Best Online Casinos South Africa

Online Casino Bonus Guide

Bonus offers come either in Rands, Euros or Dollars. The only time you will need to claim a bonus using another currency is when the casino does not accept Rands which in this case, you will need to play using Euros or Dollars. The choice is entirely yours!

Some players do not mind playing in a currency other than Rands if the casino has a good reputation and a good selection of games. Most casinos that accept ZAR will default to a ZAR bonus offer, while some you may have to read the terms and conditions where usually the ZAR bonus is listed – we will also list the ZAR bonus offer if available in our online casino tests.

• Bonus Balance When you receive a bonus from the casino, this opens up a ‘bonus balance’. All bets you make using your bonus balance come back as bonus money. Also, you will need to check the bonus terms to see which games accept bonus bets!

• Free Spins Balance: If you receive free spins as your bonus, then your winnings will create a bonus balance. You can now use that bonus balance to play any games valid for bonus bets according to the casino’s bonus terms!

• Bonus to Real Balance: You cannot withdraw the bonus money, but the casino does give you the opportunity to convert your bonus balance into real money which is all part of the fun by playing through the wagering requirement!

• The Bonus Challenge: Think of the bonus as a challenge. The casino gives you bonus money, and the challenge is to meet the wagering requirements so you can claim free money that you are free to withdraw at any time!

Casino Bonus Reviews: In our South Africa online casino tests, we include a section dedicated to breaking down the bonus terms. You will learn all the ins and outs of how a casino’s bonus works and how to convert that bonus to real money!

What Will You Learn from Our Casino Bonus Breakdowns?

If you do plan on claiming a casino bonus, it helps to understand what you are signing up for. That is why every casino test review our team carries out has a detailed overview of the various bonus terms. Below we list some of these terms, so you know what to look out for when reading our tests and when researching online casinos, yourself.

• Qualifying Games: Not every game will qualify for bonus bets. Our casino tests outline most of the games categories that qualify for bonus bets and the percentage game weights.

• Game Weights (%): Most slots, but not all, will contribute 100% of the bet to wagering requirements. However, some games will only contribute 50%, 20%, 10%, or 5%.

• Wagering Requirement: Let’s say your bonus has a 30x wagering requirement. A 100 ZAR bonus will need to be played through 100 x 30 = 3,000 ZAR. Therefore, you will need to win 2,900 ZAR on top of your bet, and then bet it all before your 100 ZAR becomes real money.

• Max Bets: While your bonus is active there is nearly always a max bet limit. This is usually 80 to 100 ZAR per bet. Any amounts over this limit will not count towards the wagering requirement.

• Bonus Expiration: Bonus money rarely lasts forever. Eventually, your bonus will offer will expire, at which point the casino removes your bonus balance. You can then either claim another bonus or bet using real money only.

‘Bonus Only’ Wagering Versus ‘Deposit + Bonus’ Wagering

One critical point to look out for is how casino describes ‘wagering requirement’. Now the lower the wagering requirement, the better the bonus offer.

To explain, let’s take a 1,000 ZAR deposit bonus.

• Bonus Only Example: 30x your ‘bonus’ means you only need to play through the 1,000 ZAR bonus. As a result, the former offer is really 60x your ‘bonus’!

• Bonus + Deposit Example: Some casinos will write 30x your ‘bonus + deposit’ which means you will need to play through ‘1,000 ZAR deposit + 1,000 ZAR bonus’ = ‘2,000 ZAR’.

It is clear in the is example, the ‘bonus only’ wagering is the better deal.

Online Casinos & Games Overview

Some online casinos are pretty generic and do not make it apparent players from South Africa are welcome; some that have a South Africa theme, and others that default to a page that makes it abundantly apparent players from South Africa can join!

Hundreds of Software Providers!

As South African casino players can join online casinos licensed by the MGA and Curacao, this opens up avenues to a world of over 15,000 online casino games from over 200 software developers. From live dealer games to video slots, players in South Africa have plenty of options for a favourite software provider brand!

• Microgaming: Considered the market leader in online slots and the pioneer of the iGaming industry. You will find over 450 video slots and 40+ virtual table games from this provider, as well as its partner studios like Triple Edge Studios and Alchemy Games. Its Mega Moolah progressive jackpot network has paid out more than CA$155 million to winners from Canada alone!

