Hollywoodbets South Africa Review

Hollywoodbets is one of South Africa’s most popular sportsbooks. It has earned a reputation as a local operator that delivers quality sports and casino betting with some added extras. With over 20 years in the business, the operator understands their audience and provides a decent overall experience. Read on as our review includes lots of useful facts about this bookie.

Hollywoodbets Reviews by Our Experts

Lindsey Jones

Tested 12-03-2024

The Perfect Sportsbook for SA Players

Drawing on my own experience, I am happy to share my take on HollywoodBets with you. As a dedicated South African sports fan, Hollywood Bets was the platform I was looking for. It caters to every South African sports bettor's preferences.

All the SA favourites are available to bet on, with competitive odds offered on all betting markets. I was able to enjoy my Hollywoodbets experience from my mobile without having to download an app. This was great for me as someone who is always on the go. I love that I can enjoy Hollywood Bets at any time from wherever I may be.

Overal Rating:

5/5

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Denise Mathey

Tested 21-06-2023

Bet Like a Star, Feel Like a Legend

As an experienced sportsbook tester and reviewer with more than 5 years of experience, I'm glad to bring my Hollywoodbets insights to the forefront. Stay with me now as I give you a brief synopsis of Hollywoodbet's sportsbook and casino offerings.

Hollywoodbets is one of South Africa's most popular online bookmakers due to the fact that it has a wider market share than any of its competitors. What I did love about Hollywoodbets is their wide assortment of betting options which included a cash-out feature, new match builder, and book a-bet feature. Additionally, all of South Africa's favorite sports, like soccer, tennis, rugby, basketball, and horse racing, are available here.

Now moving on to the casino games. Hollywoodbets has a variety of casino games, all powered by several different software providers such as Evolution Gaming, Pragmatic Play, and BetGames.TV. Whether you're into slot games, video poker, or popular table games like roulette and blackjack, it's all available here on the Hollywoodbets casino platform. Additionally, Hollywoodbets offers some authentic gaming titles that are all live-streamed from various studios, while some automated games do not have a live dealer.

While there is a dedicated Hollywoodbets mobile app data-free only, the mobile site functions pretty well on mobile browsers making navigation through the drop-down fairly quick and simple. While there's still room for improvement, the mobile still allows you to place your wagers on the go.

One of the drawbacks of the Hollywoodbets casino and sports betting platform is that their bonuses and promotions are quite limited; however, they more than makeup for that with a selection of betting markets, competitive odds, and speedy withdrawals.

Overal Rating:

5/5

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Ernest Masuka

Tested 19-05-2023

Updated UI and Strong Focus on Locally-Popular Gambling Options

As a South African resident who’s spent the past five years reviewing online gambling sites from all around the world, I’m uniquely equipped to evaluate Hollywoodbets’ performance. The last time I explored the website, it looked like it was stuck back in the 90s. This time, the newer and more modern UI is more attractive and easier to navigate. Kudos to the Hollywoodbets team for sorting this out.

You won’t get the broadest of sports betting options here, but my opinion is Hollywoodbets chose to put particular focus on what their South African customers really want. As such, soccer and horse racing have comprehensive coverage. You can bet on leagues from close to a hundred countries, and a section is even set aside for price boosts.

The lottery is also quite extensive, with daily draws available from as close as Zimbabwe to as far as the US. Compared to more established international online casino brands, Hollywoodbets doesn’t have the biggest game catalog. But I was still impressed by its partnership with software providers like Evolution and Pragmatic Play. Slots, live dealer games, and even arcade-type games like Aviator are up for play.

Games aren’t playable in demo mode, and you’ll need to upload FICA documents before you can log in and explore the full range of games. I felt this was a missed opportunity to let curious players hang around and have fun before eventually depositing.

Overal Rating:

5/5

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Hollywoodbets South Africa – the Basics

Silentbet tested the betting services of Hollywoodbets for South Africa. Before you see our findings, here are some quick facts to consider.

Hollywoodbets Details

Why Choose Hollywoodbets – Pros/Cons

The Review – Hollywoodbets for South Africa

Like a fine South African wine, Hollywoodbets has gotten better with age. The company has more than 20 years of experience and has used that time to grow a loyal customer base. One of the reasons that people stick with it is because the operator is continuously improving.

