Sportstake 13

Sportstake 13 is a National Lottery soccer pool run by ITHUBA, where you predict the outcomes of 13 matches, where you select a Home Win (1), Draw (X), or Away Win (3).

The game has been around since the early 2000s. Sportstake 13 has remained popular in South Africa because of its low entry cost of R2 per board, simple format, and the chance to win meaningful payouts even without getting all 13 predictions correct.

You can play Sportstake 13 online or at participating retail outlets across the country, which makes it easily accessible for everyday players. There are usually two draws per week on Monday and Friday.

How to Play Sportstake 13 in South Africa?

Sportstake 13 is simple to play because you only predict match outcomes, not exact scores. You choose 1 (Home Win), X (Draw), or 2 (Away Win) for 13 pre-selected soccer matches. No scorelines, no goal predictions, just results after 90 minutes.

You can play through the National Lottery website, Mobi web, mobile app, or at authorised retail outlets. No matter which method you use, the process follows the same basic steps.

1. Get a Bet Slip

Start by getting a Sportstake 13 bet slip from any authorised National Lottery retailer. If you are playing online, you will use the digital version of the slip on the platform. This slip contains the full list of 13 matches for that draw.

2. Make Your Predictions

Next, go through all 13 fixtures and select your predicted outcome for each match. Each match has three possible results. 1 = Home team wins, X = Draw and 2 = Away team wins. You must complete all 13 matches to form a valid entry (called a board).

3. Choose Your Play Method

Once you start filling in selections, you can decide how you want to structure your entry:

• Single Play: You choose only one outcome per match. This is the simplest and cheapest option. For example, match 1: you select X and match 2: you select 1

• Multi-Play: You select more than one outcome in one or more matches. This creates extra combinations and improves coverage, but it also increases the total cost of your ticket. For example, Match 1: you select 1 and X, and Match 2: you select X and 2.

If you don’t want to make your own predictions, you can use PROPICK. The system automatically selects outcomes for you.

• Submit and Pay

Once your selections are complete, hand the bet slip to the retailer cashier, or submit it directly on the online platform. Each full board costs R2, and your final cost depends on whether you used Multi-Play or multiple boards.

• Receive Your Receipt

After payment, you will receive a printed or digital receipt. This receipt is important because it confirms your entry was accepted. It contains your selected outcomes and is required to claim any winnings.

Cost of Play

The cost of playing Sportstake 13 is one of the main reasons it is so popular in South Africa. Each entry, known as a board, costs R2. However, the final cost depends on how you structure your bet. If you only play one board with single selections, your cost stays at R2. But once you start adding more boards or using Multi-Play, the price increases quickly. For example, 10 boards will cost R20. However, there is a maximum daily limit of R2,000 per player to control overspending.

Sportstake 13 Terms and Conditions

1. You must be over 18 years to participate.

2. Betting closes 30 minutes before the first match kicks off. Any entry placed after this cut-off is not accepted under any circumstances.

3. To place a valid entry, you must predict the outcomes of 13 football matches by selecting 1 (Home Win), X (Draw), or 2 (Away Win). Each board must contain a full set of 13 selections to qualify for the draw.

4. Results are based on full-time play (90 minutes plus injury time and extra time if played). Penalty shootouts are not included in Sportstake 13 results and do not affect outcomes.

5. You qualify for a payout if you correctly predict 10, 11, 12, or 13 matches. These are grouped into prize divisions, with higher rewards for more correct predictions. However, winnings are not fixed. Each prize division has a shared pool, meaning all winners in that category split the available prize fund. Your final payout depends on how many other players also win in the same division.

6. If a match is postponed, suspended, or not completed before the draw takes place, it is treated as correct for all outcomes (1, X, and 2). If the match is later completed or officially awarded before the draw closes, that official result is used instead.

7. Every entry must be properly recorded on the Central Gaming System to be valid. If a bet slip is not successfully registered, it is not considered an official entry even if a physical or digital receipt was issued.

8. You cannot mix PROPICK selections and manual betting (including Multi-Play) on the same bet slip. If both are used together on one entry, the slip becomes invalid. However, you may place separate entries if you want to use both methods.

9. Retail tickets may be cancelled only within 2 hours of purchase or before sales close (whichever comes first), provided the ticket is successfully validated at the terminal. Online and mobile app tickets cannot be cancelled once confirmed.

