Jump to:
Sportingbet Review
Sportingbet is without doubt one of the leading online bookmakers in South Africa. Punters can choose from thousands of pre-match and in-play betting markets every day spread across more than 30 sports. It is also home to the popular lotto numbers games which provide players with the chance to win big from very small stakes. Eager to know more? Check out our comprehensive Sportingbet SA review below.
The Sportingbet brand was established more than 20 years ago, so this is one of the true pioneers of online sports bookmaking. Founded in the UK, it didn’t take long for Sportingbet to grow, and by the mid 2000s its presence could be seen in numerous mainland European countries.
It arrived in South Africa in 2009 registered to NETBET (Pty) Ltd. Sportingbet operates under a trusted Western Cape Gambling & Racing Board licence, so we can safely say this firm is 100% legit and the site is safe for South African punters to use.
Whilst its attractive FIRST BET up to R2,000 sign up bonus catches the eye, Sportingbet has so much more to offer both new and existing customers. In addition to a feature-rich betting platform, this is one of the very first betting sites in South Africa to offer the money wheel game - Dream Catcher as well as Betgames to their ever-expanding range of casino games.
| Deposit | Bonus | Bet with | Sign up |
|---|---|---|---|
| R2,000 | R2,000 | R4,000 | Get up to R2,000 Risk Free |
Sportingbet Verdict
Sportingbet ticks virtually every box as to what a good sportsbook should be (and offer). From a splendid amount of betting options to numerous features and free predictor games, as well as world class customer service.
From small beginnings, Sportingbet has become one of the best betting sites in the industry. They offer a comprehensive range of markets on a wide variety of sports.
Sportingbet are particularly strong for soccer betting, but they cover all the major sports effectively. Their live betting portal is another major plus point, with punters able to access hundreds of different in-play markets throughout the day.
The company’s live streaming service is growing and the fact it is available on both desktop and mobile is another added bonus.
They offer world class customer service that is a rarity in South Africa, so it's the little things they do well, while details about banking methods could be laid out in a more user-friendly manner.
Efficient Live Chat, telephone and email support, an excellent range of payment options and the knowledge that you are dealing with a trusted operator, Sportingbet is one of the best betting sites around.
You cannot go wrong joining a brand that has been serving online players for over 20 years. It knows how to run a great site, and you’ll be well looked after here.
Pros
✔ Sign up bonus up to R2,000
✔ Free To Play predictor games
✔ Free games with real cash prizes
✔ Live games with huge payouts
✔ Live sports streaming every day
✔ Easy and safe banking options
Cons
✘ Doesn’t offer esports betting
✘ Limited deposit methods
Disable
Sportingbet Odds & Markets
Punters really are spoilt for choice at the this site. It offers a premium selection of sports to bet on, including:
So, how does this site compare with its prices? Our Sportingbet SA review team took a look, and here’s what we found:
It must be said that bookmaker’s odds fluctuate around every week. In our experience, there isn’t much to choose between the top operators over the course of a year.
| Football | Rugby Union | Tennis | Cricket | Horse Racing |
| Golf | Basketball | Formula 1 | American Football | Boxing |
| Baseball | Athletics | Combat Sports | Ice Hockey | Volleyball |
| Alpine Skiing | Badminton | Bandy | Handball | Floorball |
| Beach Volley | Darts | Snooker | Pool | Chess |
| Motorbikes | Trotting | Water Polo | Cross Country Skiing |
So, how does this site compare with its prices? Our Sportingbet SA review team took a look, and here’s what we found:
| Match & Market | Sportingbet | G-Bets | Sunbet | Betwinner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soccer: Champions League - Man Utd Vs Young Boys. Man Utd win. | 0.26 | 0.30 | 0.26 | 0.30 |
| Soccer: EPL - Arsenal Vs Tottenham. Arsenal win. | 1.50 | 1.40 | 1.50 | 1.51 |
| Basketball: NBA - GSW Vs Orlando Magic. GSW win. | 0.33 | 0.32 | 0.32 | 0.30 |
| Snooker: The Masters. Ronnie O’Sullivan outright win. | 3.00 | 3.10 | 3.33 | 3.00 |
| Boxing: Wilder Vs Tyson Fury. Fury to win | 1.40 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 |
| G-Bets Review | Sunbet Review | Betwinner Review |
It must be said that bookmaker’s odds fluctuate around every week. In our experience, there isn’t much to choose between the top operators over the course of a year.
