Live Games & Betgames at SA Bookmakers

Mzansi Betting Sites team · Last updated 1 October 2026

Live games are scheduled draws and table-style games run in a studio and streamed to your phone, with a new round every few minutes. At South African bookmakers the best-known supplier is Betgames, whose number draws such as Lucky 5, Lucky 6 and Lucky 7 sit in the "Betgames" or "Live Games" tab of many sites. Some bookmakers also carry live dealer-style games from studios such as Evolution and Ezugi.

This page explains how these games work, how bets settle, what to watch out for on speed and limits, and which licensed bookmakers carry them.

What Betgames is

Betgames is a studio that produces short, televised-style games for bookmakers. A presenter runs each round on camera, the result is shown live, and bets are settled as soon as the round ends. Because every round follows a timetable, you can see a countdown to the next draw and place your bet before it starts.

The games are offered by bookmakers as fixed-odds bets on the result of each round — the same "betting on contingencies" model used for Lucky Numbers and slot-style games. That model is legally disputed after the Supreme Court of Appeal's 2025 Portapa ruling, so the live games section at any bookmaker may change. Our betting games guide explains why.

Lucky 5, Lucky 6 and Lucky 7

These are the Betgames number draws most South African punters know. They work like a fast lottery run by a studio:

• Lucky 7 draws seven balls from a larger set. You can bet on specific numbers appearing, on the colour of balls, on odd or even, and on totals.
• Lucky 6 draws a longer sequence of numbered, coloured balls. Popular bets include which colour will finish first and whether a number appears among the drawn balls.
• Lucky 5 draws five balls, with bets on individual numbers, totals and ranges.

The exact rules, ball counts and bet types are shown in each game's help screen at your bookmaker. Read them once before you bet — the markets are not identical between games, and the odds for a "number appears" bet depend on how many balls are drawn.

Other live games

Besides the number draws, Betgames and similar studios run wheel games, dice games and quick card games such as a simplified poker or baccarat round. Some bookmakers also carry live dealer-style tables — roulette-style wheels, card games and game shows — from Evolution or Ezugi. They all share the same principle: a real-time round, a fixed set of outcomes and odds set in advance.

How live game bets settle

1. You pick a game and see the countdown to the next round.
2. You place your bet before betting closes; late bets are rejected.
3. The round runs live on the stream.
4. Winning bets are paid to your balance at the quoted odds as soon as the result is confirmed.

If a stream freezes or a round is interrupted, the bookmaker's rules decide what happens — usually the round is voided and stakes returned, or it is settled on the official result recorded by the studio. Check the game rules if this matters to you. Your bet history in the app shows every round you played and its result.

Speed and limits: what to watch

Live games are fast. A new round every few minutes means dozens of bets an hour if you let it run. That pace is the main risk: it is easy to lose track of how much you have staked.

• Minimum and maximum stakes are set per game by each bookmaker and shown in the bet slip. They are not the same everywhere.
• Maximum payouts per bet or per round may apply. Check the game rules before you place a high-odds bet.
• Bonus funds often do not count toward playthrough on live games, or count at a lower rate. Read the bonus terms before you rely on them.
• Data use: streaming video uses mobile data. Some bookmakers offer a lower-quality stream or a results-only view.

Like every bet, live games carry a built-in margin in the odds. No pattern, colour sequence or "system" changes the result of the next round — each draw is independent of the last.

Where to find live games

These licensed bookmakers had a live games section at our last check, listed by our overall rating. The providers column shows which studios each bookmaker lists, so you can see who carries Betgames specifically.

Line-ups change often, so if you are after a particular game, search for it in the bookmaker's lobby before you deposit.

Related games

If you like the scheduled-draw format, Lucky Numbers bets on UK49s and international lotteries work in a similar way, with fewer but bigger draws. If you prefer instant rounds, Aviator and the Spina Zonke-style games settle in seconds. You can try slot-style games for free on our demo slots page.

Play at your own pace

Set a budget and a time limit before you start, and stop when you reach either one. You must be 18 or older to register and bet, and every licensed bookmaker lets you set deposit limits or take a break. If you need to talk to someone, the National Responsible Gambling Programme is free and confidential on 0800 006 008. Our responsible gambling page has more.