Trust

Paddy Power Betfair Limited is licensed through the UKGC, the Malta Gambling Commission as well as through various other gambling jurisdictions including Denmark, Italy, Romania and others.

As such, PPB Limited is very well regulated and can certainly be considered trustworthy. Betfair has been in operation since 2000, whilst Paddy Power has been around even longer. Both companies have a long history and players are generally happy here.

Over at AskGamblers, Betfair has a good rating, though a few too many outstanding complaints. We would like to see more of those resolved.

PPB Limited has also been audited by the UKGC in the past and was penalised for a failure to adequately interact with customers who displayed problematic gambling behaviour, which they paid a fine for.

Another fine was issued for failing to protect customers and failing to stop stolen money from being used for gambling activities.

So, whilst things can certainly be improved in that regard (and rest assured they have as these things happened a few years ago), you can also be certain that PPB Limited is regulated very well.

Betfair can definitely be considered a safe and secure betting site.

Bonuses and promotions

Depending on your location, bonus and welcome offers may differ somewhat, but you can expect to see plenty of both.

Betfair offers a sports welcome offer where you get a €/£ 20 free bet as a new customer after having placed 5x €/£ 10 bets on odds of 1.5 or higher in the sportsbook. You can claim this offer 5 times, which would give you a total of €/£ 100 in free bets to play with.

There are, of course, some bonus terms to adhere to, but they are definitely fair and just something to be aware of before claiming this offer.

Other welcome offers include a €/£ 20 free bet for new customers only in the betting exchange. Casino players could claim 50 free spins for signing up, without making a prior deposit and the free spins are even free of any wagering, meaning all wins are yours.

And live casino players can claim a 100% match bonus or up to €/£ 100 to be used only at the live casino. Wagering of 50x the bonus amount applies, which is fair for live casino games.

Overall, the choice of welcome offers is interesting, varied and caters to all tastes. We also found the bonus terms to be fair.

Further offers are available as well. In the sportsbook alone you have more than half a dozen offers at any given time, though casino and poker players won’t feel neglected either.

For anyone interested in bonuses and promotions, Betfair is an excellent choice.

Odds and betting selection

Betfair offers a regular sportsbook, where you can bet on nearly 30 sports and special events with thousands of markets and even more betting options.

Having been in business for a very long time, Betfair is well-known for their fair and competitive odds, though the true highlight is undoubtedly their betting exchange, which we will get to below.

Football betting is very well covered at Betfair. Quick links in the sportsbook include a range of football events you might be interested in, though football is also featured in their sports highlights section. If odds boosts are available, you will find them on the right-hand side of the screen beside the current events.

If you have found a match you want to bet on, you can click on it and will be forwarded to a screen where all betting options are shown.

There is a ridiculous number of odds available for all major matches, whether in the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga or any other big European leagues.

You’ll find the following selections and much more beyond that:

• Match Odds
• Correct Score
• Various featured odds for player actions (who scores when, etc.)
• Goal Scorer markets
• Scorecast Markets
• Over/Under
• Both Teams to Score markets

We’ve actually never seen as many markets anywhere else as we’ve seen on Betfair. It’s almost a little ridiculous and certainly overwhelming for new punters.

And these are just the regular markets we’ve come across in the regular sportsbook.

Pre-match betting aside, in-play betting is also covered very well at Betfair. The betting options are vastly reduced from what you get in the pre-match section, but that’s hardly surprising.

Since live streaming is available, you may be able to follow the live feed on Betfair during the bigger matches. Smaller matches are unlikely to be available, though animations of what is currently happening will be there.

The Exchange

Since Betfair has gained its fame as the biggest betting exchange in the world, we also want to take a look at that. In the exchange, bettors are the ones who lay and back the bets, trading them and determining the odds. Betfair charges, at most, a commission, though how much that might be depends on the markets.

Generally speaking, a betting exchange is no place for new punters. It is simply too overwhelming, and you really need to do your homework before you want to get into laying bets.