• Playtech: A UK-run company that produces video slots and live casino games. It holds GLI certificates for all its casino games, the company has a UK Gambling Commission license, which is the most difficult to obtain, and it holds an MGA license. The brand is famous for its fantastic selection of movie-themed slots, such as its Superman and Batman collections, Age of the Gods multi-million ZAR progressive jackpot payouts, and its full range of live casino games!

• NetEnt: A vast software provider famous for its video slots. It, too holds licenses from the MGA and UKGC. Its slots are some of the most popular across the globe, with titles like Gonzo’s Quest, Reel Rush, Starburst, and Dazzle Me 99,225 Megaways, which are world-famous. NetEnt has an impressive progressive jackpot network with millions of ZAR jackpots paid out regularly!

• Microgaming: The longest-running software provider in the iGaming business with over 700 online casino titles to its name. As a brand, all its games hold licenses from the MGA and UKGC! Its game selection is incredible, with the lion’s share of titles being online video slots. Its most revered titles are Terminator 2, Immortal Romance, and its collection of millionaire-making Mega Moolah slots. Plus, it also has some of the most played virtual table games, such as Atlantic City Blackjack Gold Series and Vegas Single Deck Blackjack!

• Other Popular Brands: There are just so many to choose from! For video slots you can look out for BetSoft, Play’n Go, Pragmatic Play, Yggdrasil, Red Tiger, Habanero, BTG, and Wazdan are some of the top brands. As for live dealer software brands, you have Lucky Streak, Evolution, Vivo Gaming, Ezugi, Pragmatic Play Live, BetConstruct and more!

What is GLI? The GLI certificate comes from an internationally recognised algorithm testing company. The firm issues a certificate showing the game’s random number generators (RNGs) are fair and random. The certificate is recognised by the top iGaming licensing authorities, and has a solid reputation not only in iGaming but finance such as insurance, stock trading, and money markets!

Over 15,000 Online Slots

OK, so gaining access to the entire 11,000 online casino games on the web is a mammoth task as it requires joining multiple casinos hosting casino titles from different software providers. However, if you did your research it is possible. Most online casinos using the MGA license host roughly 2,000 video slots while those under the Curacao license can have up to 4,000 slot titles!

• Megaways: 6 reels slots with an extra horizontal 7^th reel can give you up to and over 100,000 ways to win. Each reel shape-shifts after every spin with 2 to 7 symbols!

• Way to Win: The 2 most popular ways to win slots are 243 ways and 1024 ways. There are no pay lines, just line symbols up on adjacent reels from left to right!

• Pay Line Slots: Play on slots with 1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, or 50 pay lines to line up symbols combinations and bust out high paying wins!

• Cluster Pays: These slots use a new technology that ignores pay lines and adjacent reels. Instead, symbols can land on adjacent positions in various shaped clusters and you get paid!

• Classic Slots: 3 reels classic slots that resemble the one-armed bandits of Vegas. Usually, they come with 1 to 3 pay lines and fruit, bars, bells, and 7 symbols!

Live Dealer Table Games and Game Shows

Live casino games give you the chance to play table games and game shows with real life dealers, croupiers, and game show hosts managing the game. Effectively you are playing land-based casino games via a webcam link streamed to your mobile or desktop. Neatly laid on top of this webcam window is a state-of-the-art betting interface so you can bet virtual chips on the real time action. Those chips could be Rands, Crypto, or another currency the casino accepts!

As this is an up-and-coming, but also a fast-growing sector, or the iGaming scene, there are new brands and new live games constantly being released. And those new releases come from live casino software manufacturers that all own physic property that houses their live table games. We refer to these properties as ‘live dealer studios’. There are no casino players physically visiting and gambling in these studios aside, and the only visitors are those zooming in from an online casino!

• Evolution: Considered the market leader in live casino gaming. It has the most successful game shows Crazy Time and Monopoly Live while you will also find an array of table games like blackjack, roulette, sic bo, poker, and baccarat. This is also one of the few developers that have a live craps table, and you can play land-based roulette or baccarat via its Dual Play collection!

• Playtech: Evolution’s chief competitor and one your will also be familiar with via the video slots, virtual table game, and online bingo iGaming verticals. Playtech is the creator of the amazingly successful Adventures in Wonderland live wheel of fortune titles and a barrage of blackjack, roulette, sic bo, poker, and baccarat tables! This brand also has the legendary Age of the Gods Live Roulette table with a progressive jackpot that could make you a millionaire!

