Betfair
Betfair is the UK based sportsbook and betting exchange online gaming company that offers a massive array of sports market which eclipses that of its competitors. There are more than 30 different sports on offer, chief among them, football, tennis, cricket, basketball, athletics, chess and cycling. They also offer non-sporting betting markets such as politics where you can set the odds yourself for over 15 politics markets. Although Bet Fair is mostly renowned for its sports betting, it also offers a variety of other popular games including slots, roulettes, baccarat and blackjack. The popular slots include American Dad, RoboCop, Space Invaders and Man of Steel.
Betfair was initially formed in 1999 but is now owned and operated by Paddy Power. The company is a result of a merger between two former bitter gambling rivals – Paddy Power and Betfair – which took place in 2015. They are located in West London, UK and are licensed by the prestigious United Kingdom Gambling Commission which is one of the most stringent regulators around. This ensures that the company operates according to the industry’s best practices, which is good news to the customer. The online betting company is in partnership with the most reputable sports betting software providers in the business such as Playtech and NetEnt.
Visiting Betfair
The first impression when you log in to the Bet Fair website is that the site designed with their utmost convenience in mind. The luminous yellow colour scheme immediately catches your attention and interest. The information is also well arranged, making navigation quick and simple. On top of the Betfair online betting website, you can see a banner that promotes several upcoming events. You can also access and number of bonus offerings, as well as tips and previews. The main menu which is located at the top of the site includes tabs like Betfair Sportsbook, Betfair Casino, Live casino, Betfair games, Poker among others. Under the Sportsbook section, you can find tabs like Betfair Sports, Home, In-Play, Cashout, Promotions, Betfair football, Tennis, Horse Racing and Cricket. Cricket is a fairly big focal point of the Betfair markets, so we recommend that you read through our online cricket betting tips before you start playing at Betfair.
The bulk of the Betfair betting site is filled with odds for several sports. You can select odd by category from the top of the odds table. To the left of the main odds selection, you can find a variety of in-play odds. Below this section, the bookmaker advertises some of its bonus offers. There is also a bright yellow banner that links users to useful information for responsible gambling, which is an important aspect for all Betfair reviews. The right side of the site has a list of featured bets, where you can get some of the best odds of the day. You can also find the odds that you can wager on with the odds boost option. At the bottom of the main odds, you can find several links to some of the casino games.
If you’re considering Betfair online as a betting site option, this Betfair review can help you assess your options. All you have to do is join using the Join Now tab, which is just beside the Betfair login tab, on the top right corner of the website. You will then have to proceed to enter the Betfair promo code or referral code, to access your welcome bonus. When you have an account, you can now log in using the online login is quick and easy.
Betfair Bonus
Few things capture the attention of the new customer, quite like the availability of bonus packages. The sports betting giant has considered this and has several bonus packages available. Here are some of the Betfair promotions that are available on the website:
The Betfair welcome bonus
- Up to £100 in free bets
The sportsbook new customer offer is quite decent. You place 5× £10 bets, and you will receive a £20 free bet. You can do this five times to get the maximum of £100. The minimum bet required to be eligible for this offer is £10, and the minimum odds are pegged at 1.5. No Betfair promo code is required for this welcome bonus package. The maximum validity of the bonus bet is seven days. Another equally important offer includes the five Betfair free spins available in the Arcade which can be claimed once you’ve made a £10 bet on Dynamite Riches. While writing this review, we could not find any Betfair no deposit free bets.
All players can enjoy the £25 Bet Fair free bet which applies to all players who bet and you win a football game at 4/1 or on an American game. Along with this, Bet Fair also have a Best Odds Guaranteed on Ireland and UK greyhound and horse racing. In the horse racing sector, they also offer players the Minimum Bet to Win Guarantee with a limit of £500 which applies to qualifying races on the day of the actual race. Players can spread their £500 bets between odds, 2 /1 or 4 / 1 etc. Another promotion of interest is the edge Way Edge, which allows players to change the terms of each of their edge way bet.
Rewards4Racing- Bet Fair customers can also collect points for every bet placed on the site and then redeem as ticket upgrades or savings and experiences at the Derby, the Grand National and the Cheltenham Festival. These points are accepted and can be spent in over 20 racecourses in and around the UK. Players need only join the reward program and for every £1 stake, they earn a point.
Betfair Mobile
Most bookmakers have put forward dedicated and web apps to enable their customers to make a mobile login place bets on-the-go. Bet Fair has taken advantage of this trend and has provided a robust platform that allows its customers to enjoy their sports betting on the go. The Betfair mobile platform is highly functional, as well as dependable and stable. You can access pre-match odds and match results for a massive array of markets almost just like on the desktop site. The mobile platform also allows you to do live odds with the use of the in-play functionality. You can also easily access your betting history on this robust mobile client just like you can do on your desktop.
The sportsbook mobile platform also enables you to withdraw and deposit funds through a vast plethora of the most trusted and secure banking platforms. You can also enjoy live scores, and video streaming for your favourite sport. It is equipped with a live chat service which facilitates instant customer service and is flash-based making it accessible through the most common mobile browsers. However, there is also a downloadable Betfair app. The app is available for both Android and IOS. If you have an iOS device, you can simply download the app on the App Store. If you have an Android device, you can download the app directly from the site or scan the QR code. The app also enables you to access the game multi-tool, which will allow you to have control over your bet. The much sought after in-play betting facilities are available on the app. You can also make use of the live streaming service. There is a separate Sportsbook App and Exchange App, so you need to download them separately. If your device doesn’t support the downloadable app, you need not worry. The web-based mobile platform is just as functional if not better.
Betfair Games and Software
Betfair UK is no doubt one of the most popular bookmakers. They boast a vast array of sports and markets that is virtually unrivalled on the sports betting scene. The Betfair sportsbook has more than 30 sports available. These include popular games such as football, basketball, horse racing, tennis, cricket, MMA, and virtual sports betting, among others. If you are drawn to the not so popular sports, you can place wagers on sports such as badminton, rowing, greyhound racing, chess, cycling, darts, and fantasy football, among others. The sportsbook offers very convenient access to the live betting section through the “In-Play” tab.
We also liked the fact that there were plenty of baseball bets available. Baseball is not one of the major sports in the UK, but internationally, and especially in the US, it is immensely popular. If you’re interested in betting on baseball, you should definitely take a look at our MLB betting tips.
On the live betting section, you will be able to place wagers on the most popular sport as they are being played. If you are a football fan, you are in for a treat. The Betfair sportsbook covers a good number of football leagues and tournaments, which include the EPL, the World Cup, La Liga, Serie A, Champions League and the Europa League. The odds will be displayed next to the matches taking place, and you will find odds to wager on for corners, penalties, first goalscorer, half time scores, etc. They also offer you enhanced odds for upcoming football matches. Keep in mind that its a good idea to check our own football betting tips for today before you place any bets on football.
Apart from sports betting, the company also offers a plethora of Betfair slots, table games and live dealer games. The sportsbook runs on a multi-software platform which includes preeminent software giants such as Playtech, NetEnt and IGT. This means that while your matches are being played and your bets are waiting to yield results, you can enjoy the Betfair live casino and take part in a variety of games including roulette, poker and blackjack. Alternatively, you can spin a reel or two on the Betfair slots which are under the tab Vegas slots.
The Betfair odds are generally quite good, and within the industry standards compared to other bookies. But you should always compare the odds, for example with a oddschecker golf, before you place any bets, so that you know that the odds for any given event are fair.
Deposits and Withdrawals
Sports betting customers just want to enjoy their betting experience without having to worry about the deposit and withdrawal process alike. Bet Fair has availed to you a variety of trusted and secure deposit and withdrawal methods for your convenience. The deposit methods available on the website are as follows:
- Neteller
- Skrill
- PayPal
- Bank Transfer
- Paysafecard
- Bank Wire
- Debit Card
- Visa Maestro
- Credit Card
- Visa MasterCard
- Cheque
Most of the trusted payment options are available. The minimum deposit amount is £6 using Credit or Debit Card and £10 on Banking Transfers. Depositing on Bet Fair is instantaneous. All you need to do is select your method, and you are good to go.
Their withdrawal periods are as follows:
- E-wallets – 0-24 hours to be processed.
- Credit/Debit Cards – take a minimum of 2 days and a maximum of 5 days to be processed. This is because they are subject to a rigorous verification process that doesn’t affect e-wallets.
- Bank Transfer – take 3-5 days to be processed.
- Cheques – take from a minimum of 7 days to a period not exceeding 16 days to be processed.
The good news is that if you encounter any problems or issues you can get them resolved quickly by talking to customer support through either email or telephone.
Responsible Gaming
The online gaming environment is enjoyable and entertaining, but also comes with inherent dangers. The online betting industry has been making strides in ensuring that its customers gamble responsibly. Bet Fair avails to its customers a variety of information and tools to help them deal with any issues resulting from problem gambling. In most cases, these are preventative so that players know the signs thus avoiding problems.
The tools include financial limits, time-out tools, grace periods, self-exclusion tools, game session timers, among others. Betfair also has a strict policy about dealing with underage gambling. Customers are subject to rigorous age verification checks upon registration. You can also access a community of fellow punters through the bookmaker’s affiliates, who can provide tips and support when dealing with addiction.The most effective tools that the online gaming company has on offer are as follows;
- Self-Exclusion – This is arguably the most effective tool on offer. This tool involves the complete closure of your gambling account for periods not less than 6 months. You will not be allowed to reopen your account under any circumstances until the period of exclusion lapses. You will also need to make a written request before reopening your account even after the period has lapsed.
- Financial Limits- The financial limits functionality facilitates the setting of daily, weekly and monthly deposit limits. This feature is available through your account manager. You can set the deposit limit as soon as you register or in the Player Protection section. This tool is flexible since you can change it at any time.
- Waiting time feature – This feature allows you to block your account for periods ranging from 24 hours to 30 days. You will not be able to place any bets until the period lapses. At the end of the selected period, your account will be automatically reopened.
Betfair encourages parents to install filtering software like NetNanny and Cyber patrol on their children’s gadgets. This will go a long way in dealing with underage gambling.
Conclusion
It is undoubtedly clear that Betfair is a major player in the sports betting industry. Their offering across the board can rival that of any competitor on the betting scene. They also have created a great pro-player platform that offers value in both entertainment and game fairness. Through their sportsbook, they can offer an inimitable range of markets for a plethora of sport. This allows them to stay a step ahead of the competition.
The company also boasts tantalizingly high betting odds which will no doubt keep drawing customers in. The pay-outs at Bet Fair are relatively quick, which ensures that customers are not left frustrated. The other thing that gives the preeminent sports betting company an edge is the fact that they allow you to act as a bookmaker through their betting exchange. Most other competing bookmakers do not offer this service. However, despite these convincing benefits, they still need to keep things innovative for the new generation of players. Overall, Betfair is a formidable operator in the sports betting scene and is set to be there for the long haul. However, there are a few areas they need to look into seriously. If you like Betfair, and are looking for something similar, you can easily find it in our UK betting sites list.
Pros and Cons
Betfair is one of the biggest and most successful sports betting companies around. A simple look at what they offer will leave you with no doubt that they are one to add to the top of your online bookie list.
Pros
- Availability of a vast array of sports and markets
- The presence of In-play betting.
- High betting odds
Cons
- May transaction processing charge fees