Joseph Haliday
|
Author, Betting enthusiast

November 27, 2023

Joe is a passionate sports fan, who also loves the field of sports betting. He has been creating sports betting content full-time since 2016. In that time he has written hundreds of articles, including sportsbook reviews, strategy guides, explanatory articles, betting tips, and more. Joe also enjoys wagering in his spare time, particularly on football, the NFL, and the NBA.

Betfred info & Score

Info

info

Customer Support

question

Bottom Line

scale-up

Betfred is one of the oldest sportsbooks in the UK, but remains one of the very best. Regardless of your betting preferences or experience level, this is a fantastic choice.

Rating

percentage
Sign Up offer
80%
Ongoing Promotions
90%
Betting Markets and bet types
90%
Betting Odds
90%
Betting Features
90%
Mobile App
90%
Customer Support
80%
Deposit/Withdrawal Options
80%

Our Verdict:

Betfred is one of the oldest sportsbooks in the UK, but remains one of the very best. Regardless of your betting preferences or experience level, this is a fantastic choice.

The list of areas in which Betfred excels is exhaustive. The range of sports which are covered is excellent, but you also get plenty of depth in terms of bet types, and the odds tend to be fantastic. There are also plenty of features to either improve your betting, streamline the experience, or simply make things more fun. Betfred also impresses with its customer service, payment options, mobile app, and ongoing promotions.
To be honest, it’s difficult for us to find any major complaints with Betfred. Technically you can find other bookies with more markets and payment options, and – perhaps – bigger promos. We sincerely doubt, however, that those sites would match Betfred in all of the many other areas in which it does brilliantly.
Overall, this is easily one of the top sportsbooks in the UK. We have no hesitation in recommending that you sign up today, and see what all the fuss is about.

Strengths:

  • Excellent track record
  • Fantastic selection of betting markets
  • Plenty of useful and valuable special offers
  • Very good customer service
  • Lots of special features, including live streaming

Weaknesses:

  • Technically, more sports are covered by other bookies
  • User interface could be streamlined slightly

Intro

Betfred is easily one of the biggest and best-known brands in the UK. Along with the likes of Ladbrokes and William Hill, this is one of a select few prestigious bookies with a track record going back decades. Betfred has been in business since 1967, but – remarkable – remains enormously popular today.

In this Betfred review, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the current state of the sportsbook. We’ll tell you about its promotions, betting markets, special features, and much more. Ultimately, we’ll help you decide whether Betfred is the right bookie for your needs.

Betfred Sign Up offer

Even after all these years, Betfred still shows an admirable commitment to growth. If you sign up right now, you can get access to one of the best welcome offers on the market. Specifically, Betfred currently provides a ‘Bet £10, Get £30’ deal. As usual, this involves placing a £10 qualifying wager, and getting a £30 bonus in return.
Here are the most important terms and conditions for the deal:

Notable terms and conditions

  • New customers only, aged 18+
  • First deposit must be £10 or more, using debit card
  • Minimum stake of £10 for qualifying wager, and minimum odds of evens (2.0)
  • Qualifying wager must settle within seven days of registration
  • Free bets will expire after seven days

How to claim your welcome bonus

Whether you’ve used a similar offer before or not, you won’t have any trouble getting started here. These are the few steps you must take:

  • Create a Betfred account
  • Make a deposit of at least £10, using your debit card
  • Place a qualifying wager of £10 or more, at odds of evens or higher
  • Receive your £30 in free bets
  • Use your bonus within seven days

Overall, this is one of the best welcome offers around right now. The value you get is excellent, it’s extremely straightforward, and there’s absolutely nothing in the T&Cs to catch you out.

How to Sign Up to Betfred

Betfred has continually updated its platforms over the years, to make them as user-friendly as possible. Nowadays this is a faultlessly easy sportsbook to operate, right from the very start. Here’s a quick and easy guide on how to get started:

  • Head to Betfred
    Betfred registration process screenshot
  • Your very first step is simply to head for the Betfred home page. For the purposes of this guide, we’ll assume you’re doing so using a computer. If you use a mobile app instead, however, the process is basically the same.
  • Create Your Account
    Betfred registration process screenshot

    Find and click the green Register button in the top-right of your screen. This will start the account registration process, in which you must first enter a series of personal details. Then, set your username and password. Finally, just agree to the general terms and conditions, and finish creating your account.

  • Make a Deposit
    Betfred registration process screenshot

    Log in to your new Betfred account, using the details you just set, then click the green Deposit button towards the top-right. You will now see a full list of your available deposit options. Click Deposit next to the one you want to use, then provide the necessary payment information, enter a deposit amount, and confirm your payment.

