I’m sure not every sports gambler finds the bright, glitzy, and often-colourful South African sports and casino betting websites attractive. As a matter of fact, most of the overly-animated sportsbooks with lots of needless clutter are almost always an instant turn-off to many punters. Among South African gamblers, a good betting platform online is told from the look of its interface, and they mostly prefer one that’s clean and easy to navigate.
See, for a majority of gamblers, placing sports bets online requires absolute serenity with a relaxed frame of mind, often on a clean site. They abhor any distractions that could hamper their fair-minded thinking and negatively affect their sobriety. Essentially, you will find bettors giving preference to platforms that are simple and clean and open instantly over those that feature lots of animations. With all that in mind, we are going to take a look at the new Play.co.za site in this comprehensive review, and how they compare to heavyweights like Betway South Africa and Hollywoodbets.
Play.co.za Overview
Like any other South African sports betting site, Play.co.za is specific to the Mzansi market. It is exclusively tailored for the local market and has all of its offers, including Live Games, Betgames, Virtuals, and Lucky Numbers customized for South Africans. Like others that are highly rated in the market, the predominantly-blue theme, plus its well-balanced gaming interface makes it a darling for many.
- Has one of the coolest, dark-blue-themed betting interfaces.
- Offers a rich variety of sports, virtuals, live games, and lucky numbers.
- You can preview bonuses and promotions on the main page.
- Offers same-day EFT deposits and withdrawals in South African Rand.
- The website is super-secure with industry-leading encryption software.
How to register with Play.co.za
Signing up with play.co.za is quick and easy, there is only one register form that you need to complete, and this can be accessed by clicking on the register button on the play.co.za site.
Play.co.za Casino and Live Games
It isn’t entirely uncommon to find a South African sports gambler or live games diehard who is yet to hear about Play.co.za. That’s because, much as it is one of the fastest-growing names in the sports betting industry, it hasn’t grown into the level of giants. It belongs in the same category as the burgeoning online virtuals and lucky numbers online casinos.
But without a doubt, Play.co.za is a gem. From its overall look and feel, the way it is developed and its usability, plus the fact that it opens in a flash, even on a mobile browser, it is a site worth sampling. Its events comprise over 50 different categories, which include pokies, diverse sports and lottery. Its Live Games section is equally among the most vibrant, with 300+ active traders.
Yet, it is only a matter of time before this up-and-coming online gambling platform claims its rightful spot. Play, operated by the Wellington Road, Durbanville-based, Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board-licensed Betflash Limited, is quite young. The gaming site is registered to legally operate within South Africa and only accepts punters from within the country.
You’ve got to register with Play.co.za to enjoy its bonuses or experience the glamour of same-day payouts. It also has one diverse events library on its pre-match and live in-play sports betting sections. But before you get down to hit the ‘Register’ and ‘Login’ buttons, spare some moments to go through this review of Play.co.za.
Play.co.za Bonuses and Promotions
When choosing a nice betting website in South Africa, bonuses and promotions certainly play a massive role. Cash bonuses aren’t necessarily the best measure of how good an online betting platform is. But it is natural for sites that give the best freebies as well as those that have diverse ones to rank top.
And so, it isn’t a surprise that Play.co.za is growing tremendously. See, with such cash goodies as R50 Free Bet welcome bonus for new customers, the 100% Deposit Bonus and a further R50 Free Bet on Formula 1, there’s nowhere like this bookie. It even has up to R10 million in Live Games payout.
- R50 Free Bet welcome bonus
- 100% Deposit Bonus
- R50 Free Bet on Formula 1
- Up to R10 million in Live Games payout
When it comes to the R50 welcome bonus, sportsbook bonuses can be withdrawn after being wagered at least 6x and the original deposit equally wagered at least once. Also, the minimum odds of each market selected should be 1.60. Bonuses for pokies and Live Games also have a 29x wagering requirement, although their wagering is subject to different games, as highlighted under the Terms and Conditions.
