South Africa has seen noteworthy technological growth in recent years and there remain reasons to be optimistic that the rainbow nation will be the region's leader in tech innovation and development. The evolution of infrastructure has resulted in increased mobile penetration, and renowned game developers are keen to provide mobile games that will appeal to the gamers of South Africa. While Candy Crush Saga by King Games and PUBG Mobile published by Level Infinite are popular worldwide and in South Africa, increasingly, South Africans are turning to iGaming for casual entertainment through their smartphones.
As iGaming encompasses any activity that provides the opportunity for betting online, this includes the casino games that are popular in South Africa like slots, blackjack, and roulette for real money. While these games have always had a consistent number of dedicated players, it's another form of gambling that is on the rise in South Africa.
Most cultures like to bet on sports events, but South Africans are becoming increasingly fond of placing a wager on a variety of sports. Football is the main sports punters most like to bet on and Mamelodi Sundowns and the Kaizer Chiefs always attract a lot of action. Yet, English football leagues, specifically The Premier League, will evidently always see South Africans reaching for their phone to place a bet.
Why is sports betting on the rise in South Africa? Simply put, it's entertaining. What's more, there are better betting options now and it's more convenient than ever. Unsurprisingly, rugby is the next sport enticing viewers to place a bet. While Springboks games see many visit online casinos in South Africa, the Currie Cup also sees plenty of wagers. Finally, cricket sees a consistent stream of betting activity, be it test matches, one-day internationals or Twenty20 events.
People will often resist the urge to bet on the team they want to win, but you don't just need to select the winner anymore. Whatever the sport, you can bet on almost any element of a contest, such as the number of yellow cards or if rain will stop play. Frequently, people will place a bet on contests they are viewing as neutral to make things more interesting and with mobile optimization and many deposit options, it's never been easier.
We mentioned that several classic gambling games are continually popular in online casinos in South Africa, but the game developers haven't rested on their laurels. Slots, blackjack, and roulette will always have a large fanbase of frequent visitors, but these games and others have changed online to attract a new generation of players. Slots are now developed with tie-ins to popular movies or TV shows, like Jurassic Park Gold and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Megaways, to attract gamers that had never previously considered playing.
The traditional casino table games have employed live dealers, created state-of-the-art sets, and utilized strategically positioned cameras to capture all the action and make the experience more engaging. The sheer number of games provided by the top online casinos now means anyone scrolling through the arsenal of games is undoubtedly going to find something that appeals to them. Therefore, despite sportsbooks being the favored choice for gamblers, there remains a considerably profitable and growing number of South Africans playing traditional casino games.
While the iGaming industry is growing in South Africa, people want to know what the future holds. The upcoming metaverse and large investment in AR and VR technology are areas of interest, and the rise of online crypto casinos represents a more predictable future trend for the rest of the year. The methods available for withdrawing and depositing funds for gambling activities have always been one of the main criteria for selecting which online casino is right for you. For casinos, cryptocurrencies are a gift, as anything that makes the depositing of funds process more painless for punters is unmistakably beneficial.
For the punters themselves, while there seemingly will always be questions about the volatility of Bitcoin and others, the anonymity provided is appealing. Online crypto casinos are on the rise, but it's not yet the case that providers must offer withdrawals and deposits in cryptocurrencies or face extinction, but it does appear to be heading that way.
South Africa continues to be an area of interest for online game developers and, in particular, the iGaming industry. Sportsbooks and traditional casino games continue to see growth, and technological advances in other areas over the next couple of years could well prove key in shaping the gaming market of South Africa.