It is no secret that sports have gained considerable traction in South Africa. Due to this reason, it should come as no surprise to you that the government regulates and facilitates sports betting in South Africa. In addition, sports betting has been popular in the UK for ages, and nowadays this country has a range of well-defined sports wagering laws and regulations.
The purpose of this article is to provide a deep understanding of the sports betting legislation in South Africa and the United Kingdom. If you are interested in learning more about the similarities and differences in wagering regulations between the two, keep on reading.
Betting on Sports in South Africa
There is no legal issue with sports wagering in South Africa. Such gambling services are available at many licensed bookmakers, including soccer, basketball, cricket, horse racing, and more. There are many similarities between sports betting and horse racing since both give gamblers the opportunity to wager on sporting events. Bets can be placed offline at hundreds of different sportsbook shops located all around South Africa.
Additionally, it should be noted that gambling sites in South Africa can be legally used by punters. Unfortunately, casino games and poker are considered illegal in this country, so it is likely that every operator offering those games does not have a license. However, there are a lot of offshore gambling operators offering the best deposit casino bonus and different casino games including poker. Each of the nine provinces has a commission that regulates sports and horse racing events gambling. Licensed gambling sites must meet certain requirements to provide gambling services to South Africans.
Sports Betting Laws & Regulation: South Africa vs the UK
There is already a legal foundation for betting on sports and horse racing events in South Africa. Yet, the United Kingdom does this a bit differently. Sports are undoubtedly a favourite activity in the United Kingdom. Consequently, gambling on sporting events is entirely legal, and licensed betting operators are available to UK wagerers. The United Kingdom Gambling Commission regulates betting in the UK.
The United Kingdom allows wagering on both online platforms and bookmaker shops. The British have long had brick-and-mortar sportsbooks as the main form of entertainment. Gambling operations in the UK were legalized by the Betting and Gaming Act of 1960. Sport wagering regulations were enacted as part of the Gambling Act 2005, which also established the UK Gambling Commission to supervise all forms of wagering in the country. With over 9,000 shops throughout the United Kingdom, England dominates the betting scene.
UK players can deposit and wager real money online. The majority of land-based bookies also have online gambling sites, and some offer mobile apps for Android and iOS. Overall, there are also a couple of hundreds of websites offering wagering services. Wagerers of the legal gambling age can bet real money on online sports betting exchanges from the UK too. A new point-of-consumption tax was passed by the British parliament in December 2014, which imposes an additional 15% tax on bookmakers with foreign headquarters.
Betting Markets in South Africa vs the UK
Almost all sports are available for betting within South Africa, although punters tend to prefer rugby and soccer. The most betted on teams are their national teams such as the Springboks and Bafana Bafana. In addition to the ABSA Premiership, Super Rugby, and other sporting events hosted within the country, players can bet on them. However, South African punters love to bet on international events, too. There are several American events that can be wagered on, such as the NBA, MLB, MHL, and NFL.
There is no sport that is as popular as football when it comes to betting in the UK. Football is responsible for almost half of all betting in the country. Other than horse racing, which accounts for a little over 27%, there are no other sports with a percentage in the double digits. Moreover, UK punters also love to bet on ice hockey, tennis as well as golf.
Summing It Up
Globally, wagering continues to attract interest from punters. It is essential that regulation be instituted in order to keep the activity in check. Some countries have made this activity legal completely or partially, while others have banned it entirely. Staying informed about all the current regulations helps punters practise responsible gambling all the time. Hopefully, our fellow readers could get a more detailed insight into how the sports betting laws and regulations look in both the UK and South Africa.
Author’s Bio
Mila Roy is a content strategist at Gamblizard as well as a passionate writer about casino and gambling topics. Mila enjoys writing informative and fun blog posts for new players in order to help them have the best playing experience. She likes to play live roulette games or read motivation books in her free time
