2024/307627/07)
- Western Cape Gambling & Racing Board
- Bookmaker licence 10010581-031 (per zarbet.co.za footer) or 10010581-030 (per Zarbet's own App Store listing)
- Licence first issued
- 28 March 2024 (per zarbet.co.za footer) or 1 April 2025 (per Zarbet's own App Store listing)
- Registered address
- Office 203, Spaces V&A Waterfront, Dock Road Junction, Cape Town, 8001
This isn't a third-party aggregator getting a digit wrong. We read both numbers directly from Apollo Gaming's own published materials: zarbet.co.za's footer says licence 10010581-031, first issued 28 March 2024; the compliance text at the bottom of Zarbet's own official App Store listing (apps.apple.com, developer verified as Apollo Gaming PTY LTD) says licence 10010581-030, issued 1 April 2025. One independent industry-review site separately corroborates the App Store version (-030). We can't resolve which is current from public sources alone — it's possible the website simply hasn't been updated after a licence renewal or amendment, which would be a fairly ordinary explanation, but we're not going to guess. Confirm directly with the WCGRB before treating either number as final.
What Zarbet Actually Is: Casino-First Website, Real Sportsbook Included
Zarbet's website and promotions pages market mostly around slots and casino-style games: Aviator, titles from Pragmatic Play and Evolution, and "Genii" content it describes as exclusive to the platform, plus a weekly loyalty jackpot and deposit-triggered prize draws. But Zarbet's own official App Store listing has its own dedicated section: "Sports Betting. Bet on everything — soccer, rugby, cricket, tennis, and more. Great odds, local and international markets." That's the operator's own copy, and the listing carries 814 ratings at 4.7/5, a real, actively-used app rather than an empty shell. If sports betting is your main focus, operators like Hollywoodbets or WSB lead with it on their websites directly rather than in the app description, so weigh that against Zarbet's stronger casino-side offering.
Deposits & Withdrawals
Zarbet's public sign-up flow confirms a R20 minimum deposit for the welcome bonus. Its detailed banking-methods page sits behind account creation, so we can't independently list every deposit and withdrawal rail here the way we can for operators that publish this openly. Check Zarbet's own "Banking Methods" page after signing up, and confirm processing times before relying on them.
FICA Verification
Like every licensed South African bookmaker, Zarbet is required to verify your identity before paying out any winnings. We could not review its specific FICA process without an account; see our general guide to what FICA means for SA betting accounts for what to expect industry-wide.
Pros & Cons
Who Should Open a Zarbet Account?
Open one if you want slots and casino-style games under a real South African bookmaker licence with a genuinely popular app, backed by a competitive 200% deposit match and a sportsbook alongside it.
Look elsewhere if sports betting is your main focus — operators like Hollywoodbets, Betway or WSB lead with sportsbook coverage as their core product. Worth confirming the current licence number with the WCGRB directly first either way, given the discrepancy noted above.
FAQ
Is Zarbet legit and legal in South Africa?
It holds a genuine Bookmaker licence from the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, operated by Apollo Gaming (Pty) Ltd (reg. 2024/307627/07). But be aware: Zarbet's own website footer states licence number 10010581-031, issued 28 March 2024, while Zarbet's own official App Store listing states licence number 10010581-030, issued 1 April 2025 — two different numbers and dates from the operator's own materials. Confirm directly with the WCGRB before relying on either.
Does Zarbet offer sports betting, or is it just a casino?
Both. Its website and marketing pages focus mostly on slots and casino-style games, but Zarbet's own official App Store listing has a dedicated "Sports Betting" section: soccer, rugby, cricket, tennis and more, described as covering local and international markets. That app carries 814 ratings at 4.7/5, so it's a real, actively-used product, not just marketing copy.
What is the Zarbet welcome bonus?
As advertised publicly: a 200% first-deposit match up to R2,000, minimum deposit R20, using code ZARBET. Full wagering terms sit behind account sign-up, so confirm the current offer and its conditions directly on Zarbet's site before opting in.
How long has Zarbet been operating?
Its Western Cape bookmaker licence dates to either 28 March 2024 or 1 April 2025, depending on whether you go by the website footer or the official App Store listing — either way, it's one of the newest operators we cover.
What is the minimum deposit at Zarbet?
R20, confirmed on the public sign-up page for the welcome bonus. We could not independently verify the full banking-methods list, which sits behind account creation.
Is there an official Zarbet Android app?
We couldn't confirm one. A Google Play search for "ZARbet" surfaces only a listing published under an unrelated developer name with very few installs, which does not match Apollo Gaming PTY LTD, the verified developer of Zarbet's official iOS app. Until this is clarified, we'd use the mobile website or the verified iOS app instead of installing any Android app claiming to be Zarbet.