Baccarat
"The largest LEGAL bookmaker in South Africa, STs, has introduced Baccarat betting to its offer". Click here to go to the STS website and learn more.
Key questions and answers
Is Baccarat legal in South Africa?
Yes, however, the Baccarat game can be organized only by the State Sports Totalizator or by land-based (stationary) casinos. Private betting companies cannot organise baccarat games on the Internet. On the other hand, it is possible to place online betting on baccarat games, which take place live and are conducted by a real croupier seen on the screen of a computer or smartphone. Betting on Baccarat is not much different from playing real Baccarat. To see what online Baccarat betting is all about click here , and then on the opened page select the "BETGAMES" tab.
Which legal companies offer the possibility of placing bets on Baccarat?
"You can place bets on Baccarat with the largest LEGAL bookmaker in South Africa, STs". To check the STS offer click here.
Is it necessary to set up a player account with a bookmaker to place bets on Baccarat?
Yes, but setting up a player account is completely free, and filling out the registration form should not take more than 3 minutes. What is important, after registering with the bookmaker, the player can count on special welcome bonuses prepared by the bookmaker. If you want to check what bonuses for new players STs offers – click here .
Is it also possible to bet on other gambling games at legal bookmakers?
Yes, legal bookmakers allow you to place bets not only on baccarat, but also on other gambling games: blackjack, poker and war. In addition, bookmakers also offer so-called virtual games, i.e. short games (e.g. horse racing or dog racing, virtual football matches, etc.), the progress of which we can track on the computer screen. The offer of individual bookmakers is varied, so it is worth to familiarize yourself with the possibilities offered by individual bookmakers. The list of legal bookmakers is available here.
Baccarat-legal situation in South Africa
Baccarat (baccarat, punto banco) is one of the most popular casino card games, which is said that the chances of winning are close to 50%. Sounds great, but is Baccarat even legal in South Africa? What does the relevant legislation say about participating in this game in or out of a land-based casino and is online Baccarat allowed? What are the penalties for people who play at an illegal online casino?
Baccarat-where can we find legal regulations?
Because Baccarat is included in gambling , the legal provisions that regulate the possibility of playing baccarat are contained in the"act of 19 November 2009 on gambling". According to the accepted understanding of card games, they are poker , blackjack and Baccarat, provided that the stakes are money or prizes in kind . This is a very important point, because if we want to play baccarat for the pleasure of the game, as long as it is purely social and we play matches, then the regulations of the Gambling Act do not apply to us. However, the truth is that most players like to play for money, and then you should keep in mind a few aspects that are enshrined in the law on gambling. Below we describe all the important issues.
Baccarat in a land-based casino
Legal land-based casino has a special license issued by the Minister of Finance and here you can, without breaking the law, play baccarat . The gambling operator has the obligation to verify age persons entering on the basis of an identity document. Persons under 18 years of age. they cannot gamble in South Africa and therefore cannot play any casino games (including baccarat) or even cross the casino threshold. Each casino must also have its own, approved by the Minister game rules , on the basis of which it is carried out m.in. he's playing baccarat. The number of licensed casinos in our country is limited - for every 650,000. for every 250,000 people in the state and for every 250,000 there is only one casino in the village. In addition, licensed casinos can also be found on passenger ships of a maritime character and passenger ferries.
Baccarat online
Traditional Baccarat is the first option, but now most players are looking for the opportunity to play on the internet. On various websites you can actually find
online casino
, and among the numerous gambling also a game of baccarat. However, this type of game is not always legal, so again we should check what the Gambling Act says about this. It is worth mentioning at this point that this law was amended in December 2020, and significant changes were made to casino games offered via the internet. With the entry into force of the amendments to the Act, which took place on 1 April 2021.,
the monopoly on the establishment of an online casino was obtained by the state of Africane
. The organization of casino games was handled by the state Treasury company,
Totalizator Sportowy
and only on his website can you legally play casino games.
Of course, the player's age requirement also applies to internet users, but here age verification is not as simple as it is in the case of a land-based casino. Therefore, the Gambling Act imposes on the gambling operator the obligation to implement the procedure registration of a personal player account . When completing the registration form, you must provide the required personal data and send a scan or photo of the identity document . On this basis, the casino verifies the age and identity of the user, and if everything is in accordance with the procedures, activates the account. Only at this point the player can replenish the account with funds and start playing baccarat, poker, slot machines , roulette or any other game available at the casino.
