Gambling activities that take place on the territory of South Africa have been a subject to a lot of disagreements in the recent years. Politicians could not reach a decision as to whether to legalize casino games or not. As a result, the legislative matters were brought to a standstill.
Some of them demanded the heavy gambling-related restrictions to remain the same, while some others insisted actions to be taken and all prohibitions to be lifted with the aim of boosting country’s revenue.
Anyway, at the time of writing the current article, most forms of online gambling on the territory of South Africa are not legal. The strict prohibition made passionate players think of a different approach for gaining access to online casino games. The number of foreign operators that accept South Africa-based players is growing, which enables players to register and engage in playing different slot and table games.
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Relevant Legislative Framework
The year 1965 brought about changes in the gambling laws of South Africa. The so-called Gambling Act of 1965 put heavy restrictions and citizens were prohibited from taking part in gambling activities different from horse racing.
However, the restrictions made locals even more passionate about playing casino games. As a result, a few casinos, located in the autonomous homelands of Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei and Venda were opened.
Then, the number of established casinos rapidly expanded but their legal status was not clarified. They are still considered illegal despite the growing demand for casino games. The democratic government that took the reins of the country in 1994 made a lot of efforts into making the gambling regulations less severe. Back in 1996, the National Gambling Act came into force and made it possible for 40 providers of gambling products and services to establish venues across the country.
The activities that were regarded as legal were monitored by the National Gambling Board.
However, the National Gambling Act and the National Gambling Amendment Act from 2008 were the two pieces of legislation that determined the current situation in South Africa. Both Acts intended to make the outdated gambling laws more transparent and compatible with the fast changing gambling environment. Although more land-based casinos opened doors for visitors, the online gambling legislation is still considered illegal on South African soil.
By and large, the attitude of South African authorities towards opening the online gambling market remains negative. Yet, the National Gambling Act of 1996 enabled the National Gambling Board to make decisions and oversee the gambling activities that take place in the country. For the time being, nine provinces are given the green light to start issuing licenses to brick and mortar casinos and online sportsbooks.
Further actions towards making the gambling laws compatible with the contemporary gambling market were taken in 2004 when the next National Gambling Act was to be implemented.
Regardless of the complicated situation on the South African Gambling scene, the online gambling sector is constantly expanding. The Gaming Regulators Africa Forum is the body representative that is in charge of the gambling activities on the continent and its members are responsible for ensuring the safety of players.
Although South Africa seems reluctant to take actions towards legalizing the gambling activities, it is a well-known fact that there is a high demand for online casino games. As mentioned above, the prohibition makes passionate players seek for alternative ways for placing a wager.
Is the Acceptance of South African Players Legal?
Technically, online gambling on the territory of South Africa is illegal, but players are free to pick up a foreign online casino and create an account.
Online betting operators, available at the aforementioned provinces are allowed to offer their products and services on grounds that they have successfully obtained a license from the South African authorities.
South African residents are legally allowed to take part in gambling activities provided by the licensees but placing a bet at casinos overseas is considered illegal.
Finding a Legitimate South African Online Casino
Although the online gambling sector in South Africa is developing, players still think that when it comes to choosing a legitimate foreign casino, the choice is a bit limited. It depends on your criteria and needs but in general, finding a reliable online casino with integrity and the highest level of security can be quite challenging. Before you settle for a certain overseas provider, check the following details:
- It is important to know which is the gambling authority that has issued a license. If you see that the Maltese or the UK Gambling Commission has issued the license, that’s an indication that it is a trustworthy one.
- The most renowned casinos are powered by leading software providers such as NetEnt, Microgaming, Playtech, Betsoft, RTG.
- Every reliable online casino regards players’ security as something of paramount priority. That is why the safest casinos have 128 or 256 bit SSL data encryption technology which guarantees your personal and banking information will be absolutely secure.
- The variety of payment methods also matters. If you, for one reason or another, are left with no other choice but to use a certain payment method, this is a sign that the casino is not the best choice. Below, you will find, the most common payment processors South African residents use for deposit and withdrawal as well as information as to whether local currency is accepted in some of the best casinos welcoming international players.
ZAR Deposits and Withdrawals
The South African Gambling industry is constantly expanding regardless of South African officials’ reluctance to take any actions towards making the existing laws more liberal. Some of the most popular foreign casinos allow South African players place their wagers in a local currency. Below, you will find information about the payment methods that allow you to process transactions to a certain online casino in ZAR currency. This is actually a pretty convenient option as it saves you the fees for currency conversion.
