South African Online Casinos Reviews
The online gambling space in South Africa is replete with so many platforms where you can play safely. Numerous sites will cater to you regardless of how you wish to enjoy your gaming. And this has been a significant source of subtle confusion, as some players find it challenging to choose notable casinos. As proven over the years, information is the cornerstone of gambling. Through our honest online casino reviews in South Africa, our gambling industry professionals help players to make sound decisions regarding casinos.
While reviewing online casinos, we reveal all subtle areas otherwise mostly unnoticed by many players. As a result, reading expert casino reviews is a crucial step in choosing solid gambling platforms. Our reviews and guides explain how you can protect yourself in any casino so you can always have an unbeatable experience. Ultimately, our reviews feature a top rating of the best online casinos in the market.
Casino reviews
Top online casino reviews: Why gamblers should read them
Online casino reviews in South Africa are created to keep you better informed. In line with this goal, prominent gambling information portals employ industry veterans to research casinos and produce compelling reviews. Such veterans usually have many years of experience under their belt, so they understand the nitty-gritty of casino gaming. You should read reviews to understand how a casino performs against other casinos.
Casino reviews shed light on the ups and downs of each site, giving you enough background knowledge. So, instead of searching through every casino to find out what they offer, our factual reviews make the process much easier. Since we always strive to remain excellent and reliable, we state things as they are about every casino. Thus, our reviews will keep you far away from criminal entities masquerading as legit casinos.
How the best casino reviews are created
As expert gamblers, we know what most players want to discover about each real money casino. That’s why we constantly work to make our reviews factual, authentic, detailed, and informative. Our reviews will always inform you whether or not a casino is worth your time and money. Hence, you can count on us for credible information about any casino. Here’s how we make the best casino reviews.
Thorough study of the casino
For us to publish a review about any casino in South Africa, every piece of information must be purely and solely based on facts. To gather these facts, we examine everything the online casino has. These range from licence to security, game library, banking methods, bonuses and promotions, mobile site performance, and user interface. We also check out the customer support team's typical response time and overall competence. Player funds remain a sensitive topic, so we pay close attention to everything related to it. If the site is dubious, we blacklist it outright.
Assessing the game library
Games are a primary constituent of any online casino, and we always take them seriously. It’s in the best interest of our readers to have an idea of what games to expect from any site. Consequently, we join casinos and carefully assess their game collection and software suppliers to provide a full review. Additionally, we play demo games; in some cases, we deposit funds and play games for real money. If a casino has a better slot or table games or live games catalogue, we state so. Ultimately, we never hesitate to say whether or not the game library is impressive.
Performance on mobile and desktop devices
We want to verify how a casino site performs on mobile and desktop devices. In ascertaining this, we often visit the site via multiple browsers on both kinds of devices. A good casino runs smoothly everywhere. Thus, we pay keen attention to how fast the site works on these platforms, informing you of the better option.
Online casino banking
Our reviews always discuss in detail how a casino accepts deposits and pays out funds to customers. Every player wants a casino they can trust with their funds, and we also recommend casinos capable of handling such funds diligently. So, we check out every deposit and withdrawal method on offer, stating their minimum and maximum limits. We always state if the casino requires deposits and withdrawals via the same method. Thus, you’ll get every information regarding banking methods in our best online casino reviews. This section sheds light on such popular banking options in SA casinos.
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Pay By Phone
Pay By Phone is a trendy method of sending funds, paying bills and utilities, recharging one’s device, and even making casino payments in several African countries. With this method, you only need your phone and a registered and active mobile number to perform transactions – removing the need for debit/credit cards. It’s one of South African casinos' most convenient payment methods, allowing you to deposit and withdraw sizable amounts.
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SID Instant EFT
SID Instant EFT is a leader in electronic funds transfer in South Africa and a well-sought-after payment platform for gambling. You can perform transactions via SID Instant EFT without having an account. All you need is to select this option from the casino cashier, and you’ll be redirected to your online banking portal to complete the transaction. As a result, there’s no need to enter your debit/credit card details in the process. Interestingly, transaction fees do not apply from SID Instant EFT or online casinos.
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EasyEFT
EasyEFT is an electronic funds transfer service tailored to the online gambling arena, so it’s available at top casinos. Even without an EasyEFT account, this payment method lets you deposit rands through your online banking window. It’s also a suitable withdrawal method, as payouts typically arrive in your account within 48 hours.
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1Voucher
1Voucher is a prepaid card service that allows you to purchase items and pay for services online. Considering 1Voucher’s popularity in South Africa, there are many physical and online stores where you can buy 1Voucher cards. Once you have your card, you should select this option from the cashier and enter the voucher code in the required field. In no time, the money will reflect in your casino account. However, you should keep in mind that voucher cards aren’t as flexible as many other payment options, as you can’t withdraw with them.