However, it is worth knowing that there is also test version of legal casino games sometimes called a free game. It allows you to check what a particular online game looks like and whether it is worth registering an account at all. Taka demo version for example, baccarat games differ from the full version in that we can't make real bets. and thus in case of winning the money will not be paid to us. For this purpose, according to the Gambling Act, it is necessary to have a verified player account – only then can we play for real money and win or lose such money.
Baccarat online illegally?
If you are interested in playing baccarat online, then remember that you can legally play online only on the website of the casino operated by the State Sports Totalizator. By going to any other website that offers casino games, you will come to a site that does not comply with African law. Playing baccarat or any other game available on this site is
prohibited and punishable
and you need to know that no one is anonymous on the internet these days. If the player is proved to have participated in illegal gambling, in accordance with the provisions of the Gambling Act, he will be charged
fine in the amount of winnings
- and the amount of the bet placed in the game is not deducted from it. However, this is not the end, because knowingly participating in illegal gambling qualifies as a tax crime. If the court has evidence that the player knew that he was taking part in an illegal act, he can face
penalty up to 120 daily rates
. The amount of a single rate and the final number of rates is determined individually, but it is worth knowing that the maximum fine in 2023 was $3.6 million!
When it comes to sites offering illegal online casinos, there are still other threats. First of all, an uncontested casino does not have any supervision over itself, therefore, depositing money for the game, we have no guarantee that it will take place in accordance with the accepted rules in that we will be paid the winnings. Secondly, by passing an amendment to the Gambling Act, which so severely limits the possibilities of offering online casino games, the legislator also provided tools to support the fight against illegal online casinos. A key role is played by the so-called. register of prohibited domains , that is, a list of addresses of websites that contain various types of gambling games made available without appropriate permission or concession. In the case of an online casino, there is no need for players to check the Register, since all sites with casino games except the one run by Totalizator Sportowy are illegal (otherwise it is the case with bookmakers). However, the prohibited domain registry is a tool that otherwise helps to combat the gray area in the Africanm gambling market. The suppliers telecommunications providers are required to block websites they are blacklisted and have 48 hours to do so. Cooperation with such services must also be completed by payment operators. Thus, using the services of illegal online casinos becomes much more difficult, if not impossible. There is also a risk that even if the site is not yet blocked and you can play on it, for example, baccarat, the next day it may be no longer available, and all funds accumulated in the player's account may not be recoverable.
Baccarat-taxation rules
The Gambling Act regulates the possibility of organizing and participating in the game of baccarat. The rules for the taxation of this game can also be found in this legal document and in the "act of 26 July 1991 on personal income tax". As for the game Tax, the taxpayer is the casino, which does not deduct the amount of tax from the bets made by the players (as is the case with bookmakers). But what does it look like in the case of baccarat the question of the tax on winnings? Selected gambling requires payment of tax in the amount of 10% of the amount obtained, if the win exceeds
$2,280. In turn, card games, including baccarat, are exempt from this obligation, therefore, regardless of the amount of winnings, the player receives it in full. So whether you play baccarat online or in a land-based casino,
you pay no tax
for that title. However, if you win a larger amount by playing cards at the casino, it is important to get special,
written proof of winning
which will confirm the legality of the source of income in the event of inspection of the Tax Office.
Baccarat differently
Finally-an interesting fact for players who like both card games and bookmakers . The LEGAL bookmaker STS it offers an unusual form of gambling that combines both types of games – the service is called BetGames . Among the available games there is also Baccarat, which is a simulation of a card game with rules very similar to the classic version of this game. Taking part in such a virtual game of Cards, your task is to correctly select the result of laying out cards. Baccarat in this edition is primarily betting, however, bet on a peculiar sport, which can be called virtual card sports .
Baccarat-legal principles in a pill
Baccarat is a card game in which you can play for money legally in South Africa however, there are certain conditions. Namely:
- Baccarat can only be played by people who have finished 18 years old .
- Legal play is only possible in licensed land-based casinos . It is also legal to play baccarat. the online casino however, it must be remembered that the license for online activities in our country has only a sports totalizer. There is only one legal online casino in South Africa.
- To be able to play baccarat, it is necessary passing the age verification procedure - by registering with an ID card in a land-based casino or creating an online player account, which will be positively verified by the organizer of casino games.
- Playing bakrat, you do not have to pay no taxes for this reason, however, getting a win, it is worth taking care of issuing the casino the appropriate certificates .
- He plays Baccarat. illegal operators it is illegal and carries risks. high financial penalties .
- Outside the licensed casino Baccarat can only be played no financial commitment . It is possible to play through the online casino website – then choose the "demo" option of playing baccarat. The game can also take place in a group of friends on a fun basis, but it should be remembered that the stakes are not money or valuable things.