Play.co.za Betting Offers
Sports and In-Play
It is quite unfortunate that Play.co.za offers soccer on its events portfolio only. Not sure why it couldn’t offer other sports events like how other typical South African bookmakers do, but having soccer alone is both a good idea and a bad one. See, someone who has majored in football betting will see no problem, unlike someone fond of basketball, tennis, cricket or other events.
But having soccer events alone still makes this little gem of a sportsbook worth choosing. Its library comprises matches in nearly every league across the planet. You will bet on the English Premier League or the Championship, place bets on teams in the Spanish La Liga, head over to the Americas or even win cash playing the South African Premiership.
Sports and In-Play are two different categories, but they essentially offer similar markets. You may place Direct Wins, Double Chance, Goals, Handicaps, Corners, etc. The best part of placing any of these bets is how quick this bookie settles them. Every bet is settled and the winnings are made available for withdrawal as soon as the game ends in a single bet and once the last match is over in a multi-bet.
Live Games
This online betting platform is also an online casino. The casino section isn’t as massive as that of its competitors, but no doubt it has what it takes to offer a thrilling experience. First, its Live Games section has pretty much every online casino game. You can play Live Dealers, turn to pokies or try your hand at blackjack, baccarat or roulette.
The casino section isn’t massive but has a reasonably great portfolio of games. It doesn’t have any slot games though. Honestly, the games available are good for a beginner; a newbie who isn’t familiar with online casino games. You will scroll down the list to sample the games available.
Use your credentials to register with Play.co.za and play its online casino games. If you claim the R50 free bet, use it on any of the games available.
The other betting categories
Betgames TV, Virtuals, and Lucky Numbers are also available on this South African online gambling website. Betgames TV is particularly good for you who have never played any online card games, especially poker and baccarat before. Guess you will have a fantastic time seeing the dealer playing with the cards live on your screen.
Banking: no banking options, but EFT still come in handy
Much as Play.co.za is yet to support Visa, MasterCard, payment vouchers and other mainstream payment options, making deposits and requesting withdrawals isn’t much of a hassle. It offers real-time EFT with same-day payouts.
Customer support channels
In case you want to get support, call +27 87 138 4828 or send an email to: support@play.co.za. There’s no live chat functionality, although it also has Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
Alternatives to Play.co.za
We recommend the following tried and trusted betting sites as an alternative to play.co.za
 | 100% Deposit match free bet up to R1000 for sports, or R2000 for casino using promo code BSBZA1 Betway Review |  |
 | R25 Free Bet For New Customers - Casino Games and Spina Zonke Games Hollywoodbets Review | |
 | Bet R50 get R50 for sports, or 25 Free Spins. Slots and Casino games on offer. Lulabet Review | |
 | 100% deposit match up to R1000 + 20 free spins - Wide variety of Casino Games and Slots Sportingbet Review | |
 | R3000 casino games deposit match. 10Bet Review | |
 | 100% Deposit Match Bonus Up To R1000 & R25 Free Bet - Excellent Casino Game Selection Gbets Review | |
 | Deposit Match Bonus Up To R5000, R50 Free Bet + 10 Free Spins - Slots & Casino Games Supabets Review | |
 | 100% Deposit Match Bonus Up To R2000 using promo code GMB100 Bet.co.za Review | |
Do we recommend Play.co.za
We’d recommend this online gambling site, despite being new with a little-known name. First, it is 100% licensed to operate in South Africa, so it is legal. Being a soccer-only sportsbook and a beginner-friendly online casino option makes it one of the best for newbies. The gaming interface is one of the best too. The fact that it is clean, with a predominantly blue shade also earns it a thumbs-up from me. And FYI, I’ve placed a soccer bet, won cash and actually withdrew, all within a day. So, it’s entirely true that its real-time EFT same-day payouts are absolutely true!