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Swiffy
Also known as SwiffyPay or Swiffy EFT, Swiffy is a payment gateway that facilitates instant electronic funds transfer across South Africa. The company was founded to enhance transaction ease through faster and more convenient solutions. Like other EFTs, you can deposit at any safe and secure casino of your choice right from your online banking portal. Swiffy also has the credit/debit card option, which lets you perform transactions with these cards. However, transaction fees apply. As of writing this article, every Swiffy EFT transaction has a 1.5% fee, while every credit/debit transaction attracts a 2.8% fee + R2.
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ecoPayz
EcoPayz is covered in most of our South African online casino reviews because it’s accepted at almost every casino. EcoPayz powers an instant payment gateway, e-wallet, voucher cards, and debit/credit card services, among others. As an internationally acclaimed payments provider, ecoPayz allows you to deposit rands to casinos. It’s one of the fastest withdrawal methods, with a typical payout taking up to 48 hours. Also, ecoPayz is very secure as all transactions are fully encrypted, so, unsurprisingly, many players prefer ecoPayz to other methods.
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Paysafecard
You can buy a paysafecard at many retail outlets near you or online stores. The card has a sealed 16-digit code, which you’ll enter in the required column during the deposit. It comes in different amounts, so you’ll buy the amount that best suits your needs. Using paysafecard means you won’t enter your bank information in any casino you wish to play at. However, this method isn’t available for withdrawals.
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Visa
Visa is one of those banking options you’ll surely find in high roller online casinos. Visa facilitates transactions through credit, debit, gift, and prepaid cards. One of the exciting features of Visa is that it’s accepted for deposits and withdrawals, and this comes with no fee from casinos. However, withdrawal can take up to 5 days to reflect. Also, depositing with Visa will entitle you to most bonuses and promotions at South African casinos. Although Visa requires you to enter your debit/credit card information in online casinos, it comes with robust security.
Mastercard
Mastercard is also a renowned card payment provider available everywhere in South Africa. Mastercard works much the same way as Visa, offering credit, debit and prepaid cards. Like Visa, Mastercard is compatible with all smartphones. In addition, you’ll receive bonuses for Mastercard deposits. It’s not always available for withdrawals, but some sites offer it – with typical withdrawals taking up to 5 days. You only have to play at secure casinos to keep your Mastercard debit/credit cards safe.
Online casino bonuses
All our SA casino reviews have a dedicated section for bonuses and promotions. Whether you’re new to gambling or versed, these bonuses will help deepen your overall experience. Bonuses will let new players explore a good range of games. Existing gamers also have wonderful sessions at the most remarkable SA casinos, thanks to different bonuses on offer. The most popular bonuses are explored below.
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Welcome bonuses
As the name suggests, welcome bonuses are available to new players upon signing up and making eligible deposits. This bonus is often available after a few real money deposits. And it can be cash and free spins, cash only or free spins only. Whether cash or free spins, or both are awarded, the bonus terms will spell out how the bonuses will work. Thus, it’s fair to say that welcome bonuses differ from one casino to another. Our reviews always explain key provisions of bonus terms, such as wagering requirements, so you’ll know what to expect beforehand.
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Match bonuses
Match bonuses are similar to welcome bonuses in scope, only that they are specifically targeted at existing players – unlike welcome bonuses. Also known as reload bonuses, match bonuses will increase your regular deposit up to a certain percentage and amount. It’s not uncommon to find minimum deposit casinos that offer match bonuses comprising cash and free spins. For instance, 200% of your first deposit on Fridays up to 5000 rands and 20 free spins.
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Free spins
Free spins bonuses are designed for use only on slot games. Free spins can be awarded to new and existing players as welcome and reload offers, respectively. They are popular because they can also exist without accompanying any other bonus offer. Whenever free spins are available, the casino lists eligible slots in the bonus terms and conditions. Often, this bonus has a monetary value, which is why you’ll find the applicable win limit in the bonus terms.
Cashback
Cashback is a bonus that compensates existing players for their losses over a stated period. Since online gaming is essentially filled with uncertainty, high-roller casinos offer this bonus to cushion potential losses. The time within which losses are considered will be stated in the bonus terms. Some gambling sites provide separate cashback offers for RNG titles and live games.
Online casino games
Whether you’re a fan of table games, slots, instant win titles or live shows, games are thoroughly covered in all our best casino reviews. In fact, the games at every casino are so extensively explained that they make up almost half of each review. We touch all areas of the game library, explaining the key details of every game on offer. After reading our game sections, you’ll have a solid idea of whether or not a casino is worth a try. Here are the games you’ll find in most casinos.
