Research

Research and data

Our research pages turn the dataset behind this site into studies anyone can use: the legal status of online gambling in 54 African countries, the published RTP of 137 slots and crash games, what bonus wagering really costs, how licensed and offshore sites compare, how South Africans pay and how fast sites pay out. Every figure is recalculated whenever the data changes, and every study has a free CSV download.

By Mark SmithChecked 08 Nov 2026

Our studies

Online gambling laws in Africa: a 54-country mapWhich African countries license online casinos and betting, which ban gambling and where the rules are unclear: a map and free data for 54 countries.2 min read Bonus cost index: what wagering really costsWhat South African casino and betting bonuses cost to clear: median wagering, the offers with none, and the expected loss of meeting wagering on a R1,000 bonus.2 min read How South Africans pay at betting sites and casinosWhich payment methods South African casinos and betting sites accept most: cards, instant EFT like Ozow, cash vouchers, crypto and wallets, with free data.1 min read Licensed vs offshore: who runs South Africa's gambling sitesHow many gambling sites open to South Africans hold a provincial licence, who licenses the offshore ones, and how the two compare on deposits and payouts.1 min read How fast South African gambling sites pay, and what it costs to startHow fast casinos and betting sites open to South Africans pay out, which are quickest, and the minimum deposit to start, with free data on every brand.1 min read Slot RTP report: same game, different oddsThe published RTP of 137 slots and crash games played in South Africa, the studios that pay back most, and the 25 games that come in lower-paying versions.1 min read What South Africa plays: the most searched casino gamesThe casino games South Africans search for most, from Hot Hot Fruit and Lantern Luck to Juicy Spins, by game, studio and type, from our own Google search data.1 min read

Why we publish our data

Most of what gets written about online gambling in South Africa rests on marketing copy: the bonus headline, not the wagering; the licence logo, not who issued it. We keep one dataset of every offer, licence, payment method and game we review, and we check it against the operators’ own terms. These studies put that dataset to work on the questions players, journalists and researchers actually ask.

How to use it

Every study has the same parts: the key findings, charts you can read at a glance, the full table, and a CSV download of the same data. If you quote a figure, please link to the study page so readers can check it and see the latest numbers. For a question our data could answer that isn’t covered here, see our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use your data in my article or report?

Yes. The studies and their CSV files are free to use, as long as you credit CasinoSlots.co.za and link to the study page you used.

How often is the research updated?

Each study is recalculated from our dataset every time the site is rebuilt, so the figures follow the bonus terms, licences and payment data as we check them. The date on each study shows when its data was last checked.

Where does the data come from?

From our own checks of operators' terms pages, regulators' licence registers, game providers' published RTPs and our own search data. Each study explains its sources and method.

Mark Smith

Editor · updated 08 Nov 2026

Mark has been writing about online gaming since 2007, covering everything from sportsbooks to casino and slot reviews, offering insights for players of all levels.