Sportingbet Football Betting Tips
If you’re keen on football betting, then Sportingbet has to be on your shortlist of bookmakers to join. It offers fixtures from more than 120 league and cup competitions spanning more than 50 countries, in addition to international action. You also get a load of price boosts, enhanced accumulators and special bets thrown in as well.
For top flight action, there is a bumper array of betting markets which include all of the common main bets like correct score, BTTS and first goalscorer. Plus you have corners, bookings, run of play and intervals markets on top. We did notice a drop-off in the amount of betting options for many of the smaller fixtures, but on the whole this is a top quality package.
Sportingbet Horse Racing Betting Tips & more
Horse racing enthusiasts can bet on a crop of local race cards plus meetings from the UK and Ireland. Unfortunately, Sportingbet doesn’t offer totepool betting, which restricts the market choice to win and each way (priced and SP) and forecasts and tricasts.
The betting interface is a delight to use and each race is supported by TimeForm which provides predictions, tips and a form guide for the runners and riders. There are also a number of racing futures markets including the Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot, Kentucky Derby and the Grand National that you can bet on in advance.
Other Sports
Fans of cricket and rugby are not left out. If you enjoy betting on these sports, you have a plethora of club and international matches to pick from. Favourite American sports such as basketball, baseball, ice hockey and NFL are comprehensively covered, too.
The only negative is that Sportingbet doesn’t offer esports betting, but for everything else like tennis, golf, darts, cycling, bandy, volleyball and trotting, it’s first class. In general, market depth is also above average. It follows the common trend of having action-packed betting markets for the big fixtures with fewer for the less mainstream events. Sportingbet also provides an in-depth stats and live score centre powered by Sportradar, so you can thoroughly research your bets beforehand.
Features added for the customer
Whenever the customers ask for features to be added, Sportingbet will be sure to hear them and act on those requests. 40 Leg betting, ReBet and Ewallet are all features that have been added recently to enhance the experience for the player.
With up to 40 leg multi’s being able to be created, you are now able to build your massive bet slips that may not be possible with our sportsbooks. ReBet allows you to add the remaining selections in your multiple that already lost to a new bet slip without an effort. An amazing feature that saves you loads of time recreating a new bet slip.
Sportingbet Live Betting
Another area in which Sportingbet shows superiority over many other sites is in live betting. It offers a healthy range of sports such as football, basketball, rugby, cricket, golf, tennis, ice hockey, volleyball and American football to name a few. You can also expect to find a high-quality choice of betting markets for many of the events as well.
Furthermore, the live betting platform interface is simply outstanding. It’s easy to navigate with each of the sections being neatly displayed. You have a match animation console built-in and there are plenty of live streaming matches shown every day across a variety of different sports.
Sportingbet Website and Login
As soon as you open the Sportingbet website, it feels like you have entered a truly professional online betting site. The platform is powered by Entain, the market leader in the iGaming industry. This is one of the big hitters in the world of online gambling and it shows with a cutting-edge, user-friendly interface that works perfectly across all devices.
The main menu directs you to the various parts of the site such as sports, live betting, BetGames and promotions. There is a further submenu below this to make finding the exact area you want totally effortless, as well as having a search option which helps you find what you’re looking for with ease. You also have an index with a series of quick links, a customisable ‘favourites’ box and a full rundown of the betting categories. When you click on a sport from the index, a further list drops down, meaning you can zoom in to your market within two clicks.
Sportingbet stands out for having several features that not many other sportsbooks in South Africa offer. For starters, there is a Predictor game where you can win up to R10,000 every week. All you need to do is select the first goal scorer from the three preselected Premier League fixtures.
Another noteworthy feature is Build-A-Bet. It allows you to build an accumulator bet using markets from a single football match, basketball or american football games as well. For instance, you want a punt on the correct score, HT/FT, BTTS and first goalscorer. This means you can win big within 90 minutes all by betting on your favourite team. Sportingbet also offers Cash Out and Auto Cash Out, which is an amazing betting tool that puts punters in control of when to settle their bets.
