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Betastic / Betfair UK Expert Review (Updated 2024)

Betfair UK Expert Review (Updated 2024)

Our Rating Shows If Betfair is Reliable

Betfair is no longer recommended by betastic.com.
Top3 betastic.com alternatives to Betfair:
Last Updated:
18/03/2024
Topic:
Review
Experiences:
He's a genius at predicting football game results

Welcome to our in depth Betfair review, where we’ll explore the positives and negatives of the bookmaker in an easily digestible way. Right at the start, new customers receive a great £100 Betfair bonus in free bets!

betfair-sport-pro-contra
Betfair Pro and Con
  • Live Betting with streamed Video Links
  • Huge selection of Betting Markets
  • Clearly laid out Betfair Mobile Apps
  • Good Range of Payment Methods
  • Scanty VIP Programme

Created in 2000, Betfair has established itself as a reputable UK betting exchange and holds licenses in Malta. With Betfair casino and Betfair bingo making up other branches of the business they’re one of the largest online gaming providers in the UK.

Without giving too much away, it can be said that Betfair is definitely one of the best providers you can find in the UK market!

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First Impression & Registration

A great all-round site with a vibrant design

It’s not often you’ll find a bookmaker with such a great first impression, but we have to say we’re bowled over by the design at Betfair. From the moment we arrived, we considered Betfair trustworthy because of it’s reassuring licensing information and registration security features. We’d say it’s definitely a strong competitor to site discussed in our Betway review.

A simple to use website makes betting a breeze

The site itself is a vision of black, yellow and grey. You’ll find headers at the top for the Betfair sportsbook, the exchange and casino games as well as virtual options and bingo too. If we had time, we’d run through a Betfair casino and Betfair bingo review, but alas, that will have to wait for another occasion. Suffice to say, everything we accessed looked great and oozed simplicity.

Registration is quick and easy at Betfair

Clicking the black ‘Join Now’ button at the top of the Betfair site takes you to the registration form. Here you’ll type in your personal details. We’re talking name, address and telephone number as well as adding an email address and password to secure your account. If there’s a bonus to be had, Betfair will automatically add a promo code to smooth along the registration process. Once you’ve completed these details you’ll just need to add a payment method to get started with the bookie.

The Bonus Offer

How does the Betfair bonus stack up in our Betfair review?

Is Betfair a good betting site for new customers to sink their teeth into? The bonus offered by Betfair gives players the chance to receive up to £100 back by placing a minimum number of bets. But what exactly do you have to do to get the bonus funds?

The first thing you need to do is sign up with the bookmaker and make sure the bonus code ZBBC01 is present in the promo code box when registering. Betfair makes this easy for you by adding the code automatically, so if you want to opt out you need to remove this before making a deposit.

You’ll then need to place wagers to qualify for the bonus. Placing 5 or more £10 bets on odds of 1.50 (1/2) or above awards you a £20 free bet. You can repeat this process 5 times for a total of £100 extra to play with.

When we compare this deal to ones found on competitor’s sites we see it’s a standard deal. Our Betway reviews cite bonuses of £30 for a £10 spend giving a better return for your hard earned cash. Ladbrokes reviews show new players can have a matched bet of up to £50 with their initial investment. Let’s take a look at the finer details of the bonus.

The welcome bonus examined

You want to know more about this bonus and we’ve got the goods, right? Right! So what other stuff do you need to know? Firstly, to get the bonus you need to make your qualifying deposits within the first 30 days of signing up on the website. Make five deposits and stakes of £10 or more and you’ll get £20 back. Make nine with a 10th on day 31 and you’ll not get your second £20.

You can place both your bonus funds and qualifying bets on any sports market you like providing they’re not same market bets on the exchange (betting for and against an event happening, for example). You also can’t use your bonus funds on multiple bets, so accumulators and multi-bet singles are out. You’ll have 30 days from receiving your bonus fund to spend them.

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App & Mobile

Good service whether online or on the go

Go to the top of the Betfair website and you’ll find a black icon linking to the mobile downloads of the Betfair app. There are separate apps for the betting exchange and the sportsbook, with support for both Android and iOS. You can choose how to download the app, either follow the website links to get the right app version for you or download the apps directly from the app store.

When we tested the app on our Android device it ran smoothly, proving Betfair trustworthy yet again. The app itself looks very much like the website, just a smaller, more compact version. You’ll still be able to bet on any sporting event you like, including in-play events. Odds are updated regularly on the in-play and exchange bets, so by using a mobile app you can check the latest odds without needing to be tied to your laptop. It’s easy to use, much like the betting app discovered in our Betvictor review.

Betfair’s bonuses are open to all

Users of the mobile app get the same great deals and bonuses found on the desktop site. As well as the accumulator boost we mentioned earlier, players can also get a risk free £5 when signing up on the betting exchange. This can be used by any player. Sign up and make your first wager of £5 or more on the exchange and if your bet loses, you’ll receive the £5 back into your account. How about using your newly returned cash on one of the football or horse racing special bets found on the Betfair site?

There are currently no specific bonuses for users of the mobile app, which is a shame as so many other bookmakers offer these deals. We wonder if this is something that the bookie will be considering in the future? As such, our Betfair ratings are a little lower than we had hoped.

Specials & Extras

More to Betfair than meets the eye!

While many bookmakers specialise in one area, Betfair have several different strings to their bow. As well as a sportsbook and live betting you’ll find links to casino and bingo sites under the Betfair umbrella. This is possibly due to the influence of Paddy Power who are part of the same group.

While we’d love to write a details casino and bingo Betfair review, we simply don’t have the time. But what we can say is that both of the sites offer something new and exhilarating to its players. With the bingo site you’ll be able to claim a bonus of up to £25 when you sign up. With the casino there’s a whopping £100 welcome bonus offer and 30 free roulette chips.

Got a problem? Chat to Betfair online

While you can get in touch with Betfair customer service via live chat and telephone, nothing compares to social media for getting a business’ attention. Thankfully Betfair have a Facebook and Twitter page which is manned on a daily basis.

As well as finding all the latest Betfair deals and bonuses on here, you’ll see odds features and sporting news and headlines. Betfair’s Twitter presence is split over several accounts. You’ll find one for sport, one for the exchange and one specifically for help, so make sure to follow them all if you want the best experience.

You can also contact Betfair’s customer service on Facebook, but they only have one dedicated page for this. This is much less interactive than the Twitter account.

Payments & Limits

Many payment methods available

No Betfair review would be complete without a review of the payment methods available on their website. Thankfully, they are quite considerable. As well as the usual credit and debit card payments (Mastercard and Visa) you can also place deposits using the e-wallets Neteller, Skrill and PayPal. The latter is less common on bookmaker’s sites, so it’s nice to see it added here. You can also make deposits using paysafecard, which is a prepaid card that you can pick up in certain retailers or purchase an ‘online’ version over the internet. Lastly, bank transfers can also be made..

PayPal
Revolut
Neteller
Skrill
Paysafecard
+ 11

How long do I have to wait for my cash?

Different payment methods have different deposit limits and withdrawal limits. Some are also faster than others. Here’s a breakdown of the Betfair payment methods to help you choose which method is best for you.

  • Credit and debit cards: Minimum deposit is £5 with instant processing. No fee is charged. Withdrawal limit is £2,000 credit card, £10,000 debit card. Withdrawals take 5-7 working days.
  • Neteller: Minimum deposit is £12, max is £32,500 with instant processing. No fee is charged. Cannot be used for withdrawals.
  • Skrill: Minimum deposit is £10, max is £32,500 with instant processing. No fee is charged. Cannot be used for withdrawals.
  • PayPal: Minimum deposit is £5, max is £6,000 with instant processing. No fee is charged. Cannot be used for withdrawals.
  • Paysafecard: Minimum deposit is £5, max is £400 with instant processing. No fee is charged. Cannot be used for withdrawals.
  • Bank Transfer: Minimum deposit is £10, no maximum. Takes 2-5 working days to process. No fee is charged. No withdrawal limit. Withdrawals take 5-7 working days.

Support & VIP

How to get the support you need from Betfair

Customer service is key in any business, so is Betfair reliable when it comes to solving your problems?

We’ve read plenty of Betfair reviews, and all of them praise the speed in which Betfair speak to them. Go to the help page and you’ll see that you can contact Betfair in two ways, phone and live chat. You’ll see on the page how long it will take them on average to reply to your query, too. When we checked, we were impressed to see that they were answering both live chat and telephone calls within 30 seconds.

If you prefer to help yourself there’s a decent sized FAQ page where you can search specific topics to get the answers you need. You can also contact customer service using Betfair’s social media pages, too.

  • Name of company: Paddy Power Betfair
  • CEO: Breon Corcoran
  • Address: Hammersmith Embankment Waterfront, Winslow Road, Hammersmith, London, W6 9HP
  • Email: N/A
  • Phone number: 0344 871 0000
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Does Betfair have a VIP program?

Betfair gives out Betfair Points to reduce commission on the Betfair Exchange. While this charge is usually 5%, players who collect Betfair Points pay a lower rate. You’ll receive these points on every exchange bet you make, win or lose. Earning 1000 Betfair Points reduces your overall commission by 2% of its value. So if your commission adds up to £1.00, you’ll pay 98p. 7,000 points gives you 10% off and a whopping 150,000 points earns you 60% off.

Licenses & Safety

What’s site safety like at Betfair

Scroll to the bottom of the Betfair page and you’ll find some reassuring logos. The first prominent logo is the Gambling Commission seal which is a UK based commission that regulates remote gambling. You’ll also find a link to the Malta Gaming Authority, who are the leading authority in Malta and is the regulator who gave Betfair some of their licences.

The bookmaker is also licensed in the Isle of Man for some games, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission and the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner. You can rest assured that the bookmaker is a reputable business with both PPB Entertainment and Betfair casino also holding accreditation.

UKGC - UK Gambling Commission
MGA - Malta Gaming Authority
New Jersey (US)
Australia’s Northern Territory
Spain
+ 3

What Betfair does to prevent gambling problems

If you’re looking for information on how to gamble safely online you’ll find lots of information on the Betfair site. As well as links to GamCare, Gambler’s Anonymous and Gambling Therapy, you can take advantage of a gambling calculator to calculate how much you can afford to spend on betting.

Another handy tool is the Betfair diary where you can type in how much you’ve spent on wagers, where and how long you spent betting. This will give you a good indication of whether your gambling is in control or not.

Lastly, the Betfair self-assessment test will allow you to assess your current gambling experiences to see if you need some time away from the site. If you feel your betting is becoming a problem you can self-exclude by contacting Betfair customer service.

Betfair Sports Betting

Betting Markets

Lots of sports to choose from at Betfair

During the course of our Betfair review we found time and time again that the betting markets offered at Betfair were far superior to many of their competitors. This is in part because you’re able to place lay bets as well as wins. Lay betting is where you bet against an event happening. Betfair is a betting exchange, which means for a small commission you can place a wider range of bets than a normal bookmaker.

In total, you’ll find over 30 sports to bet on. Traditionalists will find all their old favourites such as horse racing, greyhound racing and bets on golf, for example. For those that like a little more variety in their betting you’ll see table tennis, cycling and rowing available. If you prefer your sports to be a little more sedate, how about betting on chess or esports tournaments?

A huge selection of betting types on offer

Betfair lead the way with the number of betting markets on their website. With thousands of sporting events to bet on daily and live betting markets offering new and exciting ways to bet, you’ll be spoiled for choice.

Among the most popular selections are the typical Win or Each Way bet, as well as accumulators offering huge potential to win life-changing barrels of cash. You’ll find accumulators in 3-fold, 4-fold and above. You can add as many selections to the betting slip as your heart allows, but accumulators are capped at 21 legs.

In-play betting adds another level of excitement allowing you to cash out your wager early if your nerves are getting to you. A great addition if betfair odds aren’t in your favour, allowing you to cut your losses early if a wager isn’t going your way. For more sports betting comparisons, make sure you check out our Betstars review.

Betting Odds

Odds boost deals on certain events give Betfair the edge

While most bookmakers are content to offer the standard fare when it comes to odds, Betfair is different. Log into their website and you’ll find special bookmaker events that see odds boosted on set markets. Current promotions centre around football, specifically events in the Premier League and Champions League, with Betfair personally guaranteeing they have the best odds in the industry.

But don’t worry if you’re not a fan of football, Betfair have you covered. Those who like rugby, men’s tennis, and horse racing all benefit from the same deal too. Their connections to the horse racing scene also offer the ability to live stream all horse racing events, too.

The biggest and best deal comes from Betfair’s Odds Boost which allows you to increase your accumulator winnings by a set percentage. How much extra you gain depends on the number of legs you add to your accumulator. Three legs gives you a bonus of 5%, 4 legs is 10% rising to a maximum of 50% for 10 legs or more. The maximum stake for this accumulator is £25 and bonus is only paid on the first ACCA of the week. This deal is also available on mobile.

Limits

There does not appear to be much in the way of information of what the maximum and minimum betting limits are on Betfair. However, you can find plenty of details on what the maximum payouts are for each individual sport and the different leagues. For example, the maximum payout for horse racing in a single day is £1,000000. Be sure to check the site out in detail if you want to find out what the payout maximums are for your favourite sporting events.

Live Betting & Streaming

Easy to access live betting section

Click the ‘In Play’ tab at the top of the Betfair page and you’ll find the live betting page where you can place wagers on the most popular sports; tennis, football, basketball, golf, cricket, ice hockey, volleyball, snooker and handball. Each sport has their own header, but current fixtures can be found by scrolling down the page.

Competition odds are displayed next to each sporting event. So, for example, if you’re interested in live football you’ll find odds for a win, loss and draw. Click the arrow next to these odds and you’ll be discover all other betting options on that market. So, for football you’ll also find odds on corners, goal markets, correctly guessing the first or second half score and goalscorer bets.

To place a bet, just click the corresponding odds. This transfers the wager to the betting slip to input your stake and confirm the bet.

Is Betfair reliable when it comes to live streaming?

Betfair offers live streaming to those who place a wager on a qualifying event. To watch a sporting event live, click the relevant link and once the event starts you’ll be able to follow it as it happens. There is a two to five second delay, though.

With hundreds of events on a weekly basis including tennis, horse racing and football content it’s one of the most comprehensive sites around.

Product Summary & Conclusion

Betfair is the number one betting exchange in the world and this is for good reason as the bookmaker offers its users a quality and diverse amount sporting events to wager on. On top of that the maximum payouts are more than generous when stacked up against many of Betfair’s competitors. If you wanted to go for a safe betting exchange option, Betfair should absolutely be up there as a top choice in your decision making process.

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Betfair Review Conclusion

Betfair scored a healthy 82 out of 100 in our test score!

Bookmakers come and go, but Betfair and its adjoining company Paddy Power have been around for decades offering consistently good service to its customers. They’ve embraced the digital age with live sport betting and streaming one of the most prominent features on the bookmaker’s site. They’ve also licences in all areas of the UK, providing again and again that they are one of the most reputable brands out there. It should come as no surprise, then, that they rated so highly in our bookmaker review, scoring 82 out of 100 when it came down to the crunch.

Betfair Strengths and Weaknesses

We had to dig deeply to find any sign of a weakness at Betfair, but while the bookmaker scored highly across the board there was one element that let it down, and that was its welcome bonus. Don’t get us wrong, a bonus giving up to £100 in extra funds is a great deal, but to receive the full £100 you need to spend a whopping £250 first (5 x £10 bets gives you a £20 bet voucher). When Betfair’s competitors offer as much as 300% on top of initial deposits, this let them down.

It’s their live betting game that really stands out from the crowd. With thousands of sporting selections daily and a healthy proportion of these streamed live, it’s no surprise it’s so popular. Throw in the chance for accumulators too, and you’ve got yourself a fun-filled time.

Still looking for more comparisons? Head on over to our BoyleSports review if you’d like the option of a casino.

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Highlights
  • A choice of welcome bonuses
  • Award-winning provider
  • Excellent range of betting markets
T&Cs apply. New reg only. Claim by placing a min deposit £10 via "My Offers" page within 30 days. Skrill/Neteller deposits excl. 7 days to stake max £10 in-play. Max. extra winnings £100. 18+ BeGambleAware.org.

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Our Ratings of the Different Categories
Sports:
85
/100
Overall Rating Betfair
85.0
/100
Payment Methods
PayPal
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License
UKGC - UK Gambling Commission
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