South Africa’s gambling industry has undergone a seismic shift over the past two decades. Once limited to casinos and the National Lottery, the sector exploded in scale and accessibility following the 2004 National Gambling Act, which legalised sports betting beyond horse racing and laid the groundwork for online gambling.
Today, gambling is deeply woven into South African consumer behaviour, with the industry hitting R1.14 trillion in turnover in 2023/2024—and sports betting alone contributing R761 billion, or 66.6% of the total market.
But just how embedded is gambling in South African spending habits? Our recently improved dataset now features more than 640 000 unique South Africans and continues to grow everyday. Within this dataset, a staggering 204 289 unique individuals placed deposits with an online betting company between August 2023 and January 2025—accounting for nearly 30% of all users analysed.
And that’s likely an underestimate, as it excludes voucher-based deposits (such as FNB’s 1voucher system) and cash deposits at branded kiosks. As our dataset comprises roughly 2% of all South Africans with bank accounts, seeing 30% of these active in the gambling space could mean as much as 10 million South Africans have participated in the industry.
With such a significant portion of the population engaged in online betting, the question isn’t just how much money is being wagered but rather who is betting, where they are betting, and how engaging with betting affects their overall spending decisions.
This month, we analyse deposit transactions across major gambling providers and the National Lottery, breaking down the trends, demographics, and behavioural shifts shaping South Africa’s growing gambling economy.
The Growth: Gambling on the Rise
Our data reveals that the gambling sector continues to expand at an exceptional pace. Looking at the differences between December 2023 and December 2024, we find that the 10 largest online bookmakers recorded a 32% year-on-year growth rate in deposit value and an exceptional 43% year-on-year growth rate in total deposits. For comparison, the National Lottery saw a 13% year-on-year growth rate in total deposits over the same period.
The Market Players: Who’s Playing and How Much Are They Spending?
From the graph below, it’s evident that the National Lottery is still the dominant way in which South Africans gamble, with more than 33% of gamblers in our dataset having bought at least one Lotto ticket within the analysis timeframe. This means that they have 48% more unique customers in our dataset than the closest online gambling competitor - Betway - who managed to capture the spend of almost 23% of all unique gamblers in our dataset. Hollywoodbets closes out the top three, with a 21.7% market share.
However, when looking at the total number of deposit transactions made, a very different picture emerges. The National Lottery only accounts for 19.2% of all deposit volumes over the period of analysis. Hollywoodbets is the dominant player by some distance - managing to capture an incredible 40% of all transactions made over the period of analysis. Betway trails its biggest competitor by some distance, capturing just over 24% of the market by deposit volume.
However, it should be noted that National Lottery players aren’t big gamblers. Our data reveals that, despite having one of the highest average monthly incomes (almost R21 000), the average National Lottery player only bets just R48.85 per deposit. This is by far the smallest average deposit size of all the merchants analysed. The next smallest average deposit size was Easybet at R146.22 (almost 3 times the size of the National Lottery). National Lottery players also deposit significantly less frequently than the players at the major online bookmakers.
Looking at this data, it becomes apparent that the Lotto players are more casual in their engagement—tending to wager small, infrequent amounts as opposed to more frequent and larger deposits seen at the online bookmakers. That being said, a big growth opportunity for gambling providers could be converting casual National Lottery players into more active gamblers.
Looking more specifically at the online bookmakers themselves, it becomes clear that there is segmentation of customer bases along the lines of income. SunBet - who has the highest income earning average customer at R21 229 - has positioned itself as a platform for high-rollers, SunBet are likely converting existing casino customers into online sports bettors. Their customers’ deposit sizes are significantly higher than those of any of the other bookmakers analysed, hinting that traditional casino gamblers are transitioning onto digital betting platforms with substantial stakes.
This notion of SunBet attracting larger, more risk-seeking punters is further cemented when looking at the relationship between how its average (mean) player bets on a monthly basis relative to its median player. You can see from the graph below that SunBet’s average customer bets more on a monthly basis (R3 111) than any other bookmaker’s average player. However, the median spend at SunBet is significantly lower at R200 - which places it in the middle of the pack of the merchants analysed. This large divergence between the mean and median monthly spend suggests that SunBet have managed to capture the attention of serious punters whose large wager sizes have skewed the mean. The implication here is that SunBets currently makes the majority of its revenue from these larger ‘whale’-like players.
