We’re glad you’ve come to our guide to handicap betting in South Africa. We’ve analysed all of the handicap betting sites that are currently available for South African customers, so that we can give our insight, on what are the best options. We’re going to explain the meaning of handicap in betting and how handicaps are used in different sports.
- All
- Welcome Bonus
- Betting Tournament
- Acca Boost
- Acca Insurance
- Handicap Betting
- Live streaming
- Free Bet
- Reload bonus
- Enhanced odds
- Bet builder
- Best Odds Guaranteed
- Cash out
- VIP Programme
- More Filters
Top Rated
R25 Sign Up Offer
22/04/22R25 Sign Up Offer
- Huge name in South African betting
- Play Punters Challenge game
- Superb for horse racing
9.6
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11Once you activate your Hollywoodbets account and you will receive a R25 Sign-up Bonus! For more information, contact our helpline on 087 353 7634. Terms and conditions apply.
First Deposit Bonus 100% Up To $100
22/04/22First Deposit Bonus 100% Up To $100
- Midweek free bets
- Slick site design
- Compete in sports betting tournament
9.5
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11This offer is only available to new customers, who have registered and made their first real-money deposit at Sportaza. THe Bonus is 100% of a player's first deposit bonus up to 8,000 INR. In order to qualify for the bonus, hte player nmust play through the full amount of hte first deposit at least once with odds no less than 1.50. All bets must be settled.This offer is only available to new customers, who have registered and made their first real-money deposit at Sportaza. THe Bonus is 100% of a player's first deposit bonus up to 8,000 INR. In order to qualify for the bonus, hte player nmust play through the full amount of hte first deposit at least once with odds no less than 1.50. All bets must be settled.
Up to $100 in Bet Credits
22/04/22Up to $100 in Bet Credits
- One of world’s best bookies
- Great for football handicaps
- Amazing collection of bonuses
9.5
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim Bonus11Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.
200% Bonus Up To $130
22/04/22200% Bonus Up To $130
- Amazing all-round product
- Place bets via social media
- All sorts of regular promotions
9.4
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11Register with 1xBet. Fill in your personal profile in My Account and enable the function "Take part in bonus offers". Deposit any amount from 1$. The bonus is automatically credited to a customer's account after they make a deposit.
100% Bonus Up To R1,000
22/04/22100% Bonus Up To R1,000
- 50% acca bet boost
- Bet Central features useful tips
- Rugby handicap offer
9.3
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11The bonus amount must be wagered 6 times (Sports bets must be taken at single bet min odds of 7/10 or 0.70, Multiple Min Odds of 12/10 or 1.20 and each leg must be 2/10 or greater) prior to bonus funds and associated winnings becoming withdrawable.
Bet $10 Get $40
22/04/22Bet $10 Get $40
- Top mobile app
- Price boosts on handicaps
- Win cash playing fantasy football
9.2
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim Bonus11T&Cs apply. 18+
100% Bonus Up To R10,000
22/04/22100% Bonus Up To R10,000
- South African betting Royalty
- Weekly cashback
- Both acca boost and insurance
9.1
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11Make your first deposit. Rollover your first deposit 5 times with bets where the odds are greater than 7/10 (0.7). Only bets placed on pre-match and in-play sports will count to the Welcome Bonus rollover requirements. Once you have fulfilled the rollover requirements, we will then match your first deposit with a 100% bonus. The maximum bonus amount that can be claimed in this promotion is R10 000.Make your first deposit. Rollover your first deposit 5 times with bets where the odds are greater than 7/10 (0.7). Only bets placed on pre-match and in-play sports will count to the Welcome Bonus rollover requirements. Once you have fulfilled the rollover requirements, we will then match your first deposit with a 100% bonus. The maximum bonus amount that can be claimed in this promotion is R10 000.
R50 Sign Up Bonus
22/04/22R50 Sign Up Bonus
- Win jackpots with SupaPicks game
- Price boost section
- Acca protection
9.0
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11R50 Bonus to be rolled over 3 times at 11/10 or better before it can be withdrawn. Please note that stake will not be returned to your bonus wallet.
