Football Betting: A Comparison Between Its Popularity in Malta vs South Africa

Betting on football has grown in popularity around the world in recent years. In this article we will look at two countries from different continents. Both Malta and South Africa have thriving gambling industries and plenty of people who want to bet on football.

Let’s begin with a quick look at how football spread to Malta and South Africa. Great Britain has played a key role in the introduction of the sport to both countries. Back in the 19th century, both were under British rule. This led to soldiers being stationed there and they introduced the sport to the local residents. 

Returning to the present, both countries have their own Premier League and these attract plenty of bets from gamblers looking to place football-related wagers. It’s not just the matches played in their own country that they want to bet on. Recent years have seen a revolution in the number of football matches that bets can be placed on. The arrival of the internet has been the key player in this. Now it is possible to go online and place bets on matches from all over the world. One minute you can be betting on Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africa or current Maltese champions Hamrun. 

Next, it’s time to bet on a match being played in England, India or Venezuela. It’s not even just a case of betting on the top teams. Odds are continually available for junior and reserve matches as sites are keen to offer their customers as many betting opportunities as possible. When betting on football, and any sport really, it’s important to look at the formbook. Maltese gamblers will know only too well not to be placing too many bets on their national team to win a match. They haven’t won a European Championship qualifying game since a win over the Faroe Islands five years ago and before that you have to go to 2006. Just four out of 120 Euros qualifiers have been won and three out of 112 in the World Cup. In neither of the tournaments have they ever come close to qualifying for the finals.


A similar tale of woe exists in the World Cup and they’ve never reached the finals. The arrival of the Nations League where sides face others at the same level has produced wins over countries such as San Marino, Latvia and Andorra. The Maltese Premier League does not draw large crowds. Hamrun’s match against Floriana in April of this year only saw 9,090 fans attend. There’s not a great deal of money in the game and that’s why success in European competitions is minimal. Most people in Malta much prefer to watch the star names on show in the English Premier League and Italy’s Serie A. They are more likely to bet on a Liverpool v Manchester City match than Sliema v Naxxar. In South Africa, there are much larger football stadiums and attendances. Their domestic sides have also had some success in the CAF Champions League with two title victories. In terms of their national side, South Africa have qualified for three World Cup finals and hosted the tournament in 2010. That’s the last time they played in the finals.

Betting is also important in South Africa with a large number of online sportsbooks where wagers can be placed. Online betting is the most popular way to place those bets with such a wide range available to choose from. Placing BetOlimp soccer bets is amongst the casual pastimes for countless South Africans who want to make some money off their interest in the sport. 

It’s not just the current games but the future too. If you want to place a bet on the 2026 World Cup, then that is possible in both South Africa and Malta. Betting on them to win the tournament may not be too wise a decision though.

Malta is known for its betting industry and many top international gambling companies base themselves on the island. There are over 300 companies that are registered by the Malta Gaming Authority. The estimate is that around 10% of the world’s gambling operators are based in Malta.

They have laws that protect not just those who operate sites but their customers too. The island also has several economic incentives, particularly when it comes to taxation. That’s good news for those who are based in the country and also its residents. With plenty of licensed sportsbooks, Maltese gamblers are spoilt for choice. This means they can join the sites and then reap the benefits of the offers and promotions that are available on each of them. Their national side may not have qualified for Euro 2024 but there was still a multitude of bets placed on the tournament by Maltese gamblers. It’ll be the same when the new seasons get underway. 

Fantasy sports betting is also popular in both Malta and South Africa. Having the decision who to play and which ones to omit makes this different from betting on the real games but still very enjoyable. You can see therefore that in these two countries, betting on football remains extremely popular. It’s likely to stay that way in the future. More betting sites are opening all the time. Improvements in mobile phone technology make it so much easier to place football bets and follow the results. 

There’s no need to be sitting at home to watch the games either. Online sportsbooks regularly show top matches live so you can be out and about and not miss anything. Betting on football in both countries has a bright future. Just imagine how more popular it could be if their domestic and national sides were more successful.