Sports betting is turning into one of the biggest parts of the global sporting market. While it might be more prevalent in globally popular sports leagues, the interconnected nature of the betting market has opened a new range of possibilities for those in South Africa looking to explore the sports betting market.
In any nation, the most popular sport, or the national sport, also tends to be the most bet on sport too. In New Zealand, it is rugby union; in the UK, it is the English Premier League; in the US, it is the NFL, or football if you want to include college football and the UFL in that bracket too.
While rugby union is the dominant sport in South Africa, the emergence of prominent golfers, soccer players, boxing and MMA have helped to give the sports betting market a more nuanced feel, rather than just one sport dominating the market. As the market becomes more global, and South Africans adapt to it, the popularity of betting markets have shifted accordingly.
Listening to the experts
Social media and the internet in general are awash with people who proclaim to be experts of their chosen sport. It doesn’t matter if you are a rugby union fan, a soccer fan or an MMA fan; there are some dreadful takes out there on social media from people who claim to be experts.
When it comes to sports, these people can often be a source of ridicule and entertainment, but in the world of betting, the stakes are higher as you are putting your funds on the line, you’re not just taking in sporting opinions. As the online betting market has exploded over the last quarter of a century, askgamblers.com is a resource that has proven to be popular with gamblers around the world.
By onboarding gambling experts with extensive industry experience, players who may not know where to begin or how to identify the red flags in a reputable provider have a valuable source to lean on. However, just like sports opinions, there are things that experts disagree on.
Despite this, there are non-negotiables such as licensing, security, number of available betting markets and payment options, as well as quality of customer service, which they all agree are vital for any sports betting brand looking to establish itself in the South African market.
The dominant sports betting market
It’s essential to break down the dynamics and the differences between the most popular sports to bet on. For instance, soccer is the most popular sport to bet on in South Africa, but a lot of that is due to the fact that there are so many markets to access every weekend.
It’s no exaggeration that there are hundreds of individual games every weekend across Europe that attract a global market. With so many South Africans drawn to the English Premier League as their main source of soccer entertainment, it is no surprise that it is the most dominant betting market, generating the highest revenue.
However, as many South Africans will attest, rugby union is where they shine on the international stage the most. After winning a record breaking fourth World Cup in 2023, they are planning their next World Cup run. While the Springboks are undeniably the sports institution most associated with South Africa, due to the sparsity of games they play, the overall amount of money bet is much smaller than soccer.
Best of the rest
Cricket and golf are always popular sports for South Africans to bet on, however, with these sports having fewer games and top competitions than soccer, they are knocked down the pecking order.
Combat sports have always found a market right across the country too, whether it’s iconic boxing heavyweights like Gerrie Coetzee and Corrie Sanders, or more recently, Dricus du Plessis, who has beaten notable names in the UFC and is a former middleweight champion.
One thing is for sure, the number of markets that are now available for South Africans to bet on has exploded over the last 20 years. While there’s always been a vibrant betting market in SA, the emergence of online sportsbooks has meant that there are now many more available markets, as well as types of bets that cover live, in-game options.
Sportsbooks with strong global popularity, such as those in horse racing and basketball, have also been able to establish a strong presence.
Championing safe and responsible betting patterns
Responsible betting is the foundation of the gambling market. Although many South Africans can stay within the framework and limits that they have set themselves, there’s a small percentage of bettors who will develop issues with their gambling. Sportsbooks offer several tools that individuals can use to manage their betting, with time and deposit limits being the most well-known options.
However, if you, or somebody you know, is experiencing problems with their gambling, reach out to a support group or a problem gambling charity that can provide you with clearer information on how to stop.
Final thoughts
There’s no definitive set of statistics that ranks these smaller markets in order but judging by the growth we have seen in the South African gambling market, it is symptomatic of a larger global trend. Soccer dominates globally, and as we mentioned in the introduction, it’s usually the national sports that tend to enjoy the biggest betting markets within the respective nation.
If soccer is treated as an anomaly, given the size of it globally and the numerous games, then the South African sports betting market is not too different from those in Australia and New Zealand.
Expect to see more markets tailored for a South African audience that include cricket, rugby union and domestic soccer leagues in Europe as we see technology becoming more influential, delivering customized experiences, and tapping into those sports that are, ultimately, the most popular.