Betfair Bookie Review

Betfair is best known for its dual functionality as both a bookmaker and a betting exchange. While it offers a wide range of sports markets and competitive odds, it doesn’t act like a traditional bookmaker. Think of it more like a stock market. If you use a traditional betting site, you can only bet with the odds set by that betting site. However, with Betfair, you go head-to-head against other punters.

Betfair started out as a typical bookmaker, but has since expanded and developed its brand to include casino and poker games.

Our Betfair review will determine if Betfair is secure and assess the quality of the markets and bonuses available.

What Users are Saying About Betfair

Betfair Welcome Bonus

Betfair’s sign-up offer is very lucrative when you consider the relatively small stake required to unlock it. Once you have created your new Betfair account and everything has been checked and verified, you can access a bet of £50 and get £50 in Bet Builder offers. This works out as you receiving 500% of your original stake back.

To get hold of this offer, all you need to do is place your initial bet worth £10 at odds of evens or greater, and you will get a total of £50 worth of bet builders, accas, or multiples.

Betfair Promotions

Betfair certainly does not have as many promotions on the sports betting side of the site as other bookmakers. There is a refer- a-friend bonus that rewards you for bringing in new players to the platform. You will get £10 per referral, which is not as lucrative as other similar schemes, but it will soon build up if you can get a few friends to join.

However, the main promotion on the Betfair site is the acca edge, which replaced the acca insurance offer. Betfair has put a lot of marketing efforts behind this promotion to inform existing customers that it exists and to bring new players on board.

Acca Edge is one of the most comprehensive acca insurances in the UK, and it works slightly differently from the insurance deals offered at rival bookmakers. Acca Edge kicks in if one selection loses, but Betfair will pay the refund as cash instead of a free bet. There is no minimum odds requirement for this, and your acca must have at least 3 legs.

Apart from a few odds boosts here and there, most of the other promotions are on the casino or exchange side of the platform.

Betfair Betting Features

Betfair is one of the biggest online sports betting companies you will find. Although its sports betting platform hasn’t been around as long as others, such as Betfred, they have already gained a strong reputation thanks to generous bonuses and features in addition to the betting exchange.

Live In-Play Betting

There are lots of in-play markets available on Betfair, and we like the fact that they offer live odds for more niche sports such as esports and handball. The in-play section is easy to find. Once you are logged in, you will see the in-play tab at the top of the screen. Click that, and you are presented with all of the options.

When you click on the sport you want to bet on, you will get a breakdown of the live matches along with the odds and a stats icon. The stats icon is a great feature. If you are betting on a football match, for example, you will be able to view stats such as possession, dangerous attacks, shots on and off target, corners, and cards. This type of intel can help you make a more informed decision while the game is ongoing.

Cash Out

Cash out has become an essential tool for most Punters to access in the UK, and Betfair has made lots of amendments to their cash out offering in recent times. Customers can cash out all of their bets within a single market with just one click of a button.

If betting on a horse race, Betfair will offer you cash out based on your selection’s real-time race position and the prices in the market at that moment in time. So you can rest easy knowing that you will at least make some money back.

Mobile Betting

Betfair is an excellent mobile betting app available on both Android and iOS devices. Everything is displayed neatly, so you can find exactly what you are looking for without constantly scrolling. We tested the cash-out feature while betting on mobile, and it was seamless. We were able to cash out of our bet very quickly, and the money was instantly added to our account.

We are not surprised to see the app score 4.5/5 on the Play Store and 4.7/5 on the Apple App Store. These high ratings from users reflect our experience using the Betfair app.

Bet Builder

The Betfair bet builder is a huge piece of their football coverage, and we think it is one of the better ones out there. It is really easy to use, just click the match you are interested in, click the ‘Bet Builder’ tab, and then start creating your bet. With each selection you add, whether it is a player to score, a team to win, or a player to be carded, the odds will be instantly updated on your betslip.

All of the available markets will be listed along the top of the screen and consist of fouls/cards, shots, corners, overs/under, and all markets.

Betfair Sports Markets

Betfair has a large range of markets and specials available for customers. All of the sports markets and leagues are displayed in a tidy format on the desktop site and app. Cricket fans, in particular, will be delighted with the depth of coverage on Betfair. They cover ODIs, test matches, World T20, World Cup, and most of the major leagues, including the IPL and the Big Bash.

As you would expect, football also features heavily, with the biggest leagues from around the world covered. The sports Betfair offers odds for include:

• American Football
• Atheltics
• Australian Rules
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Darts
• Football
• Gaelic Games
• Golf
• Greyhound Racing
• Handball
• Horse Racing
• Mixed Martial Arts
• Motor Sport
• Rugby Union
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Winter Sports

This is a very diverse and wide range of markets. Betfair also has partnerships with some big leagues around the world.

Banking Methods

Betfair has the most popular options for deposits and withdrawals. There are debit and credit card payments in addition to e-wallets such as PayPal. To make a deposit, you just need to log in to your account and click the deposit button.

Is Betfair Legit?

Betfair is fully licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority. It is one of the most recognisable gambling brands due to its betting exchange. Betfair has encrypted SSL technology, so your details are kept safe at all times.

Customer Support

We were surprised to discover that Betfair doesn’t offer an email service; however, there is a live 24/7 chat feature available. This means you can get in touch at any time if there is an issue. When we requested a bet for a football market as we couldn’t find the odds, we got a response very quickly and found the staff to be knowledgeable.

Our Verdict

Betfair is one of the most popular betting operators out there, boasting millions of customers. Since its merger with Paddy Power, it has just increased its footprint, and it now has more depth to the markets it offers. The Betfair betting exchange is one of the biggest in the world, and its range of markets is very impressive.

Author

Alex Windsor

Alex, a ten-year iGaming industry veteran and Managing Editor at BettingTools specializes in sports betting and betting tools. He also provides insightful reviews, ensures the accuracy of all offers, and maintains content quality helping you make informed choices. Combining professional expertise with a passion for football and soccer, Alex ensures we offer you a reliable resource, focusing on betting tools to assist with odds, accas, and other betting strategies.