One of the biggest betting sites in the UK, Sportingbet caused a lot of fanfare upon their arrival to South Africa in 2008. And ever since then, they’ve been trending in an upwards direction. Their online sportsbook brings a lot of that recognizable British flair, but the company has invested a lot of effort into making South Africans feel at home.

The result? A bookmaker that can compete with just about every other domestic brand. You know we don’t give out such compliments lightly, so we’ve prepared a comprehensive Sportingbet South Africa review.

Sportingbet South Africa Pros and Cons

What’s Good About Sportingbet South Africa?

Sportingbet has been on the South African market for a little over 15 years, which is pretty much an eternity in sportsbook years. Throughout that time, they’ve been able to win over the trust of South African bettors. Of course, we’re talking about an internationally renowned bookie, but they also have some neat things exclusive to their SA site. We believe the following things are the crux of Sportingbet’s success:

Competitive Odds

Throughout our review process, we noticed, time and time again, that Sportingbet South Africa consistently posts great odds. Of course, there aren’t any sky-high numbers, but the numbers are almost always higher than those of other betting sites. If you’re a seasoned pro, Sportingbet just might be the best value sportsbook out there.

Amazing User Interface

Out of all the bookies we’ve tested, this brand has probably the most appealing UI. There’s no clutter, unnecessary banners, or anything else that might obstruct your view while betting. It’s easy to find what you want, deposit money, and place a bet. Therefore, we believe even beginners can benefit from playing at Sportingbet South Africa.

Great Welcome Offer for New Players

Almost always, SA bookies rely on a free bet or two to keep new players happy. We love the fact that Sportingbet went above and beyond, offering one of the highest amounts out of all betting sites in the country. We’ll cover the deal in more detail later on, but what’s certain is that you have a deal that’s both lucrative and fair at your disposal.

What’s Bad About Sportingbet South Africa?

No bookmaker in history has ever gotten things right on their first try. It’s a game of mistakes and improvement – nobody’s perfect. With that in mind, we believe there’s one major thing that Sportingbet can improve upon.

Lack of Many Slot Games

Sure, it’s incredibly easy to do everything at Sportingbet South Africa, but there aren’t many slot games. If you are looking for a website with a complete betting environment of sports betting markets and casino slot games, Sportingbet may disappoint you. However, if you prefer live casino games instead of slots, things are better, and Sportingbet meets the requirements.

Is Sportingbet Legit in South Africa?

Yes, Sportingbet is entirely legal to operate in South Africa. The brand is operated by GreatOdds (Pty) Ltd, trading as Sportingbet South Africa. The company is licensed by the Western Cape Gambling & Racing Board. That way, it is safe and secure for each player from SA who wants to use the website.

Quick Facts About Sportingbet South Africa

Sportingbet Sports Betting

Overall, Sportingbet South Africa boasts a premium sportsbook, with equal amounts of resources invested in both quality and quantity. In terms of sports that you can bet on, here’s what this bookie offers on a daily basis:

• American Football
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Chess
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Darts
• Entertainment
• Football
• Formula 1
• Golf
• Handball
• Horse Racing
• Ice Hockey
• MMA
• Motorbikes
• NASCAR
• Olympic Games
• Politics
• Rugby
• Ski Jumping
• Snooker
• Table Tennis
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Alpine Skiing
• Awards
• Badminton
• Cross Country Skiing
• GAA Football
• Gaelic Hurling
• MotoGP
• Motor Sports
• Rally
• TV Shows and Movies

Entertainment and politics are great things to see, especially if you love betting, but are tired of following the same leagues and athletes all the time. Remember how we praised the odds at Sportingbet South Africa? Well, those great odds are consistent, regardless of the sport or the level of play. If you really like to dive deep and extract that extra bit of value, this is the bookie for you.

Sportingbet Soccer Betting

Soccer is popular in South Africa, and it is no surprise that Sportingbet makes a lot of effort to propose great football betting options for its customers.

Soccer is one of the leading sports on the website. Punters can easily browse through the category and find all the most interesting upcoming events. There are also the options to view the events by competition, teams or calendar.

In addition, there is the option “Coupons”, which is one of my favourites. It allows customers to see the upcoming soccer matches for today or tomorrow. Also, we can easily browse coupons for betting markets like over/under or btts.

Soccer fans in South Africa will be glad to know they can place wagers on all the leading competitions in the world at Sportingbet. The South African Premiership, Cup and other divisions are also part of the available tournaments with great odds and a vast variety of markets at Sportingbet.

Sportingbet Betting Limits and Winning Caps

The maximum winnings at Sportingbet SA from one bet are capped at R10 000 000. Also, this is the amount you can win from the bookmaker in a single day. When it comes to the stake amounts, the brand deserves the right to set various stake limits for different betting markets, sports and customers. The minimum bet for sports is just R1.

