In this article, we will review the major developments and changes that took place in the South African betting sector in 2022, as well as look ahead to what the coming year may bring. Many significant developments and movements occurred in the South African gambling industry this past year, making it an exciting time for both players and betting sites. In the following retrospective, we will talk about a few of the most significant changes that have occurred throughout this period.
Slot Machine Play Has Moved Online
The introduction of online slot games was undoubtedly the most notable development of the year. Only a small number of South African gambling sites, led by Hollywoodbets Spina Zonke, provided slot machine play before 2022. It’s now practically impossible to locate a large website that doesn’t feature slot machines; most of them added them during the year.
Slot gamers seem to favour games made by Habanero and Pragmatic Play; in a recent survey, Habanero came out on top, followed by Pragmatic Play. Not surprisingly, Evolution slots came in third, but the fact that just a small percentage of new betting sites include games from all three providers (Habanero, Pragmatic Play, and Evolution) is intriguing.
Most bookies now provide casino games, and cash-out games like Aviator are being added to a growing number of sites. There appears to have been a significant shift in the recent year from sports to casino games, and this is expected to continue growing in 2023.
New Online Gambling Sites Have Debuted
An intriguing development of 2022 was the appearance of dozens of new licensed betting sites. While we can assume that the World Cup and the growing popularity of slots played a large role in their creation, the question remains whether or not players now have too many options.
Hollywoodbets and Betway, for example, have dominated the market for some time since they provide a compelling product that is quite popular with players; it’s difficult to imagine any new entrants gaining a significant foothold in the market given that there are already so many options. We also found that the typical South African internet gambler doesn’t spend too much on gambling (less than R500), which makes sense given the current economic climate.
You’d think that additional options would be good for gamblers, but many up-and-coming betting companies are just copying the strategies of the industry giants. It will be interesting to observe how long they last, and we expect that several sites will go down sometime in 2023.
To Take Over Horse Racing, Hollywood Bets
Hollywoodbets, longtime supporters of the sport of Horse Racing, have had a banner year. They are now the official Durban July Sponsor, and their 2022 Durban July hosting was exceptional.
Fans of horse racing will be pleased to hear that Hollywoodbets has also become the title sponsor of the Kenilworth and Durbanville tracks. They’ve breathed some much-needed new energy into the programmes, and it shows. We attended events in July, Kenilworth, and Durbanville, and found that Hollywood Bets had done an excellent job of reviving the excitement surrounding horse racing.
Although the Cape Town Met is now promoted by WSB, we expect Hollywood Bets to assume that role shortly. We don’t expect Betway to abandon their Summer Cup sponsorship anytime soon, especially since they’ve been making significant advances in the Horse Racing industry.
Soccer World Cup
In one of the most exciting events in sports history, Argentina won the 2022 World Cup in a thrilling final. Bettors were severely let down by local betting sites during the World Cup. There was a dearth of worthwhile World Cup advertising, with just a select few websites providing anything of value.
The World Cup was exciting to watch, but it was held during the middle of the Premier League season, which was inconvenient for bettors. The World Cup is traditionally held near the end of the European season, providing a welcome distraction for participants. We’re curious to know how much money was wagered on the World Cup, but we suspect that the Premier League would attract more wagers within the same time frame.
Forecasting the Year 2023
It’s difficult to foresee what 2023 may bring for gamblers in casinos, on sports, and at online betting sites. We’re sure that as time goes on, more and more online casinos will expand their slot game libraries to accommodate the growing demand. It will be interesting to observe which betting sites succeed in what is already a cutthroat industry as more and more of them start for business.