Betfair Sportsbook Review 2024 - Bet £10 Get £30 Free Bets

Adam Haynes

Adam Haynes

Bookmaker reviewer

Adam joined www.bettingsites.co.uk in August 2023, bringing almost a decade of betting knowledge with him. A former writer for Gamblingsites.com, Adam prides himself on spotting a good bet, and loves to share his tips and picks across a wide range of sports and events. Adam is a huge boxing and MMA fan, and started his career writing about both. He is also passionate about his favourite sports teams, which are Glasgow Celtic, Dublin GAA, and Leinster Rugby. At the casino, you're most likely to see him at the poker or blackjack tables. But what he loves more than anything is writing about sports and the gambling industry. You can find his expert insight and commentary right here.

All posts by Adam Haynes

Bookmaker reviewer

Share

Copy Link

We independently review betting sites. Sign-ups through our links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, this never influences our listings’ order.

Betfair is one of the UK’s most popular online gambling destinations. With a huge range of sports spanning thousands of daily odds and markets, it’s chock full of betting opportunities. Our Betfair Sportsbook review guides you through some of the top features on the site.

The brand is also renowned for the Betfair Exchange, which is the world’s largest peer-to-peer gambling function. We discuss how that works, in addition to the Betfair Casino, special promotions and offers, and more. New customers can sign up now for £30 in Betfair free bets!

Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

The world’s biggest and best betting exchange and a competitive bookie for fixed odds. Offer comprehensive live streaming.

Use code

ZSKANH

Copied

Copy the code & click "Claim Bonus"

Use code

ZSKANH

Copied

Copy the code & click "Claim Bonus"

Play Now

Apply your code at Betfair UK and enjoy your new bonus

New Customer offer. Place a min £10 bet on the E-Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £30 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly.

Review of Betfair’s Sportsbook Welcome Offer

Betfair is offering £30 in free football Bet Builders to new customers. To get involved, you’ll need to register for an account and place a wager of £10 or more on qualifying sports betting markets at odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater.

We like that Betfair offers these free bets with lower-than-average qualifying odds. Many leading UK betting sites expect you to bet at EVS (2.0) or more to claim their welcome bonuses, making this strong from the get-go.

Some punters pass up on the chance to sign up with Betfair, thinking betting exchange sites are too complicated. But let’s be clear – this offer is for the Betfair Sportsbook. You can sign up for an account and claim your Betfair sign-up offer without even looking at the Exchange if that’s what you would prefer! If not, there are promotions exclusive to the Betfair Exchange, which we cover a little later.

Betfair Free Bet Terms and Conditions

If you have or previously had an account with Betfair, you are not eligible for this promotion. New players, however, can claim £30 in Free Betfair football Bet Builders using Betfair promo code “ZSKANH” and making a minimum deposit of £10 by debit card. Qualifying requirements must be met within 30 days of opening a new account.

This essentially covers the terms and conditions for the Betfair free bets offer. But feel free to check out the comprehensive list of terms by visiting the Betfair promotions tab. Remember that only wagers from Betfair football markets can be used in the free Bet Builders.

Who Can Claim the Betfair Welcome Offer?

Betfair offers £30 in free football Bet Builders to new customers in the UK and Ireland. You must be 18 or over to be eligible. The Betfair sports offer can only be claimed once per household/IP address, so make sure to check no one living with you has got there first.

You won’t get your free bets if you deposit less than £10, fail to meet the minimum odds requirement of 1/2 (1.5), and use any banking method other than debit card to make your initial deposit. If you have used responsible gambling tools like GAMSTOP to self-exclude from UK online bookmakers, this may also affect your ability to open an account at Betfair.

Bet Builders are awarded in £10 increments over three stages. The first is credited when your qualifying bet is settled, and the second is available the first day after bet settlement. The third is awarded the second day after your qualifying wager has been settled.

And that’s it. You you should now be signed up and ready to receive your £30 in free football Bet Builders with Betfair!

More Betfair Bonuses and Promotions

Betfair regularly offers a range of different free bets and bonuses to customers. Sometimes, these offers change according to the time of the football season or other internal and external factors.

Whatever it is, you’re bound to find more than one offer on the Betfair Sportsbook. Here are some of the best promotions at the time of writing.

