How We Rate Betting Sites — Our Six-Criteria Method

Mzansi Betting Sites team · Last updated 1 October 2026

Every bookmaker on this site gets a score out of 10. That score is not a feeling. It is a weighted average of six criteria, and the weights below are printed straight from the same code that calculates the ratings, so the method you read here is the method that runs.

In short: licence and safety count most, then the bonus and the games, then payments, then the app and customer support. A bookmaker cannot pay to move its score. It can pay to be listed higher in some places, and when that happens we label it.

The six criteria and their weights

Each criterion is scored from 0 to 10 in half-point steps. The six weights add up to the whole, so the overall score stays on the same 0 to 10 scale.

Licence & safety (25%)

This is the heaviest criterion because nothing else matters if the bookmaker is not licensed. A great bonus from an unlicensed site is a bonus you may never be able to withdraw, with no board to complain to.

How we score it

• 10 — the licence number is shown on the operator's own website and it matches the provincial board, or two independent sources agree on the board, the licensed company and the number.
• Lower — the licence exists but a detail is disputed or unclear: the number is not published, sources disagree on which company holds it, or the licence has been the subject of a regulatory dispute.
• Not listed — no licence from a South African provincial board. We do not score these sites at all; they simply do not appear.

We also look at the basics of player protection: whether the site shows 18+ messaging, links to the National Responsible Gambling Programme, and offers deposit limits and self-exclusion. A licensed bookmaker that hides these tools loses points here.

Bonuses (20%)

The headline figure is the least important part of a bonus. What decides its value is the wagering requirement, what the wagering applies to (the bonus alone, or bonus plus deposit), the expiry period, the minimum odds and the minimum deposit.

• Low or no wagering scores well, even if the headline amount is modest.
• A large headline with heavy wagering, short expiry or restrictive minimum odds scores lower than it looks.
• A no-deposit offer adds points because you can test the site before paying in, but only if the terms for withdrawing winnings are reasonable.
• Terms that are hard to find, contradict each other, or change between the landing page and the T&Cs cost points.

We rate the offer that is live when we check it. Bonuses change often, which is why this criterion is re-checked more than any other (see re-checks below).

Betting & games (20%)

South African punters want more than soccer. We look at the depth of the sportsbook (PSL, international football, rugby, cricket, horse racing), then at the extras players search for: Lucky Numbers and UK49s, Aviator, slot-style games and live games.

• A broad sportsbook with local racing and a full games lobby scores highest.
• A sportsbook-only site can still score well on depth of markets, but will not reach the top of this criterion.
• We do not guess game counts. If an operator does not publish a number, we say so rather than invent one.

One caution applies to every bookmaker: the slot-style games are offered under bookmaker licences as betting on contingencies, and that legal basis is under challenge. Read is online betting legal in South Africa for the background. If a regulator forces a change, the games score for affected sites will change with it.

Payments (15%)

We score how you get money in and how you get it out, because they are different questions. Deposits are judged on the local options: Ozow and other instant EFT, Capitec Pay, cash vouchers like 1Voucher, OTT and Blu Voucher, cards, and bank EFT.

• Withdrawals matter more than deposits. A site that pays out to a bank account within its stated time scores well; long or unexplained delays score badly.
• Fees on small deposits or withdrawals cost points.
• A clear minimum withdrawal and a clear FICA process help. Surprises at the cash-out stage hurt.

For a method-by-method breakdown, see deposits and withdrawals.

App & usability (10%)

Most of our readers bet on a phone, often on limited data. The app score follows a simple ladder:

1. Highest — native apps on both iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play).
2. Middle — an Android APK you download from the bookmaker's own site, with no store listing. It works, but you have to allow installs from unknown sources, and updates are less smooth.
3. Lowest — browser only. A good mobile site can still be pleasant to use, but it will not score as high as a proper app.

Within each step we look at speed, how easy it is to find markets and place a bet slip, whether the login and FICA upload work on mobile, and whether there is a data-light version. The betting apps page lists who has what.

Support (10%)

We check which channels exist (live chat, WhatsApp, phone, email), when they are staffed, and whether the answers are useful. A bookmaker with 24-hour live chat that actually resolves problems scores highest. Email-only support with slow replies scores lowest.

We also note whether the site explains how to lodge a formal complaint and names the board that licenses it, because that is what you need when support fails. Our complaints guide covers the full escalation path.

How the overall score is calculated

Each of the six scores is multiplied by its weight, the results are added together, and the total is rounded to one decimal place. The rounding is half-up, so a total that lands exactly on a half-step always rounds the same direction.

That means a bookmaker with a perfect licence score but a weak bonus can still rank above one with a large bonus and a disputed licence. That is deliberate: a licence protects your money, a bonus does not.

Current overall scores, in ranking order:

When we re-check

Scores are not set once and forgotten. We re-check a bookmaker when:

• its sign-up offer, wagering or expiry changes;
• it adds or drops a payment method, an app, or a games category;
• a regulator acts on it, or its licence details change;
• readers report a consistent problem, such as delayed withdrawals.

Every review shows the date it was last updated. If you spot something out of date, tell us through the contact page.

Partners and placement

This site is funded by affiliate commissions: when you sign up with a bookmaker through one of our links, that bookmaker may pay us. We say so plainly because it affects how you should read any comparison site, including this one.

• Partners may be listed first in some tables and cards, and where that happens the placement is labelled.
• Scores are never bought. The rating is the formula above applied to the facts we hold. A partner with a weak bonus gets a weak bonus score.
• Non-partners are still listed and reviewed if they hold a South African licence, because leaving them out would make the comparison less useful to you.

What we do not do

• We do not list or recommend offshore or unlicensed sites, whatever they pay.
• We do not recommend online casinos. Interactive casino gambling is illegal in South Africa; we cover licensed bookmakers only.
• We do not invent figures. If an operator does not publish a payout time, a game count or a licence number, the review says so.
• We do not present gambling as a way to make money. Bonuses have conditions, and the house has an edge on every product.

If gambling stops being fun, the free and confidential NRGP helpline is 0800 006 008. More on limits and self-exclusion is on our responsible gambling page.