Head to any online gambling forum or review site and you’re going to see people asking if online casinos are a scam or if certain casinos are scamming their customers.
Casinos we list for South African players
These are the operators we see actually working for players in South Africa: rand accounts, local payment rails and a welcome offer you can check on the operator’s own terms page. Figures come from our brand database and are re-checked as they change.
- 1
BetumRand accountsWelcome packageWelcome offerWelcome package up to R4 000Get bonusT&Cs apply · 18+ - 2
YesPlaySouth African licenceInstant EFT · Ozow · Capitec PayVouchersWelcome offer100% welcome bonus up to R3 000Get bonusT&Cs apply · 18+ - 3
ZarBetSouth African licenceInstant EFT · OzowVouchersWelcome offer200% welcome bonus up to R2 000 + 50 free spinsGet bonusT&Cs apply · 18+ - 4
Springbok CasinoR250 no-deposit bonusRand accountsInstant EFT · Ozow · 1VoucherWelcome offerR11 500 welcome package + 250 free spinsGet bonusT&Cs apply · 18+ - 5
Yebo CasinoRand accountsInstant EFT · OzowVouchersWelcome offerWelcome package up to R12 000Get bonusT&Cs apply · 18+ - 6
Wazamba200 free spinsLarge game libraryWelcome offer100% up to R8 000 + 200 free spinsGet bonusT&Cs apply · 18+ - 7
Thunderbolt CasinoRand accountsInstant EFT · OzowVouchersWelcome offerWelcome bonus up to R10 000Get bonusT&Cs apply · 18+ - 8
Megapari150 free spinsOzow · Instant EFTSportsbook tooWelcome offerWelcome package up to R28 800 + 150 free spinsGet bonusT&Cs apply · 18+ - 9
PlayAmo150 free spinsRand accountsWelcome offerWelcome package up to R5 500 + 150 free spinsGet bonusT&Cs apply · 18+ - 10
10betSouth African licenceInstant EFT · Ozow · Capitec PayWelcome offer100% welcome bonus up to R5 000Get bonusT&Cs apply · 18+ - 11
HollywoodbetsSouth African licenceInstant EFT · Ozow · Capitec PayVouchersWelcome offerR25 free bet + 50 free spins on sign-upGet bonusT&Cs apply · 18+
We earn a commission when a reader opens an account through the links above. It does not change what you pay, and it does not decide the order — that is set by our own criteria. Bonus terms, wagering and payout times are the operator’s and can change without notice. 18+ · play responsibly · South African Responsible Gambling Foundation 0800 006 008.
There are some areas of genuine concern for punters and on this page we’re going to set the record straight so you can learn exactly who to avoid and where to play safely and fairly.
Only use online casinos which are clearly licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.
Check safety & security features, SSL encryption is the bare minimum that any site should employ.
Research the casino’s reputation using our own reviews and ratings.
Carefully read the T&C’s of any bonus or offer you may be considering claiming.
Online Casino Scam: FAQ
Players question if online casinos are scamming for a number of different reasons.
Some of these are indeed things to be wary of, whilst others are little more than rumours. The following five areas of concern, however, are arguably the most common.
Are Bonuses and Promotions Fair and Above Board?
Almost all online casinos run some form of bonuses or promotions to try and attract customers.
The nature of and the conditions attached to these bonuses are often things which lead punters to believe that online casinos operate unfairly. The main reason for this is because of the wagering requirements which such offers routinely implement.
Wagering requirements are stipulations which state that customers must bet a certain amount of money through a casino in order to actually gain a monetary benefit from the promotion in question. They are, therefore, crucial conditions of any offer and do make bonuses more complicated and potentially less generous than they might first appear.
All online casino promotions which have wagering requirements, however, will include and explain these in the offer’s terms and conditions. It is a potential punter’s responsibility, therefore, to read those T & Cs and they will then not to be caught unawares by such requirements.
If you want to find the most favourable casino bonuses then check out the linked article.
Are Online Casinos ‘Rigged’ Against Players?
Another common question players have is… are casino sites rigged against them?
Casinos have a house edge built into all their games but that’s widely understood and accepted. It’s certainly shouldn’t be viewed as a scam.
Online casinos, after all, are not altruistic organisations and exist to make a profit. As such, casino games do feature a ‘house edge’ which means that in the long run it is only the casino itself that is guaranteed to make money.
In each session of playing any given game, however, players do have a real and a fair chance of winning.
That is the case, at least, when it comes to properly licensed and regulated online casinos. Those casinos are required by law to operate fairly and have their sites, their games and the random number generators which run them routinely checked by both licensing authorities and independent organisations.
Why Do Online Casinos Need to Check My ID?
This is perhaps one of the stranger concerns held by existing and potential online casino customers. That’s because whilst some people do fear that casinos asking for ID checks is in some way dodgy, it is actually the exact opposite. It is, in fact, an example of an online casino operating wholly lawfully and properly according to its licence.
Online casinos are required by both the terms of their licences and other official legislation to verify the identities of customers in order to prevent any criminal activity taking place through their sites. As such, law abiding and trustworthy casinos may occasionally ask customers for copies of official ID documentation in order to fulfil that requirement.
Do Scam Casinos Exist?
Unfortunately, the answer to this particular question is yes, but the answer would be the same when talking about any industry and not just online gambling. There are, after all, unscrupulous operators in all fields who try to take advantage of people and make themselves a quick buck.
Thanks to the well-established and stringent regulation of online gambling, however, it is easy to identify untrustworthy or scam sites before committing to use them.
Such sites, after all, will not be licensed by a recognised authority and will not be able to demonstrate the same security measures as genuine online casinos. What’s more, there are plenty of sites and forums out there which identify rogue operators and advise punters to avoid them.
Check out our casino reviews for a list of safe, non scam sites, you can use.
Do Online Casinos Confiscate Winnings?
This is another area where there are a number of potentially worrying stories shared between punters. It is true, after all, that on some occasions online casinos have been known to withhold or to remove winnings from customers’ accounts.
What should be noted, however, is that there are generally only two main circumstances under which this does occur.
1) You’ve Simply Joined A Scammy Online Casino
The first is when the online casino in question falls under the category of the ‘scam sites’ we discussed above. In that case, therefore, simply avoiding those sites entirely is an easy way to circumvent the danger of not receiving the payouts you should.
2) You’ve Breached Their T&C’s
The other major occasion on which winnings may be withheld or confiscated is if a player has genuinely flouted the terms and conditions of an online casino.
In that circumstance, the casino is well within its rights to remove or fail to pay winnings and a player does not really have a leg to stand on (an example might be opening two accounts from the same address).
3) You Can’t Meet KYC Requirements
All UK licensed online casinos are required to ‘Know Your Customer’ and have their customers prove who they are before they pay out. To avoid money laundering.
If you can’t prove you are who you say you are, until you can, it’s like you’ll have winnings held. More details on this here: Why Do Casino’s Need To See My ID