MultiChoice has set in motion the next part of its plan to take up a piece of SA’s growing online betting pie, announcing two new games that capitalise on the popularity of soccer teams Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
On Tuesday, Africa’s largest pay-TV operator said it had released two new casino games: Bucs Gold Rush and Amakhosi Cash, centred on Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, respectively.
Similar games have already proven popular for MultiChoice.
In July 2024, the group launched the Aviator casino game in SA through its KingMakers unit. The game, created by Spribe, now has more than 5-million monthly active players worldwide and is growing in popularity locally.
MultiChoice has long used sport as a drawcard to its various offerings, with SuperSport being the largest sports broadcaster on the continent. While the unit has traditionally been used to justify perceived high prices for DStv, the group is now using sport to grow its place in the gambling market.
Launched in January 2024, SuperSportBet is being used as a tool to increase engagement with the broadcaster’s sports content. Sport, in particular football, is already a major selling point for the group, with betting adding another layer of emotional and financial investment for audiences, while helping the group to grow a fresh revenue stream in the face of falling subscription numbers for DStv.
To make its presence felt, SuperSportBet is drawing on the large audiences associated with the upcoming Soweto Derby, between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, to promote the new games. This is the Premier Soccer League’s highlight fixture each season, and one of the most-watched derbies in the world.
According to rival Sportingbet SA, soccer is by far the most bet on sporting code on its platform. Somewhat unexpected is that basketball is the second most bet on sport, despite SA not necessarily having a reputation as a basketball country. The next most popular sports are tennis, rugby and cricket.
We haven’t seen anything like this done in Africa as a whole. We’re now very committed to making sure that both games are exclusive to us.
— Grant Greeff
SuperSportBet CEO
During a media event in Soweto, SuperSportBet CEO Grant Greeff said this was one of the first instances of such a collaboration being done in the world.
“We haven’t seen anything like this done in Africa as a whole. We’re now very committed to making sure that both games are exclusive to us. Beyond the games, there’s an opportunity to engage with all of our customers, whether they’re Kaizer Chiefs or Orlando Pirates supporters. We want to make sure we stay true, elevate the experience and get them even closer to the club(s),” he said.
In June 2021, the group paid $281.5m to increase its stake in BetKing, a digital and sports entertainment platform that focuses on Africa, to 49%. It initially bought a 20% stake in October 2020. Blue Lake Ventures, which traded as BetKing, subsequently changed its name to KingMakers.
According to the National Gambling Board of SA, at the end of the 2023/24 period, R1.1-trillion was wagered in the country’s gambling industry, 40.2% higher than the turnover generated in the previous financial year. Gross gambling revenue (GGR) amounted to R59.3bn, a 25.7% increase from the previous year.
Of the total, betting generated 60.5% of industry GGR at R35.9bn, with casinos leading the charge, at R17.4bn, about 29% of the pie. Sports betting stood at just under R2.1bn in the period.
The local market is dominated by Betway, Hollywoodbets, PlayaBets and Easybet.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.