South Africa’s gambling culture blends a long, contested history — from colonial horse racing and apartheid-era “homeland” casinos like Sun City, to township numbers games such as Fafi — with a modern, smartphone-driven explosion in soccer betting. The National Lottery is near-universal, casinos are legal and regulated, and sports betting has become the fastest-growing form of play, all against a backdrop of real concern about problem gambling.

A short history of gambling in South Africa

Betting arrived with colonialism, most notably through horse racing. The Gambling Act of 1965 then banned most forms of gambling — with on-track horse-race betting the notable exception, and for decades it was effectively the only legal form of gambling in the country.

Apartheid created a loophole. From the late 1970s, casinos opened in the nominally “independent” homelands (bantustans) of Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei and Venda. Businessman Sol Kerzner opened the vast Sun City resort in Bophuthatswana on 7 December 1979, drawing crowds to gambling and entertainment that were banned in “white” South Africa. Meanwhile illegal casinos multiplied — by 1995 an estimated 2,000 were operating nationwide.

Democracy reset the system. After 1994 gambling was legalised, and the National Gambling Act of 1996 created a regulated framework: a national cap of 40 licensed casinos allocated across provinces, plus a single national lottery. That 1996 Act was later repealed and replaced by the National Gambling Act of 2004, which established shared national and provincial oversight and the modern licensing regime.

The games South Africans play

  • The National Lottery — Lotto, PowerBall and Daily Lotto draw very broad, mass-market participation. The lottery has changed hands over the years; Ithuba ran it from 2015 until its licence ended on 31 May 2026, with Sizekhaya Holdings taking over as operator from 1 June 2026.
  • Sports betting — the fastest-growing category, dominated by soccer/football, with rugby and cricket also popular. Mobile apps from Betway, Hollywoodbets, Supabets and others have made betting ubiquitous.
  • Horse racing — the oldest legal form of betting, still followed nationally.
  • Casino gaming — slot machines and table games (blackjack, roulette) at Sun International and other licensed land-based casinos.
  • Fafi / mochina — a dream-interpretation numbers game rooted in township life and South Africa’s Chinese community.
  • Scratchcards — cheap, widely available instant-win tickets.

The soccer-betting boom

Cheap smartphones, affordable data and aggressive marketing turned mobile betting into a mass pastime. According to Statistics South Africa and the National Gambling Board, overall gambling participation among adults roughly doubled from around 30% in 2017 to about 65.7% by 2023/24. Betting now generates the majority of industry gross gambling revenue. The country’s deep football culture — following both the Premier Soccer League and European leagues — makes soccer the anchor of this growth.

Attitudes and the problem-gambling backdrop

Gambling in South Africa sits alongside genuine social concern. Researchers and the NGB have flagged a sharp rise in problem gambling as participation has surged, and the boom has fuelled public debate about advertising, affordability and a proposed new tax on operators. Responsible-gambling messaging, self-exclusion and the SARGF helpline are built into the regulated market.

18+ only. Gambling should be entertainment, not a way to make money. If it stops being fun, call the SARGF helpline on 0800 006 008.

Sources