SOFTSWISS compares betting habits in Brazil and South Africa
Brazil.- 15 July 2026 www.zonadeazar.com SOFTSWISS has analysed the differences between bettors in Brazil and South Africa, two growing markets where football plays a central role but betting frequency, average stakes, sporting preferences and risk exposure vary significantly.
Overview
SOFTSWISS presented a joint analysis by Alexander Kamenetskyi, the company’s Head of Sportsbook, and Sergii Mykhailenko, CPO at OddsMarket, examining the main differences between the Brazilian and South African sports betting markets.
Although recreational players account for the majority of bettors in both countries and football generates a substantial proportion of the activity, Brazil is characterised by a high volume of frequent, low-value wagers, mainly placed during live events.
South Africa, by contrast, is a more mature market where bets are placed less frequently, average stakes are higher and professional or experienced players have a more significant presence.
Brazil: frequent, mobile and live betting
The Brazilian market is heavily influenced by the country’s passion for football and the strong connection between supporters and their clubs.
The leading competitions include the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Copa do Brasil, Copa Libertadores, Brazilian national team fixtures and Europe’s major tournaments.
Brazilian bettors show a clear preference for live betting, accumulators and low-stake combinations offering the possibility of substantial returns.
Mobile-first behaviour and the widespread use of Pix reinforce this trend, enabling customers to deposit funds and place wagers almost instantly while a match is in progress.
Internal OddsMarket figures indicate that approximately 85% of experienced Brazilian bettors focus heavily on live markets.
South Africa: lower frequency and higher-value bets
South African customers bet less frequently, but generally place higher-value wagers.
Football remains the leading sport, with strong interest in the domestic Premier Soccer League, the English Premier League, the Champions League and international tournaments.
However, South Africa has a more diverse sporting market. Horse racing, tennis, basketball, rugby, cricket and, within certain customer segments, mixed martial arts also generate meaningful activity.
Unlike Brazil, pre-match betting dominates in South Africa, reflecting a more traditional and structured market that also retains a strong retail betting component.
The impact of bonuses
In Brazil, bonuses reinforce the preference for accumulators, enhanced odds, multiple bets and free-bet promotions.
Bonuses also encourage accumulator betting in South Africa, particularly among younger and more recreational customers. More experienced bettors, however, tend to follow calculated strategies based on singles and doubles.
Android drives volume
Android dominates in both markets, accounting for approximately 80% of activity in Brazil and 78% in South Africa.
According to SOFTSWISS, Android is essential for achieving scale and volume, particularly in Brazil. Nevertheless, iOS customers generally record higher average deposits, stronger retention and lower churn.
Operators therefore need to deliver excellent Android performance without neglecting the customer experience on Apple devices.
Experienced bettors and arbitrage
Sharp activity, involving experienced bettors who identify value in betting prices, is present in both markets, although at different stages of development.
South Africa has a more mature industry where value betting, arbitrage, limit testing and coordinated betting activity are already firmly established. Operators have also had more time to develop effective risk-management controls.
In Brazil, this type of activity is expanding rapidly, particularly around football and high-volume sporting events.
Market growth, mobile betting, Pix payments, strong competition between operators and different margin and bonus strategies create numerous arbitrage opportunities.
There is also a significant presence of Telegram and WhatsApp groups distributing free signals or offering paid services focused on arbitrage, live betting and markets such as cards and corners.
Operational risks
Brazil is more exposed to bonus abuse and multi-accounting because of aggressive customer-acquisition strategies, welcome promotions and regulatory and control systems that are still developing.
SOFTSWISS recommends that operators should not rely exclusively on Know Your Customer procedures. They also need clear rules, appropriate limits and monitoring systems capable of identifying suspicious behaviour.
South Africa has more developed identity, fraud-prevention and risk controls.
Markets requiring closer supervision
In South Africa, horse racing and certain local rugby markets require additional attention because some bettors possess highly specialised knowledge.
In Brazil, the main areas of risk include live football markets, first goalscorer bets and lower-league fixtures, particularly where liquidity and data coverage are limited.
These markets require stricter trading controls and faster detection of unusual betting activity.
Limit management and customer support
Experienced South African bettors generally react predictably to limits by testing different stake levels, looking for alternatives or moving to another operator.
In Brazil, customer reactions are less predictable. Some players accept restrictions, while others place considerable pressure on customer-support teams, even when there are no clear indications of fraud.
SOFTSWISS therefore considers limit management in Brazil to be not only a risk-management challenge, but also a matter of communication and customer service.
Brazil is consolidating its position as a fast-moving, mobile and high-volume market, while South Africa offers a more stable, mature and structured environment. Understanding these differences is essential for operators seeking to adapt their products, promotions and risk-management tools to each jurisdiction.
Edited by: @_fonta
