How Online Platforms Have Transformed Gaming Worldwide and in South Africa

How Online Platforms Have Transformed Gaming Worldwide and in South Africa
"Online-Pokern" (CC BY 2.0) by wuestenigel

The rise of the internet has transformed many businesses, perhaps none more so than the gambling industry. While many countries including South Africa still host large land-based casinos and other gambling facilities, more and more bettors are turning to online platforms to wager with real money online.

Betting online can be a great pastime for people in South Africa but it can also be costly to those who don’t understand the ins and outs of it. Punters can get a clear understanding of how to bet on sports like Horse Racing via online websites such as TeamFA. They offer you insights into the betting world as well as provide exclusive offers to ensure you get the best sign up offer.

To understand the impact on the gambling world, it should be emphasised just how stuck in its ways the industry was just a few years ago. In the UK for example, gambling habits had barely changed in decades with high street betting shops the only real option for punters. Even the choice of markets barely changed with just the odd novelty bet added here and there. Some of these bookies also offered a phone betting service but by and large nothing really changed until the internet arrived.

Even then, it took a while for bookmakers and casinos to embrace the online world. And it wasn’t until the early part of the new millennium that companies started taking the shift to online gaming seriously. The benefits of allowing punters the chance to enjoy these services from the comfort of their own home soon became apparent. Followed quickly by the realisation that a global marketplace was about to open up.

For lotto operators, online casinos and sports bookmakers, the internet has allowed them to reduce overheads, offer new games, markets and features and connect with a worldwide audience. As a result, punters in gambling friendly countries such as South Africa have more choice than ever before. In addition, there are more bonuses, credit, free games and loyalty rewards than ever before.

With the majority of South African punters now playing via online platforms, many companies have made it their business to seek out and review the very best ones, as seen here. This makes life easier for players who might be overwhelmed by the ever-growing choice available. By finding a trusted platform, punters can return again and again to play their favourite games or wager on their favourite markets 24/7, all from the comfort of their own homes.

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For the operators themselves, the opportunity to make their services accessible to almost everyone no matter where they are located brings obvious advantages. And many companies that once operated in just one region have now gone global. This trend is set to continue and South African consumers are likely to be presented with even more choice over the next few years.  In fact, it has been predicted that the industry will grow by at least 5% in South Africa by 2021.

One of the biggest areas of growth areas has been online bingo, which increased in popularity by more than 35% in 2016. Lotteries and sports betting have also grown and online casinos are expected to enjoy a 3.5% increase over the next three years. Overall, the online gambling phenomenon looks set to continuing developing as more companies look to operate in even more territories.