South Africa Tops Online Gambling at 32.3% as Betting Revenue Jumps 1,400%
Updated
Updated · Business Insider Africa · Oct 26
South Africa Tops Online Gambling at 32.3% as Betting Revenue Jumps 1,400%
3 articles · Updated · Business Insider Africa · Oct 26
Summary
32.3% of South African internet users aged 16 and older visited a gambling or betting site or app in the previous month, the highest share among 48 markets in GWI’s Q2 2025 survey.
R152.6 billion in 2023 betting revenue, up from R10.1 billion in 2018, shows how sports betting and online platforms have driven the country’s rapid expansion.
54.5% of South Africa’s recreational spending tracked by Stats SA went to gambling, underscoring the sector’s growing pull on household entertainment budgets.
Ghana ranked fifth globally at 21.5% and Nigeria 10th at 18.0%, putting three African countries in the global top 10 while the US placed 38th.
The ranking measures online engagement among internet users—not national gambling prevalence—highlighting how digital betting is spreading across very different regulatory markets.