As of 14th April 2020, players from the UK are no longer allowed to make credit card transactions at online betting sites
Betfair has become one of the world’s best betting sites.
This Betfair review takes a microscope to this bookmaker’s top-notch welcome bonus, their staggering amount of promotions, high-quality customer support, and much more.
Keep scrolling to find out how they became one of Sportsbetting24’s top 5 sportsbooks. Or click the green “Claim” button above to head straight to Betfair!
Betfair Sign up Offer – £30 in Free Bets
The Betfair new customer offer gives £30 in free bets, when you make a first deposit of just £10. To claim this offer you’d need to sign-up to with the code ‘ZBGC01’, deposit £10, and then make a £10 bet at minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5). Once the bet has settled, you’ll get a £30 free bet.
Type | Offer | Promo Code |
Welcome Bonus | £30 in Betfair Free Bets | ZBGC01 |
New Customer offer. Place a min £10 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £30 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly |
Betfair Welcome Offer – Suits All Types of Punters
Betfair are loved by so many new punters across their licensed territories and you don’t have to look far to see why as they offer one of the best new customer offers in the industry.
The Betfair free bets terms and conditions are a lot more user-friendly than most other betting sites’ welcome offers. We absolutely love that the Betfair free bet terms and conditions are set up to make it relatively easy for even casual punters to get a decent deal, while still also making sure that those more on the high-rollers side of the spectrum are taken care of too.
Betfair Sign Up Offer – Key Terms
- You must sign-up with Promo Code – ZBGC01
- You must verify your number by SMS.
- You must Ddeposit a minimum of £10 using a debit card.
- You must place a minimum £10 bet on the Betfair Sportsbook. Min odds 1/2 (1.5).
- Only bets placed and settled within the first 30 days of account opening qualify
- Excludes ‘same market’ bets placed on the Exchange
- Cashed Out and Voided bets do not qualify
- Using free bets as the stake (in full or in part) will not qualify
- Offer excludes customers who deposit using Paypal, Moneybookers, or Neteller
- The offer excludes the following bet types: Canadian, Goliath, Heinz, Lucky 15, Lucky 31, Lucky 63, Patent, Super Heinz, Trixie & Yankee.
- Free bets are valid for 30 days.
SO Many Promotions for Existing Customers!
When you’ve used your welcome offer, don’t think that the rewards end there! This bookie loves to look after their users and one of the ways they’re so successful at retaining numbers is partly due to the tremendous promotions for existing customers.
Whether you’re into Football, Tennis, Boxing or Horse Racing, there’s a promotion for you to enjoy. The latest existing customer offers change during the year, so it’s worth checking the current promotions available on the website, but, at time of writing, there are 15 offers on the Sportsbook promotions tab on their website.
We absolutely love the “Best Odds Guaranteed” promotions they proudly run throughout the year for Cricket, Rugby and UK & Irish Horse Racing, and they add new sports to that list regularly.
Betfair’s clear commitment to keeping their punters happy is wonderful to see, as is the added value to the Betfair sports betting experience through all the Betfair promotions and offers they run throughout the year.
Betfair Rewards4Racing – Earn Points With Every Racing Bet
Betfair customers can now collect points on every single bet they place in a relatively new promotion called ‘Rewards4Racing’. Turn your everyday betting activity into tremendous rewards and benefits! What’s not to like?!
You can get involved with a variety of sports and markets on the Sportsbook and you will collect one point for every £1 staked, and that’s not limited to Horse Racing; Football, Ice Hockey, whatever takes your fancy, it all counts!
Essentially, the points collected can be spent at over 30 racecourses across the UK, so you can save some money on tickets or any experiences.
One of the Most Secure and Trustworthy Bookmakers
Regulation, data protection and compliance are a bookmaker’s bread and butter – they all do everything they can to do things by the book, just look at GDPR!
