Online Lottery in South Africa (2025)
Online lottery is one of the most popular gambling in South Africa. Regulated betting sites like Betway and Betfred offer Lucky Numbers where players can bet on lottery results online.
In this guide, we have taken a look at what online lotto is about in South Africa and listed the top lottery betting sites!
Online Lotto Sites: Recommended for March 2025
| Min. Deposit | R5 |
|---|---|
| Max. Amount | - |
| Turnover | 3x (Sticky) |
| Expiration | - |
| Min. Deposit | - |
|---|---|
| Max. Amount | R15,000 |
| Turnover | 4x |
| Expiration | 7 days |
| Min. Deposit | R20 |
|---|---|
| Max. Amount | R3,000 |
| Turnover | 40x |
| Expiration | 30 days |
| Min. Deposit | R5.00 |
|---|---|
| Max. Amount | R1000 |
| Turnover | 3x |
| Expiration | 30 Days |
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| Min. Deposit | No deposit |
|---|---|
| Max. Amount | R25 |
| Turnover | 5x on winnings |
| Expiration | 24 hours |
Online Lotto Betting in South Africa Explained
The South African National Lottery was minimally regulated before 1997. The Lotteries Act No. 57 introduced in 1997 created a single national lottery system and the National Lotteries Fund.
Uthingo Management, the first licensed operator, ran the lottery from 1997 to 2007, focusing on funding the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund. In 2007, the Gidani consortium took over, introducing scratch cards and managing operations until 2015, when Ithuba Holdings Limited became the new operator.
Ithuba currently manages the lottery under the National Lotteries Commission. In 2019, it raised over USD100 million for charitable causes, supporting charity, sports, and arts.
The lottery has evolved from a small gambling activity into a regulated system contributing to social development.
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Legal Framework of Lotto in South Africa
The Lotteries Act, No. 57 of 1997, is the foundation for South Africa's lottery system. It defines lotteries, establishes the National Lotteries Board, and sets up the licensing process for the National Lottery. The Act created the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) and guidelines for fund distribution. It also regulates non-profit lotteries and includes penalties for violations. Amendments in 2001 and 2013 introduced the National Lotteries Commission, removed some funding categories, and improved accountability and regulatory roles.
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Online Lotteries on Betting Sites
Online lotteries are often called Lucky Numbers on betting sites in South Africa. These sites are licensed and regulated by local authorities, such as the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board (WCGRB), the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator (MER), and the Gauteng Gambling Board (GGB).
This makes online lotto betting completely legal for South African lottery fans.
Best Lotto Betting Sites in South Africa (2025)
Many betting sites have emerged in online gambling in South Africa in recent years. It is good to have more than one option, but it also makes it difficult to pick the best one in the market.
While almost every single betting site has some sort of online lottery, there are only a few ones that offer lottery promotions. To make your selection easier, the BettingGuide editorial team has assessed betting service operators and selected the most recommended sites for lottery betting below.
No.1 Lotto Betting Site: Betfred - Bet R1 Win R5,000,000
Betfred is the best lotto betting site in South Africa for offering various lottery bonuses and promotions. The standout is the Nifty50 campaign where you can win a whopping R5 million on a R1 stake if your bet matches 6 numbers in the Classic draw. You will still be awarded a consolation prize of R10,000 even if you miss one number of the full match, i.e. matching 5 out of 6.
Our Betfred review also highlights the promotion of Numbers Rush Reloaded. You bet R20 or more on Lucky Numbers every day from Monday to Friday and earn R20 in bonus on Saturday. If you bet R100 or more, you will also receive R130. The bonus comes with a 4-time turnover requirement, but you can bet at any odds on single bets to count the bet towards the requirement.
For Android mobile users, the Betfred app is available for download in South Africa.
Pros
- Various lottery promotions
- Local and international lottos
- Multi-draw betting
- Licensed by MER
Get Up to R150 in Free Bet on Lucky Numbers
| Min. Deposit | - |
|---|---|
| Max. Amount | R15,000 |
| Turnover | 4x |
| Expiration | 7 days |
No.2 Lotto Gambling Site: YesPlay - Weekly 10% Lottery Cashback
According to our review, YesPlay is another great lottery gambling site in South Africa. What jumps out here is the 10% cashback promotion, which gives back 10% of your losses of R100 at a minimum on lucky numbers at odds of 2.0 or higher. It considers all qualifying losses from Monday to Sunday and credits a bonus cashback the next Monday. The only drawback is the 3x wagering requirement for deposit and bonus.
