Welcome to the incomparable handbook on gambling in Africa. 1.3 billion inhabitants living across 54 countries of the world make Africa one of the diverse continents.
Online betting regulations in Africa are never constant but one thing is clear, Africans love gambling. We help you find African bookmakers where highest odds are provided so that you can earn more money.
To select online betting sites, many things need to be put into consideration. However, feel free to employ an online bookmaker for wagering purposes as you would like – and you may have accounts with several other betting firms as long as those options are available.
However, this does not mean that an all-encompassing method ought to be used; and even though there are numerous respected bookmakers, there also exist less reputable firms (especially in Africa) where regulation is doubtful and the financial stability is as unreliable as a deck of cards.
Consequently, it is crucial to perform the necessary investigations; this is something we can do for you, as a result of which one will be able to identify the top-notch firms and those that should be shunned like an epidemic.
In case, the regulations of some African countries allow it (though some sites will still accept players irrespective of their legality), most of the ancient European operators will take African bettors.
When you see a Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) licensed European online sportsbook or one with a license from an equivalent body, be sure of its authenticity. The quality of bookmakers across Africa differs. In such cases, there are domestic bookies that citizens are directed to and it is important to look into the companies as well the bodies that regulate them.
When selecting a bookmaker, integrity is the most important factor to consider, as what would be the use of winning huge sums of money that you cannot even access?, in addition to other factors such as quality of odds and number of markets on each event.
There are some players who are passionate about different sports and their choice of bookmaker may depend on whether the sport is a mainstream one or not. When it comes to new betting websites, they might not have horse racing or esports in their coverage, whereas older sites with high liquidity cover every race and make predictions for electronic sports.
The depositing and betting currency is the last aspect that one should take into account while selecting a bookmaker. Common choices like US dollars, Euros or British pounds stirling are perfect for someone who wants to have many alternatives but if anybody wants to get his/her native currency, he/she will have to stick with local bookies.
With a total of fifty-four nations on the African continent, it would be naïve to make a general comment about their gambling regulations. In Africa, there are progressive states that promote gambling and online betting while others are restrictive regimes which attempt to ban or control it strictly.
Get more information on gambling laws in different African countries from our country guides.
Regarding funding one’s online gambling accounts, African bettors have a lot of ways to go about it. Obviously, the country of residence will determine your deposit options because some countries have limited methods of payment while others have payment options which are only available within their borders.
Debit/credit cards, for instance, Visa and Mastercard are accepted by most betting firms and traditionally this has been the standard deposit method employed by many gamblers. Over the last few years, there has been a surge in the number of bookies who provide e-wallets to punters who may wish to fund their accounts.
Many bettors choose e-wallets as their favorite means of making deposits to bookies since they can instantly and lowly transfer funds between one or many firms without them reflecting on their bank statements. Some of the best betting e-wallets include PayPal, NETELLER and Skrill.
In case you are not comfortable with bank transfer or e-wallet, there is a host of other alternatives. For example, virtual prepaid cards like paysafecard are quite popular among people and sometimes one can top up their online account by adding some money to it at the brick and mortar stores or using vouchers if only such facilities exist.
The use of mobile commerce services is gaining popularity and most online gambling houses still receive bank transfers or checks, but this mode may be unduly time consuming.
African players can also be offered free bets and other benefits. African bettors are among the fastest growing gaming markets in the world, which is why they have been targeted by international bookmakers’ marketing teams who want to win more customers on their side.
There can be different types of concessions. Some bookmakers may give a matched deposit so as to woo novice gamblers on their website while others reward punters with free bets after staking a given amount and also those companies wishing to maintain their existing clients will devise VIP promotions which will create a sense of being appreciated among the players.
Whenever you see an appealing bonus or offer from a bookie, it is always vital to go through their terms and conditions. The terms and conditions are the things that one should look out for, with reference to rollover requirements for bonuses in particular. If the play through requirement is too high, then you will loose everything including your stake and the added funds.
The exempt countries is another consideration to be mindful of. Some bookies will exclude different places or states from promotions meaning it’s always worth giving the small print a read before making an account.
The popularity of betting via mobile phones has drastically increased due to faster handheld systems, reduced costs of these tools as well as improved internet connectivity rates. In some parts of Africa, individuals who lack the resources to buy computers find it more affordable and convenient to bet online through mobiles.
