Online South African Casinos

February 27, 2015 - Unless you've been living under a giant melktert, you should be aware of the existence of online South African casinos. But if you don't, here's the story so far.

The Evolution of SA Casinos

Once upon a time pre 1994 in South Africa, if you wanted to experience the excitement and exhilaration of casino gambling in South Africa, you had no choice but to trek to Sun City, Sol Kerzner's infamous gambling, entertainment and relaxation oasis built in the middle of nowhere in the then 'homeland' (remember those?) of Bophuthatswana.

Thankfully, post 1994, when the newly installed government realised just how many hundreds of millions of rand in tax money land casinos could generate each year, it issued a slew of South African land gambling licenses which before long resulted in casinos sprouting in and around South Africa's major cities like mushrooms.

This was a very welcome ad long overdue development for South Africa's countless gambling fans, because it meant that they no longer had to trek half way across the country if they wanted to play slot or ten, throw the dice in Craps, chase 21 in Blackjack or bet on red in Roulette. But little did they know that just around the corner waiting in the wings was a 'new kid on the block' called online casinos.

1990s Saw the Birth of Online Casinos

A child of the 1990s, the internet was fast evolving and expanding around the globe, and like most countries, South Africa too was eager to access to the world wide web and all it could offer.

As a result, South African internet service providers (ISPs) started popping up and flourishing, and before long the majority of medium to upper income households in South Africa boasted at least one computer with access to the internet using a dial-up 56k modem, which was slow and unstable to say the least.

Fortunately, it took just a few short years before these clunky modems gave way to much faster, more stable and more reliable internet connectivity in the form of ADSL and Wi-Fi.

It was around this time that online casinos made their debut on the net. What is now a multi-billion dollar per year global industry got off to an enterprising start when a group of forward-thinking entrepreneurs and web developers realised that the convenience, privacy and global access offered by the internet was an ideal match for the casino industry.

They understood early on that one of the things people covet above all else is convenience. What would be more convenient and easy than being able to play your favourite casino game from the privacy, safety and security of your own home or office without having to pay for petrol, food, and in some cases accommodation, associated with visiting land casinos?

Rand Online Casinos Sprung Forth

Like a snowball barrelling down a steep mountain slope, so South African online gambling flourished and grew. Before long a host of premier Rand online casinos began to attract and welcome South Africa players by offering them rand as a currency to deposit, play and cash out. As the word spread about this new, novel and convenient form of entertainment, more and more gamblers from across the country began signing up with a host of online South African casinos.

With a pioneering spirit, these early adopters sought to experience for themselves the exhilaration and excitement of being able to play their favourite casino games day or night, for as long as they wanted, with their choice of coin and bet sizes to suit their budgets, not too mention in complete privacy and with guaranteed anonymity. It is true to say that rand online casinos helped changed the way South African gambling fans perceived 'traditional' casinos.

Not only were rand online casinos the new kid on the South African gambling block, but they were proving to be one of the most popular too. Convenience and discretion aside, South African casino fans also cottoned on fast to the fact that the games offered by rand online casinos were as good if not better than their land casino counterparts.

They did not fail to notice that these games - developed by a host of internationally renowned online casino software vendors - boasted enticing themes, graphics, animations, sounds, playability, stability and most importantly, the ability to pay out handsomely.

With payout percentages rivalling those of land casinos, and a choice of games with progressive jackpots that grew into the millions, online casino captured the imaginations of frequent and infrequent South African gamblers alike. The potential to win big had never before been so accessible, which is still very much true today.

Free Signup Bonuses Worth Thousands

Another great incentive for gamblers to play at online South African casinos then and now are their signup or welcome bonuses. To attract new depositing players, online casinos offer a 'freebie' in the form of a welcome or signup bonus. These are casino bonuses that kick in once you make a deposit, and are usually percentage-based with a maximum bonus amount.

For instance, a 100% welcome bonus up to R1000 free offer allows you to double your playing funds by as much asR1000. If you deposited R500, you would receive another R500 to give you a total of R1000 in playing funds. Deposit R1000, and end up with R2000 in your real money rand online casino amount.

Although online casino bonuses come with terms and conditions (which you should always read first), they are a very smart way for you to extend your playing funds and thus the online gambling window in which you could win big. You'll find that all of the premier online South African casinos featured, reviewed and endorsed on this website offer welcome bonus offers which we highly recommend you take advantage of.

We have vetted all of our recommended rand online casinos to ensure that each is licensed and thus regulated, endorsed by various online gambling 'watchdog' organisations, powered by only the best, securest and most reliable online gambling software, and offers games that can payout to the maximum.

In short, we stand behind each and every casino we endorse, and are confident that whether you are an online gaming 'newbie' or 'old dog', you'll find the best gaming sites right here.