Online Sports Betting

Online Sports Betting

The landscape of online gambling can be tough to navigate in South Africa, even when it comes to trustworthy virtual casinos like Springbok Casino Online sportsbetting is, fortunately, exempt from that list! It's completely legal to place real money bets on sporting events in South Africa.

With thousands of sites offering online sports betting, Africa has no shortage of places for residents to place bets. The real key is finding the most reliable places to play, and those with the best odds so you can get more bang for your bucks.

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“If you want to try gambling with real cash somewhere other than a casino, South Africa sports betting is a top choice, so take a look around.”

How sports betting works

The best online betting sites keep things fairly straightforward, provided you understand a few essential bits of information that we'll outline below. When you place a bet with a casino, sportsbetting website or bookmaker you are, in effect, opting in to a contract with them. This means that, even if in-play bets are offered or the odds of the event you've wagered on change during the course of it, the odds on your betting slip dictate the prize you'll receive if you win.

Different ways to read odds

Depending on where you are in the world, odds are displayed in different ways. It can initially be confusing to get your head around the different ways sports betting sites list odds, but the best online betting sites often have a helpful feature that allows you to preview your winnings based on the amount you intend to bet. Nevertheless, it's still useful to have an idea of the different ways odds are listed:

  • Decimal - This refers to the ratio of the full payout (i.e. including original stake) by sports betting sites to the stake. For example, if odds of 1.50 are offered, a bet of R1 would yield R1.5 total payout. R10 would result in winnings of R15 and so on.
  • Fractional - This provides the ratio of the amount won to the stake, i.e. if the odds are 1/2, a bet of R2 is needed to win R1 (not including original stake). An even bet is listed as 1/1 - a successful bet will result in R1, plus your original stake of R1.
  • U.S - U.S format odds are given as the amount won on a stake of 100 when positive or, when negative, the stake needed to win 100. So, if the odds are -200, a bet of 200 is needed to win 100 (not including original stake). If the odds are +200, a bet of 100 will yield 200 plus the original stake. An even bet is given as +100, because a stake of 100 is required to win it.

Confused yet? Don't worry - after a couple of bets you'll soon get the hang of the different ways sports betting sites list odds.

Types of bets

The most common type of bet, and the best for beginners, is a single - as the name suggests this is a single bet on one outcome, such as the winner of an event.

Accumulators or parlays are made up of a number of single bets - for example, you might bet that three teams will win the games they're playing. If the first wins, your winnings are automatically bet on the second team by the online sports betting provider. If that team also wins, those winnings are placed on the third team and so on. This can be a great way to make some real money! But be warned; if the final team (or any other team you've bet on) loses, then so do you!

Prop bets are placed on specific parts of the game. For example, you might choose to bet on anything from the first player to score to something obscure like the number of penalties given up by a team!

Online sports betting in South Africa

There are many other types of bets, but the above are definitely enough to get you started! If you want to try gambling with real cash somewhere other than a casino, South Africa sports betting is a top choice, so take a look around.

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Frequently Asked Questions
Is sports betting common in South Africa?

Yes. Sports betting is very common in South Africa. There are a number of gambling sites that attract South African players for sports betting. One of the most popular sports to bet on in South Africa is soccer. However, sports such as cricket, rugby, horse racing and so much more are also very popular. Many South Africans also enjoy live sports betting which makes the betting experience more exciting.

What types of betting are popular in South Africa?

The South African betting landscape is a varied one, however the most popular sport people bet on is soccer. Cricket and rugby are also very popular, as are horse racing and American sports, such as the NFL. Many South Africans also enjoy live betting, which allows bets to be placed while an event is going on.

Can it be profitable?

There are people who make a living from sports betting, however the majority of players play only recreationally. It is possible to make a profit, but only if you really understand what you are doing, and hunt out the sites offering the best odds. Even if you don’t make a profit over the long term though, you’ll find that sports betting is really exciting and loads of fun.

How much should I bet?

The answer to this is simple: only what you can afford. While bigger bets will lead to bigger potential payouts, there’s no point risking money that you can’t afford to lose. So, make sure you assess your own financial situation before making any bets.

What are sports betting lines?

Sports betting lines are essentially handicaps placed on teams or contestants, in order to make the contest fairer. For example, a site might think that South Africa will easily beat France in a rugby match, so they’ll place a handicap of +11.5 points on France, effectively giving them a 11.5 points head start. The odds for each team will then be pretty much the same.

Do systems and strategies work?

There are many systems and strategies that apparently help you to win more money, however most of them don’t work. The best strategy is to simply do your research, before then finding the site offering the best odds on your predicted result.

Is it safe?

Yes, online sports betting is completely safe, providing you use a site that has the correct certification. All of the sports betting sites recommended on this site are completely secure, and can therefore be trusted to treat you honestly and fairly.

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