Betfred is one of the best known gambling operators in the UK, and also one of the most popular. In a recent survey, they were the eighth most popular gaming and betting brand in the UK, in terms of the percentage of people with a favourable opinion of them, coming in above rivals such as William Hill, PaddyPower, Ladbrokes and Betfair.
Source: Statista Top Gambling Brands 2024
Betfred operates around 1350 betting shops in the UK, which make up the majority of their turnover, but our focus is on their online gambling operation, which in 2023 was responsible for £331m in turnover.
Source: Gambling Insider
In this article, we’ll explore Betfred’s online sports betting and casino offerings, including their promotions, usability and safety and security. We’ll also take a look at their app to see how it stacks up against other major players in the industry. By the time you reach the end of this review, you’ll have all the information you need (and more besides) to make a fully informed decision about betting with Betfred.
Overview
Deposit And Withdrawal Methods
| Method | Min deposit | Min withdrawal | Withdrawal time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card | £5 | No minimum | < 4 hours |
| PayPal | £5 | No minimum | < 6 hours |
| Skrill | £5 | No minimum | < 6 hours |
| Neteller | £5 | No minimum | < 6 hours |
| Paysafe card | £5 | No minimum | < 6 hours |
| Bank transfer | £5 | No minimum | < 6 hours |
Registration Process
Betfred have a slightly lengthier registration process than some bookmakers, with a full five pages to go through - but the process is straightforward, and only requires the information one would expect when signing up for a bookie account.
Support
| Live chat | Phone | Post | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Via website | support@betfred.com | 0800 028 7477 | BetfredWA3 7PQ |
Compatibility
| App | Desktop |
|---|---|
| iOS | Website |
| Android |
Main Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Generous welcome offers | Somewhat limited range of sports |
| Excellent custom bet feature | Slightly dated-looking website |
| User-friendly app | Long-winded registration process |
| Very low minimum deposits and withdrawals | |
| Excellent customer support options |
Betfred’s Background
Betfred was founded in 1967 under the name Done Bookmakers by two brothers, Peter and Fred Done, using the proceeds from a bet they made the previous year that England would win the World Cup - an auspicious start! They grew rapidly from that point, opening shops all across the country, and launching both their new online betting site and their new name - Betfred - in 2004.
As they’ve grown, they have expanded internationally. As well as offering betting services in 10 states in the USA, they have most recently gained a foothold in South Africa, where they offer betting services through over 50 betting halls and through South African company LottoStar, of which Betfred now holds a majority share.
Betfred claim to be the inventors of the Lucky 15 bet - though there doesn’t seem to be much evidence beyond the word of Fred Done himself to back this up. Regardless, Betfred have a long and rich history in the UK, which no doubt has something to do with their enduring popularity and success.
Welcome Offers
Betfred have a great range of welcome offers with something for everyone, whether you’re a fan of sports betting, slots, live casino, poker or bingo.
Our recommendation, especially if you’re making money through Matched Betting, is to sign up and take advantage of the sports welcome offer to receive £50 in free bets. This is a fantastic offer, with enormous scope for profit.
Alternatively, if you prefer casino offers, 200 free spins if you stake £10 is also excellent value for money - but you may choose to go with one of their other welcome offers as well.
Sportsbook
Betfred’s sportsbook is a solid offering, but it doesn’t stand out among its competitors when it comes to either its range of sports or the depth of its markets. Unlike most bookies, it doesn’t offer any eSports markets at the time of writing, and its Specials markets aren’t particularly extensive.
When it comes to odds, Betfred’s are roughly in line with those of most other bookies, offering neither the most nor the least competitive odds in the majority of cases.
Range Of Sports
- American football
- Baseball
- Cycling
- Darts
- Formula 1
- Gaelic football
- Handball
- Ice hockey
- MMA
- Rugby League
- Rugby Union
- UFC/MMA
Regular promotions
Betfred have a fairly good range of regular sportsbook promotions, including regular free bet refunds for horse racing if your pick comes 2nd or 3rd, extra places on various horse races, and fairly frequent bet & get offers, e.g. Bet £10 Get a £5 Free Bet on in-play bets on the NFL.
