Eager to start your online gambling adventures at top South African betting websites? Well, one of the things that you need to consider first is the online casino you are going to settle at. The plethora of betting sites makes the task of choosing the desirable site to settle at a bit overwhelming. To aid all players on this front, we decided to pen a comprehensive betting site comparison guide that juxtapositions two of South Africa’s top online betting sites that is, Betway and Hollywoodbets.
In this comparison guide, we are going to pit Betway against Hollywoodbets on all fronts including the registration process, login process, FICA verification exercise, gambling products offered, bonuses and promotions, customer support platforms and the banking methods supported. Before we go into the finer details, however, let’s just check out the quick facts (similarities and differences) between the two. Take a look at all Hollywoodbets Results.
Quick Facts
| Sportsbook Features | Betway | Hollywoodbets |
| No deposit bonus | No | Yes |
| First Deposit Match Bonus | Yes | No |
| Regular Promotions for Account Holders | Yes | Yes |
| Synched Registration and FICA Processes | Yes | No |
| Sports Betting Products | Yes | Yes |
| Non-Sports Betting Products | Yes | Yes |
| In-Play Betting | Yes | Yes |
| Early Cash out | Yes | Yes |
| Parlay Bets | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile App | Yes | No |
The Registration Process
Betway and Hollywoodbets all require that players register their accounts first before they start accessing any of the gambling products they offer. This, therefore, means that the very first thing you need to do whether you choose to settle at Betway or Hollywoodbets is to undertake the registration process.
Both gambling sites do have the ‘Register/Sign Up’ buttons readily available on the homepage. This, therefore, means you just need to launch the official sites at https://www.betway.co.za/ Or https://m.hollywoodbets.net/.
Once done head over to the header tab and select the registration button. The registration page will load soon after necessitating you to provide all the details requested to become the latest member at the site.
The information requested on the registration page of both betting sites is essentially the same. This includes your personal info such as full name as it appears on the national ID, date of birth, residential address, email address and phone number. You are also asked to choose your security credentials for future login processes here.
The major glaring differences in the registration process between Betway (see Betway Registration Guide) and Hollywoodbets (See Hollywoodbets Registration Guide) is that Betway automatically FICA verifies new players (more on this below). Additionally, when it comes to Hollywoodbets, you are instructed to choose your preferred odds format. Betway on the other hand just lets players go with the default decimal odds format. Those who want to change can do so later after finishing the account registration process.
The FICA Verification Exercise
South African laws relating to online gambling stipulate that all betting sites should authenticate the identity of all their players. This is done via the FICA verification exercise. At Betway, as you set up your account for the first time, the bookie can automatically authenticate and verify your identity. This means you won’t need to take any further steps as soon as your account is up and running. In the rare instance that Betway fails to verify your identity automatically during the sign-up process, you will need to head over to your account profile and upload your identity documents on the FICA tab.
Things are different however when it comes to Hollywoodbets. When it comes to Hollywoodbets, you undertake the FICA verification exercise on your own once your account is up and running. There is an ‘Upload FICA Now’ button on the homepage which you should click to upload your documents. A great beauty of Hollywoodbets is that it also allows all its players to verify their identity in person by visiting any of the Hollywoodbets retail booths across the country with their identity documents.
When it comes to the documents requested when verifying your identity, both Betway and Hollywoodbets accept the same type of documents. These include the following: Green Book ID, South African Smart ID Card, Passport, or Valid Driver License.
The Login Process
Both Betway and Hollywoodbets values the security of all their players. It’s against this background that after registering an account, the betting sites prompt players to undertake the login process each time they want to access their accounts. Players at both sites are recommended to log out after their gaming sessions. However, those who fail will be automatically logged out after a period of inactivity.
Once logged out, the next time you want to access your account, you have to undertake the login process. At the Betway (see Betway Login Guide) site, to log in, you need to launch the official site, head over to the header tab and click on the Log In button. A login pop-up will emerge prompting you to input your security credentials.
Things are a bit different and a lot simpler when it comes to Hollywoodbets (See Hollywoodbets Login Guide). This owing to the fact that after launching the homepage, the login tab is readily available on the head tab. There is thus no need of clicking any button and wait for a pop-up to emerge. Just fill in the details requested (security credentials), opt to be remembered (hence automatically login in future) and click the Log In button to access your account.
