Although gambling is legal in South Africa, and there are now some 50 bricks and mortar casinos, largely based in the Cape Town area, the National Gambling Act of 2011, made most forms of online gambling illegal within the country’s borders. That means that those who are caught using illegal sites face the risk of their funds being confiscated and subsequent prosecution.

There are certain online casinos that accept South African players, but they are of dubious status, legally.

An exception is Sports Betting – South Africans are sports mad and like to bet on their favourite games and matches, as well as Daily Fantasy games based on those sports. There are also online Poker sites which currently accept native South African players, but there is a risk that these too could be banned soon.

All this makes sports betting the preferred interactive entertainment for most South Africans.

Again, this is perfectly legal provided that the casino is question is licensed and properly regulated, such as those listed in casinoadviser.co.za. This guide provides a comprehensive overview on online casinos and gambling options for South African players, as well as the factors that need to be considered when deciding which of them can be trusted.

However, to briefly summarise, safety should always be your number one concern. That means that a casino should have a licence and be subject to regulatory oversight, with the golden rule that those licenced by European authorities e.g. the UK, Gibraltar, Italy, Malta, are likely to be safer than those who fall under the aegis of other countries.

Equally it is important to review both deposit and withdrawal options. Not only should a casino offer a range of ways of depositing funds e.g. bank transfer, online and e-payment solutions, crypto currencies, but they should be equally flexible when it comes to withdrawals.

The customer service support that a casino offers is also an important consideration, The best offer a range of ways of getting in touch with them – live chat, email, phone – and will offer additional support through their website, such as FAQs, blogs and user guides. The availability of customer support is as important as its quantity – it should be available 24/7, 365 days a year.

The gaming options are another factor that needs to be reviewed. The casino in question should offer all the games that you want, and their library should feature all those considered market leaders. That is because leading games manufacturers will only license their games to reputable casinos.

For many gamblers, the best casinos will offer a mobile app which means that they can play their favourite games or bet on their preferred sports wherever they may be and any time, without being tied to their desktop.

And their choice of online software is worth considering too, and what security precautions they have in place to guard against cyber criminals accessing your data or funds. It may not be obvious at first glance but try and ascertain what type of SSL (Secure Socket Locket) authentication they use to encrypt their data. The higher the SSL, the better their online security.

And then there are the promotions and bonuses that the casinos offer. It is always worth reading the terms and conditions carefully before deciding to proceed, because sometimes, buried in the small print, may be a requirement such as the necessity to deposit funds first before becoming entitled to free spins, or minimum pay-out levels.

The best online casinos are committed to transparency as a virtue, not a necessity.