The Betfair exchange enjoys and excellent reputation, where you can lay odds on more than two dozen sports, back them or trade them. Information is readily available and easy to find.

Betfair provides a “How to” for their exchange as well, which you can find when you follow the “Tips and Previews” link.

A quick look at some football betting matches in the betting exchange showed a comprehensive availability of a great number of betting options, where a handy menu allows you to find your preferred selections. You can simply check popular options, goals, handicap, half time, team, cards or corners for the markets you want to bet on.

If live streaming is available for a match, you’ll also be able to view it in the betting exchange.

Banking

If you want to know how to make deposits or withdrawals at Betfair, you can find some information in their help centre. Whilst plenty of questions are answered there, Betfair does not provide a simple site with an overview of all deposit and withdrawal methods including transaction times, limits and applicable fees.

Instead, you will need to browse through the catalogue of questions to find some answers about credit cards, PayPal, bank transfers and other topics related to banking at Betfair. That’s rather tedious and not always helpful.

Once you have opened up an account at Betfair, you will be able to see all deposit and withdrawal methods available to you at the cashier.

There does not appear to be a withdrawal limit set by Betfair, though there are always transaction limits depending on the payment method chosen.

Betfair will require their customers to go through the KYC process as soon as €2,000 in deposits have been made, though it is advisable to get your ID verified before that point as it may take a few days and Betfair is very thorough.

Customer Service – 3/5

The customer service team at Betfair is available 24/7, though not across all channels. You’ll be able to reach them via email, Twitter and messaging. When you visit the help section, you’ll also have an option to contact the customer service team, though you won’t be able to contact them via live chat unless you have an account. That is terribly inconvenient and means you will need to email any questions you may have an advance.

Or you try their Twitter and see what the response is here.

On the whole, Betfair’s customer service enjoys a good reputation. The customer service reps are helpful, professional and quick to reply, though we’ve also seen complaints that they are not always superfast or spot on.

With 20 years of experience, however, you can expect that the customer service at Betfair is up to par.

Software – 3/5

Betfair’s homepage is not the most modern you will come across. You have a main menu at the top and a submenu below that. And depending on where you are, you will have further menu options and side menus as well.

Navigation isn’t difficult, but the screen sometimes feels cluttered and you will have to do some searching to find what you are looking for. You can dig really deep here and disappear into a vortex of betting options if you are not careful. Especially new punters are likely to be overwhelmed by all the options available.

The site is functional and loads quickly, though, and once you are used to the dark yellow (or light orange) colour, you will find your way around with confidence.

Betfair has a mobile site and they also offer mobile apps for iOS and Android. They have a sportsbook and a separate exchange app, which is quite handy.

They are, however, a bit on the clunky site and not as intuitive or pleasant to use as other apps or mobile sites we’ve seen in the past.

Other

As already mentioned, Betfair is not just a sportsbook or betting exchange, they also offer a casino, live casino, poker, bingo and virtual sports. As such, they are a full-service betting provider, which caters to everyone’s gambling and betting needs.

You’ll be able to play hundreds of excellent games here, enjoy real-life poker and try out a bunch of live tables if you are interested in more than sports betting.

Betfair is also quite engaged in the betting culture, offering blogs, podcasts and an active involvement on social media. Their exchange even offers a forum, which is handy to have if you are active in the exchange.

About

Betfair was founded in 2000 by Andrew Black and Edward Wray. It was specifically founded as a new platform for punters who wanted something different than the usual bookmakers. And their success was immediately massive.

Betfair has only grown from strength to strength and established itself as the biggest betting exchange for players in the world. Whilst you will also find a traditional sportsbook, online casino and poker room at Betfair, their exchange is where all the action is at.

In 2016, they merged with Paddy Power, truly making them a force to be reckoned with across the globe. The company is licensed through multiple jurisdictions and can be considered one of the best, biggest and most trustworthy in the world.