100% Up To $100
22/04/22100% Up To $100
- Beautiful website
- Yoniclub VIP scheme
- Esports specialists
8.9
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11Bet on multiple games (total minimum betslip : 1.85 ; 2 items minimum ; one item must be at minimum 1.40 odds). Wager 10x on the bonus amount. If the wager is not reached after 14 days, or if the bonus is cancelled, the bonus winnings and the associated bonus are deleted. - The minimum bet is 1 to be counted in the wagerBet on multiple games (total minimum betslip : 1.85 ; 2 items minimum ; one item must be at minimum 1.40 odds). Wager 10x on the bonus amount. If the wager is not reached after 14 days, or if the bonus is cancelled, the bonus winnings and the associated bonus are deleted. - The minimum bet is 1 to be counted in the wager
Best Runner Boosted Odds Twice A Week
22/04/22Best Runner Boosted Odds Twice A Week
- Daily boosted banker offer
- Statistics and livescore
- All sports leaderboard
8.9
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11Opt-in is not required for this promotion. This promotion is available for selected runners each Wednesday and Saturday (Wed 16.30 - 19:00 & Sat 12:00 - 16:00 (GMT+2) Single bets only. Max stake per customer: €10.Winnings have no wagering requirements and can be withdrawn immediately.To start things off, here is our choice of the ten best handicap betting sites in South Africa:
Top 10 Best Handicap Betting Sites
You’ve seen our list of our favourite handicap betting websites and sportsbooks. Here’s a little more information about them.
- HollywoodBets – Our choice for handicap betting
- Sportaza – Free bets in midweek
- Bet365 – Global handicap betting giant
- 1xBet – Comprehensive betting service
- Bet.co.za – Rugby handicap offer
- BoyleSports – Great for popular Irish sports
- Playa Bets – Weekly cashback from South African site
- SupaBets – Huge jackpots to be won
- YoniBet – Superb for eSports
- NordicBet – Scandinavian handicap betting experts
Handicap Meaning in Betting
In this section we’re going to explain the meaning of handicap in betting. For beginners, handicap markets can look a little complicated and intimidating. They’re actually pretty simple when you understand them, as you soon will.
What is a Handicap in Betting?
A handicap in betting is a method used by bookies to make a contest more even and create a level playing field. The team/player expected to win is given a deficit, a negative handicap. Their opponent, the underdog, that is expected to lose, is awarded a surplus.
The deficit is the handicap that must be overcome. So the favourite must win by a bigger margin than the deficit, if they are to be the winner in the bet. Meanwhile, the outsider has to simply not lose by a margin bigger than their surplus or positive handicap.
When one team/player is likely to beat the other in a sporting event, their match betting odds will be very short and unattractive for punters. The point of handicap match betting is to even up the market and encourage bettors to have a bet on a favourite, at a decent price.
Handicap Betting Explained
In order to explain the concept, we’re going to first show you what is a handicap in soccer betting. Imagine that Liverpool are playing an FA Cup football match at home, against a lower league side. They would be huge favourites and most people would not consider backing them.
Yet when they’re given a handicap of -2.5 goals, the market becomes a lot more interesting. Liverpool must now win by a margin of three clear goals or more. This naturally ensures that their price to win is much higher. If they only win by a two goal margin, with a 3-1 scoreline for example, they are a loser in the bet.
In this instance the handicap has made the contest much more attractive from a betting perspective. It’s also turned a bet that would have had three possible outcomes – Liverpool win, lose or draw – into one with just two – Liverpool win by a three goal margin or more, or Liverpool fail to win by a three goal margin.
Handicaps are used across a range of sports betting options and sometimes the the handicap markets are more popular than the regular result market. Rugby would be a good example of this, with the large margins of victory that commonly occur in the final score, making it a natural sport for handicap betting.
Ranking Handicap Betting Sites in South Africa
Having seen the list of our top ten handicap betting sites, you might be wondering how we came to our conclusions. These are the main criteria that we considered, when making our rankings.
- Sports Covered
We like to see a range of sports where handicap betting is offered. Football and rugby are the most popular sports for handicaps in South Africa, but there are lots of other sports that lend themselves to this way of betting. Cricket, golf and tennis come to mind, while US sports such as basketball and American football, commonly feature handicaps.
- Offers & Promotions
A generous welcome bonus is always a good way to start off with a new betting account. It allows you to try out the website with some extra funds at your disposal, that can bet used on handicap bets. Equally important is a good range of regular promotions for loyal users. Sometimes you find offers tailored around handicap betting markets.
- Extra Features
There are all sorts of extra features on betting sites that can be applied to handicaps. A cash out facility allows you to take an early offer from the bookie, rather than waiting for your handicap bet to run its course. You can include a handicap wager in a Bet Builder, or place a bet on a handicap market during a game with live betting. Mobile apps make it easy to place handicap bets, regardless of your location.
Types of Handicap Betting Sites
We’ve explained the handicap meaning in betting, but there are still some terms out there that you might find confusing. There are different types of handicap markets and we’re going to explain how they work and differ from one another.
Asian Handicap Betting Sites
As the name suggests, Asian handicaps originally become popular in that part of the world. Now they are popular beyond Asia and used across a range of sports, many of which are popular in South Africa.
One of the differences with Asian handicaps is that you cannot bet on a draw. When you look at an Asian handicap market, you’ll notice that decimal points are employed. If a football team has a handicap of -2.5, they will either win by a margin of three goals or more, or fail to. There is no way for the event to be tied when the match ends as there are half goal margins.
This means that an event with three possible outcomes, now has two. It’s simpler and if the handicap is set correctly by the bookies, can make a previously uneven content, into one where the outcome could go either way.
Example of Asian Handicap Betting
Asian handicaps are very popular in football betting. In a Premier League match where Manchester City are playing West Ham at home, you might see the handicap set with the number of goals like this.
- Manchester City -1.5
- West Ham +1.5
Manchester City start the game with a 1.5 goal deficit, while West Ham have a 1.5 goals head start. A win for Manchester City by just a one goal margin, would see West Ham as the winning in this market. Manchester City need to win by two goals or more to be successful.
However, you will see Asian handicaps in which numbers are displayed without decimal points. If there’s a football team with a -2 handicap, they need to win by a three goal margin, but if they win by a two goal margin, then the result is a draw and you get your stake refunded. The odds are not quite as generous as would be the case with a -2.5 handicap, to reflect the fact that you have a safeguard in the form of your stake being returned.
Sometimes you will see a team with both -2 and -2.5. This means that there are two parts to the Asian handicap bet, that work much like an each way bet. Your stake is split into half, with one half going on -2 and one half on -2.5. The rules for each part of the bet are exactly the same as has been explained above.
Three-Way Handicap Betting Sites
Sometimes known as split or European handicaps, a three-way handicap opens up the possibility of three outcomes.
So in this type of handicap bet, there are no decimal points employed. That raises the possibility of draw handicap betting. We’re going to use an example from cricket to demonstrate how it works.
Imagine South Africa have a handicap of -30 in a One Day International. This means that they need to win by 31 runs to overcome the handicap and win. If they win by exactly 30 runs, then the bet would be drawn. If they fail to win by 30 runs or more in the final result, then the bet is a loser.
Handicap in Soccer Betting
Soccer is the biggest sport in the world and the most popular sport to bet on. Handicap betting has been big for many years in soccer and is growing in demand.
One of the reasons for the rise in popularity in soccer handicap betting, is that the money in football has meant that some domestic leagues are really dominated by one or two teams. Bayern Munich from Germany are a good example, as they win the Bundesliga season after season. With Bayern generally a very short price in regular match result markets, handicap betting creates the opportunity to back them to win at bigger odds, by predicting the margin of their victory.
Another use of a handicap in soccer betting, comes in the form of league betting. The favourite to win the league starts with a handicap of 0. All the other teams are given an extra surplus of points, with the team expected to be weakest, given the largest amount of points.
So, using La Liga in Spain as an example, Real Madrid could start with 0, followed by Barcelona +8, Atletico Madrid + 12, Sevilla + 20, etc. The points given, are added to the points that the teams earn in La Liga, to form an alternative league table. Bet365 is our favourite soccer handicap betting website.
