If you want to know more about live sports betting terms, tune in! This guide provides you with all the necessary information you need before placing your first bet on some of the best live betting sites in South Africa.
Top 3 Best Live Betting Sites in South Africa
There are many betting sites that punters in South Africa can explore, However, not all of them offer the same betting options. Here are the top 3 best live betting sportsbooks that South African bettors can join.
Betway
Betway is one of the most popular bookies in South Africa for both pre-match and live betting. They offer in-game wagers for several sports including soccer, basketball, tennis, cricket, baseball, and more.
Furthermore, they have dozens of available wagering markets to choose from, so their selection has something for everyone. The most popular betting markets for live sports betting are Match Result, BTTS, Over/Unders, and Next Team To Score.
Hollywoodbets
Hollywoodbets is one of the biggest sportsbooks that operates in South Africa. They provide their users with a rich in-play betting selection with numerous betting markets.
Additionally, punters can also see the statistics from previous games between the two opponents, watch a live representation of the match and see live table standings.
Bet.co.za
Bet.co is a worldwide famous sportsbook that enjoys a great reputation. In South Africa, they are famous for their live betting section which allows their customers to bet on 8 different sports, including soccer, basketball, esports, tennis, cricket, and others.
Furthermore, their live sports betting markets are great in both number and quality, so users can enjoy placing a variety of wagers.
How to Choose the Best Live Betting Site?
There are several things you need to take into account when searching for the best live sports betting site.
Here, you can find a list of the most important factors to look for when choosing your best bookmaker.
Licensed and Regulated
The main consideration for new users of live sports betting websites is safety and security.
For this reason, checking the live betting sites’ licenses must be one of the first things to do. Live betting websites in South Africa cannot operate legally without the appropriate licenses in place.
Bonuses and Promotions
All of South Africa’s top betting sites provide various bonuses for both new and old customers. Some of the most popular bonuses and promotions in the best live betting sites in South Africa include:
- Welcome bonus
- Deposit bonus
- No-deposit bonus
- Loyalty programs
However, it is important to check the bonus’ terms and conditions or if you need to enter a bonus code. Not all bonuses have the same conditions to unlock, so it’s crucial to do your research before claiming the offer.
Odds
One of the most important aspects of live sports betting is the odds available. This is because your winnings are directly affected by the odds operator provides, so bigger is better.
While the odds at most bookies are similar, some operators offer better chances for certain events. So, you should do some research about different bookies and pick one that offers the most competitive ones.
Live Betting Markets
When choosing a live betting site to place your wagers with, it’s always a good idea to pick one that has a wide range of live betting markets. This way, you can place a variety of different types of bets, ranging from the match winner to the number of corners in the second half.
Some of the most popular live betting markets include the following:
- Match Winner
- Next Scorer
- Over/Under bets
- HT Result
- Player To Score
- Double Chance
- Both Teams To Score
Wide Selection of Payment Options
One of the most crucial things to consider when picking your preferred live betting sites is their selection of payment options. Before signing up, users should verify that a betting site accepts the payment method they want to use for deposits and withdrawals.
Further factors to look for include the processing time for withdrawals, the existence of withdrawal fees or charges, and any potential limits applied to different banking methods. In South Africa, the most popular payment options include:
- Credit cards
- Bank wires
- USSD
Customer Support
When playing at your sportsbook, having top-notch customer service is crucial. You must be able to swiftly contact assistance if you have a problem with your betting site account in order to fix it.
The top betting sites provide 24/7 customer service via live chat, email, and a phone number.
Mobile App
More and more customers want to use their mobile phones for betting these days as the mobile gaming business grows in South Africa.
This makes it possible for you to wager on your preferred sports events even when you are not at home, which is much more practical and simple to do. Moreover, you can find fully optimized mobile apps on some of the best live betting sites in South Africa.
Live Betting Explained
Live betting is also known as “in-play betting” and it refers to wagering on the game while it is still in play. So, punters can place their bets throughout the whole game, rather than before it begins.
Before, betting enthusiasts used to be able to place their bets only before the game began. But, due to the development of technology in recent decades, sportsbooks can now offer players a chance to place live, in-game wagers. This way, punters can make better choices based on how the game is playing out.
Therefore, bettors are now able to wager at any point during the match on many different outcomes. You can find out more about live betting odds and markets below.
Live Betting Odds
In theory, all betting odds should accurately reflect your chances of winning, depending on your bet. Therefore, sportsbooks spend many resources hiring experts and developing programs that help determine the exact odds of a match.
This isn’t a very hard task when they have a fair amount of time to do their research and prepare. However, in in-play betting, they’re required to make changes to odds in real-time and adapt to the match.
So, in-play betting odds can fluctuate greatly depending on how the match is playing out. For example, let’s say Fulham is playing against Chelsea.
Pre-match odds for Fulham to score would probably be high, but if they had a bad start to the game, the odds during the game would go up. Many punters are on the lookout for these types of bets because they come with good odds and sports can be quite unpredictable.
Live Betting Markets
There are many in-play betting markets that aren’t available in pre-match betting. For example, the next goalscorer bet is only available once during pre-match wagering. So, once the first player scores, that market is closed.
With live betting, however, you can place as many next goalscorer wagers, and other bets, as you like. Another great example is over/under bets.
For example, if you bet on a game to have over 0.5 goals and you win the wager, you can place another for over 1.5 as soon as the game is unlocked. Because of this, there are numerous in-game wagering strategies that you can use.