Unsurprisingly, the retention and continued loyalty of these players will be at the top of SunBet executives' minds, which may have led to the rollout of its Sun MVG Loyalty Programme. This programme allows online punters to earn points for betting and exchange these points for in-person experience rewards at one of the many Sun International’s casinos and hotels. Cleverly, this allows SunBet to leverage one of its true differentiators among its online bookmaker peers - its holding company’s brick-and-mortar hospitality offering.
Yesplay and Hollywoodbets, on the other hand, have firmly established themselves among earners who earn less than R16 000. These players tend to make smaller deposits but on a far more frequent basis than their higher-earning peers. However, this is where the similarities end—Hollywoodbets is the clear market leader in all aspects, whilst Yesplay is consistently toward the bottom end of the pack of the bookmakers analysed.
Hollywoodbets has the second highest mean spend per customer per month (R3 092) of all the bookmakers analysed. However, unlike SunBets, it enjoys the highest median spend of any of the bookmakers. In fact, Hollywoodbets’ median spend is 28% more than its closest peer on this metric - Lottostar. This suggests that there may be a structural difference between Hollywoodbets and the rest of the market as it appears to enjoy broad appeal by smaller and more prominent players alike. It is consistently best-in-class across the majority of metrics we analysed.
When Are South Africans Gambling? Weekend vs. Weekday Trends
According to the National Gambling Board data, sports betting accounts for 66.6% of all gambling activity, compared to casinos, which account for 26%. Therefore, deposits are expected to follow a cyclical pattern around weekends, when most of the premium sports fixtures take place. Our data confirms this.
We analysed the weekly deposit pattern of Betway customers, looking at both frequency and value of deposits by day of the week:
- On average, deposit value increases gradually throughout the working week and peaks on Friday before dropping rapidly over the weekend. Looking at the graph below, more than 17% of all deposit value at Betway over the period of analysis occurred on Friday.
- The frequency of deposits, on average, follow a similar pattern as above - also peaking on a Friday and then rapidly dropping off by Sunday.
- This pattern changes somewhat when looking at the total number of unique customers who deposited by day of the week. Saturdays, on average, had the most unique punters over the time period of our analysis.
This seems to suggest that there is a two-tier betting economy happening throughout the week at Betway:
- Habitual, larger stake bettors are more likely to deposit strategically earlier in the week. Many may be looking to leverage the regular day-of-the-week deposit promotions at Betway - such as Top Up Tuesday or Freebie Friday. These promotions offer punters a mechanism through which they can increase their stake size by depositing on certain days of the week.
- More casual, infrequent players are more likely to deposit over the weekend, perhaps in anticipation of a large sporting event after succumbing to the weekend hype.
Who’s Betting? A Look at Age Groups
The age profile of South African gamblers varies significantly across platforms, reflecting different marketing strategies, brand positioning, and customer preferences. It is important to note that our underlying dataset does skew younger, with the majority of people being between 25 and 45. However, there are still some interesting variations across bookmakers' customer base by age.
Betway has captured a younger audience, likely driven by its high-visibility sponsorships in major sports leagues and strong digital presence. By aligning with popular sporting events and mobile-first engagement strategies, Betway has positioned itself as the go-to platform for younger, digitally native bettors.
Unsurprisingly, SunBet appeals to an older demographic, many of whom are long-time casino players transitioning to online betting. Lottostar also appears to appeal to an older demographic than Yesplay or Hollywoodbets.
Meanwhile, the National Lottery maintains a broad customer base but trends toward an older demographic, reflecting its longstanding presence in South African gambling culture. Unlike sports betting, which relies on real-time engagement and game-specific wagering, the lottery’s appeal remains rooted in tradition and the allure of life-changing jackpots.
This demographic split underscores a significant shift in South Africa’s gambling industry. Sports betting is expanding beyond its traditional audience, bringing in younger, mobile-first consumers who may not have previously engaged with gambling. This trend will likely accelerate as more digital platforms tailor their offerings to new generations of bettors.
How Much of Their Income Are South Africans Betting?
A key question in gambling economics is how much of a person’s income is allocated to betting. Our data suggests that for the majority of players, gambling remains a discretionary entertainment expense rather than a financial risk - but notable differences emerge across merchants and player segments.
As expected, the National Lottery players overwhelmingly deposit less than 1% of their monthly income to play for the chance to win the jackpot. As established above, National Lottery players earn a higher monthly income, on average, than the majority of the online bookmakers players. This indicates that Lottery wagers are largely casual, with small, low-frequency wagers that won’t significantly impact household finances.