The larger corporations also give out an iPhone or Android app, which can be downloaded for some extra speed and functions. The finest betting apps are light on storage space and allow you to sign in with just a click, so you can make the most of the newest live betting odds.
Think about the possibility of staking on Ghana to beat South Africa in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. The odds of match winner are adjusted by live betting markets soon as the Black Stars go ahead early. Betting websites with cash out options make it possible for you to login via your smart-phone or tablet and guarantee a win. By waiting for the outcome, you still have chance to win more but by locking in profit, you don’t lose on a late equalizer .
Want to do mobile betting? Take a look at our list of bookmakers, join one and start.
Mainly, Africans are most inclined towards betting on football though there are many other sports that keep them spell-bound.
Football is a major sport in Africa. African youngsters idolize national heroes such as English Premier League pair Sadio Mané and Pierre Emrick Aubameyang, who play in the best leagues around the globe like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The African Cup of Nations is the chief football competition that puts all teams in Africa against each other. Among others, the best soccer betting sites have competitive betting odds on international tournaments like AFCON and FIFA world cup, local leagues within Africa like Nigeria premier league, European’s top notch leagues such as EPL and La Liga.
The world cup has been won by the South Africa national rugby union team three times (1995, 2007, 2019) and are commonly known as “Springboks”. The annual Rugby Championship also involves the Boks who are players like Siya Kolisi, Faf de klerk and Duane Vermeulen; and this contest also features Argentina, Australia and New Zealand.
Many South African teams such as the Bulls and Stormers also take part in Super Rugby. Africa based sports betting sites offer odds on the yearly Africa Cup organized by Rugby Africa too. Also, you can bet for the World Rugby Sevens Series which has representatives from Africa including South Africa and Kenya.
Cricket is a very popular sport in South Africa, and its national team is among the best globally. The Proteas, as referred to, have batsmen such as Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis and exceptional bowlers like Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir.
South Africa hasn’t won an ODI or T20 World Cup, but it has contested a number of finals in both formats, while they also emerged as a force to reckon with in Tests. Cricket is not nearly popular as football, but there are some other African countries where people like to watch and play this game: Kenya, Zimbabwe among others.
The south Africans have a horse racing program that is also very strong with many elite equine beasts and the citizens of the country love betting on races. Every year, wealthy people as well as several celebrities visit the country’s three major cities because they are looking forward to witnessing horses that participate in top races such as Summer Cup, Cape Metropolitan Stakes and Durban July.
In African countries like Kenya, horse racing is also gaining popularity. We found out that Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi, Kenya is the only racecourse for horses in East Africa. International betting sites may not offer odds or live streams for races that take place at Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi but we wouldn’t bet against them doing so in the future.
In most African countries, some sort of betting is allowed. Of course, there are few variations as the continent is still poor in many areas as well as in the developing stages and this means there are no enough finances for severe prohibition or regulation even if they wanted to.
The data shows that there has been an increasing amount of money spent on internet-based gaming activities in the last few years, and this has resulted in the appearance of some bookies and casinos in Africa, as well as attracting established businesses from Europe and other parts to set up shop there and advertise their products to African gamblers.
With the increasing accessibility of technology, the demand for online gaming in Africa will keep on growing while the number of betting sites active increases.
The leading online gambling sites accept African customers from countries such as South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya. Our guide to sports betting in Africa will tell you about your country’s gaming regulations, how you can get a welcome bonus and make a deposit among other things.
The Betway Review explains why it’s the number one option for sport bettors in countries like Ghana and South Africa. The main reasons are that they give new customers generous bonuses, offer competitive odds for several sports, while their app, Betway mobile is available both on Android and iOS.
Many Africans bookmakers use decimal odds format because it is widely acknowledged as the easiest to understand. However, some African betting firms will also offer customers a choice of using a different format like fractional or Malay but the most common is decimal.
From the start, it’s important to understand that success in the future lies in being selective. It is not possible for a person to be an authority on each game and all events within that sport. In order to make money therefore, you have to be focused and only stake your money on games where you think you have an advantage of some kind. Success with this takes a disciplined approach as well as a consistent staking plan.
B. A type of bet where you put your money through a tote/TAB kind to pay the bookie is an open bet. The payout is not predetermined at stake placement time; instead, it is determined post event and the totalizator’s dividend becomes payable by the bookmaker.
