South Africa's top 10 online betting brands, part 2
As we go into SiGMA Africa 2026, happening this week in Cape Town, this article concludes the analysis of the top 10 gaming operators in South Africa over the 2-year period between January 2024 and December 2025.
While Part 1 focused on the growth drivers and leaders of South Africa’s online betting scene, Part 2 turns to the other side of the curve: the brands losing ground and the emerging operators fighting to scale. Drawing on the same 24-month Blask traffic dataset, this section examines declining incumbents like Supabets and World Sport Betting alongside fast-rising mid-market players such as EasyBet, SunBet, and Sportingbet.
It then situates South Africa within the wider African and global gambling ecosystem, exploring issues such as market concentration, regulatory change, and the continent’s expanding contribution to global betting traffic. Together, these insights provide a forward-looking view of the competitive risks and opportunities that will define the next phase of growth in South African, and African, online gambling.
Declining brands: Supabets and World Sport Betting
Supabets and World Sport Betting were the only two brands to register negative growth over the 24-month period.
Supabets fell from 880,000 to 687,000 visits (−21.9%), while World Sport Betting dropped from 1.5 million to 1.3 million (−11.2%). Both brands appear to be losing users to more agile, mobile-optimised competitors. Their decline mirrors a broader industry pattern where smaller operators without differentiated digital experiences struggle against well-funded global and national leaders.
Emerging brands: EasyBet, Sportingbet, and SunBet
Three smaller brands showed notable upward momentum:
- EasyBet: +198.0% growth (333K → 992K), with annualised growth of 76.8%
- SunBet: +143.7% growth (291K → 709K), annualised at 59.1%
- Sportingbet: +97.0% growth (396K → 780K), annualised at 42.4%
These brands all remain below 1 million monthly visits each, but are proof that there is room for growth in the mid-market tier segment, particularly for operators investing in digital experience and targeted marketing.
Challenger and emerging brand trends
The challenger brand tier, namely Lotto Star, YesPlay, World Sport Betting, and Supabets, tells a story of diverging fortunes. YesPlay’s steep upward trajectory contrasts sharply with World Sport Betting and Supabets, both of which trended downward through most of 2025. Lotto Star remained relatively flat, suggesting a possible saturated niche audience for lottery-focused betting.
Africa & global context
South Africa remains the largest gambling market on the African continent. The broader African online gambling market was valued at approximately $1.85 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $2.36 billion by 2028, growing at roughly 6.3% annually. South Africa accounted for 1.8% of the global online gambling market in 2024.
Globally, South African brands punch above their weight in traffic rankings. Both Betway and Hollywoodbets placed in the global top 10 most-visited gambling websites, with Betway at #7 and Hollywoodbets at #8 worldwide. Six African operators overall appeared in the global top 20, a testament to the continent’s growing significance in the digital gambling ecosystem.
The continent’s overall gambling market (online and offline combined) was valued at around $6.1 billion in 2024, with projections reaching $11.3 billion by 2032 at approximately 7% CAGR. Sports betting remains the dominant vertical across Africa, driven by the popularity of football and the near-universal use of mobile phones for wagering.
Strategic outlook
The top-10 traffic data reveals extreme concentration. Betway alone holds 54.7% of top-10 traffic, and the top two brands (Betway and Hollywoodbets) account for 83.8%. This duopoly structure presents both stability for the leaders and significant barriers for challengers. However, YesPlay’s rapid rise demonstrates that innovative, mobile-first entrants can still capture meaningful share.
The pending Remote Gambling Bill (B11-2024) represents both an opportunity and a risk for the current market. Formal regulation could legitimise the market, attract more international operators, increase tax revenues, and provide player protections. However, it could also increase compliance costs for smaller operators and potentially alter the competitive landscape if licensing requirements favour well-capitalised brands.
Growth catalysts for 2026 and beyond
- Mobile infrastructure expansion: Continued rollout of 4G/5G will unlock rural and underserved markets.
- Regulatory clarity: Passage of the Remote Gambling Bill could trigger a wave of market formalisation.
- Sports calendar: Major events (Premier League, PSL, Rugby) will continue to drive seasonal traffic spikes.
- Digital payment adoption: Expansion of mobile money and instant payment systems lowers barriers to entry for new bettors.
- Competitive dynamics: Expect intensified marketing battles as established and emerging brands fight for the growing user base in a market where 65.7% of adults already gamble.
South Africa’s online betting story closes this two-part report at an inflexion point rather than a finish line. The data shows a market dominated by a powerful duopoly, yet still porous enough for agile, mobile-first challengers to break through and claim meaningful share. At the same time, the decline of legacy brands underscores how unforgiving the digital battlefield has become for operators that fail to keep pace with user expectations, product innovation, and marketing sophistication.
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