What is the most popular online casino?

Popularity is a very difficult thing to measure. It comes down to opinions – and everyone has their own opinion on what makes an online casino the “best place to visit”. Popularity contests are awards for those who don’t make the cut for the big prizes, but, and this is important, they are a valuable gauge of WHY certain things are given the weight that they enjoy. The court of public opinion can make or break a person or business, and this is especially true in our modern internet-driven world.

One bad review, one bad tweet, can close the doors of a business or end a career.

So, if coming first is the goal, where does popularity sit? In a nutshell, popularity gives other users or fans a feeling of comfort and security in that they’ve chosen something that is accepted by, and promoted by, their peers.

In that context, the Online South African Casino team looked at the most popular online casino for South African players.

How do we measure ‘most popular’?

This is where we had a major problem, but also a lot of fun. In an industry where quantitative measurement is not exactly easy to get hold of, how do we measure popularity? Can we find the number of clicks? Can we see how many players are at the online casino? Do we rely on word of mouth?

While the clicks, page visits, and sign-up information is data we do not have access to, and word of mouth can be tricky at best, we did discover some very interesting insights in our research:

• a lot of South African online gamblers are signed up to more than one online or mobile casino
• a lot of these players play at specific online or mobile casinos for very specific reasons

So, we decided that, rather than looking for one popular online casino, we would find those online casinos that are popular for a specific reason.

What makes an online casino popular with south African online casino games fans?

Each one of our most popular and most trusted online casinos has something unique that draws in the players. Some online casinos have more than one drawcard.

• Legit and licensed – the #1 concern for South African online casino players was having a partner that is properly licensed.
• Variety of games – For most players it comes down to the more the merrier.
• Bonuses – a lot of players know how to use bonuses to their advantage and look for online casinos that offer regular promos.
• Wagering requirements – closely tied to bonuses, high wagering requirements can put players off.
• Awards – recognition from peers in the industry go a long way to establishing credibility among players

All of which leads us to our list of the most popular online casinos in South Africa.

Most popular for licensing – Casino.com and Fun Casino

Firstly, all the online casino recommended by OSAC are fully licensed by international gaming and gambling authorities. Check out our reviews to see which legit online casinos we recommend for South African players.

When it comes to popularity, licensing may seem a little odd. But having a license from an authority like Malta, the UK, Curacao, or Gibraltar carries far more weight than a license from Outer Berzinskystan.

And two online casinos really stand out in this regard:

Most popular for game variety – TuskCasino, PlayLive, Jackpot.co.za

Gaming options are why we play. We like online casinos that bring us a whole bunch of games, games we know and love, and games we want try out for the first (and hopefully not last) time. While there are great online casinos that have exclusive deals with a single games provider, we are looking for variety. The more games from the most providers, the more popular for some our players.

There is one standout in the category of game variety, but two online contenders who deserve a mention.

Most popular for bonuses – Europa, Thunderbolt, Springbok, PlayLive

Bonuses make the bankroll phatter! And South African casino fans are treated to a plethora of fantastic bonuses from top online casinos – but be very careful! Online casino bonuses come with very strict wagering requirements and terms and conditions – clauses that could make your day or ruin it. Make sure you read and understand these requirements thoroughly before redeeming any bonuses and promos.

For those players who like the added bit of cash in their account, there are a few great welcome bonuses, deposit bonuses, and ongoing promotions from online casinos to keep their play time ticking over.

Most popular for wagering requirements – Jackpot.co.za, PlayLive

Wagering requirements are the big downside of bonuses. A great R1,000 boost to your casino account can mean you have to play through R60,000 if you have a 60x wagering requirement. And high wagering requirements are not uncommon.

This is what makes Jackpot.co.za (and PlayLive) the leaders in the most popular wagering requirements stakes. Why? Because there are no wagering requirements!

Most popular by awards – so, so many

South African online casino fans are blessed with having access to some truly prestigious playing partners. Cutting them down to those ones with the most awards is far too difficult to do. Some online casinos get awards from local bodies, some get international awards, but, for us players, the most important award is the one we give by playing at that casino, by trusting them with our money and with our fun!

Still, there are some standouts:

• PlayLive – Best Online Casino in South Africa (Global Gaming Awards 2020)
• Casino.com – Online Casino Operator pf the Year 2018 (International Gaming Awards), Most Responsible Online Gambling Operator 2018 (Capital Finance International Awards), Best Customer service Company 2020 (International Gaming Awards)/
• TuskCasino – Best New Online Casino 2021 (South African Online Casino Awards 2021)
• Springbok Casino – Best Online Casino (South African Online Casino Awards 2021)
• Thunderbolt Casino – Player’s Choice (South African Online Casino Awards 2021)

The most popular online casinos for South African players

What does pop up is the list of the same names across various categories. Does this mean they are the most popular? Possibly, but we prefer to think of them as just some of the outstanding operators who bring us the games, the security, and the access that allow us to enjoy our favourite pastime.

Leading the pack for South African online players are: PlayLive, Jackpot.co.za, Springbok Casino, and Casino.com!

Remember, gamble responsibly and play for the enjoyment not the money.