Betfred Casino
Range of games
When it comes to casino, Betfred have a wide range of options across their games, casino and live casino sections. Whether you prefer classic slots such as Fishin’ Frenzy, new or exclusive games you won’t find elsewhere, or the excitement of live casino, you’re sure to find plenty to enjoy.
Regular promotions
Betfred have regular casino reload offers for existing customers, meaning plenty of opportunities to get ahead of the game. Their Mystery Spins promotions are particularly worthwhile - you get a daily chance to win free spins simply by loading any eligible slot or, if you wager £10, you’ll receive between 10 and 100 free spins the following day.
Other Promotions
Betfred have no shortage of regular promotions on their other sections as well, with offerings available for their Lotto, Bingo, Virtual Sports and Poker sections. We often see seasonal promotions too, accompanying major sporting festivals and events or holiday seasons, e.g. Black Friday and the run up to Christmas.
All in all, Betfred’s promotions have a lot going for them, and they probably play a major part in Betfred’s enduring popularity.
Usability
While there’s nothing particularly wrong with Betfred’s website, it doesn’t feel as modern or as slick as it could be. Its homepage has a slightly cluttered air, with featured sports markets rather crowded together in the centre.
That said, it isn’t difficult to find the sport you’re looking for from the list on the left - though we would ideally have liked to see an obvious search tool to make it easier to track down a specific event.
Event pages are laid out pretty sensibly, with the range of markets straightforward to move between, and collapsible options on the main page. We like their clear comparison of each team’s recent performance for football matches, as well as the Racing Post verdict on the likely outcome of the event, and they offer a fairly comprehensive range of markets on major matches.
When it comes to slots, we very much appreciate the prominent search tool (not by any means accessible with all bookies!) and the ease of locating information about a particular game, meaning you can check the RTP without having to load the game first, or waste time reading extensive pages about the game mechanics.
Betfred’s Help Centre is similarly helpful (if not visually inspiring), with queries organised into logical categories, and clear answers given for those queries. That may sound like the bare minimum for a Help Centre, but it’s surprisingly common for companies to fail to manage even this much!
Safety And Security
Betfred is fully licensed by the UK Gambling Commission as well as the Gibraltar Gambling Commission under their operators Petfre, which means you can be confident, if you weren’t already, that you’re using a legitimate company.
Betfred also has an extensive Safer Gambling section, with helpful information for customers, including a myth-busting section to tackle common gambling myths.
As you’d expect from any modern bookie, they have a range of self-limiting and exclusion tools available to help customers regain control of their gambling if necessary. These include deposit limits, reality checks, time-outs and self exclusion.
Service And Support
We were quite impressed by Betfred’s range of contact options, and the fact that live chat is available 24/7. It’s a shame that their phones close at 8pm Monday-Saturday, and aren’t open at all on Sundays - but having a phone line at all isn’t a given these days, so overall we can’t complain. You can even contact them via post - although it’s not an option we’d recommend if you need a swift response!
| Live chat | Phone | Post | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Available 24/7 via website | support@betfred.com - expect a response within 12 hours | UK - 0800 028 7477From abroad - +44 1925 878269Phone lines open Mon-Sat 8am-8pm | Write to:Customer ServicesBetfredThe Spectrum56/58 Benson RoadBirchwood, WarringtonWA3 7PQ |
Betfred App
In common with pretty much every other major bookie, Betfred has its own app - and increasingly large numbers of customers are choosing to do most of their betting via mobile now. Although the app sticks with Betfred’s website theme, it has a much less dated feel, and is quick and simple to navigate.
Its homepage offers quick links to the most popular sports, headline promotions, price boosts and other highlighted markets, but it’s easy to locate any sport you’re interested in from the tab at the bottom of the page. The main menu button allows you to swap to other sections with ease, while the games and casino sections are similarly easy to navigate.
Summary
All in all, there’s a lot to like about Betfred. The canniest professional sports bettor or trader may not be thrilled by its typical odds, or the slightly clunky website, but for the casual bettor or matched bettor the available offers, especially Betfred’s headline welcome offers, are more than enough to balance out any qualms one might have.
If you’re sold on Betfred having read this review, sign up here to access your £50 in free bets - and, if you’re Matched Betting, enjoy your guaranteed profits (so long as you follow our instructions)!