Free State Casinos in South Africa
Free State gambling mostly takes place in land based gambling houses. Brick and mortar parlours are, in fact, one of the main attractions of the region, and tourists find it extremely interesting to make a bet or two when they are not visiting museums and galleries. However, Free State casinos have the same limitations that all land based facilities have. So, it makes sense to check out best online gambling sites!
If you’re not sure what Free State casino online can be considered safe and reliable, don’t waste your time. Allow us to do all the work; we have explored dozens of sites and have collected a list of the most entertaining and most reliable gaming platforms that accept players from Free State South Africa. All you have to do is choose the site, register an account, take your bonus, and play.
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History of Gambling in Free State
Free State as a territory is one of the oldest regions that have not changed their borders since old times. Its main industries and agriculture and mining, so little surprise it has always been a busy region, and that locals kept their borders strong in order to preserve their precious lands for mining and agriculture.
In the previous years, Bantustans were part of the province which is now Free State. Before all punting became properly regulated due to modern democratic government, all punting activities were initially banned back in the middle of the 19th century. However, illegal punting businesses flourished, and Bantustans were actually the heart of illegal punting. By 1990s, there were around 2000 illegal gambling houses exclusively in Bantustans.
After regulation that is now in effect was applied, all illegal facilities were quickly replaced by legal and locally licensed venues. Free State follows the same gaming rules as the rest of the country.
Current Situation
Today, this province has around a dozen of brick and mortar parlours plus racing tracks, and lottery events. Moreover, online betting on sports is allowed via local bookmaker. All other gaming activities via the Internet are prohibited, and even online parlours that operate from other countries are not allowed.
The authority in charge of the gambling niche in Free State is Gambling and Liquor Authority. This authority monitors punting and horse racing. It does not grant licenses to any operators outside South Africa, and blocks web platforms from abroad.
Due to this current situation, finding a legal online casino South Africa is impossible - not because the parlours available to RSA players are illegal, but because the government does not legalize those. As a result, if one would like to play at a Live Dealer resource online, or find a reliable online casino bitcoin to bet with crypto, they have to act at their own risk.
Popular Cities in Free State for Gambling
In the past, Free State province was a criminal capital of RSA in terms of illegal punting. However, new laws, and also new realities brought considerable changes to this area and this niche, locally. The majority of passionate gamblers among local residents still look for opportunities to make bets online, to save time and money - obviously locals do not visit land based parlours that often! Most land based parlours visitors are tourists, but if you look at the map, you will see that Free State is not a dream destination for tourism, and its industries are not that attractive. As a result, only few cities have brick and mortar parlours, and even the biggest cities in Free State rarely have more than 1 casino.
If you would like to go to a land based facility to make some bets, check out the biggest cities where parlours are available.
Bloemfontein
The name of this city is literally translated as ‘blooming fountain”, or “fountain of flowers”. This romantic title marks the capital of Free State province, and the seventh largest city in the whole country. There are numerous museums, galleries, and monuments in Bloemfontein. Moreover, the romantic image of it is enhanced by the title of “the city of roses”, and an annual rose festival held here. In addition to punting, the city has tons of other attractions, including sports. There are two big casinos in Bloemfontein.
Welkom
Welkom is the second biggest city in the province. Its welcoming name has nothing to do with touristic hospitality as one might think; it was given to the city in previous times when gold was found in the region, and representatives of different peoples started migrating here in order to hire for work, or maybe even make fortune. One of the main industries is mining, but sports events are extremely popular here. In addition, Welkom boasts one big casino.
Bethlehem
This river town has its name derived from Hebrew, and the name literally means “house of bread” because of the wheat-growing areas around the town. It is one of the biggest cities in province, and its initial niche was service centers. There are numerous museums and different entertaining facilities in Bethlehem, plus, one big casino.
Land Based Casinos in State
Choosing a city to visit is important, even if you do not have punting entertainment in mind. However, for gamblers, this choice is a bit more complicated. For your convenience, check out the list of parlours in the biggest cities of the province:
- Windmill Casino & Entertainment Centre, Bloemfontein - 350+ slots machines, 18 table games
- Naledi Sun Casino & Hotel, Thaba Nchu near Bloemfontein - 160 gaming machines
- Goldfields Casino, Welkom - 250+ gaming machines
- Frontier Inn & Casino, Bethlehem - 140+ gaming machines, 10 table games
