Measured 21 August 2026

What Hollywoodbets charges

Hollywoodbets took 9.98% across the 671 markets we read on 21 August 2026, a payout of 90.02%. That ranks 4 of 7 in the index.

The numbers

Hollywoodbets in figures

9.98%Their cut

90.02%Payout

5.65–11.91%Range across markets

671Markets read

A 9.98% margin removes about 9.07% of everything you stake, not 9.98%, because the margin is quoted against a base that already includes it. On R20 000 of turnover across a season that is roughly R1 815 to the bookmaker. Moving to Playabets at 8.12% would keep about R313 of that.

What they are good at

Deepest South African coverage of any book we measure: PSL, MTN8, KZN cup football and full domestic racing
Prices SA fixtures weeks in advance, so early markets are available when rivals have none
Consistent margin across competitions rather than loading the smaller leagues

What to watch for

Cup and MTN8 markets ran dearer than their PSL markets in our measurement
Widely cited as running around 4.5% on football; our measurement puts it materially higher

Stated plainly

The verdict, and how we are paid

The most complete South African book. Not the cheapest we measured, but the one that actually prices the domestic game in depth.

Licence

KwaZulu-Natal Gaming and Betting Board, with Western Cape licensing for retail

How we read them

Public JSON API, unauthenticated, the same endpoint their own website calls

The full method →

We can open this one

Opening Hollywoodbets through this link costs you nothing and pays us a commission. Their position in the index was computed before that was considered.

Go to Hollywoodbets

Sponsored · 18+ · KwaZulu-Natal Gaming and Betting Board · gamble responsibly, 0800 006 008. How we make money.

Compare them against the field

One book's number means little on its own. The weekly index puts every book we read side by side. This week's index →

In context

Where they sit this week

SA Bookmaker Margin Index

Measured 21 AUG 2026 · 20939 MATCH MARKETS · 7 BOOKS

South African bookmaker margins, cheapest first
Pos	Bookmaker	Their cut	Payout	Markets	Open an account
1	Playabets Cheapest	8.12%	91.88%	1623	Best value
2	Betway	8.37%	91.63%	1255	Open
3	BetBus No partnership	9.06%	90.94%	314	Open
4	Hollywoodbets No partnership	9.98%	90.02%	671	Open
5	Lucky Fish No partnership	9.98%	90.02%	694	Open
6	ZARbet No partnership	10.01%	89.99%	982	No partnership
7	10bet No partnership	10.27%	89.73%	1643	No partnership

Each figure is that book's own average across its own three-way board, measured 21 August 2026. Cheapest comparable book: Playabets at 8.12%. Dearest: 10bet at 10.27%.

Straight answers

Hollywoodbets questions

What margin does Hollywoodbets charge?

On the 671 three-way markets we read on 21 August 2026, Hollywoodbets averaged 9.98%, ranging from 5.65% to 11.91%. That is a payout of 90.02%, so roughly 9.07% of everything staked goes to the bookmaker before any result is known.

Is Hollywoodbets good value?

They ranked 4 of 7 on the week we measured. Against Playabets at 8.12%, the difference is worth about R313 on R20 000 of turnover across a season. Whether that matters to you depends on how much you bet.

How do you work out Hollywoodbets's margin?

We read their own published prices, convert each price to an implied probability, add them up, and subtract 100%. The excess is the fee. Public JSON API, unauthenticated, the same endpoint their own website calls. Nothing is estimated and no price is supplied by a third party.

Do you get paid by Hollywoodbets?

Yes, if you open an account through a link on this site they may pay us a commission. It costs you nothing and it does not affect their position: the ranking is computed from measured margin before any commercial consideration, and books we earn nothing from are published the same way.