New products are added, issues are resolved, and even the website has recently received a refresh that makes it more pleasing to the eye. It’s the features and excellent horse racing markets that keep bettors coming back.

Hollywoodbets: Good Stuff

Hollywoodsbet SA are experts in entertaining customers. Whether at their physical locations or online, Hollywoodbets knows how to look after people in South Africa. It does that through good customer support, plenty of choices, and a site that is easy to navigate.

This site is packed with features. You can book, share and load a bet. After you place your bets you can check the ticket online or offline using USSD. There are also other options for having fun apart from sports betting. You can pick your lucky numbers, play live games, or participate in virtual sports betting.

The bookie offers brilliant horse racing bets. The overall selection from this bookmaker is worth signing up for, but if betting on horses is your style, national and international races are covered with many bet types.

Hollywoodbets: Room For Improvement

This operator promotes a small welcome bonus. We appreciate the fact that there is a no deposit reward. However, since the amount is small, it would be even better to see a deposit offer too.

There are also limited withdrawal options. While EFT is convenient, we would like to see at least one or two alternatives.

Welcome No Deposit Bonus at Hollywoodbets

If you sign up as a new customer, Hollywoodbets bonus rewards you with a no deposit bonus. The offer gives you R25 free bet and 50 free spins, and you can explore the site without risking your own cash. All you need to do is activate your account either through the desktop or mobile site.

On the one hand, you do not need to add any funds to qualify. However, the downsides are that the bonus amount is small, and it expires quickly.

Terms and Conditions

You need to be over 18 to register and receive the reward. If your ID number isn’t verified, additional documents might be required before your account is active. There are a few other key points worth noting when using the bonus:

• It expires after 24 hours
• You do not need to submit FICA documents to participate
• You cannot withdraw the bonus amount
• Once you have bet the R25 one time bonus, then any winnings can be withdrawn
• The free spins are 50 maximum with 50c per spin worth. Use them on the qualifying Habanero titles. R1000 is the maximum winning you can withdraw from the spins
• You cannot bet on both markets for an event with the bonus amount, and any bets must have odds higher than 0.5 to be valid

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Compare Hollywoodbets with other bookmakers

Welcome Bonus

R25 + 50 FS

Rating

9.5

Bonus Percentage

-

Minimum Deposit

-

Turnover

1x

Live Betting

Live Streaming

Cashout

Apps

Visit HollywoodBets

18+ T&C apply | Play Responsibly

Welcome Bonus

R1,000

Rating

9.5

Bonus Percentage

100%

Minimum Deposit

-

Turnover

3x

Live Betting

Live Streaming

Cashout

Apps

Visit Betway.co.za

18+ T&C apply | Play Responsibly

Welcome Bonus

R3,000 + 300 FS

Rating

9.5

Bonus Percentage

-

Minimum Deposit

R50

Turnover

10x

Live Betting

Live Streaming

Cashout

Apps

Visit Sportingbet

18+ T&C apply | Play Responsibly

Sign Up to Hollywoodbets SA

If you are interested in creating an account, you can follow our signup guide and learn how to register at Hollywoodbets. It takes you through the steps to register so that you can start betting and enjoying the unique features in no time.

How To Register

1. Follow the link to Hollywoodbets.
2. In the top right corner, click the Register button. It will launch the signup screen.
3. You will need to enter your full name, ID number, mobile number, email address, residential address, source of income, and gender. At this stage, you create the password for your account, choose how you see your odds, and opt-in to receive promotional materials. You must confirm that you are over 18 and agree to the terms and conditions to proceed.
4. Once submitted, your details will be checked and your account created. The next step is to claim your no deposit offer, add some money and start playing.

Open a New Account

FICA at Hollywoodbets

As a legitimate bookmaker and online games site, Hollywoodbets has to follow the rules and request FICA documents from you. You can handle this process when you register or before you place a bet. You must complete it before you make a withdrawal.

It involves checking and verifying your identity. The aim is to prevent financial crime, such as money laundering, fraud, tax evasion, and identity theft. You can upload the necessary documents to your account, email them to customer support, drop them off at a nearby branch, or send photographs via Facebook message.