• Vivo Gaming: Another popular live dealer software manufacturer but not quite as prolific as Evolution or Playtech. Vivo Gaming also has a live craps table, land-based casino options,

• Ezugi: Ezugi is under the ownership of Evolution. This brand branched out into games popular in India such as Andar Bahar and Bet on Teen Patti. It also has an Ezugi 360 OTT brand with land-based live tables, tons of feature games like 32 Cards, Lucky 7, and jackpot roulette, plus traditional titles such as baccarat, blackjack, and poker!

• Other Brands: You can also find many other exciting live dealer software manufacturers. Look out for Pragmatic Play Live, BetGames.TV, TVBet, Hollywood TV, Lucky Streak, and BetConstruct. Each provider offers high-quality webcam streams, well-trained dealers and croupiers, and multiple camera views to suit your mobile and desktop gaming experience!

Land-based Live Tables: These are tables on the casino floors of world-famous brick and mortar casinos. The Hippodrome Casino (London), the Portomaso Casino (Malta), Dragonara Casino (Malta), Atlantic City Resorts (New Jersey – USA), and more! Each table has a webcam rig, and you can zoom in online and play the casino’s table alongside players inside the casino physically sat at the table placing bets!

Checking Casinos Offer Efficient Customer Support

Every business you deal with today should offer attentive customer support, and online casinos are no different. Imagine playing at a casino where the customer services department never responds or it is only open when you are at work or sleeping. Worst still, it has no FAQ section or casino terms and conditions to refer to. This gives us two key points to cover – (1) Self Help – the ability to find information without contacting customer support and (2) A customer services department that is open when you play, and when you contact them for help, they are not only available but also helpful.

• Self-Help: There are several self-help factors to cover. First, a good FAQ section is a sign of an online casino that cares about its customers and, of course, a sign of professionalism. Also, resource links in the footer that guide you to gamble awareness websites, license and company info, a payments page, guides, and more!

• Customer Services: Of course, there could be situations whereby the casino’s formidable self-help is not enough. This is where customer services come into play. Some offer telephone support via an international number, while more popular is live chat. All online casinos will also offer an email address or email form to raise a support ticket. At the same time, some go all out with WhatsApp, Messenger, Skype, and other support options for real-time customer service responses!

• Opening Hours: Most online casinos today understand the competitive environment they operate in and, as a result, offer 24/7 live chat so you can get in touch and speak to a customer support agent in real-time. However, those that have set opening hours suit casino players in South Africa because the time zones in Europe, where most of the casinos operate, are on par with South Africa!

Casino Tests: With every one of our casino tests covering casino that accept players from South Africa, our team always tests the customer services department. We look for the opening hours, options available to contact them (email, social media, live chat), and how quickly the customer service agent answers our query as well as how knowledgeable or helpful the answers were!

Deposit and Withdraw Options for South African Online Casino Players!

As online casinos are there to not only give you access to real money casino games online but also to make money themselves, it stands to reason that they will offer you plenty of ways to get your money in and to withdraw your winnings. Other points to consider are which currency you want to gamble in.

• Deposit Options: You will find online casinos in South Africa that accept EFT, Neteller, MuchBetter, Skrill (no ZAR), Apple Pay, Paysafecard, Neosurf, and/or AstroPay. VISA and Mastercard payments are also options, but some banks will not allow online casino payments.

• Deposit Rules: Deposits arrive instantly into your online casino account as soon as your financial provider clears the payment. There are generally no limits to the amount you can deposit, but some casinos will have a per-transaction limit. There will also be a ‘minimum deposit’ required, which is usually around 150 Rands (ZAR) to 300 Rands (ZAR).

• Withdrawal Options: Some deposit options are not available as a withdrawal option, so you will need to make sure the casino offers a financial tool to make withdrawals. For example, if you deposit using a digital top-up card like Paysafecard, you cannot withdraw, and so a bank transfer is often your best choice. If you are stuck, then contact customer support to double-check.

• Withdrawals Rules: Different withdrawal methods have different rules, such as withdrawal limits and the time it takes for funds to arrive in your account. Bank transfer, VISA and Mastercard can take 3 to 7 business days to clear funds, while eWallets are generally instant, but may come with a small fee, not from the casino but applied by the eWallet provider.

