Gambling is a significant business in South Africa, with annual revenue of R35 billion. Over 10% of the population participates in some type of gaming regularly. Experts believe that these percentages will only rise in the future, with yearly growth rates hovering around 10%.
In recent years, the online casino business has experienced substantial record-breaking expansion, with revenues expected to soon surpass those of traditional land-based casinos. Gamblers in South Africa are increasingly utilizing their cellphones to place wagers, particularly through applications. They go to sites like bettingsites24.co.za to get tips on the best-reviewed and top-rated sites and apps.
However, the question is: online casinos popular in South Africa? Let us weigh-in.
Web-Based Platforms Losing To Mobile Apps
The trend is clear: customers are increasingly preferring apps over browser-based web browsing. On their smartphone devices in 2021, almost 90% of people favored applications over Chrome or Safari. This tendency is only projected to accelerate in the next years, with browsers being utilized mostly as information gateways rather than interactive tools.
This tendency is mirrored in how customers visit their preferred casinos. When it comes to betting, apps are fast becoming the preferred method; mobile applications are even eroding PC usage.
What is Causing This Growth?
The number of downloads and usage statistics for casino applications has exploded. But what are the causes of such remarkable growth rates? It’s not a simple scenario, since multiple factors work together to drive app downloads.
Mobile prospects have caught the attention of the casino business, with many companies spending to improve the smartphone app experience. To differentiate themselves from their competition, casinos are introducing custom-built applications in addition to browser-based improvements.
Apps are no longer an afterthought or a bonus option for gamblers; instead, casinos are making them the default option. Consumers should anticipate the finest gaming experience with online casino applications compared to their browser-based counterparts, according to a spokesperson from Casino Mobile, experts in the iGaming business.
Internet Now More Accessible
5G connections have grown more prevalent, and they are also cheaper than in the past, thanks to the rise in inexpensive smartphones. Smartphones are increasingly a potential alternative to internet cafés, where users meet to play video games and bet online.
A high majority of African customers now have access to mobile internet services. Furthermore, connections are frequently high-speed, with 5G becoming more common in South Africa. This has been a game-changer for the majority of users.
The government is also making progress in this area, with promises such as providing free data to South African homes. These steps will only serve to expand internet availability and usage across the country, propelling the app business forward.
Faster Internet Improves Playing Experience
Casinos have long been at the forefront of technology advancements, but poor mobile internet connections hindered their operations. It prioritized lightweight, fast-loading games.
While this path meant that games could be played on cell phones with slow connections, it also meant that the gaming experience was inferior to that of a PC.
Online casinos may now provide games with attractive visuals, sophisticated gameplay, and live video, resulting in a better overall experience. Users now have the hard drive capacity on their smartphones to install a variety of apps, which means there’s always enough for an online casino.
Before You Go
While the number of players utilizing mobile casinos and their associated applications has reached new highs, this is simply the beginning of the market cycle. Players are progressively abandoning land-based casinos, and they are no longer constrained by prohibitively costly handsets or poor mobile internet connections.
However, these are recent advances. The market is still young, and only a few years ago, online casino games were almost unplayable, even on the most advanced PC settings.