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Online slots
Online slots are some of the most straightforward casino games you can play. Most casinos in South Africa have different kinds of online slots, including fruit slots, titles with more than 5 reels and those with thousands of ways to win. There are also progressive jackpot slots, which are in their own category. These jackpot slots usually have massive pools that accumulate over a relatively long period, with a fraction of every bet contributing to it.
Depending on your preferred slots, there are numerous features you can enjoy, such as free spins, random multipliers, respins, stacked wild, cascading reels, etc. These features are always complemented by various maximum payouts, volatility, and return to player (RTP), among others. All these and more are well-covered in the online slots section of our reviews. Popular slots in South Africa include Thunderstruck 2 (Microgaming), Magic Shoppe (Betsoft), Starburst (NetEnt), etc.
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Roulette
Roulette has excellent traction among South African players thanks to its thrilling and fascinating nature. Our top casino reviews discuss online roulette in detail, explaining a few of the most impressive titles every player should try. Where the casino doesn’t have many roulette titles, we also state so. At casinos with multiple titles, you’ll find the American, European and French variations of the game. Some sites also offer titles with special features, such as side bets, jackpots, multipliers, etc. So you can build your game strength around the conventional titles or those with extra features. Some popular roulette games include Frankie Dettori’s Jackpot Roulette (Playtech), Sapphire Roulette (Microgaming), European Roulette (Pragmatic Play), Roulette Advanced series (NetEnt), etc.
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Blackjack
Blackjack is another game with a massive following in the country. Even though blackjack is not as straightforward as slots or roulette, it is well-played around. The game requires you to finish with a better score than the dealer. However, you must avoid scoring higher than 21, as doing so will lead to your loss. Many of our reviewed casinos have several kinds of blackjack, including Spanish 21, American, and European. Like roulette, blackjack also has some titles with side bets and jackpots, which will really spice up your sessions with sizable win potentials. If you’re just new to the game, there’s usually a demo version at our recommended casinos. Some popular blackjack titles are Progressive Blackjack (Playtech), Classic Blackjack Gold (Microgaming), Lucky Blackjack (Yggdrasil) and Super 7 Blackjack (Betsoft).
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Live games
Live games hold a unique position amongst casino gamblers, as they provide an authentic aura akin to land-based casinos. While reviewing the live casino offering of every platform, we delve deeper into the available games, overall atmosphere and interface, providers, etc. And whatever we find in the process, we explain in clear terms. Most live casinos feature table games like blackjack, roulette, sic bo, baccarat, etc. South Africans enjoy instant titles, so you have live bingo and keno, TV games, and game shows. Software providers like Evolution, BetGames, TVBet, etc., are popular in this regard. Some top live titles include Lightning Roulette (Evolution), 7Bet (TVBet), Las Vegas Roulette (Vivo Gaming), etc.
Game software developers
The games you find at online casinos are powered by some companies specialising in creating gaming software. These software developers incorporate cutting-edge technology into their games so you can always have a wonderful time. Some of these suppliers are quite popular amongst SA players, and they are explained below.
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Microgaming
Having achieved so much since its inception in 1994, Microgaming is one of the most successful brands in the online gaming sphere. Microgaming holds licences from many jurisdictions and has been a champion of responsible gaming. The company makes both slots and table games. Some include Avalon, Jurassic World, Sister of Oz Jackpots, etc.
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Betsoft
Betsoft is a prominent software provider famed for making magnificent 3D titles. This provider has maintained its impressive operation, with many amazing slots and table games under its belt. And for that, Betsoft has won numerous industry awards. Some top Betsoft slots are After Night Falls, Greedy Goblins, Return to Paris, etc.
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NetEnt
NetEnt is one of those software providers you’ll often see at casinos in South Africa and beyond. NetEnt has built an excellent brand on innovation and value, which explains its continued relevance in the industry. With a presence in most gambling-friendly countries and territories, the company has paid over €1 billion in jackpot wins so far. Dead or Alive 2, Twin Spin, and Roulette Touch are a few NetEnt titles.
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Genesis
Genesis Gaming has spread its range of exciting slots from Asia to Africa and other parts of the world since it commenced business in 2008. The company’s games cut across different themes, payouts, bet sizes, designs and RTP. Thus, these games are quite popular in many South African casinos. Some of them are Sea Raider, Haunted Night, Fortune Turtle, etc.
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Playtech
Playtech is one of the largest casino game makers in the world, with a solid portfolio of slots, table games, instant titles, and live casino games. This developer is notable for creating table games with progressive jackpots and side bets, while its progressive slots are some of the best around. Top Playtech titles include Buffalo Blitz, Age of the Gods series, Gladiator Jackpot, etc.