• Pending Times: Before the casino processes a withdrawal, there is a ‘Pending Time’. This is so an anti-fraud team can check the legitimacy of your request. 24 hours is the norm, but just so you are aware, some online casinos take up to 3 working days!

• Currency Options: Being from South African rands (ZAR) is the best option to avoid exchange rate fluctuations and fees, and therefore, finding an online casino that accepts ZAR is also important. That said, there are also plenty of online casinos that accept casino players from South Africa but only offer USD or cryptocurrency as options to keep your balance and play real money casino games, so you will need to decide which is best for you.

• Deposit/Withdrawal Limits: Most online casinos have a withdrawal limit. In the terms and conditions, it is usually displayed in Euros, for example, €5,000 per day, €10,000 per week, and €20,000 per month or ‘currency equivalent’. If you play using Rands (ZAR), and you want to withdraw these amounts, contact customer support, and they will help you!

• Jackpot Winnings: Now you may be wondering what happens if you win 10 million ZAR playing a progressive jackpot when the casino has a withdrawal limit of €20,000 (275,000 ZAR) per month. Well, thankfully the game developer that owns the video slot will pay you directly and in full!

Tip: When you fund your online casino account, avoid getting into debt by using credit cards to fund your online gambling. For more information, please see the Casinoplusbonus EN guide to ‘Avoid Online Casino Credit Card Deposits‘.

FAQ

Which Online Casino Games Can I Play for Real Money?

Take your pick from 10,000+ online slots, 200+ live casino games, and 1,000+ virtual table games. All you need to do is find an online casino that accepts player memberships from residents of South Africa. You can then read our South Africa casino tests or visit the casino home page to check out which games and casino game developers are available. Some of the top casino titles like Mega Moolah, Divine Fortune, Age of the Gods Live Roulette, Crazy Time Live, and Monopoly Live regularly hit the news headlines for dishing out millions in ZAR win spins or jackpot payouts!

Is Online Gambling Legal in South Africa?

It is only legal to gamble online at overseas online casinos. There are no online casino companies that legally operate within South Africa, and only online sportsbooks are allowed under the current laws controlled by the National Gambling Board (NGB).

How can I know an online casino accepting players from SA is safe?

Make sure the casino has a license. The most reliable online casino license is from the EU governed Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). Not only is this a strict iGaming authority that fully checks all online casinos operate according to EU consumer right and privacy laws. As the European government wants to encourage more people outside of the EU region to use eComm services offered by EU based companies, its laws extend to non-EU citizens. And via the MGA, citizens of South Africa have access to free mediation services should an unresolved casino dispute arise!

Can I claim an online casino bonus as a player from South Africa?

Yes. Online casinos offer a diversity of bonus deals. Some depend on what type of casino player you are while others are generic bonus offers. Always make sure you check the terms and conditions of any bonus you like the look of. To get more information check out our guide to deposit bonuses where you will learn about wagering requirements, advantages to bonuses, and what to expect from casino’s bonus terms and conditions – in short, this guide will make you a bonus expert!

• Risk-Free No Deposit
• Welcome Package
• Free Spins Bonus
• Live Dealer/Casino Bonus
• High Rollers Bonus
• Cashback
• Reload or Top-up Bonus
• Drop & Wins

Can I use ZAR to Play at Online Casinos?

Yes, but not at all online casinos. There are plenty of online casinos that give you the option to deposit, claim casino bonuses, and play casino games using Rands (ZAR). However, you will also find that some casinos that accept player sign-ups from residents of South Africa do not have ZAR available. If ZAR is not an option, then you can choose to play using another currency with US$ usually the preferred alternative while some online casinos also offer cryptos such as BTC, BCH, ETH, DOGE, LTC, XRP, and USDT!

Which Deposit & Withdrawal Options Do Online Casinos South Africa Offer?

This is a good question because the best online casinos for South African players must offer convenient ways to both deposit and withdraw. It’s no good being able to get your money in when you have no way to withdraw your winnings. Therefore, our online casino test reviews stringently cover this topic, so you know what your options are. Not all VISA and Mastercard brands work from South Africa, so you will need to know exactly what will work. EFT, eWallets like Neteller, MuchBetter, and EcoPayz are options while some casinos will also let you use Apple Pay, Paysafecard, Neosurf, and/or AstroPay. Check our comprehensive overview of all payment methods here!