If you’re thinking about gambling with crypto, bitcoin casinos are an obvious starting point.

Although early versions of currency such as eCash in 1990 technically predate bitcoin, BTC is still regarded by almost everybody as the first successful cryptocurrency. Being first to market makes a massive impact, and in itself is a reason for you to consider checking out bitcoin casinos.

Why? Bitcoin is the most widely used crypto, which means it’s also the most widely available at online casinos. This gives you a much larger selection of South African online casinos to choose from rather than if you were to choose a more niche crypto coin option such as, for example, Tron casinos.

Crypto casinos famously have pretty huge bonuses, but this won’t last forever. Once crypto goes mainstream and prices stabilise, you can expect promos to become more consistent. That means it pays to consider BTC bonuses now, rather than wait for another coin to be accepted when it’s too late.

Here are the main reasons to play at the best bitcoin casinos in SA:

• Bigger choice. With more bitcoin casinos to choose from, it’s easier to find something which suits your needs.

• Fantastic bonuses. When joining a BTC casino, you can sometimes pick up generous welcome bonuses.

• Guides galore. If you get stuck, there are loads of online guides about how to use BTC as it’s such a popular coin.

• Easy cash outs. BTC is accepted at so many casinos and exchanges that transferring your funds and cashing out is simple.

If you speak to someone who doesn’t know much about bitcoin casinos, they might tell you that playing with crypto is unsafe. But this simply isn’t true.

Not only is playing at the best bitcoin casinos a safe experience, it’s also arguably safer than playing with regular funds such as ZAR. This is because, in addition to the usual online gaming licences they hold, there’s also the blockchain technology which underlies the coin. This tech gives casinos the chance to create provably fair games.

Not only is playing at the best bitcoin casinos a safe experience, it’s also arguably safer than playing with regular funds such as ZAR.

You can also track any transaction on the blockchain to any digital wallet. Essentially, it’s pure transparency without names and home addresses – so you can also remain anonymous. This is ideal for BTC casino gaming, because they can’t access your personal information like they could with a bank, but you can still check that the casino isn’t moving funds around in an unusual way.

Whether you’re new to crypto or an experienced trader, you’ll need a suitable bitcoin wallet to play at a casino.

Yes, you can leave your funds in the casino, but there are a couple of issues with this. Firstly, how are you going to get the funds there in the first place without your own wallet? And secondly, what if you win a huge amount – would you feel comfortable leaving that much in any online casino?

Luckily, setting up a bitcoin wallet is incredibly easy. You can choose options like Coinbase to get set up in minutes, using an app which largely mirrors your usual digital banking choices. Or you can get a little more invested with something like Coldcard.

Here are the best bitcoin casino wallet options:

• Coinbase – If you want a quick, familiar, mainstream bitcoin wallet, you can try Coinbase. You can link your Visa card to your account and buy BTC using ZAR in seconds.

• Metamask – This wallet is linked to your computer and can only be transferred using a seed phrase, making it very tough for anybody to hack you unless you give out your passwords.

• Crypto.com – One of the most diverse wallets in that you can trade for over 350 currencies in the app, including BTC. It has a host of extra perks such as physical cards.

• Coldcard – For those of you who’d feel more comfortable with your coins stored offline, Coldcard is one of the most popular pieces of hardware for keeping your BTC extra safe.

Bitcoin’s appeal is obvious – it’s famous. When you deal with BTC casinos, you know it’ll be easy to get tips and support, move your money between all types of wallets and exchanges, cash out quickly, claim juicy bonuses – the lot. But because it’s the original, it’s also somewhat set in its ways – while other, newer coins have emerged with certain advantages.

Here’s how bitcoin casinos stack up against other options: