The 2026 World Cup is almost here, and South Africans are playing online more than ever

Online games in South Africa have rapidly grown in popularity in recent years. The National Gambling Board (NGB) reports that the country witnessed a R1.5 trillion gambling turnover for 2024/2025. That’s up from R1.1 trillion for 2023/2024, which was already a 550% increase over four years.

The same reports show that gross gambling revenues reached R75 billion in the 2024/2025 fiscal year, a roughly 26% rise from the R59.3 billion generated in the year prior. Of the 2024/2025 numbers, 70% came from betting and 22% from online games. 

You can even see the spike in searches for related terms during major sports events on Google Trends, as was the case with “online games” during the last World Cup.

More than that, we can see a steady rise in interest in the term, which can only mean that the popularity of online games is growing in South Africa, and we can expect the same during the 2026 World Cup. 

The next edition of the biggest football competition in the world will be fully covered at 10bet, and fans will be able to enjoy a broad range of both betting and online games. 

Moreover, as mobile gaming is also enjoying rising popularity in South Africa, driven by improving infrastructure, better mobile connectivity, and greater smartphone access, these sites make sure they are perfectly mobile-accessible.

The World Cup will start on 11 June and end on 19 July 2026, and it will be hosted in North America, specifically in the US, Mexico, and Canada. This means that South Africans will get to watch most of these in the evening or at night, with most group stage games scheduled to take place between 19:00 and 02:00.

These late-night kickoff times align perfectly with when most fans would want to go for online games. They are online at that time anyway, and the excitement of the World Cup easily amplifies their eagerness to play. When the football fever hits, a competitive mindset follows, and an appetite for instant engagement grows. 

That’s because this is rarely a casual viewing for big fans. They fully immerse themselves in these matches, especially when Bafana Bafana is playing. They check scores in other matches at the same time, calculate how the SA team is faring and what its chances of passing the group stage are, and engage with others online via social media.  

That energy spills over the 90 minutes of a game, and when the match ends, the excitement doesn’t necessarily stop, so it’s natural for SA fans to keep the excitement going on gambling sites. 

Online platforms offer a well-rounded World Cup experience. For instance, the 2026 World Cup at 10bet is accompanied by a broad range of gaming opportunities, promotions, and more. At the same time, the site offers a complete spectrum of online games for World Cup fans to enjoy at halftime or after a match. 

Many factors suggest the 2026 World Cup will keep the passion going, especially the tournament’s historic expansion and the continual rise in gaming popularity. Most importantly, the Bafana Bafana is playing in the opening match and in a somewhat manageable group.