Gambling in South Africa - Best Land Based Casinos

Posted by Paul Michael on August 6th, 2018

Land-based Gambling in South Africa

South Africa has quite a colorful past when it comes to gambling. In 1965, the creation of the National Gambling Act meant that all forms of gambling were made illegal, with the exception of on-track racing betting. At the time, four independent government territories opposed the policy and made land-based casino gambling legal in their territories. This included Venda, the Transkei, Ciskei, and Bophuthatswana. As a result, many of South Africa’s largest and most profitable casinos can still be found in remote areas of the country.

Fast-forward to 1996 and the updated National Gambling Act made provisions for land-based casino gambling as well as sports betting throughout the country. This led to the development of many more casinos, betting shops and sports facilities. By 2010, the Gambling Act was updated to include the online betting South Africa offered as a legal form of gambling. The provision is that only licensed operators within the borders of South Africa are allowed to offer their services to South African Citizens.

The Benefits of Online Gambling

Online casino gambling is a different story altogether. As it stands, no operator within the borders of the country is allowed to offer online casino gambling, bingo or games of chance. South Africans can and do however gamble at overseas sites that are licensed in Europe and the UK. Some sites even focus on South African players with transactions in local Rands, and you can find everything from the best bet mobile South Africa sites to leading online casinos right here at African Betting Guide.

Given the fact that online betting South Africa activities are 100% legal, it is not difficult to imagine that casino gambling will go the same way, eventually. When making a comparison, online gambling is easier, more convenient and more accessible for all interested parties. With the prevalence of smartphones and tablets, operators can expand their user base to just about anyone with an Internet connection.

However, for those looking for land-based venues in South Africa, these are just some of the best around the country:

The Palazzo Montecasino

The somewhat confusing laws of Internet-based casino gambling have meant that land-based gambling continues to flourish. In fact, some of Africa’s best establishments can be found in the heart of South Africa’s biggest cities. The Palazzo Montecasino is without a doubt, one of the largest and most popular. Located just 30 minutes from Johannesburg International Airport, Montecasino is a full-on entertainment destination, with a bird park, cinemas, video games, theatre, shopping mall and two luxury hotels.

The casino itself is split into smoking and non-smoking sections with an astounding 1700 slots machines and 100 progressive jackpot titles. They also have 60 card and table games with both high and low betting limits. For dining, there are no less than 33 restaurants and food stalls with local and international cuisine.

Sun City Casino

The Sun City resort is located around 160km from Johannesburg. Built in the 1990’s it is one of South Africa’s biggest attractions and features a world-class casino, professional 18-hole golf course, a water theme park, The Lost City hotel, multiple timeshare hotels and accommodation modules, dozens of restaurants, water sports, safari park, performance arena, cinemas, shopping mall and more. The casino itself boasts around 850 slots and a massive range of card and table games. Open 24 hours a day, it is paradise for poker and blackjack enthusiasts.

Grand West Casino

Just 20 minutes’ drive from the center of Cape Town is one of South Africa’s most popular casinos. The Grand West Casino and Entertainment complex is a top tourist destination in Cape Town and it is easy to see why. The complex boasts a world-class music arena, an indoor ice rink, cinemas, video gaming entertainment, retail stores and multiple restaurants and food vendors for all tastes and price points. The casino, which is located in the center of the complex, is perhaps on the most extensive in the country. It boasts around 2500 slot machines, multiple progressive jackpot games, over 60 different card and table options and a dedicated welcome center where you can learn to play.

Whether you want to enjoy the online betting South Africa has to offer, or you want to visit a casino, there are options for everyone, and African Betting Guide will help you find them!

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Paul Michael

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Paul Michael
Joined: July 20th, 2018
Articles Posted: 31

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