Benefits Awarded Upon Registering Your Account
Regardless of whether you have registered an account at Betway or Hollywoodbets, you are guaranteed to receive a warm welcome gift. The welcome gifts awarded at Betway and Hollywoodbets are a bit different as we will expose below.
The Welcome Gift at Hollywoodbets
The most impressive welcome gift is offered at Hollywoodbets. This is necessitated by the fact that this gift is awarded to players soon after completing their account registration process. There is no need to deposit any funds to receive the Hollywoodbets welcome bonus. This owing to the fact that the welcome bonus comes in the form of a R25 no deposit bonus.
Just complete your registration process and you will be awarded a free R25 to use on any of the gambling products offered. If Hollywoodbets delays in processing your no deposit bonus, hasten the process by getting in touch with the customer support agents at 087 353 7634. Remember, the welcome bonus should be used within 24 hours otherwise it will be forfeited.
The Welcome Gift at Betway
The welcome gift at Betway is only awarded once you have made your first deposit. Upon receiving the deposit, Betway awards a 100% first deposit match-up bonus of up to R1,000. What this simply means is that you receive double the amount you deposited. If you deposit R500, you receive R500 free on top.
More Benefits Awarded During Your Stay
Both Betway and Hollywoodbets do not just end with dishing out freebies for newly registered players only. Once you join either of these two, you are guaranteed to receive some great freebies throughout your time with the betting sites.
Hollywoodbets Promos
It’s at Hollywoodbets where you stand a chance of benefiting from a higher number of promotional perks. The perks are designed for both sports punters and casino players. At any time, there will be at least one running promo perks. At the current moment, some of the top promos you can benefit from include:
- Spina Zonke Jackpot Race
All slots lovers at Hollywoodbets are afforded the chance of partaking in the Spina Zonke Jackpot Race. To enter, you just need to wager R2 or more on any of the Spina Zonke games. Once done, you automatically enter into the Jackpot Race draw which takes place every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Those who are lucky to be picked during the draw stand a chance of winning massive prizes running into thousands of Rands.
- VW Polo Life Cars
Wager R20 or more on any horse racing event and automatically enter into the VW Polo Life Cars promo. When the promo ends, a draw is conducted and three lucky winners will walk away with VW Polo Life cars. Other lucky winners will win their fair share of an R250,000 prize pool in betting vouchers.
- Grocery and Betting Vouchers
Often, Hollywoodbets does run some grocery and betting vouchers promotions. Players just need to read the fine print for each promo and enter to stand a chance of winning groceries and betting vouchers worth thousands of Rands.
- Hollywoodbets Punters Challenge
Hollywoodbets does sponsor several horse racing events in South Africa. Punters who place bets on the Hollywoodbets sponsored horse racing events automatically enter into the Punters Challenge. Up to 30 lucky winners are picked at each draw and they stand a chance of winning their fair share of an R10,000 prize pool.
- Soccer Money Back
Parlay bets are accepted at Hollywoodbets. The beauty for all those who place the bets is that they stand a chance of receiving their full stake back when one of leg of a parlay with 10+ legs fail leading to an unsuccessful bet.
Betway Promos
Betway doesn’t offer as much in terms of a high number of promotions. However, it’s still a guarantee that at any time, players who settle at the betting site are guaranteed something to take advantage of. The current promo perks offered at the betting site include:
- Betway 4 To Flag
Betway is running an impressive F1 promo during the course of the current F1 season. To enter the promo, players just need to place bets for the four podium finishers for each race. When their bets are successful, they scoop a cash prize. However, the prize isn’t awarded immediately. Rather, it rolls over to the next race where punters are tasked with predicting the next set of podium finishers. Prizes keep rolling over to the next race until the end of the season. At the end of the season, a draw is conducted and lucky winners share a prize pool worth R300,000.
- Multi Bet Winnings Boost
Parlay bets are accepted at Betway. Each parlay bet created attracts a winnings boost. The winnings boost is paid to each winning bet on top of the standard payout. A parlay with two legs fetches a 2.5% winnings boost. The winnings boost rise to a high of 150% depending on the number of legs on each parlay.