Betfair originally launched solely as a Betting Exchange at the start of the Millennium and there was no Betfair Sportsbook until May 2012 – they wanted to take on traditional bookmakers at their own game in time for Euro 2012.
It proved to be a successful move as they’re now the world’s largest online betting company after their historic £7bn merger with Paddy Power in 2015 – with the group company called Paddy Power Betfair.
They’ve sponsored some prestigious events and teams in the past such as Boxing’s Prizefighter series and Fulham Football Club, but they’ve only gone on to bigger and better things since – they currently have betting sponsorships in place with Arsenal and FC Barcelona as well as racing sponsorships with the Tingle Creek at Sandown and the Betfair Chase at Haydock.
What is the Exchange All About?
You may have heard of betting exchanges such as Betdaq, Smarkets and Matchbook, but Betfair were the pioneers of betting exchanges and this is probably the reason they are still number one.
Boasting over four million customers, over one million active Exchange users and a turnover reportedly in excess of £50m a week, they continually invest in the product to stay ahead of the competition.
Effectively, the Exchange allows you to become the bookie; it’s got a stock market feel to it if you like. In simple terms, when you stake against (lay) a sporting selection, they match you with another punter who wants to back that selection to win.
It’s very popular and the odds are always slightly higher than a Sportsbook, so give it a try if you haven’t already, you won’t be disappointed.
Betfair – Regulatory Information
Betfair is licensed and regulated by some of the strictest authorities in the world, like the UK Gambling Commission (Licence: 39561), the Malta Gaming Authority (Licence: MGA/CRP/131/2006-06). As well as other authorities in Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria and Romania, so they’re fully compliant with the GB Gambling Commission and they do their utmost to promote responsible gambling.
With regards to their free bets and promotions, their terms and conditions are very clear and they’re transparent in everything that they do as a betting company.
They did hit the headlines back in 2011 when they were the victims of data theft that lead to over three million customers having their accounts compromised, which included the theft of usernames, address and payment details.
However, technology and security has since been ramped up to an almost unprecedented level to ensure it never happens again, with many users having left reviews in recent years to mention just how pleased they are with this bookie’s thorough security procedures.
Reviewing their responsible gambling activities constantly, they’re one of the best in the industry when it comes to protecting their customers. As well as promoting their own responsible gambling section on their website, they work with partners including GamCare, CNWL National Problem Gambling Clinic, Gamblers Anonymous, Gambling Therapy and GAMSTOP.
Banking – All Top Payment Methods Accepted!
Betfair’s payment options are plentiful. As well as accepting all the usual debit cards, they accept many e-wallets such as PayPal, Skrill, Neteller and Paysafecard.
There are fees involved when it comes to depositing or withdrawing funds, but minimum deposit limits of between £5 and £12 are in place depending on which method you choose, which is pretty standard across the industry.
The only deposit method that isn’t instant is a bank transfer, which can take between two and five working days to process, but unlike some other bookies, this method is also completely free.
There are maximum deposit limits in place for some Betfair deposit methods like eWallets, such as the below:
- Neteller – £32,500
- Skrill – £32,500
- PayPal – £6,000
- Paysafecard – £400
Card withdrawals are typically processed within two to five days, whereas all eWallet withdrawals take between 12 and 24 hours to reach you.
KYC (Know Your Customer) is a standard process adopted by most bookmakers nowadays and they will always look to pay any withdrawals back to the card or eWallet you deposited from. Some say it can be frustrating at times, but it prevents money laundering and problem gambling.
Betfair Withdrawal Times
Withdrawal Method | Withdrawal Time |
Debit Cards* | 2 – 5 Days |
PayPal | 12 – 24 Hours |
Skrill | 12 – 24 Hours |
Neteller | 12 – 24 Hours |
Bank Transfer | 1 – 3 Days |
Apple Pay | 2 – 5 Days |
* Credit Card transactions are not available in the UK |
Deposit Options
Withdrawal Options
Accepted currencies
- USA Dollar
- Euro
- Great Britain Pound
- Australia Dollar
- Swedish Krona
- Norwegian Krone
- Hong Kong Dollar
- Danish Krone
- Singapore Dollar
Betfair Sports Betting and Exchange
Currently covering 29 sports from football to golf and boxing as well as offering an incredible amount of pre-game and in-play markets in each sport, Betfair seem to be going from strength to strength since dipping their toes into the sports betting environment.