Dream Catcher
This game is offered by Evolution Gaming. You have a live dealer spinning the wheel and players bet on where they think it will stop at: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, or 40. The payouts correspond to the correct number, so if you bet on 40, you get a 40 to 1 win. There are also added multipliers: 2x and 7x which create the potential for some large winning spins, too.
BetGames
Online lotto games are all the rage in South Africa, making Sportingbet a go-to destination for many players. Its BetGames library consists of 4 different games: Lucky five, Lucky six, Lucky seven and Wheel. Each of the games is different and there are several betting markets to choose from, so you can play safe or go for the big money jackpots. These are all fixed-odds games, so not all betting sites offer the same prices. Here’s how Sportingbet compares to a few other operators running these games:
| Type of bet | Sportingbet | Betway | Sunbet | BET.co.za |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (L5) Select 1 ball that will drop | 5.80 | 5.70 | 5.50 | 5.80 |
| (L5) Select 2 balls that will drop | 49.0 | 39.0 | 49.0 | 49.0 |
| (L7) Select 1 ball that will drop | 4.70 | 4.50 | 4.50 | 4.70 |
| (L7) At least 1 of the 7 balls picked will drop | 0.25 | 0.20 | N/A | 0.25 |
Sportingbet Mobile App
You can access Sportingbet mobile on any device with an internet connection, or if you own an Apple or Android, you can download the Sportingbet mobile app.
The iOS app has a 4.7/5 rating in the App Store which highlights how good it is. Using the Sportingbet app makes betting on the go easy and fun. You have the same superb choice of pre-match and live markets to feast on, plus the additional features like Build-A-Bet and Cash Out are available. The app also includes casino games from which you can win up to R5,000,000. It’s protected using the best SSL certificates so security is excellent, you can claim the sign up bonus and all of the price boosts, enhanced specials and other promos are inclusive as well.
Sportingbet Withdrawals and Deposits
You will not have any concerns with funding your account as Sportingbet offers a range of payment options for you to use:
- Ozow
- 1Voucher
- Fast Bank Transfer
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Bank Transfer
- eWallet withdrawals
Withdrawal requests are reviewed by the operator and can take up to 72 hours before processing. Payout times vary in accordance with the method used for your withdrawal. If via an e-wallet, you’ll receive your winnings within hours of the request being processed. Other methods such as credit card withdrawals and bank transfers will take longer.
Sportingbet Customer Service
Sportingbet has a very complete help and FAQ section which deals with every aspect of the betting site. We highly recommend using it if you ever have a question. Alternatively, you can contact support via these methods:
Live chat: Available
Email: contact form on platform
Telephone: 0800-983-625 (09:00 - 21:00)
Sportingbet FAQs
Who can claim the Sportingbet bonus?
The Sportingbet sign up bonus is available to all new customers registering from South Africa. Full details are available here:
Are Sportingbet lotto games available on my mobile?
Yes, they are. You can play both BetGames and Dream Catcher through your mobile.
Do I have to download the Sportingbet SA app?
No, not at all, the web-based mobile site works perfectly fine.
Can I claim Sportingbet promos in addition to the welcome offer?
Yes, it’s possible to grab some price boosts or tackle an enhanced ACCA whilst you the Sportingbet welcome offer is still live.
What should I do if I cannot claim the welcome bonus?
Use the contact details above to ask Sportingbet customer support what the issue is.
Who can claim the Sportingbet bonus?
The Sportingbet sign up bonus is available to all new customers registering from South Africa. Full details are available here:
Are Sportingbet lotto games available on my mobile?
Yes, they are. You can play both BetGames and Dream Catcher through your mobile.
Do I have to download the Sportingbet SA app?
No, not at all, the web-based mobile site works perfectly fine.
Can I claim Sportingbet promos in addition to the welcome offer?
Yes, it’s possible to grab some price boosts or tackle an enhanced ACCA whilst you the Sportingbet welcome offer is still live.
What should I do if I cannot claim the welcome bonus?
Use the contact details above to ask Sportingbet customer support what the issue is.
