Measured 24 July 2026
What Hollywoodbets charges
Hollywoodbets took 8.92% across the 107 markets we read on 24 July 2026, a payout of 91.81%. That ranks 2 of 4 in the index.
The numbers
Hollywoodbets in figures
An 8.92% margin removes about 8.19% of everything you stake, not 8.92%, because the margin is quoted against a base that already includes it. On R20 000 of turnover across a season that is roughly R1 638 to the bookmaker. Moving to Playabets at 6.00% would keep about R506 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
Affiliate approved, tracking link not yet issued, so there is no button here.
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| 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