Gambling Products Offered
Betway and Hollywoodbets both operate predominantly as online sportsbooks. This in essence means their primary area of focus is sports betting-related products. However, both betting sites in recent times have taken massive strides in diversifying their product offering. It’s against this background that players can now find non-sports betting products at the betting sites. Below we expose and explore the gambling products offered at both Betway and Hollywoodbets.
Betway Gambling Products
Betway does accept bets on a wide range of sports. These range from the most popular sports such as cricket, football, baseball, basketball, rugby, and ice hockey to niche sports such as darts and Aussie rules. All punters who settle at Betway are afforded the opportunity of placing bets for top international events as well as local events. There are numerous betting markets for each of the sports offered.
Apart from traditional sports, Betway also does accept bets on modern sports such as electronic sports (eSports) and virtual games. Betway does also offer traditional casino games in the mould of baccarat, roulette and blackjack. The majority of these games can be enjoyed in real-time when players enter the BetGames lobby. Those who love spinning the reels are also well catered for thanks to the online slots offered.
Both Hollywoodbets and Betway offer the very popular Aviator Game (also take a look at our Aviator Predictor)
Hollywoodbets Gambling Products
Just like Betway, Hollywoodbets does offer a massive range of sports betting products from all across the world as well as local South African sports events. Amongst the sports betting products offered are grassroots events both local and international. Esports and virtual games are also offered at Hollywoodbets.
What differentiates Betway and Hollywoodbets on the gambling products front are non-sports related products. Hollywoodbets does offer a whole lot more. The non-sports-related products portfolios at the betting site include lucky numbers, BetGames, live games and live instant win games. The presence of lucky numbers means that Hollywoodbets doesn’t just cater to the sports punters and casino players but also caters to the needs of lottery lovers.
Comparing Each Betting Site’s Features
Most punters when they are choosing the perfect betting site to settle at look at various features (parameters). In this section, we are going to expose and explore the main and innovative features that both betting sites offer. First, we will look at the features that are present on both sites and then move on to explore the features that are present at one site and absent on the other.
Common Features at Both Betting Sites
- In Play Betting
Both sites allow punters to place their bets even after an event has commenced. In-play betting is supported for all sports whether the most popular or the niche sports.
- Live Streaming and Match Stats
In addition to placing bets during an event, punters at both betting sites are also afforded the opportunity of catching all the action live as it unfolds thanks to the match stats feature. Some of the events covered at both betting sites are also streamed live making it possible for punters to watch the action in real-time.
- Parlay Bets
Parlay bets are accepted at both Betway and Hollywoodbets. Parlay bets can consist of several legs from different sports or a combination of different betting markets from the same event.
- Parlay Winnings Boost
At both sites, punters who opt for parlay bets get an added advantage of winnings boost. The winnings boost are awarded on a number of legs proportionality basis. This simply means the higher the number of legs on a parlay bet, the higher the winnings boost percentage.
- Early Cash Out
At both betting site, punters do have the opportunity of cashing out early. By cashing out early, we simply mean that punters can choose to redeem their strake back and part of the winnings before the event they bet on comes to an end.
Unique Features at Betway
- Betting Limits
At Betway, the lowest wager that punters can place is R1. The lowest deposit that can be made is R5. The only way to make a deposit as low as R5 is via vouchers. On the withdrawals front, players can withdraw as much as R20,000 up to R10 million depending on whether they are newly registered or existing account holders.
Unique Features at Hollywoodbets
- Top Up Voucher Store Locator
When it comes to deposits, players at Hollywoodbets can choose a wide variety of methods. Amongst these are voucher options. If you want to make a voucher deposit but don’t know where to head over, to purchase a voucher, you can simply make use of the Top Up Voucher Store Locator to find all the retail outlets nearest to you selling Hollywoodbets vouchers.
- Weekly Soccer Podcasts
Every week, all soccer punters get to hear some insightful betting tips and tricks from renowned pundits. Thanks to these podcasts, punters can place their bets from a more informed position.