How to Redeem Your Betfair Bonus Code

To redeem your £30 free Bet Builders, simply enter Betfair bonus code “ZSKANH” in the promotions box before signing up. It’s that simple. You can double-check that the bonus code has worked by looking at your active bonuses, or by reaching out to Betfair live chat.

We’ve seen multiple Betfair promo codes covering both welcome offers and ongoing promotions. But for the most part, Betfair offers for existing customers are usually activated by opting in rather than entering a specific code.

If you are unsure whether you need a code, the best thing to do is check with the bookie first!

Betfair Sportsbook Review

The Betfair Sportsbook is one of the UK’s leading sports betting sites, offering players a wide variety of gambling opportunities. From popular betting markets – and even financial markets, virtual sports, and novelty bets – you get more here than at most other bookmakers. The site has been part of the furniture for decades, mostly because of the tangible betting value it offers to punters.

What Sports Does Betfair Offer?

The Betfair sports betting site seemingly has it all. There are thousands of markets available every day with around 30 different sports categories accessible. Like a traditional sportsbook, football, horse racing, tennis, cricket, and golf feature heavily. But the site also caters to obscure leagues, entertainment wagers, and a wide variety of other markets. Here you find opportunities to place singles, doubles, accumulators, forecast & tricast stakes, and much more.

Here are the sports we found in our Betfair review.

Depending on the time of year, there can be an excess of 30 sports covered. These sports branch out into different leagues and tournaments – for example, the EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Champions League for football. There is a wide range of potential bets to be found under each category, with popular betting markets nestled in alongside some rare gems.

Their horse racing betting odds cover everything from the Cheltenham Festival and Grand National to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and Kentucky Derby. From time to time, you’ll be able to place your forecast and tricast stakes on races you don’t find elsewhere. Depending on external factors, you might even see odds for a golf tournament or rugby league match you didn’t know was covered.

You’ll find more popular sports to bet on as well as eSports like League of Legends. Betfair covers both major and minor events in sports like tennis, darts, snooker, rugby union, and cycling, too. They also have frequently updated markets for table tennis, volleyball, politics, and entertainment wagers!

Betfair Odds and Value

We compared odds on the Betfair Sportsbook to other leading UK bookies and were encouraged by what we saw. The Betfair Sportsbook has highly-competitive prices across a wide range of betting opportunities, with particularly strong prices for horse racing and football.

When compared to other leading betting sites in the UK, Betfair odds were at least on par. If not better, in many cases. For example, their odds for Major League Soccer and NBA games were also strong. We found future bets that stood out head and shoulders above other sites for these. Many of their in-play odds looked tempting, too.

What are the Bet Limits at Betfair?

The minimum bet stake on the Betfair Sportsbook is usually 10p. This can change depending on the market you choose but is a good indication of what to expect. Please note that the minimum bet stake on the Betfair Exchange is typically £1 and covers popular betting markets as well as obscure ones.

The maximum bet at Betfair is far more varied and will depend on what you are wagering on. While browsing through the maximum winnings section of the site’s sportsbook rules and regulations, we took a screengrab of part of a pay table. The table outlines the maximum that can be won on Betfair UK’s markets.

Unlike their sister site, Paddy Power, you need to be signed in to test Betfair’s maximum bets on a market – you can’t just visit the site and enter numbers into a box to see the maximum wager for that event. Which isn’t the end of the world by any means.

If you are anxious to know the maximum bet on any Betfair odds or market, we recommend looking up the maximum win on their website. Failing that, you could reach out to Betfair live chat/customer support and ask them to confirm any betting limits before you wager. As minimum stakes for ante-post bets differ from other real-time odds, it can be useful to know what to expect.

Betfair In-Play Betting

The Betfair Sportsbook has one of the best live betting services online. The site is known for its vast swathe of in-play markets covering both football and horse racing odds. But it doesn’t end there. We were encouraged to see in-play betting opportunities for pretty much every major event happening around the time of writing.

Finding live betting opportunities at Betfair UK is as simple as signing into the sportsbook. Odds for live events appear in the centre of the screen, and you can also find more under the “Quick Links” tab to the left of the “In-Play” markets.

Wondering what major events are coming up? The Betfair Sportsbook lists them all for you – at the time of writing, we saw categories for Kempton, the UEFA Champions League, the European Masters, the Men’s US Open, and the Rugby World Cup. There were also opportunities for Major League Baseball, the Basketball World Cup, and daily horse racing betting odds covering the UK and Ireland.

