Sports betting is going through seismic growth in recent years, with analysts putting the total market value at approximately $40 billion just over two years ago. With bettors increasingly putting their money where their fandom is, sportsbooks are seeing increased interest in a wide range of bets.
And that’s (probably) where you come in. You’ve heard what the fuss is all about, but now you want a little slice of the action. But you don’t know where to start, there are so many options, it’s confusing. Not to worry, in this guide, we’ll take you through exactly the information you need to know to carefully choose the right sports betting site in Africa and put the odds in your favor.
Read Online Reviews
We’re going to put our best advice first. If there’s one takeaway we want you to absorb, it’s that you absolutely must read online reviews before putting a single dollar on that sportsbook.
Some of the best reviews come in the form of aggregated sports betting listings for the African market, giving you a bird’s eye view of what’s available. This is the perfect place from which to begin your research process, as the heavy lifting has already been done for you with a curated list of the best sites on the market.
Another great tip is to scour online forums and private Facebook groups (note the emphasis on private!) to find actual user reviews from the trenches. You can also search Reddit, with moderated subreddits being particularly useful.
Whenever reading online reviews, just make sure you take everything with a pinch of salt; don’t believe everything blindly, but carefully cherry-pick the information that will be useful for your bets.
Take Advantage of the Bonus
When it comes to online gambling, the African player has the distinct advantage of knowing that companies are fighting for their customer. That means there will always be some juicy bonus games that you can take advantage of.
This means no-deposit bets, boosters, free bet money, and the works. Don’t be loyal to a single site, but let Google be your friend to find more sites that offer new-player opportunities.
Bonuses can turn the mathematical odds in your favor. Use them wisely and carefully. Don’t fritter them away, but build them into your odds when playing. Of course, make sure that the wagering requirement (WR) doesn’t catch you out!
Does the Company Have a License?
This is a big one and should never be ignored. Before you put even a single dollar deposit down, check that your chosen sports website is legit. This comes in the form of a license and regulatory approval.
For example, sites like William Hill have been approved by Britain’s Gambling Commission, one of the most thorough regulators on the market. When doing your research, don’t just look at an image in the site footer on the home page, but double-check on the third-party site yourself. Does the regulator actually list the operator, or are they trying to trick you?
Unfortunately, the gambling industry attracts a lot of fake gambling sites. Or at least they’re not the most legit of operators. Just like with any successful and growing industry, there will always be scammers around. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to avoid these if you just double-check their license is solid.
Look at the Betting Market Options
You want to pick operators that offer a variety of betting options. For example, you don’t just want to be able to bet on a given result, but you want to be able to pick how many corners when the next red card will be given, and who will score with a header with ten minutes left.
You want that flexibility, especially if you’re gambling on live markets. It gives you the greatest leverage when trying to cash out, and helps you balance your bets if things aren’t quite going for you on a given matchday.
This is particularly true when looking at some of the ‘fringe’ markets. For example, the South African Premier Division probably won’t have many markets available on Ladbrokes, but a local operator will have every bet you can think of.
Getting Your Cash Out
Finally, the one thing betting customers often don’t think about: getting their money out. After all, that’s the whole point, isn’t it? Walking away with a profit, which means withdrawals.
The problem is that it’s not always as easy as depositing cash. Particularly for players based in Africa, as the payment systems are not always uniform throughout the continent (and they don’t always play nice with European providers, for example).
So before you whip out your debit card to make a new deposit, make sure you double-check that you’ll be able to take your winnings out whenever you want and that the timeframes are reasonable.