- Book A Bet
Those who haven’t registered their accounts as yet at Hollywoodbets aren’t excluded from placing their bets. This is all thanks to the Book A Bet feature. the Book A Bet feature allows all unregistered punters to launch the official site, make predictions for all the selections they want to bet on and proceed to generate a unique reference code. Once done, they can take the reference code to any retail Hollywoodbets shop, hand in the reference code, hand in their wager and the clerk will create a bet slip on their behalf.
Banking Methods Supported
To start placing bets at both Betway and Hollywoodbets, you should deposit funds first. Both betting sites do support a wide range of banking methods ranging from EFT, vouchers, credit/debit cards and electronic wallets. At Hollywoodbets, punters can even deposit funds in person by visiting the retail Hollywoodbets shops. Below we expose the banking methods supported for Betway first and then those supported for Hollywoodbets.
Supported Deposit Banking Methods at Betway
- OTT Voucher
- Kazang
- 1 For You Voucher
- FNB ATM
- Standard Bank Public Beneficiary
- Shoprite and Checkers
- EasyLoad
- VISA
- MasterCard
- Quick EFT
- FNB EFT
- ABSA EFT
- Ozow
Supported Deposit Banking Methods at Hollywoodbets
- Direct EFT
- Instant EFT
- Zapper QR code
- SendSpend Wallet
- ATM
- Bet Shop
- Visa
- MasterCard
- American Express
- Top Up Vouchers
- Payfast (Instant EFT)
When it comes to withdrawals at both betting sites, the majority of deposit banking methods are also supported for making withdrawals. However, this is with exception of the vouchers which only support deposits. Just to make this clear, below is a rundown of all payment options supported for withdrawals at Betway and Hollywoodbets.
Supported Withdrawal Banking Methods at Betway
- ABSA Cash Send
- FNB eWallet
- Standard Bank Instant Money
- 1ForYou Voucher
- Nedbank Send IMali
Supported Withdrawal Banking Methods at Hollywoodbets
- Instant EFT
- ABSA Cash Send
- Nedbank Send-iMali &Mobile Money
- FNB eWallet
- Bet Shop
- Instant Money
- MasterCard
- Neteller
- Skrill
Whether looking to deposit funds or request withdrawals at both Betway and Hollywoodbets, players need to access their accounts, head over to their account profile and select the banking (deposit/withdrawal) options.
Mobile Applications
Betway does have a mobile application which is compatible with mobile devices running on both Android and iOS operating devices. The beauty of the mobile app is that it allows punters to do everything they can do on desktop devices. This includes creating an account, depositing funds, and accessing any of the gambling products offered be it sports betting products or non-sports betting products. Players can also request funds via the mobile app. The mobile app, therefore, is a great and able substitute for the desktop. Another important thing that punters need to bear in mind is that all the data, game progress, account balance and any other activity is seamlessly synched between all devices the player uses including the mobile app. There is no need about worrying about anything therefore when looking to switch between the desktop and the mobile apps.
Unfortunately, Hollywoodbets doesn’t have a dedicated mobile app. This, therefore, means the only way to access the site is via using a desktop or mobile web browsers.
Licensing Info
Both Betway and Hollywoodbets operate legally in South Africa as they hold valid operating licenses. However, the two differ in that Betway is licensed only by the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board. Hollywoodbets on the other hand holds several licenses issued by the following regulators.
- Gauteng Gambling Board
- Limpopo Gambling Board
- Mpumalanga Economic Regulator
- KwaZulu Natal Gambling Board
- Western Cape Gambling Board
Customer Support Platforms
There are several customer support platforms which are offered at both Betway and Hollywoodbets. These include both online and offline platforms. Below we share the support platforms at both Betway and Hollywoodbets.
Betway Support Platforms
Telephone: 0861 787 250
General Support Email: support@betway.co.za
Live Chat
Hollywoodbets Support Platforms
Telephone: 087 353 7634
General Support Email: hwhelpline@hollywoodbets.net
Live Chat
Round Up
We hope that this comparison guide has imparted you with much knowledge on all things pertinent to both Betway and Hollywoodbets online sportsbooks. From the similarities to the differences, we exhausted everything there is to know about the two betting sites.