How To Know Whether Online Casinos Are Legal In South Africa

Are you in South Africa and dubious about the legality of online casinos there? When we talk about the top South African online casinos, it means these are the top online casinos (overseas) that South African players can access safely.

Read further to learn about the current legality of online casinos in South Africa.

What does the Gambling Act of 2004 say?

All forms of gambling activity in South Africa are regulated by the Gambling Act of 2004. But what exactly does it entail, and what are the rules and legislations on gambling based on this Act? To understand it, we have to take a quick trip back in time and know about the history of gambling in South Africa.

Gambling hasn’t always been legal in South Africa. In fact, the Gambling Act of 1965 had banned all forms of gambling except horse race betting. But it all changed when a new, democratic government was elected in 1995. A year later, the National Gambling Act of 1996 was introduced, which legalized all forms of gambling.

Remember that this 1996 Act didn’t include online gambling, because it didn’t even exist then. So a few years later, as the internet went global and online forms of gambling were also introduced, the Gambling Act of 1996 was revoked and replaced by the Gambling Act of 2004.

As per this Act, all real-world gambling activities are legal in South Africa. That includes sports betting, horse race betting, wagering, and casinos. And in online forms of gambling, sports betting and horse race betting are still legal. But it prohibits any form of online interactive gambling service, which means offering online casino platforms and playing on such platforms, which are both illegal in South Africa.

However, it must be mentioned that a lot of South Africans still play on online casinos. The reason is that the gambling laws in South Africa impose restrictions on online casinos themselves, and do not involve the individual players.

How to know which casinos that cater to South Africans are safe

Only operators that have received a license from the provincial authority are considered safe. The amendment in the National Gambling Act 2004 says, ‘provide for the regulation of interactive gambling to protect society against the stimulation of the demand for gambling.’

The policies related to gambling aren’t yet strictly regulated in South Africa, as it is in the process of amendments. To begin with, here are some of the things to consider.

Betting overseas online casinos may be subject to tax on your winnings, as online are not fully legalized in South Africa.

As long as you play on online casinos for fun within your budget, it is safe to play. Any addiction wherein you play for long hours in the oblivion of getting your losses back is harmful.

Register on online casinos that accept the South African Rand as currency to prevent yourself from paying extra on conversions.

Disregarding that online casinos are illegal in South Africa, many overseas online casinos offer their services to South Africans. Therefore, here are a few of the tips to follow to ensure the online casino you are registering for is safe:

Check that the casino has a valid local license

The first thing to do to ensure that the online casino is safe is to check that it has a valid license. For this, go to the website’s footer and look for a logo of a reputed gambling commission. Look for the names like Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, Mpumalanga Gambling Board (MGB), and Kwa-Zulu Natal Gaming and Betting Board.

Also, a low minimum deposit casino in South Africa will ask for identification documents to ensure you are not a minor during the registration process. You will have to verify and complete the process of KYC before you are allowed to withdraw your winnings. Read the reviews of online casinos before proceedings. You can find reviews on consumer forums that portray the real picture of services provided by a particular online casino.

The games the casino provides and the ratings of the games

Another way to ensure the safety of a South African online casino is by looking at the software providers and the games it provides. It should have different forms of games like slot games, card games, table games, bingo, and scratch cards. Look for games from reputed e-gaming software providers like Betsoft, NetEnt, Microgaming, Play n’Go, Push Gaming, Evolution Gaming, and Playtech to name a few. Even on a trusted and safe online game, only play games from reputed software providers to ensure fair gameplay and maximum return to the player.

Search the game’s ratings on Google before placing bets on such a game. This ensures which game is more likely to give maximum results to the player. Refrain from placing bets on low-rated games with a low RTP of 94% or less.

Accepted payment options

The payment options accepted by an online casino also tell a lot about online casinos. A good online casino accepts payments from all popular casino payment options like debit cards, credit cards, e-wallets, Net Banking, and prepaid cards. Always ensure that the online casino accepts the payment from the payment method you are comfortable with. The more available deposit and withdrawal methods are, the better.

Some of the safest payment options for online casinos include Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, Paysafecard, Skrill, and Neteller. Some online casinos also accept virtual currency like cryptocurrencies now.

Where to find the best online casinos that are just for South Africans

Online gambling is not yet legal in South Africa. However, it is in the process of gaining more clarity on the same. It is only limited to sports betting and horse race betting. All other forms of gambling are illegal in South Africa. However, various amendments have been made to the National Gambling Act of 2004, and various bills have to be passed that are focused towards establishing adequate gambling authorities and putting regulations in place wherever necessary.

When looking for online casinos, you do not have to find online casinos operating within South Africa only. You can also look for overseas online casinos that welcome South African players. There are so many options available, yet not enough for a beginner to know.

That said, you can find the best SA online casinos at minimumdepositcasinos.org, wherein we provide South African casino reviews, the latest updates, bonuses and promotions, and everything else in between about them. You can easily find the best online casinos for South Africans on our website and know which ones are absolutely safe to register for.