The South African playing trade skilled unprecedented progress in the course of the 2023-24 monetary yr, with gross playing income (GGR) reaching an all-time excessive of ZAR59.3 billion, a big 25.7% improve from the earlier yr. This marked a milestone for the trade, pushed largely by the explosive progress of the sports activities betting sector. According to the National Gambling Board’s (NGB) newest report, complete turnover—the quantity wagered—additionally hit new heights, surpassing ZAR1.14 trillion, a 40.2% improve in comparison with ZAR815.11 billion in 2022-23.
Betting Takes the Lead
The most important contributor to this progress was sports activities betting, which accounted for 60.5% of complete GGR, or ZAR35.91 billion. This was a staggering 51.2% rise from the earlier yr. The overwhelming majority of betting income got here from on-line platforms, which generated ZAR28.97 billion, making up almost 49% of the general GGR. In distinction, retail betting contributed ZAR6.94 billion, representing 19% of betting revenues.
Sports betting’s dominance highlights a transparent shift in South Africa’s playing panorama, with over 80% of betting revenues coming from on-line sources. The sector’s progress was fueled by elevated entry to on-line betting platforms in choose provinces, together with Western Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and North West.
Uneven Growth Across Other Gambling Sectors
While sports activities betting thrived, different types of playing confirmed stagnant or declining progress. Retail casinos remained the second-largest contributor to GGR, bringing in ZAR17.36 billion, however progress was minimal at simply 0.1% year-over-year. Limited Payout Machines (LPMs) noticed a slight decline in income, falling by 1.9% to ZAR4.15 billion, whereas bingo skilled a modest improve of two.4%, producing ZAR1.89 billion.
This unbalanced progress underscores the challenges confronted by land-based playing operations, which have been overshadowed by the surge in on-line betting. The ongoing shift away from conventional types of playing, reminiscent of casinos and LPMs, is reflective of broader international traits favoring digital and on-line platforms.
Regional Performance: Western Cape Takes the Lead
Geographically, the Western Cape emerged because the top-performing province, producing ZAR18.78 billion in complete playing income. This was primarily pushed by the province’s sturdy on-line betting market, which attracted ZAR353.19 billion in wagers. Gauteng, probably the most populous province, ranked second with ZAR13.10 billion in income from ZAR173.7 billion in bets. Interestingly, Mpumalanga led in complete wagers, recording ZAR359.34 billion however ranked third in general income, bringing in ZAR12.98 billion.
The Western Cape’s dominance in the market will be attributed to its strong regulatory framework supporting on-line sports activities betting, giving it an edge over provinces that rely extra on retail and land-based playing operations.
Tax Contributions and Market Outlook
The playing trade additionally made a big contribution to authorities revenues. Taxes and levies collected from the sector totaled ZAR4.84 billion, a 19.2% improve from the earlier yr. Sports betting alone accounted for half of this determine, contributing ZAR2.41 billion, with ZAR889 million coming from on-line wagering.
Source:
National Gambling Statistics Financial Year Ending 31 March 2024 – Audited, [pdf]
National Gambling Board, 2024.