Betting Offers and Other Promotions

The dedicated page that you can reach on the desktop and mobile site is usually packed with numerous ways for customers to benefit. They fall under several categories:

Competitions

Many of the Hollywoodbets offers are competitions, but they will suit different types of players. You can be given a chance to win a prize by buying a top-up voucher from a particular location, by opting in and placing a bet on live games, or by depositing an amount with a particular method.

Cashback

You can get your stake back or even more with the cashback promotions. They usually focus on soccer bets, where you miss out by one leg. There’s also a horse racing promotion for Irish objections; if an objection is raised and your horse misses out, you get a full refund.

Tournaments

Similar to competitions but you have to earn points to get a prize. A good example is the popular Punters’ Challenge, where you climb the leaderboard when you pick the right horse to win.

Referral

You earn a bonus when you refer a friend. If they sign up for an account and deposit R 50. You get a betting voucher worth R 50, and they get R 25. They need to turn over the full amount for the voucher to be awarded and to withdraw any winnings.

South Africa Hollywoodbets Sportsbook

The operator might have taken its name from the famous Hollywood Park racetrack in the US, but the brand is South African. The company dates back to 1986, when it was publishing racecards.

The transformation to the successful brand that we know today began in 1999 when the first online offering was launched. Since then, it has worked hard to serve local bettors in South Africa and, as a result, became the go-to bookmaker.

While it is not the only attraction, the sportsbook is undoubtedly the main event at Hollywoodbets. There are 21 different sports categories to bet on, including:

• American Football
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Darts
• eSports
• Football
• Handball
• Ice Hockey
• MMA
• Motor Sports
• Rugby
• Snooker
• Table Tennis
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Cricket
• Formula 1
• Beach Volleyball
• Chess
• Cycling
• Futsal
• Golf
• Politics
• Water Polo
• Horse Racing

The extensive list tells us that most punters will be kept happy. You could be a sports fanatic that generally likes to bet, and you will have plenty of events to choose from all year. However, if you like a particular sport, such as football or horse racing, you will find many events and leagues covered with a range of interesting bets that offer value.

Horse Race Betting

Hollywoodbets excels when it comes to horse racing markets. For South African sites, it is one of the best. You can explore national races, as well as events from the UK, US, Sweden, Ireland, Canada, France, and Australia.

The operator offers more than betting. There are tips, analysis, and regular competitions, like the Punters’ Challenge. It’s a leaderboard where players accumulate points for successful bets, and those that climb to the top win cash prizes.

Soccer

Arguably the three most popular sports in South Africa, bettors can expect good coverage for soccer, rugby, and cricket matches. International soccer tournaments are sure to draw attention, but there is action through most of the year with over 50 leagues to bet on, plus price boosts for different matches. Soccer fans will have every need satisfied.

Rugby

Rugby union and rugby league markets are available, with outright and match bets. There is a lot of action with Six Nations, the NRL, Super League, and the English Premiership featured. Soccer is another major feature at Hollywoodbets, second only to horse racing. You will find a soccer betting news section to stay up to date.

Cricket

For cricket, big tournaments and national leagues are covered, which means you will get the action from Mzansi, plus league games from England, Australia, and the Caribbean.

In-Play Betting at Hollywoodbets

If you like to bet while a game is in action, then the In-Running and Live In-Play sections will suit you. It is home to all the current events; you can see anything that is live or upcoming. There are different markets available that focus more on moment-by-moment play.

Odds are updated frequently to reflect any change in events in the match. You can keep track through a visualisation of the game that includes a small commentary and statistics.

Live Streaming

For now, Hollywoodbets South Africa does not offer live videos for the in-play games. You can only follow animated visualisations – Match Tracker.

Cashout

You can use cashout at this bookie. Sell your slip before the match ends for some guaranteed profit or to mitigate graver loss.

Like other online betting sites, you can choose to close your bet before a sports event ends to minimize your losses or receive a portion of your stake. So, if you’re currently winning your bet but aren’t sure you’ll win after the game ends, you can still get somewhat of a profit.

Or, if your wager is losing, you can minimise your loss, so you aren’t losing significant amounts of money. However, you should be aware that this offer is only available on the mobile website, and bettors must complete all cash outs before a round starts.