Live Streaming at Betfair

We enjoyed toying around with Betfair Video, otherwise known as the live streaming service you can use at Betfair Sports. If you want to bet on events as they happen, the site allows you to do just that. If you want to size up the flow of the contest on UFC fights or boxing matches, for example, you’ll love this.

We particularly enjoyed the live streaming service on the Betfair App. But it’s equally as impressive on a desktop or laptop computer. Many major sports are available to watch for free on Betfair Video free of charge, except some horse racing and greyhound events. The same applies to the Betfair Exchange.

All you need to do is place a bet of around £2 on a market for the event you are watching. This is also subject to change, depending on the sport or event. The site states that, while events are advertised as “live” in most cases, they are not always in real-time and can be subject to a 2-5 second delay. Make sure to factor this in if you want to increase your chances of placing winning bets!

Betfair Bet Builder

The Betfair Bet Builder allows you to “build” a bet by combining multiple selections within a single event. This function was previously known as the Betfair “Same Game Multi” but is arguably more popular today. Betfair was one of the very first sites to offer a Bet Builder, which allowed punters to create massive accumulators from the same football, NFL, or rugby match or event.

You can find the Betfair Bet Builder in a section on top of eligible events. The easiest way of putting one together is by making up to 20 selections in the same event and choosing the Bet Builder option. Unlike traditional access, where you make multiple selections across different events, you can bet on things like how many corners, throws, cards, and goals will happen in an EPL match.

Other Functionality at Betfair

We loved getting a chance to review the Betfair Sportsbook. The odds and markets, live video, and Betfair Bet Builder were particularly pleasing to us. But there is even more to like about the site, with perks like Cash Out and Betfair Best Odds Guaranteed worthy of a mention.

Betfair Customer Support Options

Betfair customer support options include a Betfair live chat function, several social media options, and a virtual customer service agent. All are available to contact 24/7, 365 days a year. We could not find a telephone number for Betfair, but the strength of their expansive Betfair Help Centre and FAQs somewhat made up for this.

The best way to contact Betfair is by clicking on the “Help” icon located at the bottom of their landing page. We needed some info on a Betfair promo code and were met with a virtual assistant who then redirected our query to a human. We can also confirm that sending messages on the Betfair Facebook channel or the “BetfairCS” X (Twitter) page is easy enough.

Although we live in a modern world, it would have been nice to see a telephone number for Betfair customer services provided. Not everyone has a social media account on Facebook or X, which limits us to the live chat or Help Centre. Even if there is round-the-clock customer service provided.

Still, both are very strong options and negate any need to talk to someone over the phone. But if Betfair customer support is to be recognised as a true leader among UK punters – especially traditional bettors or those exploring the safer gambling services the site provides – they could consider adding one.

Review of the Betfair App

The Betfair Sports Betting app is a nifty addition to your smartphone or tablet. It offers the same odds, markets, and functionalities you’ll find on a desktop computer. You can Betfair Sports Betting on the App Store, where it currently has a rating of 4.6. It’s also available to download on Google Play, where it enjoys a less-than-stellar rating of 2.7.

We read some Betfair reviews that mentioned issues with the app. These ranged from problems with accessing the Betfair exchange to the cash-out function. When we tested the app ourselves, we didn’t have any issues to report. We found all popular betting markets at Betfair Sports Betting in the swipe of a finger. And using the second of our free football bets was a doddle.

Given the disparity in ratings between iPhone and Android, we also made sure to use two separate devices to make sure we didn’t miss anything. We found the service to be pretty much where any modern-day sports betting app should be. Navigation was smooth, and we could access everything as though we were playing on desktop.

Betfair bonuses and promotions were the same when we logged in via mobile browser and compared them. The same goes for the odds and markets on offer and the response time with customer support.

We also found a Betfair app for their online casino. This is known as Betfair Casino & Slots on Google Play and Betfair Casino & Roulette on the Apple Store. These apps are poorly rated at 2.6 and 2.8, respectively, but we couldn’t understand why. Other than a very temporary lag on a live roulette game on the iPhone app, things worked just fine.

Betfair Exchange Review

The next stop of our honest Betfair review took us to the world-famous Betfair Exchange. This is where punters can bet against each other on a variety of sports and financial markets instead of taking odds from a bookmaker. You can back (wager on something to happen) and lay (bet on it not happening) when matched with the other side.