For the vast majority of customers at online bookmakers, deposit amounts are less than 1% of their monthly income. This reinforces the idea that betting is a leisure activity rather than a financial burden for the majority of players. However, the online bookmakers do see a significantly larger portion of their customer base depositing more than 1% of the monthly income relative to the National Lottery. Sports betting appears to appeal to a broader range of income groups and behaviours, from occasional bettors placing small, social wagers to high-frequency users engaging in larger transactions. The high-spender segment is evident, particularly among SunBet users, where deposit sizes suggest that some players are engaging in high-stakes betting, possibly mirroring traditional casino gambling behaviour in an online setting.
These insights highlight the industry's dual nature—while most players engage in low-risk gambling, a smaller but significant segment of high-stakes bettors remains, shaping revenue distribution across platforms.
What else are gamblers spending their money on?
We looked deeper into our data to see how gambling might be influencing purchasing behaviour and how this might differ from their non-gambling peers. For this analysis, we have segmented our dataset into two groups:
- Gamblers: Any individual in the dataset who has spent at least R450 (twice the size of the median deposit) collectively and made at least 3 deposits at an online gambling bookmaker during the 2024 calendar year. These filters are used to ensure we capture the purchasing behaviours of more serious gamblers and exclude casual players who may have made a couple of low-value deposits as an experiment.
- Non-gamblers: Everyone else in the dataset. This would include individuals who did not gamble at all in 2024, individuals who played the National Lottery but never placed a bet with an online bookmaker and individuals who made one or two low-stakes bets with an online bookmaker.
We then segmented these two groups again into their respective age cohorts. This is done to control for the effects that age (or life stage) may have on consumer purchasing decisions. We have again bucketed the data into the 4 age groupings seen above:
- 18-25
- 25-35
- 35-55
- 55+
Finally, we use the median spend to assess differences between bettors and non-bettors within age groupings. The median spend has been chosen to negate the effects of extreme spending by a small portion of bettors, which may have an outsized effect on the observed averages.
Gambling and Alcohol Spend
We have looked at how gamblers and non-gamblers spend on alcohol on a monthly basis. For the purposes of this analysis, alcohol spend is defined as any spend made at a liquor store (online or in-store), bar, tavern or any other establishment with clear links to the consumption of alcohol.
Alcohol spend for both bettors and non-bettors increases with age and peaks in the 35-55 age bracket before dropping off at the 55+ age group.
Across all age groupings, the median gambler consistently outspends their non-gambler peers on alcohol. The largest disparity occurs in the 25-35 age group, where the median gambler spends 22% more on alcohol than their non-gambling counterparts.
This pattern suggests that gambling and alcohol consumption may be more closely linked in younger demographics - potentially reflecting social habits driven by sports betting culture, where gambling and social drinking often go hand in hand.
For brands in the alcohol and hospitality sectors, this presents a clear opportunity for cross-promotional partnerships with betting platforms. This is likely particularly true for premium liquor brands, sports bars, and event-based activations. Whether through exclusive betting-linked drink promotions, VIP lounge experiences, or co-branded sports event sponsorships, tapping into this high-spending consumer overlap could prove to be an effective engagement strategy.
Gambling and Cellular Spend
Next, we looked at how gamblers and non-gamblers spend on cellphone and cellphone-related expenses on a monthly basis. For the purposes of this analysis, cellphone-related spend is defined as any spend made on a mobile phone, prepaid airtime and data, a monthly contract with a South African telecommunications company (including MVNOs) or any other merchant that has clear links to selling cellphone accessories or repairs.
Interestingly, cellphone-related spend for both bettors and non-bettors consistently increases with age - peaking for both groups in the highest age bracket (55+). This may be related to the correlation between cellphone-spend and monthly income, with older individuals in the dataset earning more, on average, than their younger peers.
Across all age groupings, the median gambler consistently outspends their non-gambler peers on cellular-related spend. The most significant disparity occurs among the youngest age (18-25) group, where the median gambler spends a massive 56% more a month on mobile-related expenditure than their non-gambling counterparts.
On the surface, this finding is unsurprising, considering most of these bookmakers are primarily online-first businesses, and the majority of South Africans would be accessing their sites via mobile phones. However, the rise of data-free technology and its adoption by major online bookmakers, including Betway and Hollywoodbets, may challenge this implicit logic in the future. The data-free versions of their websites are simpler but allow the player to access all the key features - including viewing odds, depositing money, u bets and withdrawing money.
For gambling operators, this may present a clear opportunity to partner with mobile service providers to offer engagement promotions and loyalty programmes with mobile data as the core offering. These partnerships could enhance user accessibility, reduce friction in engagement, and solidify mobile as the primary gateway for betting activity in this demographic.
