Here’s OnlineBettingSA’s betting market report: The Future of Online Betting in South Africa

The Covid 19 lockdown primarily affected the South African gambling industry. The online betting industry started booming as the lockdown affected the physical gambling sector, like casinos, etc. However, the lockdown is no more, but things remain, and it appears online betting is here to stay. 

Meanwhile, South Africans now prefer the comfort, anonymity, and accessibility which come with online betting and which is clearly helping it win the competition with physical betting. 

However, since this trend appears not to cease anytime soon, it is safe to evaluate the future of online betting in the nation. Our post also covers the possible improvement to online betting, the emerging technology, and potential changes in the legal aspects of South African online gambling. 

Potential Future Developments in Online Betting 

As the world keeps improving, especially in technological advancement, changes are seen in the online betting industry also. For instance,  you can read more about betting apps here; https://onlinebettingsa.co.za/betting-apps/ as they have enhanced the accessibility of online gambling sites in South Africa. The following are possible improvements to expect in the future:

1. Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Technology 

The emergence of cryptocurrencies and the blockchain industry is welcomed worldwide, and many sectors are integrating digital assets into their system. While this is already present in most European nations, we believe crypto and blockchain’s speed, security, and privacy will soon be accepted generally in the South African online betting industry. Punters will now fund and place a bet using their preferred digital assets like BTC, ETH, etc. 

• Virtual Reality

Betting platforms already have a series of virtual games which have attracted and kept many punters busy even when sports are on break. However, with the Virtual reality technology, we believe South African bettors can get more involved and enjoy better visuals and experience while gambling. Meanwhile, interaction will peak, and tournaments by casinos will be more exciting and competitive if Virtual Reality is integrated. 

• 5G Network

The future of South African online betting can only get more interesting with the improvement that comes with the 5G network. While its usage is expected to circulate sooner, players can experience unreal speed and a seamless betting experience. It will make online betting more enjoyable for South Africa and bring more income to the firms. 

• Live Streaming Features

Watching your favorite match or race through your bookmaker platform will be unique. We expect the betting platforms will soon integrate real match streaming into their system, as this will help punters to follow the games they bet on seamlessly. It will also encourage South African punters to play live games as they know better how the game is going. Likewise, as 5G emerges, speed won’t be an issue with this feature.

1. Artificial Intelligence 

Another improvement anticipated in South African online betting is AI usage. Artificial intelligence has proven its effectiveness in many sectors, and we believe it will be helpful in online betting too. It can help bookies in regulating and tracking statistics as well as solving issues such as customer support. Also, it can help bettors with better betting decisions with adequate data analysis, trends, and forms. 

The Impact of Emerging Technologies 

The introduction of online betting is one of the technological advancements that has impacted the betting industry. There are other innovations, like mobile betting applications, that have affected online gambling in South Africa. Below are some of the impacts of emerging betting technologies. 

• Comfort: the emergence of mobile applications has brought more comfort to bettors nationwide. South Africans can now place their bets comfortably using their smartphones or computers. Also, some bookies’ live-streaming features help bettors follow their selection seamlessly. 
• Better record keeping and tracking: technologies have made tracking and keeping records easier. Since most bookies now operate in the country, getting necessary statistics is more accessible and better than doing it manually. 
• Safety and Privacy: technology has brought security to online betting in South Africa. Most online bookies use the firewall produced by the latest Secure Socket Layer encryption to keep customer information safe. Also, technologies have encouraged privacy since you can now bet on your smartphones using phone browsers or mobile applications. 
• More revenue generation: more revenue is generated as more customers keep using online betting sites in the country. Many believe the increase is influenced by bonuses and the comfort of betting online. 

Possible Legal Changes

As South African online betting remains loosely regulated, we believe the authorities will make some legal changes in the coming future. One of them is passing a well-drafted bill that will give the affairs of online betting and casinos in the country. 

We also believe the authorities will make licensing compulsory in the coming future. They might also restrict unlicensed foreign bookies from operating in the country, thereby protecting the citizens. 

Finally, a solid taxation policy that is not too harsh on operators might be implemented soon. While this might reduce the availability of bookmakers in the country, it will help curb problem gambling and generate revenue for the nation. 

Conclusion 

South African online betting keeps increasing as bettors find it more comfortable and accessible, all thanks to technological advancement. Meanwhile, we anticipated more technologies in the online betting industry in the nearest features, as mentioned in the article. Also, some changes in the legal aspect are expected to keep the industry regulated. 

This article is the 4th of 5 series. To read more about betting sites in South Africa, check out the other articles on OnlineBettingSA.