South Africans wagered more than R1-trillion in the 2023/24 financial year.

Two-thirds of that total was spent on betting, mainly on sports and horse racing, according to the National Gambling Board.

Of the nine provinces, Mpumalanga recorded the highest gambling spend at R359.3-billion, followed closely by the Western Cape at R353.2-billion. Gauteng trailed at R173.7-billion.

In Mpumalanga and the Western Cape, betting is the clear favourite, accounting for 96% and 84% of gambling spend respectively. In contrast, Gauteng remains a stronghold for casinos, where 77% of its gambling turnover was recorded. Casinos also led in KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State and the Eastern Cape.

Nationally, betting now far outpaces other forms of gambling, generating a turnover of R761-billion – more than double that of casinos, which brought in R297-billion.

All this activity contributed R4.8-billion to government revenue through taxes and levies in the 2023/24 financial year.