Betfred Review

The Done bothers Peter and Fred opened their first retail shop, Betfred, in 1967. In 1984, Fred Done created Lucky 15 Bet, which is one of their most popular products.

Betfred has an online presence since 2004 when they first launched their website. From those early days, the site has continued to grow and improve. Not long after the launch of the website, the app was also developed and launched.

The website, at first glance, appears busy and confusing, but after a quick look-around, things start to get clearer. All betting options are placed at the top of the page, and there is a Quick Links menu on the left-hand side of the home page.

In the top right corner are the Register and Log In tabs. The home page displays stats, scores and odds of ongoing matches and those that are upcoming shortly.

The website still uses Flash Player and could use an overall upgrade on the design.

Betfred, as an online betting website, is most effective for customers in the UK and Northern Ireland with a focus on Football and Horse Racing. Live streaming is also limited to these two sports, and users interested in other sports could find this a bit frustrating.

Several payment options are available to make deposits including almost all credit and debit cards, several e-Wallets, and cash deposits at the retail stores.

Licensing & Safety

Betfred has a reputation for always paying winnings on time and without any hassles to the users.

The website also has security measures in place to protect sensitive user data. The website is supported by Trustware encryption, and the security protocols are reviewed regularly.

Betfred is also a member of IBAS, which should reassure members of fair gaming practices. In addition to all the security measures, as mentioned earlier, Betfred has both a UKGC license and a Gibraltar Gambling Commission license and is regulated by the laws of both these countries.

As per the law, the website is required to ensure that:

• No one under the age of 18 years accesses the website to gamble.
• The gambling practices are transparent and fair for all.
• Anyone with a perceived gambling problem is offered the right help.

Betfred has never defaulted on any of these regulations, and we give them full marks for their safety and security.

Sign-up Procedure

To register an account with Betfred, users have to be 18 years of age or older. From the home page, click on the Register tab in the top right corner. The registration form is easy to follow and complete.

Once all the details have been filled in, click Register. As soon as you have registered, you can make a deposit of £10 and be eligible for the £30 worth of free bets and 30 free spins.

You can also sign up for a Betfred account by downloading the app to your Android or iOS phone and following the registration procedure on the app.

Accounts don’t need to be verified during the registration and while making the first deposit.

Deposit Options

Betfred has both online and offline payment options. Their online payment options include:

• Visa and Visa Debit Card.
• Mastercard.
• Maestro.
• All major credit cards.
• Neteller.
• Skrill.
• PayPal.
• UKash.
• Paysafecard.
• Bank Transfers.

The offline payment options include:

• Cash payments at retail stores.
• Check payments.

It is important to note, however, that not all these payment methods entitle users to the welcome bonus.

To make the first deposit, it is always best to use the credit card option. Also, the welcome bonus is only available to users in the UK and Northern Ireland.

Withdrawal Speed/Options

Withdrawals can be made via all the options used for deposit payments except the Paysafecard.

Withdrawals are instant on all options besides bank transfers that takes 3 to 10 days and checks that take 5 to 28 days. The minimum withdrawal limit varies from method to method and should be checked when choosing an option.

There is no pre-set maximum withdrawal limit.

New Customer Bonus

The most popular new customer bonus which is available only to punters in the UK and Northern Ireland is the £30 worth of free bets and 30 free spins for the first £10 bet placed.

After opening an account, a member needs to deposit at least £10 in the account to start betting. To be eligible for the offer, a £10 bet needs to be made within 60 days of opening the account.

The bet needs to have odds or evens, that is, 2.0 or greater.

After the bet is placed, win or lose, the member gets £30 worth of free bets and 30 free spins within 48 hours. The bonus has to be redeemed within seven days of receipt.

Existing Customer Bonus

Betfred is known for its many bonuses that it offers existing customers. Some of the bonuses include:

• When you stake at least £10 from your first deposit, you can win 50 free spins as part of the Casino promo.
• New Poker customers can get a £10 poker package on the first deposit of £15.
• Double Delight and Hat-trick Heaven give your 'winning' a chance to double or treble if your player scores twice or three times within the first 90 minutes.
• On Horse Racing, if you take an early price and if the SP returns bigger, you get a bigger pay-out.

Terms and conditions for all promotional offers and bonuses should be read carefully to check for eligibility.

Quality of Odds

Betfred offers very good odds on its site, but the focus is more on Football and Horse Racing.

When it comes to these two sports, you can expect a very competitive experience and one of the best in the business. However, when it comes to other sports, the odds start to fall short a little in comparison with other big online betting websites.

The average profit margin is 4.9%, but for football, it is 3.5%, which is great for the customer.

Bet In-Play Options

As for the Bet In-Play options, Betfred does very well on our scoring meter.

The bookmaker allows in-play betting on all sports offered on the site. The stats, scores and odds are comprehensively presented and updated regularly.

The downside, of course, is that live-streaming is restricted to horse and greyhound racing. The live streaming can be watched from the app as well as on the website.

As far as the other sports are concerned, punters will have to depend on the odds that are being updated based on live play.

Cash Out Feature

Betfred has one of the best cash-out features in the business. They offer cash-out options on all the sports, and the process is hassle-free.

The cash-out option gives punters greater control over their bets. Even before the event has ended, bettors can settle their bets, and sometimes, at a value higher than their stake.

The Cash-Out option can be availed of at any time during the event. To cash out, the user needs to go to the Cash Out Statement page. All the bets that have been made are displayed.

The bet to be cashed out needs to be selected and the Cash Out button needs to be clicked. Cash-Out is confirmed by clicking the Take button.

To know the actual amount that is being cashed out, refresh the page before proceeding.

Sportsbook Betting

Sportsbook Betting products offered by Betfred include:

• Betting News.
• Shop Locator.
• Live Commentary on all sports.

Diversity of Sports

Betfred doesn’t have the same kind of sports diversity as some of their competitors, but they still offer over 25 different types of sports and subcategories within the sports.

The sports available to bet on include:

• American Football
• Athletics
• Aussie Rules
• Badminton
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Darts
• eSports
• Football
• Gaelic Football
• Golf
• Greyhounds
• Handball
• Horse Racing
• Hurling
• Ice Hockey
• Lottery
• Motor Sports
• Politics
• Pool
• Rugby
• Snooker
• TV Specials
• Tennis
• UFC / MMA

As can be seen, TV Specials and Politics are among the options that members can bet on. For further options, each sport can be clicked on for the subcategories to be accessed.

Subcategories can include anything from final scores to the number of corners in football.

Overall, we think that Betfred has room for improvement as far as the variety of sports and market depth offered.

Markets

All major sports markets are covered by Betfred, but the focus has always been on only football and horse racing. The markets available can be found on the website and the app.

Non-Sports Betting Products

Betfred has some non-sports betting products on offer, which include:

• The outcome of political elections.
• Award show outcomes.
• Reality TV outcomes.
• Royal baby specials.
• Royal Family specials.

Casino/Bingo Offers

Casino games offered by Betfred include:

• Roulette.
• Blackjack.
• Slots.

There is also a Live Casino option where the games can be played with a live dealer. Live Football Roulette, Spin a Win, baccarat, poker and Hi Lo are included in the Live Casino options.

A wide range of games can also be accessed from the Betfred website. The Vegas option comes with its own selection of games like Super Fire 7s, Frozen Diamonds and Wicked Circus to name just a few. The Vegas option has a stand-alone app for Android and iOS users.

Betfred also has a Bingo offering, Lotto, Virtual Sports and a dedicated branch for Poker. If that isn't enough, Betfred also has Totepool.

The variety in Totepool includes eight different bets, so it can keep members interested for a while.

Betfred also has e-sport options which include betting on:

• CS: GO
• DotA 2
• League of Legends

Special Promotions/Enhanced Odds

Betfred has special promotions on several sports and non-sports betting on their website and app. Some of these promotions are:

• Pick your Punt where members can create their own market combinations, send a direct message to Betfred via Twitter with the #PickYourPunt and get a price for their bet.
• Double Delight and Hat-trick Heaven give your 'winning' a chance to double or treble if your player scores twice or three times within the first 90 minutes.
• On Horse Racing, if you take an early price and if the SP returns bigger, you get a bigger payout.
• Dessert Days lets members get five free spins every time they stake £20 on slots on the weekends. These offers are constantly being updated, so check the website for more details.
• The Lotto Missed by One offer gives a free bet to anyone who has missed a big win by one number on four-fold and five-fold Lotto lines.

Other promotions like boosted odds on Lotto keep coming up regularly and can be found on the website. Betfred also guarantees the best odds on Horse Racing.

Usability of the Site/Mobile Apps

At first glance, the Betfred website can appear busy and confusing, but after going over it, it starts to get clear. The dominant blue background makes the white text easy to read and all the tabs can be seen clearly.

The site is easy to navigate and is user-friendly once the user gets used to it. All sports and non-sports betting options are listed on the left-hand side of the home page, and the Register and Log In buttons are at the top right corner.

All current offers are clearly highlighted so that members don’t miss any of the events. The live chat customer option is present at the bottom left on the home page and on all the Popular Pages as well.

The Popular Pages are listed on the left of the home page. The Betfred App is also easy to navigate and gets full marks for being user-friendly. All the options that are available on the website can be found on the app so that you can place bets and monitor them while on the go.

Both the Betfred app and website get high ratings from us for being clear and informative.

Player Loyalty

Betfred has a VIP program for Loyal Players. The VIP program comes with a large number of benefits for members. Some of these benefits include:

• 24/7 access to mobile contact.
• A dedicated account manager.
• Invites to Hospitality and Exclusive events.
• Enhanced sports offers.
• Race day passes.

There is also a VIP program for the e-gaming section which offers many of the same benefits as the sports section has.

Customer Service

The live help button is at the bottom left of the home page and is easily accessible and available 24/7. The site also has an extensive FAQ section where answers to most queries can be found.

Customer support can also be contacted via phone and email. There are four email addresses that allow users to categorise their queries. Betfred has one of the best customer support services among online betting websites, and we give them a 5/5 for doing a great job.

Countries Accepted

While there is no list of countries that are accepted by Betfred, here is a list of those major countries that don’t have legal access to Betfred’s services:

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• China
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Israel
• Italy
• Japan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Latvia
• Montenegro
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Serbia
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• South Africa
• Spain
• Thailand
• Turkey
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• USA

Conclusion

Betfred has been a bookmaker for over fifty years and maintains a pristine reputation as far as safety and security is concerned. The company is also known to always pay winning bets with no problems to the members.

The website is well-designed and easy to use. There is a great welcome bonus for new members but is only available to users in the UK and Northern Ireland. Terms and conditions should be checked to know how to avail the bonus.

Betfred doesn’t offer as wide a range of sports as some other betting sites, but there are more than enough options including subcategories to keep members busy.

The site does extremely well for betting on football and horse racing but could use some improvement in the other area.

Pros

• Licensed and regulated in the UK and Gibraltar.
• Safe and secure website.
• User-friendly app and website.
• Great promotional offer for first-time users as well as great promotions for existing users.
• Cash-out available for all sports.

Cons

• Focuses mainly on Football and Horse Racing and not so much on the other sports.
• Promotional offers can only be availed of when using certain payment methods.

Betfred Frequently Asked Questions

How can I check what bets I’ve placed?

Log in to your account and click on the blue and white silhouette at the top right-hand corner of the home page. Select the option Statement. You can use the dropdown menu to select the period you want to view and then click View Statement.