  • Place Your Bets
    Betfred registration process screenshot

    With your account funded, it’s time for the fun to begin. Use the main menu to head to the Sports section, then find the sport and specific matchup you want to bet on. Click the odds for a bet type to add it to your betslip to the right of the screen. Then just set your stake, place your wager, and repeat the process as often as you like.

Ongoing Betfred Promotions

As you’ve seen, we were already very impressed with Betfred’s sign up offer. Its ongoing promotions, however, are arguably even better. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the best deals you can claim once your welcome bonus has been used.

Bet £10, Get £5

Getting free bets as an existing customer is normally tricky. Betfred makes it exceptionally easy with this deal, however. You simply need to wager at least £10 in-play on Premier League matchups, at minimum odds of 1/2, and will receive a £5 free bet in return.

Double-Delight / Hat-Trick Heaven

This is arguably Betfred’s most famous promo. Another one for football lovers, this deal rewards you for nailing your goalscorer bets. If your pre-game first goalscorer pick is correct, but that player goes on to score two or three goals in total, your odds will be doubled or trebled respectively. There’s also an in-play version, for anytime goalscorer bets.

Acca Insurance

To qualify for Betfred’s Acca Insurance deal, you must place a football accumulator with at least five selections, with minimum odds of 1/2 per leg. Do so, and – if just one leg of your acca lets you down – you’ll get a cash refund of up to £10.

Free Bet If 2nd / 3rd

Betfred has several horse racing promos in place, but this is arguably the best one. The Free Bet If 2nd deal covers all British and Irish horse races, and means that – if your Race Winner pick finishes second rather than first – you’ll get a free bet refund of up to £10. There’s also a Free Bet If 3rd offer for races in the USA, which works the same way.

Extra Places

Betfred rewards its each way bettors in style, by giving them extra places. This deal is in place for select races all around the world every day, and – as usual – adds an extra spot onto the ‘place’ part of your each way bet.

Best Odds Guaranteed

This is one of the most famous offer types around, but Betfred’s version is one of the better examples. It covers both horse and greyhound racing, and – as usual – automatically upgrades your odds to the starting price if the latter is superior.

See all BOG offers

Betting Markets and bet types

We’ve already been extremely impressed with what we found on Betfred so far. Well, this is yet another area in which it excels.

There are around 22 different sports in place here, plus the likes of politics and TV specials. As you’ve already seen from the special offers, the undoubted focuses are football and horse racing. Betfred does tick every other major box too, though, and does so while providing a nice variety of bet types.

Below, you can see how it stacks up in some of the most important areas.

Betting Market Bet Types
Football
  • Player Props
  • Team Props
  • Outright Markets
  • Specials
Horse Racing
  • Race Winner
  • Each Way
  • Forecast/Tricast
  • To Finish Higher (Horse A vs B)
Tennis
  • Outright Bets
  • Set Winner
  • Match Winner
  • Live Point-by-Point Betting
Cricket
  • Match Winner
  • Over/Under Runs Scored
  • Handicap Betting
  • Outright Bets
Motorsports
  • Outright Winner
  • Race Winner
  • Winning Team
  • Fastest Lap

Other sports

The fun doesn’t stop there, though. In addition to those listed above, Betfred provides markets on every other major sport, plus a few less-heralded ones. Here are just a few of the other markets you can bet on:

Betting Odds

Of course, it’s not just the sheer number of markets a bookie provides which is important. The actual quality of the odds which come with those markets is also crucial. We’re pleased to say, however, that Betfred does brilliantly in this area too.

We checked out Betfred’s prices on a wide range of upcoming markets, across both bigger and less popular sports. We then compared those to the odds being offered by the competition, and found them to be very competitive indeed. The vigs are kept nice and low, the odds are fair, and the in-play prices are also accurate.

In addition to their regular prices though, which are already excellent, Betfred also provides a whole lot of price boosts. These are available for both singles and multiples markets, and significantly increase your potential profits. It’s also extremely easy to see which markets have been impacted, by simply heading to the Daily Price Boosts section via the main menu.

Betting Features

Newer sportsbooks certainly have their advantages, often including bigger bonuses and more modernised interfaces. There are certain benefits, however, which you only get from premium bookies. A nice range of special features is one of the main examples, and – below – you can find out about some of the many such tools Betfred gives you.

Live Streaming

Live streaming is basically the definition of a premium special feature, so we were pleased to see that Betfred has it in place. It also happens to be one of the best streaming selections around.

Everything from football and tennis, through to basketball, American football, and darts is available to view here. The quality of the streams themselves is also excellent, whether you’re watching on a desktop or mobile device.