Some other casinos that accept South African players allow them to place a bet in Euros or US dollars only, which is considered a disadvantage.
Casinos That Accept ZAR Currency
As mentioned above, South Africa-based players are enabled to place their bets at foreign online casinos despite the current complicated legislative situation. In order to avoid fees for currency exchange and the inconveniences that go along with the procedure, the most sensible solution is opting for a casino that processes transactions in South African Rand. If you do not want to take unnecessary risks, you’d better check the casinos below as they are associated with transparency, efficiency, friendly and experienced customer support and last but not least, solid bonuses and attractive progressive jackpots.
Casino Cruise
Licensed by the Maltese gambling commission, Casino Cruise is famous for being a leader when it comes to the variety of casino games and functionalities players can take advantage of. It is powered by some of the most prominent software providers on the Every Matrix platform – namely Microgaming, NetEnt, Nyx, Vivo, Play’n’Go.
Casino Cruise welcomes international players and those based in South Africa are more than welcome to create an account and get their piece of the incredible bonuses and jackpots.
In order to get started, you have to deposit funds into your casino account. It offers a number of convenient payment solutions to choose from. Beware that depending on the payment processor you choose, you will have to adhere to certain deposit limits.
In case you opt for MasterCard, VISA, Neteller or Skrill, the minimun deposit you have to make is ZAR160, while the maximum should not exceed ZAR 77,400. Ecocard requires you to place a minimum bet of ZAR160 and a maximum of ZAR 154,000. South African players are also enabled to make a deposit via PaySafeCard where they have to adhere to a minimum deposit of ZAR 160 and maximum of ZAR15,400.
The minimum amount for depositing with WebMoney is ZAR310. You can also settle for a standard bank transfer where the minimum deposit amounts to ZAR160. However, it is important to note that the transfer will take up to 3 business days. In comparison, if you choose one of the other payment options, you will have your funds deposited in a matter of minutes.
Casino.com
If you create an account at Casino.com, you will have instant access to more than 300 casino games, powered by Playtech. Needless to say, the payment options are convenient but according to some players the choice is a bit limited. This is attributed to the fact that Casino.com is dedicated to providing high quality services without making any compromise with the security.
Anyway, if you are based in South Africa, you can choose between the most common credit / debit cards that have the VISA or MasterCard logo. If you are more likely to deposit via an e-wallet, EcoPayz or Skrill are the best deposit solutions you can opt for.
Omni Casino
Established back in 1997, Omni Casino managed to consolidate its positions on the saturated gambling market and now, it offers a great collection of Playtech – powered games. Omni casino takes pride in being a well-recognised and respected, award- winning casino.
It welcomes South African players and allows them to play in their own currency. As for the payment methods, which can be used, Omni offers a wide number of credit / debit cards. However, you are advised to check in advance if your bank processes transactions to and from gambling websites in order to avoid unnecessary hassle. You are not supposed to pay a fee for depositing funds via VISA, MasterCard, Diners Club or Delta.
If you are wiling to use an e-wallet for topping up your Omni casino account, Neteller is a solution worthy of trying. It allows you to make an instant deposit and you will even get a 10% bonus (no more than $250) for using it.
Wirecard is one of the less popular deposit options but it is really convenient. You can use it wherever you see the MasterCard logo. The fees are negligibly small.
Envoy Bank Transfer is another convenient option Omni casino players can take advantage of. You can use it for both deposits and withdrawals in your local currency.
Europa Casino
Europa Casino is yet another reputable online casino that welcomes South African players. You will find an incredible collection of slot and table games as well as plenty of payment methods that meet the highest criteria for safety and efficiency.
Depending on the payment processor you opt for, you will be given a bonus of up to 15%. Here are the alternatives South African players who want to play in their currency can choose from.
VISA, MasterCard, Maestro Diners Club, Delta are the most widespread payment solutions. Although you will not get a bonus for using them, their efficiency and security can hardly be denied.
Skrill, Instant Banking by Citadel, Eco are the four payment processors that grant you a 10% bonus. You can process the transaction in your own currency and the funds will be instantly available.
Standard Bank Transfer and Instant Wire Transfer are the two payment methods that ensure 15% bonus.
However, it is important to note that the standard bank transfer procedure takes up to 5 working days. The latter is considered a great disadvantage as in most cases, players are impatient to indulge themselves in the exciting casino games.
