Index last measured 24 July 2026. Cheapest book this week: Playabets at 6.00 percent. Edges takes no bets and never holds your money. Over 18s only.

EDGES

Measured 24 July 2026

What Playabets charges

Playabets took 6.00% across the 48 markets we read on 24 July 2026, a payout of 94.34%. That ranks 1 of 4 in the index.

The numbers

Playabets in figures

6.00%Their cut
94.34%Payout
5.83–6.28%Range across markets
48Markets read

A 6.00% margin removes about 5.66% of everything you stake, not 6.00%, because the margin is quoted against a base that already includes it. On R20 000 of turnover across a season that is roughly R1 132 to the bookmaker.

What they are good at

  • Cheapest margin of every book we measured, on both the overall board and the shared-fixture comparison
  • Tight and consistent pricing across the English league slate
  • Clean market presentation, with 1X2 and totals clearly separated

What to watch for

  • Front page defaults to major European leagues, so South African competitions take more clicks
  • Smaller domestic fixture list than Hollywoodbets

Stated plainly

The verdict, and how we are paid

On the numbers we measured, the best value in the field. If you bet European football, this is the price to beat.

Licence

Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board

How we read them

Prices render in the public football page; read once per week from a single request

The full method →

We can open this one

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

Sponsored · 18+ · Western Cape Gambling and Racing 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 24 JUL 2026 · 204 MATCH MARKETS · 4 BOOKS
South African bookmaker margins, cheapest first
Pos Bookmaker Their cut Payout Markets Open an account
1 Playabets Cheapest 6.00% 94.34% 48 Best value
2 Hollywoodbets 8.92% 91.81% 107 Link pending
3 ApexBets 9.08% 91.68% 37 Link being fixed
4 Supabets in-play slate No partnership 10.41% 90.57% 12 No partnership

Each figure is that book's own average across its own three-way board, measured 24 July 2026. Cheapest comparable book: Playabets at 6.00%. Dearest: ApexBets at 9.08%.

Straight answers

Playabets questions

What margin does Playabets charge?
On the 48 three-way markets we read on 24 July 2026, Playabets averaged 6.00%, ranging from 5.83% to 6.28%. That is a payout of 94.34%, so roughly 5.66% of everything staked goes to the bookmaker before any result is known.
Is Playabets good value?
On this week's measurement they were the cheapest comparable book in our index. That can change week to week, which is why we measure it every week rather than writing a verdict once.
How do you work out Playabets'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. Prices render in the public football page; read once per week from a single request. Nothing is estimated and no price is supplied by a third party.
Do you get paid by Playabets?
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.