Rugby Handicap Betting
Rugby union is a beloved sport in South Africa, with the national team having lifted the rugby World Cup on three occasions.
As well as the Springboks being involved in a number of matches throughout the year, rugby fans in South Africa like to bet on the club game. Popular domestic competitions include the Currie Cup, while South African teams compete against clubs from other nations in the United Rugby Championship.
As mentioned previously, handicap betting is synonymous with rugby. Games often have both Asian handicap and 3-way handicap options, with a range of different handicaps for you to select. You can also bet on handicaps for just the first or second half of a game, which is a good option when live betting. Bet.co.za is our favourite site for rugby handicap betting today.
Cricket Handicap Betting
Cricket is another team sport that is hugely popular in South Africa and where handicaps are common in betting.
The South Africa international side is one of the most successful in the game. South Africa regularly play test matches, one days games and 20Twenty contests, in which they are the big favourites. For many of those games South Africa are big favourites, so applying a handicap in betting, helps to even things up and create more attractive odds.
Popular domestic cricket competitions in South Africa include the 4-Day Series, Momentum One Day Cup and the Mzanzi Super League. They and international competitions such as the IPL, provide plenty of opportunities for cricket betting with handicaps. Sportaza is our favourite cricket site for handicap wagers.
Durban July Handicap Betting
The Durban July Handicap is the biggest horse racing event in South Africa and a major date on the sporting calendar. Sponsored by Hollywood Bets, this race is an example of a different way that a handicap can be used in betting.
It’s open to horses aged three and up with all runners given handicap marks. The highest rated horse carries the topweight. This one forms the handicap as the ratings of other horses and their weight carried is relative to the difference.
Much like a handicap applied by a bookmaker, this is supposed to even out the race and give the outsiders more of a chance. Ran at Greyville Racecourse in Durban, the race has a purse of R5,000,000.
Durban July Handicap betting is massively popular in South Africa and every bookmaker operating in the country, goes all out to attract bets on the event. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the access it had to the race as sponsor, Hollywood Bets is our favourite Durban July Handicap online betting site.
Handicap Betting Tips
In this section we’re going to give you some handicap betting tips, to help you to be profitable and enjoy the experience. If you’re new to handicap wagers, then it might take you a little while to get the measure, of this different type of betting market.
Follow these tips and handicaps will end up being a market that you’ll relish.
Tip 1: Mind The Gap
A handicap adds a layer of complexity to a bet and increases the chances that a bookmaker making an error in pricing, that you can take advantage of. A football team may well be a massive favourite to win a game, but that doesn’t mean that they will necessarily be able to overcome the handicap.
Perhaps they tend to win games narrowly, with their success built on a tight defence. There is also the possibility that the opposition, though limited, rarely lose by a big amount. Do your research thoroughly.
Tip 2: Vital Statistics
When it comes to research, the information isn’t difficult to find these days. There are many sites that deal with sporting statistics online. These include Asian handicap betting sites, which often feature their own statistics and results section, with links often appearing within the actual market. Analysing trends and current form is another way to beat the bookie.
Tip 3: Read All About It
Make sure you’re up to date with the latest news about the event that you’re betting on. You might fancy a football team to easily win by a large margin and overcome the handicap, but would you be so sure if their star striker was injured?
When strong teams play weaker sides, they can often rest their best players, which in turn has an impact on their capacity to beat the handicap. Don’t find yourself surprised at team news or event information, when it’s so easy to stay in the know.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our guide to handicap betting sites. As you’ll have seen, there is ample choice, with handicap markets available on all the most popular sports in South Africa.
With handicap betting explained, you should now be confident in placing some wagers on this type of market. In our opinion, Hollywood Bets is the best all-round option for South African users, looking to get involved with handicap betting.
FAQs
What does handicap mean in betting?
Can I cash out handicap bets?
What does handicap +1.5 mean in betting?
Can I use a free bet on a handicap bet?
What is the meaning of handicap in soccer betting?
Dan Fitch
Dan Fitch