They guarantee the best odds in several sports and have also rolled the revolutionised Cash Out functionality out across an abundance of markets.
Although they only seem to offer it during big events, their YouChooseWeLose campaign is very popular amongst punters so keep an eye out for it during the big events in each sport!
What’s a little frustrating initially is that they don’t have a search function on their website, but you soon get over that when you see how well laid out everything is, it’s so easy to navigate. Big events get their own section and events happening today also have their own tab which makes it easy to find a certain selection.
Want to Place an Accumulator Hassle-Free?
Placing an accumulator couldn’t be simpler – all you need to do is click each selection and it will be added to your betslip, which will then build up the more you add and automatically offer you every possible multiple bet available for the selections in the slip. The bold colours on the site really do make everything easy to understand.
If you want a change from sports betting then Betfair have a lot more to offer you and it’s all at your fingertips with an arcade, slots, casino, live casino, Vegas slots, Macau and virtual spots just a click away; why go anywhere else?
Betfair Horse Racing
Other online bookmakers offer sports and horse racing bundled together. Betfair has a dedicated horse racing section with a dramatically different interface, though.
This, of course, only benefits racing bettors. Not only you get a detailed overview of the current and upcoming races. They also show UK & Ireland races separately if you want the local racing experience.
They also offer some statistics, which are enough for the casual punter, but if you want something in-depth, you might have to look for it elsewhere. Overall, we’re happy with the offer.
Let’s also not forget that Betfair have frequent racing betting promotions, which are surely going to be of your interest.
Bet on Sports
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Hockey
- Boxing
- MMA
- Horse Racing
- Golf
- Cycling
- F1
- Rugby
- Australian Rules Football
- Tennis
- Cricket
- Football
- Handball
- Volleyball
- Darts
- Motorcycling
Betting tax
- No betting tax
Casino games
- Blackjack
- Video Poker
- Slots
- Progressive Slots
- Table Games
- Scratch Cards
- Roulette
- Craps
- Baccarat
- Live Dealer Blackjack
- Live Dealer Roulette
Betfair Apps for Android and iOS
It’s 2024, meaning that if I can’t place bets at a mate’s house or on the train home from work, then I’m not a happy punter. Luckily, though, Betfair are firmly planted in the 21st century and have put a lot of work into crafting a top-notch Betfair mobile experience.
With a mobile app on iOS and Android as well as a mobile site that looks and acts in the same way as the app if you don’t fancy using up more space on your phone, you can bet on the go with ease using the mobile app or mobile site.
For UK users, it’s easy to find in either the App Store or Google Play Store, and punters who don’t want to have to install any new apps need not panic as the mobile site and the app, which isn’t available on your device, are identical.
Although easy to navigate, it’s not as easy as some other apps in the industry in terms of finding what you want to bet on – sometimes you can be scrolling down for a while before you find what you need. A search function would be ideal on mobile, but the fact there isn’t one yet suggests it might be a while before we see one.
Live Betting at Betfair
The live service available may not be on the same level as, say, Bet365 or Ladbrokes, but there are plenty of in-play markets to get stuck in to, with Cash Out available on many of them which is always a bonus.
Using football as an example, a great feature on the site with live games is when you click through to a match, you get to see all the other live games on the left-hand side of the screen on a small in-play panel, which details the score and the time in the match. You can also click through to any of these matches at the click of a button if you fancy a punt on any of them.
Live Streaming
You can also live stream plenty of in-play events if your account is funded. If your balance is zero, you won’t be able to watch Live Video.
It’s a little bit different when it comes to Horse Racing and Greyhounds as you must stake a minimum total of 50p (or currency equivalent) in order to watch the action as well as ensuring your account balance is £2 or more.
A Luxury VIP Experience
If you spend big as a punter, get ready to be looked after and pampered!
It’s not a case of applying to become a VIP member, they will contact you if you’re winning big, spending big or your betting activity is high and profitable. The Betfair VIP Club is exclusive, like VIP Clubs should be.
Some of the benefits you’d enjoy if you were lucky enough to be invited to VIP Membership include:
- Arsenal tickets
- Barcelona tickets
- Racing tickets to the big meetings
- Large free bet tokens
- Better odds on the Sportsbook (rare, but it happens)
- A dedicated VIP Account Manager
- Quicker withdrawals
- etc.
Exemplary Customer Service and 24/7 Live Chat
With their helpdesk based in Malta, there are many bilingual customer service agents ready to help. Live Chat is available 24 hours a day, whereas the phone lines are quick to become available even at busy periods; they run a very effective ship and customer support is very important to them.
Email is another way to get in touch, but their response time is a lot slower in comparison. If you don’t want to go down the Live Chat, email or phone route then there’s always Twitter via their @BetfairCS handle, which is manned between 7am and 11pm seven days a week.
Betfair Contact Details
- UK Helpline: 0344 871 0000
- Ireland Helpline: 1800 944 000 (IRE)
- International Helpline: +44 203 059 8888
- Live Chat: Available 24/7
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Help/FAQ section: Organised, detailed, and searchable
Focused on the UK – Available Globally
Betfair’s core market is the UK and punters will enjoy a wide range of new and exciting promotions as the year goes on and huge events get closer.
While punters from all corners of the globe are welcome to enjoy Betfair’s phenomenal betting features, those in the UK and Ireland are definitely in for the biggest treat.
Betfair accept UK Sterling, Euro, US Dollar, Hong Kong Dollar, Australian Dollar, Danish Krone and Swedish Krona. But please note that once you choose your currency when registering, it’s impossible to change it afterwards, so please take care here.
Betfair Review – Final Thoughts
This Betfair review has hopefully persuaded you to make the right choice and sign up to one of the best bookmakers around.
With top-notch promotions, an abundance of sports and markets to choose from, and a first-class customer support channel, we’re confident that you will enjoy and benefit from everything Betfair has to offer.
Whether you’re a casual punter or a high roller, Betfair has what you need. One of the reasons they rose to the top of the industry is because they know exactly how to keep their punters happy and coming back for more.
- Strong new customer bonuses on offer gives you loads of value
- Plenty of ongoing and regular promotions for existing customers
- 24/7 Live Chat offering great customer service levels
- Has the best Exchange product as well as the standard sportsbook
- Paypal accepted as a payment method
- Strong live product with streaming available
- No search function to find markets and events easily
FAQs
Do Betfair accept Paypal?
Yes, Betfair accept Paypal! While it’s the most popular ewallet in the UK, we’d still recommend taking a look at Betfair’s extensive list of payment options, though, as there are plenty that charge lower fees than Paypal do!
Can I get a new customer bonus at Betfair?
Yes, Betfair have one of the best welcome bonuses out there. The Betfair sign-up offer could see you get up to £100 in free bets by following the qualifying conditions of their ‘Welcome Bet Bundle’ Read our welcome offer section above to read all about it.
Can I bet on my mobile easily?
Yes, Betfair has mobile apps and mobile websites for you to choose from and play with. Whether you’re riding the train home or having breakfast in bed on a Sunday morning, Betfair’s mobile platform just works.
Do Betfair offer a lot of value to their customers?
Definitely, more than most bookmakers! Their regular and frequent promotions see you get extra for your money, whilst their betting odds are competitive alongside the likes of bet365, Paddy Power and Ladbrokes