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In only the past couple of years, the online gambling industry has enjoyed an incredible rise into the mainstream.
While some markets such as the United Kingdom and the U.S have entertained online casinos and online sports betting operators for years prior to the pandemic, there are new markets emerging that are beginning to reap the benefits of a regulated and licensed online gambling industry.
Not only is the activity proving lucrative for individual countries and economies, but players have discovered a new avenue of entertainment that is becoming increasingly accessible and convenient. One of the markets that has quickly established itself as an up-and-coming industry is South Africa. The iGaming industry, as online casino action and online sports betting also goes by, is becoming increasingly valuable to South Africa.
Unsurprisingly, South Africa, like many other countries that had an online gambling infrastructure in place during the pandemic, benefited massively from the various lockdowns and social distancing measures that were put in place. As a result of less outdoor and physical activity, the land-based casino industry was hit extremely hard, which was only advantageous for online gambling operators.
Reaping the Revenue Rewards
With the exponential growth of iGaming, the South African economy is reaping the rewards from rising revenue numbers each year. According to Statista, the number of users of online gambling operators in South Africa is expected to hit 1.5m people by 2029. While that might not seem a substantial number compared to the population of South Africa, the increasing revenue numbers show that these players are indeed spending.
The online gambling industry is forecasted to reach revenue highs of $431 million this year (2025), which would represent a 9.2% increase on 2024. In keeping with the rise in users, this figure is expected to further explode to just over $1,097.00 million by 2029. In a country that still struggles with domestic issues such as poverty and high crime rates, the influx provided by the online gambling industry is a welcome boost in the attempt to find stability.
Grey Area around Online Casinos in SA
Officially, the arm of iGaming responsible for the rising revenue numbers is online sports betting. Online bookmakers have legally been able to obtain licenses since 2004. The Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board is responsible for the majority of these licenses that provide a secure and regulated framework for online bookmakers to abide by. By installing the duty to promote responsible and safe gambling, the hope is also that any harm from gambling can be avoided or at least reduced. iGaming and online sports betting in particular have also thrived in recent years due to the fact proper licensing helps stamp out the influence of online bookmakers operating in the illegal market.
However, while South Africans can legally fuel their passion for sport by betting on the latest cricket or rugby matches, there is less certainty around the legality of online casinos. Due to advances in technology, there is greater accessibility to content, even from a different country. As a result, South Africans are still finding ways to online casinos, but there remains a danger around illegally operating online casinos and the harm they can cause.
Established and more importantly, licensed online casinos such as the ones listed at spinaslots.co.za are examples of why the industry is thriving. But without proper legislation around licensing for online casinos in South Africa, there are many operators falling between the cracks and offering unregulated online casino game play that is not monitored by any governing body.
A Regulated Future
That is all about to change though. The “Remote Gambling Bill” was introduced in parliament last year in an attempt to form a framework for the official, legal licensing of online casinos in SA. The revenue numbers have not been ignored, and those pushing the bill have also seen the potential held by a regulated online casino industry. Figures reported in SA and in other markets where online casino play is more stable only result in benefits for the local economy.
Empowering provincial authorities to hand out licenses will help spread the activity across the whole country, as opposed to restricting online casino play in certain provinces, like in Canada. The Remote Gambling Bill, which builds on the 2008 Amendment Act on online gambling, was only proposed last year, so there could be a wait for any official decision to be made.
For those decision makers, they have witnessed the demand for online gambling. With an established target audience, providing legal legislation and licensing will push online gambling to greater levels within the country and provide a foundation for it to thrive even more.