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Evolution
Evolution is a leading brand in live casino gaming, with games in all the remarkable live casinos everywhere. The company's robust game catalogue cuts across all popular table games and game shows. As such, the company has numerous awards in recognition of its super impressive games. Monopoly Live, Lightning Blackjack, and Crazy Time are some popular Evolution games.
Pragmatic Play
When it comes to casino games with immersive graphic designs, Pragmatic Play greatly stands out from the competition. Pragmatic Play has slots, table games and live casino games – all well-crafted in line with global standards. Some of Pragmatic Play’s top titles are Chilli Heat, Fruit Party 2, Madam Destiny, etc.
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Yggdrasil
Yggdrasil entered the industry a decade ago and has since achieved so much, thus earning a place as a prominent game developer. The Swedish-based developer has made creativity and innovation its mission. To this end, the company is credited with some of the most successful slot game mechanics, such as Splitz, Gigablox, GigaRise, etc. Popular Yggdrasil slots are Empire Fortune, Joker Millions, Hades Gigablox, etc.
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RTG
Realtime Gaming (RTG) is one of the major software providers known for doing wonders with cartoonish game designs. The developer has been around for over two decades, and it keeps improving its product offering to serve the ever-growing iGaming market. Cleopatra, Siberian Storm, and Megasaur are a few well-followed RTG titles.
Rival
Rival Gaming is no new name in the gaming space. Rival Gaming boasts various slots, table games and instant titles, making them a versatile provider. Some popular slots from this developer include Jackpot 5x Wins, Major Moolah, and 5 Reel Circus, among others.
Gambling legalities
As we have noted above, licensing and regulation are one of the core concerns of our reviews. We would never recommend a casino with a questionable licence or a real money casino with no regard for regulatory authorities. With respect to gambling laws in South Africa, it’s important to note that the Gambling Act of 2004 outlaws interactive gambling (online gambling). As such, national gambling licences are not issued to online casino operators.
However, the said Act grants provincial authorities the power to regulate, licence, and supervise interactive gambling in their respective provinces. Following this legal framework, the various provinces in South Africa continue to issue licences to operators and regulate gambling within their jurisdiction. The Gauteng Gambling Board (GGB) is the leading provincial regulator in South Africa. The GGB has a strong regulatory structure that regulates casinos, bingo sites, sports betting operators, totalisators, software developers, as well as land-based gambling operators.
Customer Support options
Serious casinos always take customer relations very seriously. That’s why they provide mediums through which customers can reach out with any issue regarding the casino. At most casinos, email support and live chat are the standard mediums. But many South African casinos add more channels, such as phone, contact forms, and social media. As a reputable gambling information hub, we always take the time to check each of the available support options. We believe responsive, fast, and knowledgeable customer support improves a casino’s ranking and appeal. So, we have a section of our South African online casino reviews where we tell you how excellent, fair or bad any casino’s customer support is.
Cryptocurrency casino reviews
Cryptocurrencies have proven to be a wonderful alternative to fiat currencies like the rand. Even though such fiat currencies are still far more common, cryptocurrencies are making gambling a lot more exciting. Today, players don’t need to worry about financial institutions blocking off their online gambling transactions, thanks to cryptocurrencies. Below are the popular cryptocurrencies in the country.
Tether
Tether (USDT) is usually the most traded cryptocurrency in South Africa. SA gamblers not only trade USDT online, but they also use it to perform peer-to-peer transactions within and outside cryptocurrency exchanges.
Litecoin
Litecoin pioneered the cryptocurrency market with a goal of offering better convenience, faster transactions, and lesser fees than Bitcoin. Litecoin has continued checking these boxes for over a decade since its launch, which is why most casinos offer it for deposits and withdrawals.
Ethereum
Ethereum is one of the most popular cryptocurrencies all over the world. Ethereum powers its own blockchain network on which other cryptocurrencies are developed and offered to the public. One of the most significant points about Ethereum is that it’s enhancing ways in which blockchain technology works, especially through its decentralised finance and decentralised apps.
Bitcoin
Bitcoin can rightly be called the leader of cryptocurrencies because it maintains the highest coin price and market cap, among others. Though Bitcoin is a little slower than many other coins, Bitcoin is noted for its tremendous security and safety. Also, players can deposit Bitcoin in units, and this keeps increasing the coin’s appeal.
Conclusion
Our casino reviews are focused on conveying the actual position of every casino transparently and professionally. This is done by a team of well-qualified gambling mavins who understand the industry entirely. These reviews go through different stages: research, thorough attention to key areas, writing and editing, and in-house article assessment. In this regard, we touch on different areas of the casino, such as banking, casino games, providers, licensing, customer support, and security. After checking out these key areas, we share our opinion so that you can approach the casino with some background information and expectations. Suffice this to say that our online casino reviews in South Africa are worthy of your attention as they are factual, honest and neutral.