Although we have used the exchange in the past, we were keen to see how it looks today. As you can see, there are opportunities to bet on a football match between New England and New York Red Bulls in the MLS as well as basketball, eSports, and more.

We are happy to say that the basic functionalities are there. The inclusion of Betfair MatchMe means that it’s easier to find backers than it maybe was a few years ago. They have also added a more comprehensive range of sports betting options. In addition to a greater variety of markets!

From time to time, you may hear punters talking about “scalping” to increase their profit margin at Betfair. While there are Betfair Exchange strategies out there, many of them are misleading. We recommend doing your homework and being realistic before expecting to make major profits from the exchange.

Here are some other key factors to consider.

Betfair Commission

Betfair UK charges a commission on winning bets (net winnings) in the Betfair Exchange, calculating it in one of two ways. The most common way is to apply a Market Base Rate which applies to where you live. If you have a Discount Rate and/or Betfair Points, this can potentially be lowered.

Commission on Betfair Exchange UK is easy enough to work out and doesn’t get charged on losing wagers. The image above outlines the basic formula we found when conducting our Betfair review. You can use this to get an idea of how to calculate commission. It’s worth checking with the site from time to time, just in case they have made any adjustments to their formula.

The second way of working out commission at Betfair is by applying the package you choose when signing up with My Betfair Rewards. This will depend on the specifics agreed and can be viewed from your account.

Betfair Liquidity

If you are playing around on the Betfair Exchange, it won’t take long to come across this term. Liquidity is essentially the money available to back or lay at corresponding odds on the selection in question. The value differs from market to market but is often the combination of a punter or multiple bettors’ unmatched bets.

Liquidity can be found on the Betfair odds buttons on available selections. Betting more than the liquidity shown for that market will generate an automatic response from the system to place the remaining stakes as unmatched bets for other punters.

It’s a very efficient system and doesn’t take long at all to get the hang of. Instructions and rules are available, with Betfair live chat always happy to help if you’re stuck. But if you’d rather just stick to regular betting, the Betfair sportsbook is always an option.

Is the Betfair Exchange Sign-Up Offer Worth it?

The new customer offer at Betfair Exchange UK is a free £20 Exchange bet if your first bet on the Exchange loses. That’s a risk-free £20 to try things out! Don’t forget to enter Betfair promo code “VAL225” to claim the new customer offer.

You can use the free bet on a variety of markets, but make sure to check the small print on the site. At the time of writing, you can only claim this and other special promotions when depositing using a debit card.

Most ongoing promotions at Betfair, including the Betfair Exchange UK offer, do not allow bonuses to be claimed with Apple Pay or other banking methods. You have 7 days from account opening to use the free bet, which must also settle within 7 days.

This Betfair new customer offer is usually available 72 hours after your losing bet has been settled. Betfair Exchange UK rules and terms apply, too. We confirmed these general terms and conditions of the offer with Betfair live chat. They are also available to view by visiting the Betfair Promotions page.

Review of the Betfair Casino

The Betfair Casino is the third major attraction of the site. It has hundreds upon hundreds of slots, table games, and live dealer titles. It is available to access under the same roof as both the Betfair Sports and Betfair Exchange, meaning you don’t need a separate account to join.

What Slot Games Does Betfair Casino Have?

Most Betfair reviews will tell you that slots make up the bulk of its games library. And that is true. There are hundreds of excellent slots from top software providers including NetEnt, IGT, and Pragmatic Play. We saw some of our favourite titles including Fishin’ Frenzy, Cleopatra, and Rise of Olympus. You only usually see this level of quality at top-rated online casinos in the UK.

In addition to classic, video, and 3D slots, you’ll Betfair jackpot slots to sample. The site has Daily Jackpots and progressives that could pay out very big prizes should luck find its way to you. This made up for a bit of a cluttered website, but only just. Nevertheless, you can use the search function in the top right of the screen to find any specific title.

Roulette and Other Table Games

We found multiple variants of roulette and blackjack games at Betfair. These two very popular table games have their own categories located at the top of the casino. What was confusing to us was that most of them were live dealer roulette and blackjack titles.

We clicked back into the main casino tab and found the “Casino Table Games” and “Live Table Games” tabs. The first is where you will find your casino games, which are computerised games that run on random number generator (RNG) software. The live games feature real croupiers and offer a more immersive experience.