Mind you, you cannot cancel a bet for no apparent reason. The only option is to contact customer support right away and say you made a mistake.

Top Betting Features

Hollywoodbets is much more than a desktop sportsbook. That isn’t even half of what the operator has to offer to keep you entertained. It has a unique list of gambling products that provides numerous ways to bet, but also provides variety and quality, which makes it unlikely that you will get bored.

Spina Zonke

You can choose between plenty of jackpot games here. All progressive slots start with a minimum bet of 20c or less. Games here differ in theme and come from different gaming providers. Some titles include:

• Hot Hot Fruit
• Orbs of Atlantis
• Happy Ape
• Jellyfish Flow
• Scopa
• Wild Trucks

Betgames at Hollywoodbets

If you are visiting Hollywoodbets, you will want to check out the Betgames Africa page. They are live dealer games that give you different ways to bet and win. The catalogue includes:

• Speedy 7
• War of Bets
• 6+ Poker
• Bet on Poker
• Baccarat
• Wheel of Fortune
• Lucky 7
• Lucky 6
• Lucky 5
• Classic Wheel
• Dice Duel
• Andar Bahar
• Rock Paper Scissors

Jika Sports at Hollywoodbets

A cross between sportsbook bets and casino games, Jika sports is a virtual sports section that involves sports-related games. It means you can bet all year round, day or night, and still find some action.

You will receive some information about the match-up and the odds. After you bet, the simulated event unfolds but faster than real-time matches do. Once you have the result, you will know if you have won or lost, with no waiting days or weeks for the outcome.

Jika Sport options include:

• Dog racing
• Horse racing roulette
• Horse racing
• Equestrian
• NASCAR
• Soccer
• Trotting

Fantasy League Betting

At one time, Hollywoodbets had fantasy sports betting through ‘predict and win’ games. They are, however, no longer active. Even if there are no fantasy games right now, the Predict & Win free-to-enter cash games are still in place. So check them out instead.

Live Dealer Games at Hollywoodbets

There are two live dealer games sections on the Hollywoodbets site. They are divided based on the software provider. One is from Evolution Gaming (which powers the Mega Ball 100X game show, Lightning Dice and more), which has a strong reputation in the industry. The other is Ezugi, which is also known for producing excellent live games.

Players can pick:

• Baccarat
• Sic Bo
• Dice
• Poker
• Roulette
• Blackjack
• Games shows

Exotic Bets at Hollywoodbets

The sports exotic page delivers the interesting combo and multi-bets that Hollywoodbets creates for you. They typically involve six legs. The odds are combined to give you a bigger payout. However, you need all of the legs to win to see your return. The bets focus on soccer matches.

Something Different

If all of that is not enough for you, do not worry, there is even more. Hollywoodbets gathers the lotto games from different countries and puts them all in one place. The lucky numbers page and Fafi lets you enter the draw in over 100 different lotteries from 60 locations.

Instant Win is another live games section similar to lucky numbers. There are draws happening before your eyes around the clock, with a new one starting every four minutes. It’s like lotto, but you can place small bets across four different studios, and each draw has different game options for predicting the numbers.

Golden Race gives you even more games in various formats. There’s Keno, Super 7, Mega 7, and Spin2Wheels, which have lottery or game show play with several ways to bet.

Hollywoodbets casino SA

Hollywoodbets provides Lucky Numbers betting (a type of lott), Betgames Africa (with live dealers) and scratch cards. There is also a casino by Authentic, Evolution, Pragmatic Play, and Ezugi. Games like Aviator, JetX and Split the Pot are also featured. The casino allows for free spins bonuses and many slots and live casino games options.

Most games are available after login only. They come with no free DEMO mode to try.