Some of the most popular betting markets for in-play betting include:
- Next Team To Score
- Over/Under
- Player To Score
- Match Winner
- Correct Score
- Number Of Corners
- HT/FT Result
How Do I Bet on Live Soccer?
In-game soccer betting has become a favorite of many punters worldwide. However, there are many players who still don’t know how it all works. So, here are some tips that may help you place better live bets on soccer.
Do Your Research
Research is key when betting on any sports, especially soccer. If you’re familiar with how each team plays and their recent results, you’ll have a much better chance of making the right choice when wagering.
For example, if you’ve done your research and notice that both teams score many goals, then you can tip a game to have over 2.5 goals or both teams to score. The importance of proper research cannot be overstated and in many cases, it can be the difference between winning and losing a bet.
Explore The Betting Markets
It’s crucial to know your betting options if you’re looking to win your wagers. So, you should learn all about the available markets before you place a bet. Many sportsbooks offer dozens of in-game bets which you can use.
Be Aware Of Your Budget
Bankroll management is often overlooked in the world of sports wagering. However, any seasoned bettor knows how important it is, especially with in-play bets.
Since football is often quite unpredictable, it’s always a good idea to properly manage your budget because the game can shift at any moment.
How Do I Bet on Live Horse Racing?
If you want to learn how to place live horse racing bets then you can take a look at the guide below.
Check With the Experts
It’s also wise to see what tipsters in the press are interested in. Moreover, online research can also be beneficial. You can read the opinions of people who provide this service to a large audience by reading various online reviews or newspapers, for instance.
Get a Daily Racing Form
All race tracks will give punters details about the horse racing scheduled for that day, including:
- The different horse racing competitions held that day at the track
- A list of all the horses entered in each race
- The authorized weights that horses carry
- The riders scheduled to ride the horses
However, when placing live bets, these details occasionally may change because of an accident or another similar circumstance.
Pick a Horse
It’s time to choose which horse you want to bet on after studying the form and thinking about what betting experts in the media and racing journals favor and why.
New players should think about the following factors before choosing a horse to wager on:
- Unbeaten horses: do they possess particular abilities or have they simply been picking up easy victories?
- Do the circumstances, distance, or other factors favor them or not?
- How has the rider recently been riding?
- Is there an explanation for a horse losing its most recent race?
Choose a Bet
When all of the above is done, it’s time to pick a bet. You should be able to place the following types of bets at any reputable South African live betting websites and racetrack bookmakers:
- To win – this is betting on a horse to finish first.
- “To place” or to bet on a horse to finish first or second.
- Moreover, “To show” is betting on a horse to finish in the first, second, or third place.
- Also, there is the “Across the board” which includes three separate bets, including each of the above.
- Exotic bets – these are combinations or multiple bets and should only be placed if you are confident in your choice.
How Do I Bet on Live Basketball?
Although the live basketball betting rules are not particularly complex, understanding these principles might provide bettors a strategic advantage.
Use the Closing Line As a Reference
The closing line is the final wager before the betting markets are shut. In addition, the closing line is the best predictor of a game’s outcome, according to online data.
This makes sense because the moneyline, point spread, and total all grow more accurate as the game time approaches as more information, such as player injuries, become available.
Check Out In-Game Injuries
In-game injuries can offer chances to have a better insight into the potential outcome of the game. It takes some time for the live odds to reflect the impact of a key player’s injury on the money line, point spread, and total.
Naturally, you shouldn’t assume the worst and place a live bet as soon as you notice a player on the ground for a brief period of time, but you also shouldn’t completely disregard the obvious indications of an injury either.
Back Losing Favorites
By now, everyone is aware that betting on favorites is the most solid strategy for long-term success. However, the value must always be considered.
Professional bettors frequently place live bets on basketball games involving favorites who are now down by a few points in order to secure value.
Simply search for a game when a team had slim odds prior to the game yet was trailing at the end of the third period. A one-point deficit is not particularly tough to overcome and statistically, teams in this situation still stand a good chance of winning.
How Do I Bet on Live Tennis?
Tennis is a great sport for in-game bets because the games often last long and the odds can change drastically. Here are a couple of tips for placing live wagers on tennis matches.
Research the Players
Because tennis isn’t a team sport, knowing the players you’re wagering on is essential for tennis bets.
There are many important factors that can determine which player to wager on, such as the player’s stamina, their previous matches, their international standing, and the overall quality of their play.
All these factors can play a huge role in deciding the winner, so punters should do their research before placing an in-play wager on tennis.
Consider Other Aspects
There are numerous elements to a game of tennis. For example, the type of surface of the tennis court can have a big impact on the final result. Some players might prefer grass courts, some may prefer hard or clay courts, and others artificial grass courts.
This can have a huge effect on a player’s game and thus on your bets. Another important aspect to consider is the match crowd. If the crowd overwhelmingly favors one player, that can impact the other player’s morale and thus impact the match.
Best Live Betting Sites FAQs
If you want to know more about live betting for South African players, check out these most frequently asked questions.
Live betting operators employ odds compilers, who determine the odds based on the score and how the teams or individual players are performing.
Live in-play betting is the betting that happens once the match has already started and is ongoing.
There is a wide variety of different betting sites to pick from in South Africa, so it can be hard to choose which operator to pick from. For now, Betway is one of the best betting sites that also features an app in this country.
In-game odds change depending on the game result and the overall play of the teams.
Most live betting markets don’t include overtime unless stated otherwise.
Pre-match wagers must be placed before the start of the game; once it has begun, the wager is final. Because in-play betting is continuous throughout the event, you can make adjustments as the game progresses.