Gambling and Eating Out
Next, we analyse how gamblers and non-gamblers spend on eating out on a monthly basis. For the purposes of this analysis, eating out expenditure is defined as any spend made dining at a restaurant, quick-service restaurants (QSRs), or ordering from a meal delivery service such as Uber Eats.
Interestingly, eating-out expenditure peaks for both bettors and non-bettors in the 25-35 age group. It then declines gradually among older individuals in the dataset. This may relate to the fact that individuals in the 25-35 age bracket, on average, have fewer dependents to support and fewer financed assets to repay.
It is striking the degree to which bettors outspend their non-betting peers as it relates to eating out for every age group. Much like the cellphone expenditure, the largest disparity occurs among the youngest age (18-25) group, where the median gambler spends a massive 52% more a month on eating out than their non-gambling counterparts.
This trend suggests that younger bettors have higher discretionary spending habits, making restaurants, fast-food chains, and delivery services prime candidates for strategic partnerships with gambling operators. Collaborations such as bet-and-dine promotions, exclusive discounts, or gamified loyalty programs could create a mutually beneficial ecosystem, driving customer acquisition and higher engagement for both industries.
Gambling and Holiday & Travel Spend
Finally, we look at how gamblers and non-gamblers spend on holiday and travel expenses on a monthly basis. For the purposes of this analysis, holiday and travel spend is defined as any expenditure on long-distance travel (local and international airlines, long-haul bus operators, etc., but not Uber trips, trains or taxis), hotels or temporary accommodation, travel agents, and any expenditure expressly related to a holiday.
For the first time in this analysis, the trend of the spend by bettors and non-bettors does not move in tandem. For non-bettors, holiday and travel expenditure increases systematically with age. However, for bettors holiday and travel expenses peak in the 35-55 age category and then show a slight relative decline in the 55+ age bracket.
Unlike the 3 spend categories analysed above, non-bettors consistently outspend their bettor peers across all age brackets. The largest disparity occurs among the oldest age (55+) group, where the median non-gambler spends 26% more a month on enjoying holidays and travel than their gambling counterparts.
Concluding Thoughts
The rapid growth of online gambling in South Africa signals a fundamental shift in consumer behaviour—one where digital accessibility, evolving demographics, and strategic marketing are converging to create a permanently embedded industry. The numbers are clear: sports betting dominates, the betting market exhibits a power law distribution with a few big players accruing the majority of the revenue and high rollers fuel profitability - making loyalty programmes all the more important.
But where is the real growth opportunity? Some platforms, like Yesplay, focus on onboarding more casual players and lower-income earners—their long-term value hinges on whether these users convert into high-value bettors. Meanwhile, SunBet and Lottostar have already outperformed in attracting a wealthier market. This contrast suggests that South African operators face a strategic crossroads: ruthlessly pursue mass adoption with high-volume, low-value bets or spend to acquire top-tier spenders and then go all-in on retaining them.
Regulation will also be a defining factor. With nearly 30% of the dataset transacting with licensed betting companies, the legal framework will need to balance industry expansion with responsible gambling measures. The challenge for regulators will be curbing excessive spending among high-risk users while allowing the sector to continue its rapid growth trajectory.
Another critical battleground is data-driven engagement. With players generating rich transactional data, operators have an opportunity to refine targeting, optimise odds, and drive repeat spending through hyper-personalised promotions. Platforms that successfully integrate AI-driven recommendations and loyalty mechanics will not only increase customer lifetime value but also build stronger brand affinity.
Looking ahead, South Africa’s online gambling market is unlikely to slow down—but where the money flows and who captures the most value remains uncertain. International brands are well-positioned, but local operators have the advantage of market familiarity. Whether the future is defined by high-roller segmentation, mass-market adoption, or regulatory shifts, one thing is certain: this is no longer a niche industry in South Africa—it’s mainstream consumer behaviour.
Understanding consumer behaviour beyond direct gambling transactions is key to identifying new acquisition strategies and high-value partnerships. Cross-market analysis reveals meaningful overlaps in spending habits, such as higher dining and alcohol spend among gamblers or increased mobile data reliance among younger bettors. These insights highlight where and how gambling operators can engage potential customers more effectively—whether through strategic brand partnerships, tailored promotions, or incentive-driven collaborations. By leveraging cross-sector spending trends, operators can move beyond traditional advertising and embed themselves into the broader consumer lifestyle, creating more compelling, high-converting engagement strategies.
That concludes this month’s ShopTalk. For more insights on this industry and others, feel free to contact us by replying to this email.
Until next month,
Reveal Data