In addition, YesPlay's welcome bonus also allows betting on lucky numbers. To count your betting towards the wagering requirement, you must bet at odds of 2.4 or more.
Mobile users are also eligible for the YesPlay app for Android and iOS.
Pros
- Lotteries from the UK, South Africa, the US, and more
- Rapid lottery results betting
- Licensed by WCGRE
Get 10% Weekly Cashback on Lucky Numbers
| Min. Deposit | R5 |
|---|---|
| Max. Amount | - |
| Turnover | 3x (Sticky) |
| Expiration | - |
Popular Lottery on Betting Sites in South Africa
Online betting sites in South Africa tend to have Lucky Numbers or other similar alternatives where they offer various lottery draws from all over the world. The popular ones include PowerBall from South Africa, Mega Millions from the US, UK49s, and so on.
South African PowerBall Lottery
The PowerBall lottery in South Africa is the country's largest national lottery game, operated by Ithuba National Lottery. This is particularly popular in South Africa due to its large jackpots and the relatively accessible ticket price. The game follows a rollover system where the jackpot increases if no one wins the top prize in a given draw.
US Mega Millions Lottery
Mega Millions is one of America's two major multi-state lottery games (alongside Powerball). It's known for its mega jackpots that can reach into the hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars.
UK49s Lottery
UK49s is a popular lottery-style draw that originated in the United Kingdom but is now played internationally. It is particularly popular because of its frequent draws (twice daily) and the flexibility it offers in terms of how much to bet and how many numbers to select, giving players more control over their odds and potential winnings compared to traditional lotteries.
Live Lotto Games
If you are looking for new kinds of lottery, the Lucky series by BetGames is worth checking out! BetGames is a licensed game provider in South Africa, and you can enjoy live lotto games with live dealers on these games. Of course, they are available on our recommended lotto sites.
How to Play Lotto Online in South Africa
Playing lotto online in South Africa has never been easier with the rising popularity of betting sites. These sites accept deposits and pay out winnings in local banking options like Ozow, EFT and vouchers while offering online lottery 24/7. Although the whole process is already straightforward, let's take a look at how to play the lotto on a betting site in South Africa below:
Step1: Sign up for your lotto gambling site
Step2: Deposit money to your betting account
Step3: Select your lotto bet
Step4: Pick numbers
Step5: Place your bet
Step6: Wait for the result
Step1: Sign Up for Your Lotto Gambling Site
You need to find the lotto gambling site you like, to begin with. If you cannot decide which one to sign up for, we recommend choosing from our best online lotto sites.
Step2: Deposit Money to Your Betting Account
Once you have registered an account with the betting site, it's time to fund your account. The betting sites in our list accept various online vouchers like 1Voucher and OTTVoucher as well as EFT, Ozow, and more!
Step3: Select Your Lotto to Bet
Now that you have money in your balance, you can finally head to Lucky Numbers or another alternative lottery section on the betting site. Find the lotto you want to bet on and go to the number selection.
Step4: Pick Numbers
You can pick a single number to six on the Classic draw on a lotto. You can also add more draws to your betslip if you want to aim for higher winnings.
Step5: Place Your Bet
Once you are ready with your lottery slip, you can confirm your bet by pressing "Place Bet".
Step6: Wait for the Result
Lottery results do not always come instantly. It usually shows on the lottery list when the draw will take place. Once the result is out, you will either win or lose your bet.
Mobile Online Lottery Experiences
Betting sites in South Africa offer betting apps for mobile users aside from mobile-optimised websites. Our recommended sites like Betfred and YesPlay are, of course, lottery betting apps you can download, too.
The easiest way to get the apps on your mobile is the progressive web app, which takes the same steps as adding a website shortcut to your mobile home.
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1. Betfred
Android
Betfred App for Android
Rating N/A Size Flexible Version Latest Downloads N/A 
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2. Yesplay
Android iOS
YesPlay Android App
Rating N/A Size 92.68 MB Version 2.0.7 Downloads N/A 
FAQ
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More About Online Lottery
Yusaku is an editor and fact-checker at BettingGuide. He has worked for a few online casino operators in customer support, management and marketing roles since 2020. His few years of hands-on experience in casino operation and expertise in the iGaming industry help see through the qualities of online gambling sites and create honest reviews. If you have any questions about online gambling, please feel free to contact him.
