Online Baccarat - Play with Real Money

Discover what you must know about playing online baccarat at South African casinos with our guide to the love it or hate it card game.

Playing online baccarat in South Africa is certainly possible, although it is, admittedly, not one of the most popular card games around. Blackjack and roulette (not to mention numerous table poker games) tend to be favoured by South Africans. Is there a chance that you are missing out by not playing this card game, though? We certainly think so. With that in mind, allow us to introduce you to online baccarat in South Africa. In this guide, we will answer some of the most common questions surrounding the game, in a bid to help you understand it better. Let us begin...

Can I Play Online Baccarat in South Africa?



As mentioned, online baccarat is not the most popular of all the card and table-based gambling games you can play in South Africa. In fact, most South African casinos will typically only carry the odd game, and seldom more than two or three variants. However, you can certainly expect to see the game available, and it is unquestionably worth a look.

What Is Online Baccarat?

Once you understand the basics of baccarat, you will find it easier to bet on this game than on roulette or blackjack. Ultimately, every card counts for its own points value, with aces counting as ones, and 10s and faces counting as zero. Your objective to get as close to a nine-point hand as possible, but you cannot bust. If you have two cards which take your total over 9 points, you subtract the first digit from the sum to give you a new total.

Ultimately, you will not actually be playing the game, either. Online baccarat in South Africa only sees you wager on whether you believe the banker’s or the player’s hand will win. You can bet on a tie, too, but we would not advise you to do so. The odds just are not great, even if the winnings are decent.

Do I Need to Know the Third Card Rule?

There are times when a third card needs to be taken in online baccarat in South Africa. This is a real pain to remember. Fortunately, when playing online baccarat, you do not have to know these rules. The game automatically sorts that out for you. If the Third Card Rule was what was keeping you away from playing online baccarat in South Africa, you need not worry. Feel free to go ahead and play it without worrying about this pesky little rule.

How Do I Win at Online Baccarat in South Africa?

As mentioned, playing online baccarat in South Africa is a lot easier than you might think. It does not take too much effort to win, either. If the player’s hand outranks the banker’s hand, that hand wins, and vice-versa. In the event of a tie (where the Third Card Rule does not sort out a winner), only those players who bet on a tied hand will win, with bets pushing.

Because the banker’s hand has a marginally better chance of success, it only pays out at 0.95:1, as there is a 5% commission in play. By contrast, the player’s hand will pay out at 1:1. Tied bets (as rare as they are) pay out at 11:1.

What Other Online Baccarat Games Can I Find at South African Casinos?


While most casino software providers have only really developed one or two RNG (random number generator) based online baccarat games for South Africa players, there is a greater variety of live dealer titles to choose from. These include:

  • No Commission Baccarat: You can pocket wins of 1:1 for a banker’s hand here. However, the casino must get an edge somewhere. To compensate, they will only pay out 0.5:1 if the banker’s hand wins with six points.

  • Baccarat Super Six: Super Six is virtually the same as No Commission Baccarat. The main difference, though, is that you can place a side-bet on the banker’s hand winning on a six-pointer. If that turns out to be the case, you will get a Super Six payout of 12:1.

  • Lightning Baccarat: Evolution Gaming’s Lightning Baccarat adds another element to the mix. This can see you potentially boost your wins with a massive multiplier if you receive a Lightning Card (at random) in the hand you have bet on.

  • Baccarat Squeeze: Some Asian players like to “squeeze” baccarat cards for luck. While that is not possible when playing live online baccarat games in South Africa, there is a substitute. Evolution Gaming has given you the option of zooming in on the cards to touch them in Baccarat Squeeze digitally. Another version of the game, Baccarat Controlled Squeeze can also be played at South African casinos.

Top Online Baccarat Tips for South Africans

Before you set off to play online baccarat at South Africa’s best internet casinos, it may be worth making a note of these few handy tips:

  • The banker’s hand is marginally more likely to occur.

  • Avoid tied bets, as the odds are woeful.

  • Try and stick to the same bet each time.

  • Avoid playing Mini-Baccarat, as the house edges tend to work against you.

  • Play free (demo) baccarat games to get an idea of how each game works before betting real money.

Play the Best Online Baccarat Games in South Africa Today

As you can see, playing online baccarat in South Africa is not as troublesome or challenging as it first sounds. However, finding a top online casino to play the game at can be. Fortunately, this guide comes complete with suggestions on where it is best to play, too.

Head over to our South African casino reviews page. There you will find a selection of the country’s leading online casinos. Each is not only licensed and regulated to ensure fair play but carries some of the best online baccarat games in South Africa, from many of today’s leading developers and providers.