Payment Methods Available

There are several ways to fund your account at Hollywoodbets. The wide range means that most customers will find an option that suits them. You can choose between these fast and secure methods:

• Deposit Methods
• Withdrawal Methods

Payment Method	Deposit Minimum	Deposit Maximum	Time for Deposit
Bank Wire Transfer	R20	R5,000 w/t verification	24 - 48 Hours
Debit Cards	R50	R5,000 w/t verification	Instant
Credit Cards	R50	R5,000 w/t verification	Instant
E-Vouchers	R10	R5,000 w/t verification	Instant
PayU	R5	R5,000 w/t verification	Instant
1VOUCHER	R10	R5,000 w/t verification	Instant
Zapper	R5	R5,000 w/t verification	Instant
Ozow	R5	R5,000 w/t verification	Instant
SID	R5	R199 999	Instant
PayFast	R5	R5,000 w/t verification	Instant
EasyEFT	R5	R5000	Instant
Instant EFT	R5	R5000	Instant
Peach Payments	R5	R5000	Instant
OTT Vouchers	R10	R5,000 w/t verification	Instant
Blu Voucher	R10	R5,000 w/t verification	Instant

Payment Method	Withdrawal Minimum	Withdrawal Maximum	Time for Withdrawal
Bank Wire Transfer	R50	R5,000	3-5 days
Debit Cards	R50	R5,000	2-3 days
Credit Cards	R50	R5,000	2-3 days
E-Vouchers	R50	R5,000	2-3 days
PayU	R50	R5,000	Instant
1VOUCHER	R50	R5,000	2-3 days
Zapper	R50	R5,000	Instant
Ozow	R50	R5,000	Instant
SID	R50	R5,000	Instant
PayFast	R50	R5,000	Instant
EasyEFT	N/A	N/A	N/A
Instant EFT	N/A	N/A	N/A
Peach Payments	N/A	N/A	N/A
OTT Vouchers	N/A	N/A	N/A
Blu Voucher	N/A	N/A	N/A

How To Deposit

Hollywoodbets has accounts with all the major South African banks. This means that when transfers occur, they are quick, and the money appears almost instantly. If you are depositing to one of the bank accounts, you can do so from your bank, at an ATM, or online. An excellent option is to top up using a voucher as well.

Follow these steps to make a deposit:

1. Choose the bank account that matches yours; either ABSA, First National Bank, Nedbank, or Standard Bank. You can find the exact details on the Hollywoodbets site.
2. Choose the amount you wish to deposit.
3. Include your Hollywoodbets account number as the reference.
4. The Hollywoodbets team checks the statements regularly and will credit your account as soon as the deposit is seen and received.

Transfers between the same bank can take up to 24 hours, whereas transactions to different banks are up to 48 hours.

Withdrawals

You have one option for withdrawals at Hollywoodbets. All transactions are processed in a timely manner. Requests are reviewed Monday to Friday, and you can expect the money in your account within 48 business hours. If you do not have your money within that time, you should contact customer support.

Follow these steps to make a withdrawal:

1. Visit your account page.
2. Click the withdraw button to launch the process.
3. Enter the amount to withdraw and confirm or enter the details if you have not already done so.
4. Submit and wait for the funds to appear.

Mobile Betting Hollywoodbets

Hollywoodbets has an Android app data free. No iOS application for now, but it has an excellent mobile site. Launched around the same time as the new website, it has been designed with smaller touchscreens in mind. That means that navigation is effortless; you can scroll with one thumb and quickly tap to place bets. So you can choose between the Hollywoodbets datafree app, the new and old mobile site.

You have access to the same fantastic features via the Hollywoodbets mobile app as the desktop site. That includes games, sports bets, promotions, deposits and withdrawals, and superb customer support. There are also some added extras, like the ability to cash out early on some soccer bets.

Customer Support & List of Contacts

Hollywoodbets has a supportive team of customer care professionals. You can get in touch with them through any of the following:

• Live chat
• Email: hwhelpline@hollywoodbets.net
• Tel. Number: 087 353 7634

Hollywoodbets Rating & Conclusion

Hollywoodbets South Africa scores 9.5/10. The experience on the desktop and mobile sites is fantastic, the betting markets are superb, offer real depth, and customer support is decent. To reach an even higher score, it could improve on the bonus and withdrawal options.

Although there are a couple of downsides, Hollywoodbets is still unquestionably a site that is worth visiting. The website is attractive; the substance matches the style as there are hundreds of bets and a variety of games and opportunities to play that other sites do not feature. It is unique, trusted, and makes every process a pleasure.

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Common Questions