Betsafe review

Betsafe is one of the best-known online casino and sports betting companies in South Africa, belonging to the well-known Betsson group in the gambling world. Betsafe operates with a local South African gambling licence and has earned wide player trust.

Betsafe used to have a fairly wide network of sports betting shops, but this online casino now operates online only, offering an especially wide, varied range of gambling services.

In this review, we’ll take a closer look at Betsafe. We’ll discuss what the Betsafe company is, cover Betsafe’s main services, and discuss this online casino’s main advantages and disadvantages. We’ll also cover foreign online casino companies that could be an alternative to Betsafe.

What is Betsafe?

Betsafe is an international gambling company that operates legally in South Africa with a licence from the National Gambling Board. This online casino offers not just sports betting, but also thousands of slot machines, live casino games and other services. The company stands out with a high level of safety, a convenient website design and a competitive game selection.

Betsafe’s local South African operations trace back to an earlier local operator, which was later acquired by the Swedish gambling group Betsson, after which the Betsafe brand began operating in South Africa. Betsafe has grown, and continues to grow, its popularity by actively sponsoring sport. Betsafe remains South Africa’s main men’s basketball sponsor and the title sponsor of the Basketball National League, officially known as Betsafe-BNL.

The Betsafe brand also operates beyond South Africa. This online casino and sports betting company is also popular elsewhere in Southern Africa – in Namibia and Botswana – and Betsafe is also very popular in Sweden and a few other countries.

Types of gambling Betsafe offers

Betsafe is a fairly universal online casino and sports betting company, where gamblers of all styles will find something to do. First of all, it’s worth noting that Betsafe has a fairly large slot machine selection, although it falls a little behind competing companies in terms of numbers. Betsafe can also boast a live casino with real dealers and, of course, a wide sports betting selection, covering both pre-match and live betting. We’ll cover Betsafe’s main types of gambling in a bit more detail.

Slots

Betsafe online casino can currently offer South African players a little more than 2,000 different slot machines. To make things more convenient for users, slot machines are sorted into separate categories. At Betsafe you’ll find categories for new games, the most popular games, and the highest RTP rating. Betsafe also often creates themed game categories during holiday periods, such as Christmas or Halloween game categories.

Looking more closely at Betsafe’s slot machine selection, it’s worth noting that Betsafe works with the most popular slot machine providers, including Pragmatic Play, Play’n GO, Tomhorn, Amusnet and others, loved by users around the world.

These slot machine providers guarantee that this online casino company will have the most popular slots, such as Gates of Olympus, Starburst, Legacy of Dead, Big Bass Bonanza.

Live casino

Looking at Betsafe’s live casino game selection, you’ll find both computer-generated and live versions of classic games. At Betsafe, you can play live casino games such as baccarat, Blackjack, roulette. All these games can be played with live dealers, delivering an authentic casino gaming experience.

Betsafe’s selection includes games from three live casino providers – at this casino you can play games created by Pragmatic Play Live, Evolution and Ezugi.

It’s also worth mentioning that Betsafe was, for a long time, the only South African-licensed online casino company that offered poker. This online casino genuinely has plenty of different poker rooms, with varying stake sizes.

Sports betting

Betsafe was originally specifically a sports betting company, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it offers a wide sports betting selection. This online casino lets you bet on basketball, football, tennis, ice hockey and plenty of other sports.

Betting limits depend on which league you choose. If you want to bet at Betsafe on, say, the NBA or the Champions League, you’ll get genuinely very high betting limits.

Betsafe can also boast a wide live sports betting selection. One of Betsafe’s key advantages is the option to combine pre-match and live events, since not every South African online casino offering sports betting can offer this feature.

Betsafe’s advantages and disadvantages

Like other online casinos, the Betsafe online casino and sports betting company has both advantages and disadvantages. We’ll cover Betsafe’s strengths and weaknesses in a bit more detail.

Betsafe’s advantages

Licence and safety. Betsafe online casino operates with a South African licence, issued by the National Gambling Board. This licence is considered trustworthy and safe, and if a dispute arises between the online casino and a player, the player will have somewhere to turn to defend their interests. Because of this, Betsafe can be considered a completely trustworthy, safe online casino.

A wide game selection. Betsafe offers a wide slot machine, live casino and sports betting selection. At this online casino, you can play games from the most popular casino developers, such as Pragmatic Play, Play’n GO, Evolution. When it comes to sports betting, you can bet both pre-match and live. It’s specifically betting on matches already underway that’s the most popular.

A convenient mobile version. The Betsafe online casino website generally receives plenty of praise for its innovative design and convenient navigation. Most Betsafe players use the mobile version, which is perfectly suited to mobile devices of all sizes. It’s also worth mentioning that Betsafe has a mobile app, which is a distinguishing feature in the South African market.

Payment method variety. Betsafe online casino also has fairly universal payment methods – players can top up their account using South African banks (FNB, Standard Bank, Absa, Capitec, Revolut and others), payment cards (Visa, Mastercard) and e-wallets such as Skrill and Neteller.

Betsafe’s disadvantages

Promotions and bonuses. A few years ago, Betsafe had a wide range of bonuses. Players could get welcome bonuses, take part in various tournaments, VIP programmes and similar. But a few years ago, South Africa’s gambling laws changed, and any type of bonus was banned at companies operating with a South African licence.

Crypto payments. In the online casino market, users increasingly value anonymity. Players often don’t want their bank to see payments to an online casino. This can be partly offset by using Skrill, Neteller or other e-wallets, but these also don’t guarantee complete anonymity.

The very best foreign online casinos offer payments in at least the main crypto, such as BTC, ETH, USDT, ADA and similar. Unfortunately, crypto payments to gambling companies are prohibited in South Africa, so Betsafe can’t offer the option to make deposits and withdrawals in crypto.

Alternatives to Betsafe

Betsafe is a well-known online casino and sports betting company, but it also has certain downsides. Because of this, plenty of South African players often decide to play not at South African companies, but at foreign online casinos instead. Because of this, we’ll describe a few foreign casinos that could be a great alternative to Betsafe.

Gizbo.Casino mini review

One of the companies that could replace Betsafe is Gizbo.Casino. This online casino operates with a Curaçao licence, well regarded in the gambling world, and can offer an even wider game selection than Betsafe – here you’ll find even more slot machines, an especially high-quality live casino, and, of course, sports betting.

Gizbo.Casino lets you make payments using all the same methods as Betsafe, including South African banks. You can also make deposits using the most popular crypto – BTC, USDC and others.

Gizbo.Casino can also boast especially high withdrawal limits – every player can withdraw as much as 125,000 euros per month here, considerably more than the market standard. Gizbo.Casino is also known for its bonuses. Here players get a solid welcome package, covering their first four deposits. Players are later encouraged to stick around with personal bonuses, a VIP programme, a solid CashBack payment and other bonuses.

Irwin.Casino

Irwin.Casino is very similar to the already-mentioned Gizbo.Casino. This online casino also uses the already-mentioned Curaçao licence, which guarantees a safe gaming experience. At Irwin.Casino you can also play slot machines, live casino games and place sports bets.

Irwin.Casino’s payment methods are wide and perfectly tailored to the South African market. South African players can make deposits directly from their South African bank accounts, as well as using payment cards (Visa, Mastercard) and e-wallets (Skrill and others). Crypto payments are also available at Irwin.Casino – the company accepts deposits in the main currencies (BTC, ETH and similar). When it comes to the withdrawal limit, Irwin.Casino lets you withdraw up to 125,000 euros per month.

Promotions and bonuses at Irwin.Casino are offered right from the first deposit. Newcomers get a newcomer package covering several deposits. And players who stick around longer at this online casino can take part in the loyalty programme, play in slot tournaments and similar.

Wazbee.Casino

Another alternative to Betsafe is Wazbee.Casino, especially loved by players who use crypto, since crypto payments are specifically the most popular at this online casino. This company also operates with a Curaçao licence, so players can feel safe and secure.

Besides the option to make deposits using various crypto, Wazbee.Casino also has other universal payment methods. Here you can top up your gaming account directly from a South African bank, as well as using bank cards – Visa, Mastercard – and e-wallets – Neteller, Skrill and similar.

Promotions and bonuses at Wazbee.Casino are solid right from the first deposit. Loyal players can climb through the loyalty programme’s levels and receive personal offers here. Wazbee.Casino also has a solid weekly CashBack payment and other competitive bonuses.

Summary

Betsafe is a popular South African online casino and sports betting company, offering universal gambling services. Betsafe has a wide slot machine selection, live casino games with real dealers, and pre-match and live sports betting.

Betsafe operates with a South African licence, which guarantees player safety, and has universal payment methods – you can top up your gaming account via banks, payment cards and e-wallets. Unfortunately, Betsafe doesn’t accept crypto payments, so it can’t guarantee players complete anonymity.

It’s also worth mentioning that Betsafe can’t offer its players any bonuses or promotions, since this is prohibited under the South African gambling licence. Because of this, plenty of Betsafe players look for alternatives abroad, and among the choices could be Gizbo.Casino, Irwin.Casino and Wazbee.Casino.

Are all foreign online casinos equally safe?

As we mentioned, we highly recommend choosing only licensed casinos (e.g. those with a Curaçao licence), as only such casinos ensure safety.

I live in South Africa, but I’d like to play at a foreign online casino. Is that possible?

Yes, but you’ll need to take a few steps – you’ll find them described in our “Guides” section.

From what age can you play online casinos?

Anyone over 18 years old can play at online casinos.

Do all casinos offer the same bonuses?

Definitely not – we always recommend checking out at least a few different companies and choosing the one that suits you best.

I play at a South African online casino, but I don’t get any bonuses. Why?

That’s because South African law prohibits South African companies from offering their players bonuses or promotions.