Other Live Dealer Games at Betfair

We also found a clutch of live tables for Baccarat Lobby, Casino Hold’Em, 3 Card Brag, Sic-Bo Deluxe, and more. The collection of live casino games at Betfair is pretty steady and we weren’t found wanting. The croupiers are always smiling and professional, and we had no complaints over the streaming quality.

Another thing Betfair offers is multiple Live Game Shows titles. They have Crazy Time, Money Drop Live, Fashion TV Mega Party Live, Adventures Beyond Wonderland, and pretty much every other option found at modern gameshow casinos. If you are claiming Betfair offers, we recommend checking the bonus wagering contributions before staking. Some of them contribute 0%!

Betfair Exchange Games

These peer-to-peer games allow you to play against other real punters. They are pretty unique, with the only real comparison to draw with them being Bitcoin casino and other cryptocurrency casino games. One of the titles we liked best was Card Derby Racing, which is essentially a proprietary Betfair horse racing game.

Other exchange games you can find under that option are variants of blackjack, hi-lo, hold ‘em, baccarat, and Omaha hi. Again, be sure to check Betfair bonus terms for wagering contributions when playing these games. You can do this by using the site’s Help Centre or contacting customer support.

Betfair Poker and Bingo

Betfair Poker can be played via your browser or by downloading and installing the New Betfair Poker software onto your system. There are multiple Betfair promotions to claim across the board, and we were happy to see some available to use in Betfair’s poker tournaments and rooms.

You can also try out Betfair Bingo by clicking on the “Bingo” tab at the top of the screen. In addition to multiple bingo games, they also offer popular Slingo titles to try out. If you love bingo and/or Slingo, we recommend giving this part of the site a quick gander.

Betfair UK Payment Methods

There are multiple payment methods available to use at Betfair. Banking options include Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, PayPal, Paysafecard, and Rapid Transfer. If you are using cards, it’s worth noting that both standard and prepaid Visas are accepted. You can also store up to three cards in your wallet.

Most deposits at Betfair are immediately credited to your account, with the exception of standard bank transfers. The following table covers processing times for all Betfair banking options.

Withdrawal Times at Betfair UK

The fastest withdrawal option at Betfair is Fast Funds. This option, which allows players to receive withdrawals in seconds, is only available when using either a Visa or Visa Prepaid card. Withdrawals must be made to the same card you deposited with.

Withdrawals made to e-wallets including Neteller, PayPal, and Skrill usually take no more than four hours. As covered in the table above, the slowest way to receive your withdrawal is to opt for a standard bank transfer. Depending on factors such as the bank you use, this can take up to 5 working days.

Betfair Pros and Cons

Betfair has a very comprehensive sportsbook and an excellent exchange. Their other products are fairly strong, too. But no UK betting site we are aware of is perfect. Therefore, honest Betfair reviews should not shirk away from highlighting things they can improved.

Our Honest Verdict on Betfair

The Betfair Sportsbook is up there with the best we have seen. Odds for Betfair football are excellent, and the same can be said about the huge variety of other popular sports markets. We enjoyed reviewing the Betfair Exchange but weren’t overly impressed by their casino and poker products.

On the balance of things, we must award the site a mostly positive rating. This is perhaps best evidenced by stuff like navigability. Both the desktop and mobile sites are easy to navigate, but a little tidying up could make a huge difference. This is kind of balanced by Betfair bonus offers and their Bet Builder and other functionalities.

In short, there aren’t many bookies out there capable of beating Betfair to the punch. If you would like to try them out, we recommend signing up for their £30 in Free Football Bet Builders.

FAQs

Adam Haynes

Bookmaker reviewer

Adam Haynes

Bookmaker reviewer

Adam joined www.bettingsites.co.uk in August 2023, bringing almost a decade of betting knowledge with him. A former writer for Gamblingsites.com, Adam prides himself on spotting a good bet, and loves to share his tips and picks across a wide range of sports and events. Adam is a huge boxing and MMA fan, and started his career writing about both. He is also passionate about his favourite sports teams, which are Glasgow Celtic, Dublin GAA, and Leinster Rugby. At the casino, you're most likely to see him at the poker or blackjack tables. But what he loves more than anything is writing about sports and the gambling industry. You can find his expert insight and commentary right here.

All posts by Adam Haynes