Best betting apps

What qualifies for this list

A bookmaker is listed if it offers an Android app, according to our data. The list is ranked in our usual betting order. Brands that only have a mobile site, or whose app we haven’t confirmed, are listed under “still being confirmed”. Every bookmaker on this site works in a phone browser, so an app is a convenience, not a requirement.

What a good betting app does

• Fast log-in with a PIN or fingerprint, and it keeps you signed in.
• Live betting that keeps up. Odds move quickly in-play; a slow app means rejected bets.
• Cash-out on singles and multis, where the bookmaker offers it.
• Deposits in a few taps through Ozow, Capitec Pay or a voucher like 1Voucher.
• FICA upload with your phone camera.
• Limits and time-outs you can set from inside the app.

App or mobile site?

An app isn’t always better. A mobile site needs no installation, takes no storage and works on older phones. If you bet at several bookmakers to compare odds, mobile sites save you a phone full of apps. An app is worth it at the one or two bookmakers you use most, especially for live betting.

On Android, expect to install from the bookmaker’s site rather than Google Play; on iPhone, use the App Store listing or the mobile site.

Installing a betting app safely

Fake betting apps are a real problem in South Africa: copies of well-known brands that take your deposit and your ID documents. Protect yourself with a few habits:

1. Start from the bookmaker’s own website, typed in yourself or from a trusted link, and follow its download button. Don’t use APK links from WhatsApp, Telegram or social media ads.
2. Check the licence in the app. A licensed bookmaker shows its provincial licence in the app’s footer or “about” section, the same as on its website.
3. Allow unknown sources only for that download, then switch the setting off again on Android.
4. Keep the app updated from the same source; old versions can stop accepting bets or deposits.
5. Use a strong, unique password and turn on PIN or fingerprint log-in.

If an app asks you to pay a “verification fee” or to deposit to a personal bank account, it isn’t a real bookmaker. Report it to the brand it imitates.

Our picks for betting on your phone

• Best overall betting app: 1Win, with Android and iOS apps, sport, live betting and casino in one place. Curaçao licence.
• Best licensed app for a big welcome offer: Betfred, with its Triple 7 welcome package at 4x rollover.
• Best app for horse racing and Lucky Numbers: Hollywoodbets, with a R25 free bet on sign-up.
• Best app for PSL punters: Supabets, with deep local football markets and a R50 sign-up free bet.
• Best app for promotions: Betway, covering 27 of the markets we track, with a weekly free bet club.

For the casino side of these apps, see the mobile casinos list.

Terms to watch on app offers

• App-only offers may require the app to be installed before you deposit.
• Push notifications advertise boosts and “last chance” offers. Turn them off if they make you bet more than you planned.
• Bet confirmation. Some apps place bets with one tap. Turn on bet confirmation, especially for live betting.
• Data and roaming. Live streams on mobile data can be expensive; use Wi-Fi.

A betting app puts the bookmaker in your pocket all day, which makes limits more important. Set a weekly deposit limit in the app on day one. Compare welcome offers on free bets, and see the full ranking on the best betting sites.