10. Each valid ticket is eligible for only the highest prize division achieved. If you qualify for multiple divisions on the same board, you will only be paid the highest applicable win.

How to Use the Bet Slip?

The bet slip is where you build and submit your Sportstake 13 entry. Each slip contains 13 football fixtures, and you must select one outcome per match: 1 (home win), X (draw), or 2 (away win). A full set of 13 selections is called a board, and each board is a separate entry into the draw.

If you are unsure about a match, you can select more than one outcome using the Multi-Play feature. This creates extra combinations and increases your chances, but also raises your total cost.

You must choose either manual selections or PROPICK (system-generated picks), but not both on the same slip. Mixing them makes the entry invalid.

Once completed, submit the slip at a retailer or online. You will receive a receipt confirming your valid entry.

Sportstake 13 Tips & Predictions

Winning Sportstake 13 starts with understanding how football results actually happen, not just picking strong teams. Each of the 13 matches behaves differently, so your focus should be on simple, practical indicators.

• Start with the recent form: Look at the last 3–5 matches to see if a team is improving or struggling. Form is often more reliable than reputation.

• Check home and away performance: Some teams perform strongly at home but drop points away. This often decides whether you pick 1, X, or 2. Do not ignore draws. Many matches between evenly matched teams end level, especially mid-table fixtures or derby games.

• Pay attention to injuries and suspensions: Missing key players can change a match outcome, especially strikers and goalkeepers.

• Don't rely only on big names: Strong teams do not always win, especially in away fixtures or congested schedules.

Strategies for Winning Sportstake 13

Strategy is not about predicting football perfectly. It is about structuring your selections so you manage risk across 13 matches. Start by grouping matches into three types as mentioned above. Here’s a good example: 

• Strong favourites (6–7 safe picks)

• Balanced matches (3–5 possible draw or upset)

• Unpredictable fixtures (1–2 high-risk matches)

Use single selections for strong favourites. These are your “banker” picks and should not be overcomplicated.

Use Multi-Play only on uncertain matches. It increases coverage but also increases cost, so use it selectively, not across the entire slip.

Most players do not aim for 13 correct predictions. A more realistic target is 10 to 12 correct outcomes, which is where most payouts occur. The odds of predicting all 13 matches correctly are 1 in 1,594,323, and the odds of winning any prize are 1 in 607.

Budget control is important. Set a limit before you start and stick to it. Don't increase combinations without a plan because it leads to overspending without improving results.

Sportstake 13 Propick

PROPICK is an automated way to generate predictions for Sportstake 13. Instead of selecting outcomes for each match yourself, the system creates full sets of predictions for you.

All you need to do is choose how many boards you want to play. The system will then generate Multi-Play combinations based on that number. The selections are based on a mix of random outcomes and weighted data from past fixtures.  You can generate 4 to 256 boards with PROPICK.

This feature is mainly used when you want quick entries without analysing matches. It saves time, but you give up control over your selections.

How it Works

When you select PROPICK, the system automatically generates a full set of 13 outcomes (1, X, or 2). This entry is processed like a normal Sportstake 13 board and submitted to the draw once you pay.

Each PROPICK entry still costs R2 per board, and you can place multiple entries to get more combinations.

Payment Options

If you're making your entry at a participating retailer, the most common payment method is cash. Many outlets also accept debit and credit cards.

If you’re playing online or via the mobile app, you’ll need to fund your virtual wallet first. The wallet is created when you register and is used to store your National Lottery game funds — you can deposit money using a bank transfer.

Keep in mind that you must use your registered South African cellphone number as the payment reference for all deposits. Ideally, your funds must reflect in your wallet before you can place any bets.

Gamble Responsibly

Sportstake 13 is easy to play and low-cost, but it is still another form of gambling. The R2 entry can feel harmless, but costs can add up quickly, especially when you use the Multi-Play feature.

It is important to stay in control from the start by:

• Setting a budget before you play and sticking to it.

• Not increasing your spend after losses.

• Avoiding play when you feel pressured or frustrated.

• Taking breaks instead of chasing another entry.

Sportstake 13 includes several responsible gambling measures, such as a daily spending limit of R2,000 per player, a minimum age requirement of 18 years, and the display of responsible gaming messages at point-of-sale (POS) locations.

Treat Sportstake 13 as entertainment, not a way to make money. Staying disciplined helps you enjoy the game without putting yourself under financial or emotional pressure.

You can also take the Responsible Gaming Self Check Quiz to know if you think you need help.