How To Ensure You Are Safe When playing Online
The world of online sports betting is an amazing place filled with tons of fun and entertainment, however, becuase sports betting does involve the use of real money it is important to know how to stay safe with your money when ever you are playing online
To assist, we have compile a short overview of some of the key points you can take note of to help ensure you stay safe when playing online
Is It Safe To Bet Online?
This is a very popular question, particularly for South Africans who are still getting too grips with the world of online products and services. The internet is a scary place no matter who you are, and rightfully so, we constantly hear stories of a friend or relative who has fallen victim to either online theft, fraud, even account hacking.
It is this kind of activity online that has left us feeling cautious and pretty skeptical when it comes to doing anything online.
The internet is not all doom and gloom though, many companies have added high tech safety features to make sure their customers are safe online, the reality of it is this, whether its clothing, food or sports betting, everything is more convenient, faster and better suited to our needs when it is available online.
The question though is whether online sport betting is safe online? Is there a chance your account could be hacked? Can someone steal your earnings? are your payment details safe?
Probets.co.za have made it their mission to identify each and every sportsbooks safety and security features to ensure that we make sure you have peace of mind throughout your playing experience.
Is Sports Betting Legal In South Africa?
First things first, to set the record straight, online sports betting, online horse race betting and the business of bookmaking is lawful in South Africa, provided that the person conducting such business holds the necessary provincial bookmaker’s licence(s), these can be obtained through a number of South African gambling regulatory boards.
Online gambling, also known as interactive gaming, which consist of casinos, bingo etc is not legal within the borders of South Africa.
Our detailed reviews have been carefully detailed to give you all the relevant information you need when it comes to the various licenses each sportsbook holds.
Things To Look Out For When Betting Online
- Make sure that the bookmaker has the right licence to operate legally within South Africa, if you do not see the NGB (national gambling board) logo and/or the sportsbook has clearly not indicated the license that they hold then we suggest you stay clear immediately. Remember Licenses are provided by one of the 9 provincial gambling boards, so look out for things like Western Cape Gambling, Mpumalanga or Gauteng as an example.
- The second thing you need to do is research to find who are the most reputable and well known bookmakers online, find out exactly who is backing them financially, and how many years they have been in business. Our detailed review section is a great place to find out pretty much anything that you may want to know about a particular bookmaker.
- Ask around, talk to people who may be into sports betting, get a sense of where they play, if you don’t know of anyone who plays online currently then you can turn to player reviews and online review sites for some feedback. Just be wary when looking up reviews, there are many review sites that get paid to post positive reviews for bookmakers, try to find sites that have honest reviews. Probets also offer both player and expert reviews to help guide you along
- The last thing we recommend you look out for is payment and personal information security, some of the biggest issues experienced online is theft of personal and credit related information, make sure that the site offers secure payment portals. Again visit our reviews section where we provide in-depth information surrounding withdrawals and payment methods for each sportsbook, as well as the personal information each sportsbook gathers on you.
Can You Go To Jail For Betting Online?
The number one thing to ensure is that you are playing online at a bookmaker who is Officially registered by the NGB (National gambling board) in one of the South African provinces.
As mentioned Sports betting and horse racing are legal online within South Africa, however Online Casinos, Poker and Bingo are not legal in South Africa and any participation online into these activities can be held against a court of law