Live Betting Tools

Live betting tools are the absolute definition of a ‘must-have’ for the modern-day sportsbook. Unsurprisingly, this is another area in which Betfred excels.

The range of live betting markets here is simply enormous. That goes not just for the actual matchups covered, but the variety of bet types too. And, regardless of which selection you eventually make, you’ll find the tools for both placing and cashing out live wagers to be extremely responsive.

Totepool

As noted, Betfred is absolutely brimming with regular betting opportunities. Excitingly though, this is also one of the few major sportsbooks which lets you enjoy pool betting too.

This is handled via the Totepool service. You can use this to wager on a small range of horse betting markets, including the classic placepot. As usual, your stake will be thrown into a pool with lots of other bettors’, and – if you win – your profits should be sizable.

Bet Builder

Obviously, most modern-day sportsbooks have a bet builder in place. It’s no exaggeration, though, to say that Betfred’s version might be the very best you can use.

Called ‘Pick Your Punt’, this is simply an incredibly easy tool to use. You can access it right from the main menu, or within a matchup’s markets. After launching the builder, you’ll find plenty of same-game options waiting for you, and adding and removing selections couldn’t be easier.

Virtual Sports

Betfred doesn’t just excel in real-world sports. It also has one of the better virtual sports sections you can find today.

This is absolutely packed-out with choices. In addition to football, speedway, darts, and motor racing, you’ll also find several different types of horse and greyhound racing. Fresh matches kick off constantly too, so you’ll never be waiting around for long.

Racing Post Previews

It never hurts to get a little extra guidance with your betting. That’s exactly what Betfred provides, thanks to its collaboration with the famous Racing Post website.

As you’d expect, this is particularly useful for horse racing. Open up any major race, and you can get an incredible range of information about the horses running, to quickly give you a great overview. On both races and other sports alike though, you can simply check out the ‘Racing Post Verdict’ – the Post’s top betting tip for that particular event.

Online Casino

Naturally, our focus here is on the sportsbook. No Betfred betting review would be complete, however, without mentioning that the brand also has an entire online casino.

This can be accessed using the same account (and account balance) as the sportsbook. If you fancy a change of pace, therefore, you can head over without any logistical hurdles at all. Do so, and you’ll find slots, table games, bingo, poker, and more all waiting for you.

Betfred Mobile App

As you can see above, Betfred certainly doesn’t lack for features. Well, we’ve waited until now to discuss arguably the best one of all – the mobile app. If on-the-go betting is your priority, then this is easily one of the top such apps you can use right now.

The Betfred app is available on iOS and Android, and can be downloaded straight from the App Store and Google Play respectively. It enjoys very good reviews in both cases, and it’s not hard to see why.

Like the desktop version, the Betfred mobile app has a streamlined, clean, and approachable design. Even on a smaller screen, navigating between the huge selection of Betfred betting markets couldn’t be easier, and both text and odds are displayed clearly. You can also access all of the many features from the main platform, including live streaming. Finally, the performance levels remained excellent throughout our testing, and we didn’t suffer any crashes at all.

For more info on downloading betting apps, visit our mobile betting app page.

Customer Support

Betfred is definitely a reliable and stable platform. Use it for long enough though, and you’ll still almost certainly encounter an issue you need help with.

You won’t find it hard to do so here. The easiest way to get in touch is via live chat. This service is available 24/7, which is obviously fantastic, and – during our testing – our questions were handled quickly and helpfully. You can also call the support team between 8am-8pm, or send an email if your enquiry is less urgent.

Elsewhere, Betfred also provides a full Help Centre. This is intuitively split into major sections, and the articles are clear and well-written, but it lacks the search function which many similar FAQ areas have.

Deposit/Withdrawal Options

We’re well aware that we sound like a broken record. The fact is, however, that this is yet another area in which Betfred does absolutely brilliantly.

The selection of payment options might not look enormous, but it covers every major base. That includes debit cards, eWallets, and even prepaid cards. The minimum amounts are also nice and low, making this accessible for the more casual punters among you. Finally, the processing times – while not the fastest – are still acceptable.

Below, you can get a quick summary of your payment options with Betfred.

Payment Method Minimum Deposit Minimum Withdrawal Processing Time
Debit Card £5 £5 Up to 48 hours
Neteller £5 £5 Up to 48 hours
Skrill £5 £5 Up to 48 hours
PayPal £5 £5 Up to 48 hours
Paysafecard £5 £5 Up to 48 hours

Betfred in the Media

Betfred is easily one of the best-known sportsbooks in the UK. