Betfair has been around since 2000, which says a lot about its reputation. If you’re considering joining in the UK, this Betfair Sportsbook review covers everything you need to know.
We’ve used the bookmaker for a long while and tested its features firsthand. The highlights are that Betfair lets you wager on 30+ sports, including pre-match and in-play markets. Plus, there are dedicated mobile apps for wagering on the go. However, is there room for improvement, or does Betfair deliver across the board? Keep reading to find out.
To begin our review, here’s what to expect from Betfair in terms of sports betting:
Supported Sports
Betfair covers 30+ sports, which we consider decent for a UK bookmaker. The range includes big favourites in Great Britain, such as:
Football
Racing
Greyhounds
Cricket
Tennis
Besides the above, we also saw basketball, darts, Rugby League, boxing, and baseball. Interestingly, Betfair also allows betting on virtuals, which are digital simulations of real-life sports.
Featured Markets
When making predictions, you can expect all major markets from Betfair UK. For instance, we placed football bets on match results, over/under goals, correct score, and both teams to score. Other notable markets are corners, half-time/full-time results, and player props.
In racing events, we wagered on Win, Place, Each Way, and Forecast & Tricast. Such extensive market coverage makes Betfair one of the top contenders for the
best betting site
in the UK.
Bet Types
We placed three main bet types during our Betfair Sportsbook review: Single, Multi, and Bet Builder. These are standard options you’ll find at most UK bookmakers.
Single lets you bet on individual sports events. Even if you select multiple, you’ll set separate wagers for each one. Meanwhile, a Multi bet is simply an accumulator. You combine predictions on different events into one, and win if they’re all correct.
The Bet Builder option allows you to make different bets on the same sports event. We found it alongside the standard markets, especially for football matches.
Odds Analysis
Does Betfair UK offer competitive odds? By local standards, yes, although some prices are tighter than others. Our calculations for football, cricket, and basketball show average odds margins ranging from 10% to 15%. For tennis, the rate is much lower at around 7%.
The odds format is fractional by default, since it’s the most common in the UK. If you want, you can change to decimal or another type. Simply open your profile settings and click the Odds Display option.
Betting Limits
Betfair allows a £0.10 minimum stake, so you don’t need a large bankroll to bet with this UK bookmaker. From our observations, the maximum varies depending on the total odds and events. For instance, we got £938 for 27/1 odds and £91 for 335/1 odds. There’s no exact pattern to it.
In-play Betting with Betfair
The first option on Betfair’s top menu is IN-PLAY. If you select it, you’ll find markets for ongoing sports events. The in-play betting interface is the same as pre-match, so you don’t have to learn anything new.
In our review, we placed live bets on football, tennis, golf, and basketball. The process was straightforward, as the UK bookmaker listed essential markets. Plus, the real-time score count kept us updated on the results.
One interesting Betfair in-play betting feature we noted is Pitch for football matches. It provides an animated pitch, indicating player actions as the game progresses. We found it engaging for updates.
Does Betfair Offer Live Streaming?
Yes, Betfair offers live streaming through its Live Video service. We tested it on several events, especially football and racing events. It’s available at no extra cost, provided you’ve placed a bet with the bookmaker. Note that Betfair’s Live Video is sourced from Stats Perform, so the quality and accuracy are top-notch.
The Betfair UK Welcome Bonus
Betfair offers new UK punters £50 in bet credits for a £10 minimum bet. We claimed this promotion after registration using the promo code featured on the banners of this page. As seen in the terms and conditions, only deposits using debit cards or Apple Pay count.
For your £10 to be eligible, it must be on at least 1/1 odds. The good thing is that you can wager it on any sport. Also, Betfair allows up to 30 days after signing up to meet the bet requirement.
After receiving our bet credits, we used them on bet builder and accumulator wagers. Importantly, singles are not eligible. You’ll have to use the bet credits within 30 days before they expire.
More Betfair Promotions for Existing Punters
As a Betfair UK punter, you have additional offers to claim beyond the welcome bonus. We’ve explained them below:
🎁 Referral Program
While making this Betfair Sportsbook review, we invited bettors to sign up and got £10 in bonus cash. It’s a simple referral program where you share your unique link with other UK punters. Betfair will release the reward once your referrals wager £10 or more.
We used our £10 to bet on sports events, but you can choose to withdraw yours directly. Since it’s a cash bonus, there’s no extra playthrough. Betfair allows up to five invites, so the maximum referral bonus is £50.
💰 Money Back
At Betfair, you’ll come across money-back promotions from time to time. Such bonuses are common for football events. For instance, we found a Bet Builder Bet Back offer for West Ham vs Spurs in the EPL. The terms are not fixed, so you have to check the Betfair promotions page whenever one is available.
🎟 Bet Credits
You can expect random Betfair promotions with bet credits. Like the money-back offers, these bonuses are also dynamic. To illustrate, we got £10 in bet credits for simply staking on a cricket match.
Whenever bet credit offers show up, place your qualifying stake within the promotional period. Once it settles, Betfair will release the bet credits within an hour.
Does Betfair UK Have a Loyalty Program?
Betfair UK has a loyalty program known as My Rewards. You’ll see it in the My Account section along with a progress bar. The bar fills up as you accumulate Betfair points.
Unfortunately, our sportsbook bets didn’t give us any Betfair points: only wagers in the Exchange section count. So, if you’re open to staking on Exchange markets, you can receive exclusive bonuses from the My Rewards scheme.
Is Betfair Sportsbook Legit?
With 25+ years in business, Betfair has an extensive history compared to
new sports betting sites
in the UK. In our opinion, the bookmaker’s long-standing reputation is proof that it’s legit. That aside, Betfair passes all the essential checks to operate in Great Britain.
The sportsbook is licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). We checked and confirmed that the license has been active since November 2014, which is over a decade ago. That speaks volumes, considering how strict we know the UKGC to be.
From our research, we also noted that Betfair has partnered with many EPL teams in the past. These include giants like Liverpool and Arsenal, as well as notable teams such as Leicester City and Southampton. All these corroborate the fact that Betfair is a legit UK bookmaker.
Betfair UK Security
As a legit sportsbook, Betfair places a premium on security. The site uses SSL technology to encrypt all data you send and receive. However, the feature we appreciate most is the two-factor authentication (2FA).
If you activate 2FA, Betfair will send you a one-time code via SMS or the authenticator app you choose. Thanks to this, your account won’t be compromised even if your password gets breached.
Another key security step is account verification. In line with UK regulations, Betfair must confirm your identity and address before you place a bet. We completed this process by submitting these documents:
Proof of ID: Passport, driving license, passport card, or national ID
Proof of address:
Utility bill or bank statement
In our experience, the Betfair verification portal is straightforward and quick. If you upload clear and authentic documents, you’ll have no issue. The bookmaker returns feedback between 4 and 24 hours.
Responsible Gambling
We checked for safe gambling features in our Betfair Sportsbook review, and the results were encouraging. The bookmaker provides the following tools:
Deposit limits
Wager limits
Loss limits
Self assessment
Time-out
Self-exclusion
As experts, we highly commend these features because they help you stay in control. It’s noteworthy that Betfair works with several professional safe gambling organisations. We saw links to BeGambleAware, GamStop, Gordon Moody, and Take Time to Think. As such, it’s clear the sportsbook prioritises the well-being of punters.
Evaluating the Betfair User Experience
Despite launching over two decades ago, Betfair has the outlook of a contemporary sportsbook. The site maintains a minimalist design with an iconic orange colour. On our first visit, everything was clear to follow, from registration to betting.
Like most other UK sportsbooks, the Betfair interface has three columns. The first is on the left side, which displays all sports with buttons for bets and promotions. We appreciate the search bar at the top, as it makes finding events simple.
The middle column features the sports events, markets, and odds. Betfair places banners at the top, highlighting not only promos but also responsible gambling advice.
Finally, the third column shows the betslip. As you tap odds, they instantly show up on the slip with separate tabs for Singles and Multiples. For other important sections, including your account profile and the cashier, check the top section. Overall, we believe Betfair is easy to use, even for new UK punters.
Insights Into the Betfair Sportsbook App
Betfair has Android and iOS apps, which we downloaded from Google Play and the App Store, respectively. The app has 4+ star ratings out of 5 on both stores, which shows how highly UK punters view it. After using the app firsthand, we also agree it’s reliable and convenient for mobile betting.
The app follows the website’s minimalist design and colour scheme. However, what makes it unique is the bottom menu. With a few taps, you can browse sports events and access past bets.
While reviewing the app, we were impressed by the compact bet slip. When you click on markets, Betfair instantly shows the total odds and returns for a £10 bet. It’ll also summarise the number of selections as Double, Treble, 4 Fold, 5 Fold, and so on. This feature is ingenious because you can skip checking the full betslip until you’re done selecting.
Download the Betfair mobile app today!
Unlock bonus offers on the Betfair app
Betfair’s Deposit and Withdrawal Methods
You have several secure payment methods for funding your Betfair account or cashing out. Also, the UK bookmaker had relatively fast transaction times. Here’s our experience with both processes:
Deposits
Betfair UK lets you deposit using debit cards, digital wallets, and instant bank transfers. We saw Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Skrill, Neteller, PayPal, and Instant Bank Transfer (IBT), among others.
Throughout our Betfair Sportsbook review, we mainly used debit cards, Apple Pay, and IBT because they allow a low £5 minimum. Meanwhile, it’s £30 for all other payment methods. Regardless of your payment method, Betfair deposits are instant with no fees on the bookmaker’s side.
Withdrawals
Most UK bookmakers we’ve reviewed follow a Closed Loop Policy, and Betfair does the same. The rule means you can only withdraw via the same payment methods used for deposits. If the option isn’t available for payouts, the only alternative is bank transfer.
We recognise the Closed Loop Policy to be a result of UKGC regulations, so it’s not a drawback. The good thing is that Betfair has instant payouts for card withdrawals. Using Visa and Mastercard, we often received winnings within four hours.
E-wallets also have a 4-hour processing time, but standard bank transfer takes 1 to 5 working days. For the fastest turnaround, we use Fast Funds with our Visa debit card. The option takes only seconds in most cases.
For payout limits, Betfair allows a low £0.01 minimum for most payment methods. Only standard bank transfer requires at least £10.
Customer Service Performance from Our Betfair Sportsbook Review
Anytime you need support, you can reach out to Betfair UK via live chat. The agents are available during business hours until 2 AM. However, you’ll first connect with a virtual assistant. We skip the bot and request a real agent right away, which often takes less than five minutes.
Based on our findings, Betfair doesn’t prioritise email or phone support. We didn’t see any official information for them on the contact pages. Instead, the bookmaker further offers real-time chat through dedicated customer service handles on X (Twitter) and Facebook.
For self-assistance, you can use the Betfair help centre. We rate it as highly comprehensive, as it covers all major aspects of using the sportsbook. You’ll find guides on account verification, payments, betting, and promotions, among others.
Betfair Remains a Leading UK Bookmaker
To sum up our Betfair Sportsbook review, the bookmaker has clearly stood the test of time. With a UKGC license, 30+ sports, and in-play betting, the sportsbook is still one of the best today. It’s commendable that punters can wager conveniently on most desktop and mobile devices.
The fast payouts are also a major highlight of Betfair. You don’t have to wait long to receive withdrawals, as they arrive in seconds with options like Visa Fast Funds. Plus, the 2FA feature and safe gambling tools provide solid security on the betting site.
Betfair can improve by tightening some odds and offering loyalty rewards to punters. Still, our verdict is that the pros far outweigh these cons. If you’re considering joining Betfair, the bookmaker gets our recommendation. You can click the links on this page to visit the site and get started today.
Betfair Sportsbook Review FAQs
Yes, Betfair is a legal sportsbook in the UK. The brand has been around since 2000, and it’s duly licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
You can change Betfair odds to decimal via your profile section. Check the Settings & Details option, then select Odds Display.
The maximum payout for sports betting at Betfair UK is £1 million per day. That said, note that each sports event, league, and market may have individual payout limits based on the bookmaker’s terms and conditions.
The 90-minute rule on Betfair applies to football fixtures. It means that bets will settle based on the standard 90-minute match duration plus any injury time. Extra time and penalties won’t count.
No, you don’t pay tax on Betfair winnings for sports betting. The HM Revenue & Customs doesn’t classify gambling as trade, so payouts are not taxed.
Bet on your favorite sports at Betfair
Watch out for odds boost promos at Betfair
Download the Betfair mobile app today!
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