South Africa's top 10 online betting brands, part 1
South Africa’s online industry has entered a new phase, with digital brands now sitting at the heart of the country’s broader gaming economy. In the run-up to SiGMA Africa 2026, in this two-part analysis, we use Blask traffic data and leading industry sources to unpack how the top 10 operators performed in the 2-year period between January 2024 and December 2025, and where the market is heading.
Part 1 includes a high-level market overview and traffic performance of South Africa’s leading brands, including Betway, Hollywoodbets, Lotto Star, and breakout challenger YesPlay. By pairing hard numbers with regulatory and macroeconomic context, it highlights how mobile penetration, youth demographics, and the country’s current legislation are reshaping the country’s betting landscape.
South Africa’s gaming market at a glance
South Africa’s online betting market is one of the fastest-growing gaming sectors globally, with gross gaming revenue reaching ZAR 75 billion ($4.3 billion) in the 2024/25 financial year, up from ZAR 59.3 billion in 2023/24. This report analyses the monthly web traffic performance of the country’s top 10 betting brands from January 2024 to December 2025 using Blask data, and contextualises the findings within the broader market landscape drawn from Statista, the National Gambling Board (NGB), and industry research.
The animation above shows the growth and movement of the Top 10 brands over the 2-year period 2024-2025. The combined traffic grew from 51.3 million monthly visits in January 2024 to 84.1 million in December 2025 — a 63.7% increase. Betway emerged as the runaway leader with 46 million visits and 54.7% market share by December 2025, while YesPlay recorded the most explosive growth at +613% over the same period.
The South African online gaming market generated an estimated USD 1.44 billion in revenue in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 2.66 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8%. Within that, the sports betting segment alone accounted for USD 769.8 million in 2024, with forecasts pointing to USD 1.27 billion by 2030 (8.7% CAGR).
At the national level, total gaming turnover hit ZAR 1.5 trillion ($80 billion) in 2024/25, a ZAR 400 billion increase from the prior year. Online betting’s share of gross gaming revenue rose by 60% year-on-year, now accounting for approximately 60% of all GGR. The betting vertical (including online) represents roughly 70% of total GGR and 59% of all gaming taxes and levies collected.
Key growth drivers
- Mobile penetration: Over 70% smartphone penetration and expanding 4G/5G infrastructure enable mobile-first betting.
- User participation: 65.7% of South African adults now engage in some form of gaming, nearly double the rate since 2017
- Mobile dominance: 94% of African gamblers place bets via mobile phone
- Youth demographics: A young, digitally native population increasingly favours online platforms over land-based venues
- COVID-19 legacy: Behavioural shifts toward digital gaming that began during the pandemic have become permanent
Economic impact and regulatory landscape
The gaming industry directly employs over 33,000 people and supports more than 144,000 indirect jobs across South Africa. Taxes and levies from the sector totalled ZAR 5.8 billion ($335 million) in 2024/25, with the Western Cape leading in revenue generation at 30% of national totals.
South Africa’s online gaming exists in a fragmented regulatory environment. The National Gambling Act of 2004, enacted before the rise of online platforms, has not kept pace with industry developments. The Remote Gambling Bill (B11-2024), introduced by the Democratic Alliance opposition party, proposes a licensing framework for remote gaming operators, player protection measures (self-exclusion, deposit limits), and restrictions on extending credit to customers. This bill, if passed, would fill a 16-year regulatory gap, unlock significant opportunities for both operators and the fiscus and curb the growth of the unregulated market.
Top 10 brand traffic performance
The South African market is highly concentrated, with the top two brands, Betway and Hollywoodbets, commanding 83.8% of total traffic among the top 10. The 2-year data analysis, specifically the year-over-year comparison, reveals a stark divide between rising and declining brands. EasyBet (+159.2%), YesPlay (+98.2%), and Betway (+55.1%) led the growth, while Supabets (−25.7%) and World Sport Betting (−25.1%) experienced declines.
Betway: The Dominant Force
Betway’s traffic surged from 21.9 million visits in January 2024 to 46.0 million in December 2025, representing a 109.8% total increase and a 47.2% annualised growth rate. As a global brand with significant marketing spend and competitive odds, Betway has cemented its position as the #1 betting site in South Africa. Independent traffic trackers corroborate this dominance: Semrush ranked Betway as the most visited gaming website in South Africa in January 2026 with 36.9 million visits, while globally, Betway holds the #7 position among all gaming websites worldwide with 41.3 million visits.
Betway’s traffic showed a strong seasonal pattern, dipping in mid-year (June–July) and peaking toward year-end. The second half of 2025 saw an exceptional acceleration, with monthly visits climbing from 22.4 million in June to 46.0 million in December — likely driven by premium football season engagement and aggressive promotional campaigns.
Hollywoodbets: Steady but losing ground
Hollywoodbets, South Africa’s homegrown betting powerhouse, grew from 20.4 million to 24.5 million visits (+19.8%) over the period. While still firmly the #2 brand, its average monthly traffic in 2025 (18.9M) actually declined 4.3% compared to 2024 (19.8M). This signals that Hollywoodbets is losing relative market share to Betway despite maintaining its absolute user base.
SimilarWeb data showed Hollywoodbets outperforming Betway on engagement metrics for January 2026, with 15.39 pages per visit versus Betway’s 5.03, and a much lower bounce rate of 19.94% compared to 44.71%. This suggests that while Betway attracts more total visitors, Hollywoodbets’ loyal user base engages more deeply — a hallmark of its retail-heritage brand loyalty and popular features like data-free betting and lucky numbers.
YesPlay: The breakout star
YesPlay’s growth trajectory is the standout story of the dataset. From just 380,000 visits in January 2024, the brand exploded to 2.7 million visits by December 2025, which amounts to a staggering 612.8% increase and an annualised growth rate of 178.6%. Licensed by the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, YesPlay has carved a niche with diverse offerings (sports, lottos, casino, esports), competitive bonuses, and a mobile-first design.
The brand’s growth was remarkably consistent month-over-month, suggesting sustained marketing investment and organic user acquisition rather than one-time spikes. YesPlay’s December 2025 traffic (2.7M) already places it 4th among the top 10, overtaking World Sport Betting and closing in on Lotto Star.
Lotto Star: Stable niche player
Lotto Star maintained a relatively stable traffic profile, fluctuating between 3.7 million and 6.0 million visits monthly. Its 23.5% total growth was modest, and its average 2025 traffic (4.5M) was actually 5.0% lower than its 2024 average (4.8M). However, a strong December 2025 spike to 6.0 million suggests seasonal lottery interest. Semrush confirms Lotto Star as the #3 most-visited gaming site in South Africa with 3.06 million visits in January 2026.
South Africa’s online betting market is clearly dominated by a handful of highly scaled, mobile-first brands, with Betway and Hollywoodbets setting the pace while challengers like YesPlay and Lotto Star jostle for share. As this first part has shown, growth is being fuelled by demographic tailwinds, deepening mobile penetration, and a regulatory framework on the cusp of change.
In Part 2, the focus shifts to the operators moving in the opposite direction, established brands that are losing traffic and relevance as user expectations evolve. We also spotlight the emerging mid-tier of EasyBet, SunBet, and Sportingbet, whose growth hints at new competitive dynamics in the South African market. Finally, we zoom out to place South Africa within Africa’s wider gaming ecosystem and the global rankings, outlining the opportunities and risks that will shape the next phase of online betting across the continent.
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