Sports Betting

In Africa, sports betting is a very popular activity and the continent is full of licensed bookies offering exciting markets such as horse racing betting, cricket, rugby, soccer, and many others. Since the horse racing industry and the sports industry in Africa are closely associated, bookies that accept wagers on horse racing also accept wagers on other sports events.

Legality of Sports Betting in Africa

The good news for African punters is that online sports betting is completely legal, which leaves African players free to sign up at any African or offshore online sportsbook.

The gambling laws in South Africa are similar to those in Australia. The country has nine provinces, each having its own regulatory body. If a bookie wants to operate in South Africa, the bookie must get a license from one of these regulatory bodies.

The South African government does not tax winnings on wagers placed on sports events. However, the laws are slightly stricter for horse racing betting, and if punters win any money betting on horses, they have to pay 6% of it as tax.

Popular Sports in Africa

Africa is a huge continent with 54 countries, and each country has its own favorite sport. In spite of these differences, the hot favorite in Africa appears to be soccer. People in Kenya, South Africa, and Zimbabwe are also fond of playing and betting on cricket and rugby and have teams that can compete at the international level.

Local bookies in Africa know what African punters want and offer betting odds on a wide range of African favorites such as the Super Rugby, the ABSA Premiership, Currie Cup, MiWay T20, and others. African punters also enjoy betting on sports such as MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, and others.

How to Choose a Sportsbook

Choosing a sportsbook, especially for beginners, is not that easy. Not all the online sportsbooks out there are the best, and beginners must take into consideration a wide range of factors such as licensing, banking methods, markets offered, bonuses, and others before signing up. Simultaneously, players must remember that the best sportsbook in the world need not necessarily be the best for them, owing to which they must choose a sportsbook that is capable of meeting their individual requirements.

In the first place, players must make sure that the online sportsbook they are thinking of joining is reputed and reliable, having the ability to process payout requests quickly. Online sportsbooks that have been around for several years are usually the best although new sportsbooks launched by highly reputable companies can also be considered.

Players should then check the online sportsbook’s licensing information, about us page, privacy policy, and fair play section. They should make sure that the payout methods offered are convenient for African players.

Players should also find out if the customer care service really offers customer care 24/7. One of the best ways of testing this is to send an email to the sportsbook and see how quick it is in responding.

African punters should thoroughly research an online bookmaker before signing up for real money services. They can visit gambling forums and discuss the online bookmaker to get first-hand information about it or they can visit sportsbook review portals to read some comprehensive reviews about the online sportsbook.

Punters must also sign up at not one, but several online sportsbooks so that they can compare betting odds and features and grab the best deals.

About Bonuses

Most online sportsbooks offer free bets to players who register a real play account, make a deposit, and place a bet on any sports event. Needless to say, sportsbook bonuses are not free money, but are associated with wagering requirements that need to be met before requesting payout.