[imagesource: Flickr / amanderson2]

Most years, over 16 million tourists from all over the world head for South Africa. Some come for the safari experience, others to savour the excitement of cosmopolitan cities like Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. More still come for the beaches, the beautiful weather and the overall hospitality that they can expect.

Then there are the visitors who head for tourist hotspots like Sun City with its resorts and casinos that are famous the world over. But there’s another kind of gambling that can also encompass many of the elements that make the country so good to visit, and it’s one that most people can enjoy from the comfort of their own homes.

That’s because there’s a huge range of online bingo games and slots that have distinctly South African themes to them and which are easy and convenient to play. So even when you can’t get out and explore what makes the country so great for yourself, these make for a great alternative – as well as one that can even end up earning you money if your luck’s in.

Let’s start with a game that takes us to the mines of Kimberley, or rather to the precious gems that are mined there including many of the most famous diamonds in the world. While playing this online bingo game won’t bring you riches like these, it can certainly earn a few rands when you enter the virtual Diamond Room. This is a fairly conventional 75-ball bingo game that offers players five ways to win with the biggest prize going to the person who is first to fill up the whole card of 24 numbers. It’s a fast and exciting game to play at the best of times – and the more people that are taking part, the better it is.

Image: Flickr / Kim Alaniz

For those who are more attracted to that other famous precious substance that South Africa is famous for, there’s also a 90-ball bingo game called the Gold Room. There may be just three ways to win in this one but you can play with six tickets at the same time, increasing your overall chances.

We’ve already mentioned what is arguably the biggest single draw for tourists in the country – the chance to head out on safari and try to catch a glimpse and a photo of the so-called Big Five. For these, you’ll have to go for a slots game called Stampede Jackpot where you’ll find the lion, elephant, rhino, cheetah and buffalo all represented on the five spinning reels, along with the bright South African sun.

There are no less than 243 different winning combinations on the reels. It also features a progressive jackpot which means that it is linked to several other games whose funds are all combined to make a prize that’s well-worth winning.

So next time you want to give yourself a taste of South Africa, and maybe even win yourself a little money to spend on a trip to explore the real thing, now you know exactly what to do.