Odds & Betting Markets

As we noticed at the beginning of this Sporting Bet review, the operator’s sports betting odds are among the best in the country. That is accomplished with low margins for the various markets available.

Regarding betting markets, Sportingbet SA provides all of the options you will ever need. Full Time betting, Over/Under and Handicaps are only some of the available markets.

Quick Guide to Betting at Sportingbet South Africa

1. Log into your account – you can actually create a betting slip without being logged in, but this way allows you to submit the slip right away.
2. Select one of the sports from the homepage – for a better overview of all the available events, click Sports A-Z and browse the list.
3. Select a particular event that you want to bet on – all the events have their time next to them, along with the most popular markets provided underneath.
4. Click on a market that’s to your liking – by clicking on an event, it will open in a new page and you’ll get to see a full list of available markets.
5. Add more legs if you want – while you’re browsing the site, clicking on a market will trigger a small pop-up that will prompt you to add the market to the slip. You can do this as many times as you want.
6. Enter the amount you wish to wager and Submit – double-check everything and take a look at your potential winnings. If everything is okay, click Place bet, and good luck!

Sportingbet Live Betting

If you like to get the best odds possible, the Sportingbet live betting section will be the solution to all your wants and needs. Since the Sportingbet odds are clearly apart, you will easily notice the red and green arrows signifying positive and negative changes. The variety is impressive too, as you can get to know a lot of niche sports by pouncing on live markets.

I like the live betting section so much because the “Live Media” graphics option allows me to follow what is happening in the game right away. Some events even have live streaming video, but when it is unavailable, the live graphics are the best helpers to correctly decide your betting tips.

Supported Betting Features

When Sportingbet came to the South African betting market, the operator’s main disadvantage was the need for betting features. However, the bookmaker has developed over the years, and now it boasts various betting functionalities that can help customers with their betting.

• Live Streaming: For select events, Sportingbet South Africa provides live streaming services for free. The only thing you have to do is look for matches/games with the play icon next to them. Just click them and a stream will automatically open up. Of course, this is only available from time to time.
• Lots of Statistics: Sports betting is and always will be a numbers game. Sure, everything is down to luck at the end of the day, but having access to stats can boost your overall accuracy. Sportingbet South Africa provides several years’ worth of stats, along with head-to-head matchups. This is incredibly useful for betting on individual sports, which are much more matchup-dependent than group ones.
• Build a Bet: The feature is available only for football matches, allowing you to combine 2 or more selections from the same event in an accumulator bet. The Bet Builder is not available in-play, but you can find the options in most of the leading pre-match football events.
• Cash out & Auto Cash-out: Sportingbet allows users to use the Cash out feature when available. With that option, you can quickly close your bet and cash out winnings whenever the option is enabled to your bet slip. In addition, with the Auto Cash out feature, you can set a preferred amount for your bet slip, for which the Cash out will be enabled automatically if the sum reaches the desired amount.
• Rebet: If you have made a multiple bet and the first selection from the bet slip loses, you can use the Rebet feature to easily add the remaining selections to your bet slip and stake on them again.
• Share my bet: Using this option, you can share your open bets at Sportingbet with your friends on social media or other channels supported by the operator.
• Multi Generator: This special feature allows users to generate various bets with selections based on their preferences.

Comparative Analysis with Other South African Betting Sites

Let’s compare Sportingbet to leading South African betting sites like Hollywoodbets and Betway. Sportingbet is in no way inferior to them! Of course, it lacks a Lotto section and lags behind in casino games. Still, with the high odds and various betting markets and offers, Sportingbet is competitive with other brands in the country.

Casino Section and Live Dealer Games

Sportingbet offers a small section with slot games as well as a live games section. With around 100 slot titles, Sportingbet gives way to other South African online casinos. However, the Live Games section is made to stay. In addition, there is the Sportingbet Aviator game, a favourite of many online punters.

A total of 30+ tables comprise this compact but powerful live casino section. You can only enjoy the best titles from Evolution, one of the world’s best and most recognized software providers. Roulette, Blackjack and Game Shows are the main titles in this category. Each game is live and managed by a real dealer.

There are even some Sportingbet casino bonuses, which further reinforces our opinion that this bookie is a goldmine when it comes to finding extra value.

Sportingbet Mobile App

The Sportingbet app is available to download for Android and iOS devices. The mobile application for Android can be downloaded from the operator’s website as an .apk file. However, if you want to get the app for iOS, you should change your device settings, particularly the country. You can find more details in our Sportingbet app review for South Africa.

In addition to the app, Sportingbet mobile version of the site is also available. Both the mobile services of the brand provide users with the same functionalities and features available on the desktop website. That way, you will not miss any game, market or feature, whether using the mobile or full version of the bookmaker.

How to Set Up an Account with Sportingbet South Africa

1. Visit Sportingbet SA and click “Register”.
2. Provide your email and create a password. There are certain conditions that your password has to fulfill, but you can easily see if it’s okay by looking at the number of green ticks below the empty field.
3. Enter your name, date of birth, and ID number. This is so that Sportingbet can verify your identity.
4. Follow it up with your address, source of funds, and phone number. While this might seem like a lot, the process is fast and every piece of information is its own registration step.
5. Read the T&C and click Create My Account. Good luck and play smart!

Do I Need to Verify My Account?

Yes and no. We know this wasn’t the answer you were expecting, but there’s no better way to tackle the issue than by saying ‘it depends.’ Some of our team members got their Sportingbet South Africa account verified immediately, as the site is sometimes content with just the data you’ve provided upon registration.

Other colleagues of ours saw FICA requests, immediately upon logging in after creating their accounts. So, whether or not you need to verify your account depends on the situation. If you aren’t verified immediately, here’s what you need to do:

1. Log in.
2. Go to My Account, located in the top right corner.
3. Select Cashier.
4. Select Withdraw.
5. Select Verify Now.
6. Choose the document you wish to upload.
7. Make sure you have a visible scan on your PC/smartphone and click the Upload button.
8. Wait for up to 24 hours. As soon as a Sportingbet employee verifies your identity, you will receive an email, which means you can start playing.

Sportingbet South Africa Welcome Offer

Where everyone else zigs, Sportingbet zags. Nowhere is this more evident than in their Promotions section, where the bookie strays from the usual free bet-giveaway combo. Instead of just getting free money with the new customer over, you have to risk some to get more value. And given the fairness of the deal, we’re quite content with this format.

The Triple welcome package of Sportingbet ZA consists of R3,000 + 300 Free Spins spread across your first three deposits. Another fantastic news is that depending on your preference, you can use the bonus amount on both the casino or sportsbook sections. Here’s what the Sportingbet South Africa welcome offer contains:

Making Deposits & Withdrawals at Sportingbet South Africa

Here are the available deposit and withdrawal options:

Payment Method	Deposit Minimum	Deposit Maximum	Time for Deposit	Minimum Withdrawal	Withdrawal Maximum	Time for Withdrawal
Visa	R50	R1 000 000	Instant	R50	R3000	2-4 days
MasterCard	R50	R1 000 000	Instant	R50	R3000	2-4 days
Fast Bank Transfer	R50	R1 000 000	Instant	R50	R1 000 000	2-4 days
1VOUCHER	R10	R1 000 000	Instant	N/A	N/A	N/A
Ozow	R10	R1 000 000	Instant	N/A	N/A	N/A
FNB eWallet	N/A	N/A	N/A	R50	R3000	2-4 days

I prefer to use the voucher option most of the time because it is easy, fast and secure to deal with. However, sometimes I use my bank card to make payments, and I am happy with that method, too.

Sportingbet Responsible Gambling Policies

Responsible Gambling is always a must when we talk about such an activity. We recommend using all of the responsible gaming tools provided by Sportingbet or any other betting site you choose. Sportingbet SA offers a few options for self-protecting from a gambling addiction:

• Personal Deposit limit: allows customers to set a deposit limit for a certain period of time. That way, you can’t make deposits above the given amount for that period.
• Self-Exclusion: You can make an email request to self-exclude yourself from any betting activity at Sportingbet. Players can request a period of 1 or 3 months or even claim an indefinite period during which they cannot place bets on the website.

Sportingbet Customer Support

Sportingbet offers great customer support for every South African customer. The available options to contact the support team of the brand include:

• Email: [email protected]
• Live chat (from 09:00 to 22:00)
• Help Section

I usually find most of the answers I look for in the Help section of Sportingbet, which is well-arranged. Email support is outside my preferred options to contact. I prefer the live chat but am disappointed by the lack of 24/7 support through that channel. However, when available, the live chat support is professional, fast and straight to the point.

Sportingbet Final Rating

Sportingbet checks all the right boxes, especially when it comes to their odds. If you like to place bets early and get the most value possible, there’s no sportsbook I’d recommend over this one. I also like the fact that there’s a wide variety of payment options available, both international and domestic ones. And that’s actually a perfect way to describe Sportingbet – a strong international foundation with some uniquely South African flair. The promos aren’t anything to scoff at, either. As a daily better on their site, I would definitely suggest you give Sportingbet a try!

The final rating is 4.8 out of 5 stars.

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