Betfred Launch In South Africa - Including UK 49's and Lucky Numbers

COPLEY S. Author

Last Updated: 27th Sept 2022

Copley Sutton is a passionate freelance copywriter based in Johannesburg, South Africa. His skills involve SEO copywriting, user-friendly blogging, and creating website content that keeps people hooked. For Copley it’s about having conversations with readers. He’s as passionate about writing as he is about cooking and healthy living. Contact him at copywriter(at)copleysutton.co.za

Note: *The following article is purely for fun. It is based on individual opinions and does not constitute advice. The drawing of lottery numbers is entirely random. Please always gamble responsibly. #Ad. Find out more on our How Our Site Works page.

Are you up to date with the latest developments in South Africa’s betting arena? This update involves one of the big gaming names in the world, namely the UK’s Betfred, who recently purchased Betting World South Africa.

We thought it would be useful to give you an overview so you can decide between the best possible betting opportunities available to South African players.

Who are ‘Betfred’ and ‘Betting World’?

The bookmaker Betfred is a UK based company that Fred Done founded a few decades ago, back in 1967. What started as just one shop grew into an empire that in recent years could report turnovers as high as £10 billion. Do some quick math and you’ll see that at 2022 exchange rates, that’s around R200 billion!

And now, this powerful gaming company is in South Africa too.

Betfred’s doorway into the South African gambling industry is via Betting World. This brand came onto the betting scene in 2006 and is one of the subsidiaries of Phumelela. The latter is a well-known horse racing and betting operator that until around January 2021 traded on the JSE.

Over the years, Betting World grew as a retail bookmaker and had various sportsbooks branches across the country. Supporters knew them for impressive betting lines on the sports picks that everyone enjoyed.

What Exactly Happened Between Betfred and Betting World South Africa?

The worldwide lockdowns undoubtedly affected brands like Phumelela. Ultimately, the brand faced a business rescue process, in order to handle debts of over $300 million.

From Betfred’s perspective, they have been hoping to enter the betting world in Africa for quite some time. According to Phil Siers, Betfred’s Chief Commercial Officer, the brand is looking forward to investing in Africa.

Now, in 2022 Betfred has its brand name in the South African market, thanks to the acquisition of Betting World.

Some reports say the deal entailed payment of around £6.1 million (around R120 million). However, the official parties have not confirmed or announced the exact amount at time of writing.

Is this Good or Bad News for South Africans?

Is it a good thing that a foreign brand now plays a large role in South Africans’ online gambling experiences?

The experts would say it is, since it unlocks so many opportunities for locals. After all, they offer a wide variety of betting entertainment, including live sports, lottery betting, and horse racing.

Also, many would see the UK as the origin of the much loved 49’s lotto betting... And now there’s a powerful brand active on the South African scene, that can provide access to more betting options—and hopefully great odds.

Some would also say Betfred is the UK’s primary service provider when it comes to lotto betting. What UK players had, South Africans can now also potentially look forward to. So, more international gaming standards may become accessible for SA.

How Does This Affect You?

Anyone interested in these developments can have a look at the newly launched site. And on comparison sites and resource platforms like Bet49s, you’ll have the impressive odds from this global brand to consider.

Betfred Launch—What to Look Forward to

If you want to plan how you’ll utilise the benefits of Betfred in SA, here are a few highlights to consider.

» Better 49s Lotto Odds—We Hope

For starters, don’t necessarily assume that a new, global brand will always be the best. That’s exactly why a platform like Bet49s.co.za is so helpful. Do a comparison and you’ll see Betfred’s 49s lotto odds aren’t always the best—yet.

We’re hoping the brand will do its utmost to impress its new audience. So, keep checking because we hope they will give better 49s lotto odds in the near future.

» Wide Range of Lucky Numbers

If you do need to spice up your online betting sessions, the Betfred platforms is a good place to try. They do offer a wide range of options, including many lotteries to pick from.

» The Unique Nifty Fifty

A growing favourite in the UK is the Nifty Fifty lottery - which has 5 draws per day and was actually the brainchild of Betfred owner Fred Done. You won’t find this on any other SA platform. We’ll have to wait and see whether Fred brings the £5 Million Nifty Fifty jackpot to South Africa (its currently available for UK and Irish customers)

» Famously Favourable Offers

One of the reasons Betfred is so popular in the UK is that players know them to give favourable offers. Despite being a big, established brand, they still ensure a customer focused experience. From special offers to odds you’ll love, there’s a lot to like about the Betfred approach to gambling.

Some of the offers that are worth trying out include:

R50 Sign up bonus: Currently, Betfred offers new account holders a R50 bonus, simply for signing up. You’ll receive the bonus in your Bonus Wallet and it’s yours whether using your Desktop online or your mobile. You should see it reflect within 2 hours of signing up and remember to use it within your first month, so it doesn’t expire. Players must use the Welcome Bonus on a single bet and you’ll be eligible for a maximum payout of R500.

R50 Refer a Friend bonus: Account holders can claim a Refer a Friend bonus, again of R50. There are some prerequisites, so make sure to read the fine print. For one thing, send in the claim within 2 days of your friend opening his or her account.

You can keep up to date about other special offers, even a Triple Deposit Bonus offer, via the brand’s Promotions page.

Conclusion

Perhaps Betfred entering the SA betting market will add a fresh feel to the industry? Time will tell and we wish everyone involved the best of luck.

The most important message we’d like to convey to all our users is - please only ever bet what you can comfortably afford. Lotto betting should always be fun.