For most readers, Betfair probably doesn’t need much of an introduction. Established in 1999, Betfair has become of one the most widely recognised sports betting brands both in the UK and internationally.
The company has its headquarters in Dublin and London and offers sportsbook, bingo, casino and poker products in several European markets.
The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and joined forces with Paddy Power in 2016 to create gaming giant Flutter Entertainment. Since then, Flutter Entertainment has acquired Stars Group and become the world’s largest gaming company as far as revenues are concerned.
Betfair offers a comprehensive and highly competitive betting platform with some unique features. For instance, the company operates the world’s largest betting exchange, allowing players to act as bookmakers by offering odds to their fellow players.
All in all, this is a one-stop-shop when it comes to betting. And Betfair does really well when it comes to casino, bingo and poker too.
Read on to learn more about one of the UK’s largest gaming brands.
Betfair’s promotions
Since Betfair offers five different products, there are five separate promo pages on the site. This creates a clear distinction between the five core products and makes the site a bit easier to navigate.
Sports betting bonuses
For starters, we have the sportsbook promotions. But in all honesty, this promo page is somewhat limited, offering only two promos at the time we write this.
We don’t find the stereotypical welcome bonus, but a loyalty bonus offering a weekly bonus when you deposit Є15 or more. You can also get your hands on a free bet by winning a Same Game multi-bet at odds of 5.0 or higher.
The casino bonus
In the casino, we find a no deposit offer consisting of 30 free spins. These free spins are completely free, and you get them as soon as you’ve created an account. Furthermore, there are no wager requirements – all winnings are paid as cash.
There’s also a welcome offer giving you another 100 wager-free free spins when you deposit £20 or more. If you have questions about wager free bonuses, why not read our FAQ?
Last but not least, there are two match bonuses of 100% up to £100 each, valid in the casino and live casino. You need to deposit £10 or more to get these bonuses, and the wagering requirements are set at x45 and x50 respectively.
Keep in mind that you won’t be eligible for any bonus or free spin offers if you deposit with Skrill or Neteller.
Other promotions
In the poker and exchange betting sections, you’ll find a few different promos. The Poker section is particularly promo-heavy, offering its own VIP Club and various campaigns.
Loyalty schemes and VIP treatment
As far as we can see, Betfair doesn’t have a dedicated VIP system for casino players and bettors. There is, however, a dedicated VIP Club for Poker players.
To qualify for VIP membership, you have to earn 3750 VIP Player Points. The VIP Club has three tiers, and you get 30 status points for every £30 you rake.
Your points are calculated on a monthly basis, and you start as a Bronze member with 0 points.
To qualify for Silver membership, you need 1,250 points while 12,500 points will earn you Gold status. You can also convert your VIP points to cash.
Payment methods
Betfair offers all industry-standard payment options. You can use credit and debit cards, different e-wallets or make a direct bank transfer.
Here’s a summary of all payment options Betfair offers:
- ClickandBuy
- Delta
- Maestro
- MasterCard
- Neteller
- PayPal
- Solo
- Visa Electron
- Visa
- Western Union
- Bank Transfer Express
- Skrill
- Trustly
The minimum deposit varies slightly depending on what payment method you use, but generally, the lowest amount you can deposit is £10.
The smallest amount you can withdraw is £10, and as far as we can tell, Betfair hasn’t set any upper limits for withdrawals.
Processing times range between 1-5 working days depending on which payment methods you choose.
Sports and betting markets
Sports betting is and has always been, Betfair’s bread and butter. After all, the brand name strongly implies what Betfair is all about.
Therefore, we’re not surprised to see this operator offering quite a phenomenal sportsbook. You’ll find more than 28 categories to choose from, with plenty of betting markets in each category.
All categories are compiled in a convenient drop-down menu, while popular categories like football, horse racing and places are quick links in the submenu. From the submenu, you also have immediate access to promotions, cash-out functions, all In-play markets and your bet slip.
On the left-hand side, you’ll find even more quick links taking you to popular leagues and ongoing In-play markets. And on the opposite side of the page, you find a selection of Odds Boost markets.
Betfair’s casino
Not unlike many other operators, Betfair has split slots and live casino games and given them different sections on the site. That said, both sections interlink from their respective submenus giving you easy access to the entire casino game selection.
In the casino section, you’ll come across a comprehensive and varied slot selection that has quite a lot to offer. There are games in many different themes and about 50 different jackpot games. However, we can’t deny that we miss jackpot classics like Mega Moolah from Microgaming and NetEnt’s Mega Fortune.
The games are sourced from prominent game developers such as NetEnt, Microgaming and Playtech.
The live casino
Looking at the live casino section, we find 17 live casino games. The games are created in-house, which means that you can only play these games here.
This could be a double-edged sword as the game selection might appeal to some players while at the same time discourage players looking for an industry-standard selection of live casino games from NetEnt Live and Evolution Gaming.
Special features
Betfair’s most unique aspect is undoubtedly the Exchange betting. This is an option not offered by many other betting sites.
Exchange betting allows players to set odds on markets of their choice and offer these odds to other players. Players can then accept odds offered by their fellow players.
Basically, Betfair removing the bookmaker’s hat and giving players the chance to lay odds. And instead of earning money on traditional margins, Betfair charges a commission on all winnings.
Security trust
As a listed company that’s part of the world’s largest gaming company, Betfair obviously takes security and trust very seriously.
The company holds licenses from MGA and Gambling Commission and uses advanced 128-bit SSL-encryption to keep your information protected.
We’re also pleased to see that Betfair has a very detailed and helpful page dedicated to responsible gaming.
Betfair’s customer service
Betfair offers around the clock support, seven days a week. You can reach out through e-mail, telephone or live chat.
Summary
Betfair is one of the most comprehensive betting sites around.
With a good sports selection and its unique Exchange betting, Betfair certainly has a lot to offer punters. That said, we would’ve like to see a few more promotions.
As far as the casino is concerned, Betfair does quite well. There are a lot of exciting slots to choose from, but we miss some of the industry’s most renowned jackpot and live casino games.
FAQ
Yes. As a matter of fact, Betfair doesn’t have just one, but two, apps. There’s one for the sportsbook betting and another separate app for Exchange betting. You can download them both from the Betfair website. They’re also available on App Store and Google Play.
No. Betfair runs well on the web browser in your smartphone or tablet.
Absolutely. Click the drop-down menu in the sports section to see what markets are available for e-sports.
This is a well-established and listed company offering one of the best betting sites around.