Online betting market in South Africa: responsible gambling is a growing test for brands

As the online betting market in South Africa is growing, responsible gambling is becoming a bigger issue for operators. Gross gaming revenue rose 26% between 2023/24 and 2024/25* with the category reaching a large share of consumers. Our Africa consumer data platform, SagaCube, shows that in 2026, 43% of South African consumer panel members had placed a bet or gambled in the previous four weeks (up from 41% in 2025).

Growth and reach do not show who is betting, which brands consumers turn to or how they rate those brands on brand images including responsible gambling. This article answers these questions starting with the bettors and the brands using SagaBrand, our brand tracker in Africa (796 adults, August 2026, 15 brands).

Key insights on the online betting market in South Africa

• Betting in South Africa is mainstream and online. 43% of South African panel members bet in the previous four weeks, up from 41% in 2025. 83% of bets are placed online or on an app, rising to 95% among 18 to 25-year-olds (SagaCube).
• Two betting brands lead in South Africa. Betway (86%) and Hollywoodbets (84%) are far ahead on awareness. Hollywoodbets leads on most other funnel stages, and Betway leads on recent purchase (66% vs 62%) (SagaBrand, August 2026).
• Amid growing concerns about problem gambling in South Africa, consumers rate betting brands highest on promoting responsible gambling. Promoting responsible gambling is the highest-rated image statement for LottoStar (52%), YesPlay (41%) and SunBet (31%). It ties for highest for Hollywoodbets (73%) and Betway (65%) (SagaBrand, August 2026).

Who bets, how they play and what they bet on in South Africa

SagaCube surveys from 2026 show that almost half of South African panel members gambled or bet money in the last four weeks. Who are they? 

South African men bet more often than women (49% vs 40%). Participation is highest among 36 to 45-year-olds (52%) and middle-income consumers (SEC B, 56%). The pattern is not unique to South Africa. Sagaci Research’s 2025 study of gambling and betting in Africa also found that more men than women bet across Africa. 

Betting in South Africa: why bettors choose online

Online is by far the most common way to bet in South Africa: 83% of bets are placed online or on an app. Among 18 to 25-year-olds, the share rises to 95%. Bettors choose online over casinos, betting kiosks, gambling venues or bars mainly for convenience (71%), because they can bet anytime and anywhere.

What do South Africans bet on?

Online games (47%) and lotteries (44%) are the most popular betting activities in South Africa, ahead of slot machines (33%) and sports (30%). 

Sports betting is where men and women differ most: 44% of male bettors bet on sport, against 20% of female bettors. Football dominates it (89%). 

South African betting brands: bettors know many but use few

South Africa’s 360 betting category view

To see how bettors choose brands, we turn to SagaBrand, the largest brand health tracking survey in Africa. Combined with SagaCube consumer data, it gives a 360 view of a category.  

The August 2026 SagaBrand survey shows that South African bettors know many brands (6.3 on average) but use only a few (2 brands recently purchased on average). The narrowest repertoire is among 18 to 25-year-olds, who recently purchased only 1.6 brands.

Betting brand clusters in South Africa

Most of the 15 betting brands tested by SagaBrand fall into four strategic positions: 

• Sports-first generalists: Betway, 10bet, Betfred, Supabets, World Sports Betting, SportyBet, EasyBet and TicTacBets compete on football depth, live betting, odds, apps and broad sports coverage. Betway, 10bet and Betfred are the more established, high-visibility players, while EasyBet and TicTacBets are smaller, simplicity- and promotion-led challengers.
• Broad omnichannel betting and gaming brands: Hollywoodbets and BetXchange offer a wide mix of sports betting, horse racing, casino-style games, Aviator, BetGames, virtual sports and Lucky Numbers. Hollywoodbets is the larger mass-market player, with racing as a major heritage strength; BetXchange is more strongly associated with comprehensive local and international racing.
• Value-led specialists: PowerBets focuses on soccer accumulators, multibets, boosted returns and higher-volume bettors.
• Casino, lottery and media-led brands: SunBet leads with online casino, slots, live tables and crash games, supported by sports and racing; LottoStar specialises in lottery, Lucky Numbers and instant-win games. SuperSportBet uses the SuperSport sports-media brand to reach football, rugby and cricket fans before cross-selling casino products.

Best known betting brands: Betway and Hollywoodbets lead on awareness

Two brands lead the betting market in South Africa on awareness. SagaBrand data from August 2026 shows Betway (86%) and Hollywoodbets (84%) far ahead of the other 13 brands tested. 

LottoStar follows at 68%, YesPlay at 56% and EasyBet at 52%. Below the top five, awareness falls under 50%. Eight of the 15 brands tested are known by fewer than 40% of adults.

Ranking of the top 10 betting brands in South Africa by brand awareness:

1. Betway (86%)
2. Hollywoodbets (84%)
3. LottoStar (68%)
4. YesPlay (56%)
5. EasyBet (52%)
6. SuperSportBet (46%)
7. SunBet (40%)
8. Supabets (36%)
9. World Sports Betting (35%)
10. 10Bet (32%)

Other brands tested in this wave: SportyBet (27%), BetXchange (26%), BetFred (19%), PowerBets (10%) and TicTacBets (8%).

Betway vs Hollywoodbets: the funnel gives Hollywoodbets an edge

Betway and Hollywoodbets are close at every stage of the funnel. Betway leads on awareness (86% vs 84%), but Hollywoodbets is ahead on almost every other brand performance indicator. Recent purchase is the exception: 66% of Betway’s past users bought it recently, against 62% for Hollywoodbets.

Responsible gambling in South Africa: the baseline for betting brands

Responsible gambling is a growing issue in South Africa. The National Gambling Board reports that problem gambling rose from 6% in 2017 to 31% in 2023, according to Daily Investor. Operators are starting to respond: in October 2026, Sun International, the group behind SunBet, launched a Responsible Gambling Charter.

SagaBrand shows how consumers see brands on this issue. It tests 14 brand image statements, and promoting responsible gambling is the highest-rated statement for LottoStar, YesPlay and SunBet, and tied for highest for Hollywoodbets and Betway. Hollywoodbets scores 73%, Betway 65%, and LottoStar 52%. Challengers score between 31% and 41%. 

Consumers already credit the leaders, so responsible gambling is becoming a baseline, not a differentiator. As regulators and operators raise expectations, challengers may need to make their own efforts as visible as the leaders’ to stay credible.

Methodology

SagaBrand is Sagaci Research’s continuous brand health tracker in Africa, active across 30+ markets.

SagaBrand population: adults in South Africa aged 18 and above, members of Sagaci Research’s online panel in South Africa. 

Period: August 2026 wave. 

Total base: 796. Awareness is measured on all respondents. Consideration, ever purchased and the image statements are measured among consumers aware of each brand. Recently purchased and preferred brand are measured among past users.

SagaCube is Sagaci Research consumer panel available across all African countries

Period: March, June and September 2026 data combined.

Additional sources: 

February 2026 SiGMA analysis based partly on Blask traffic data

Daily Investor, 16 October 2026.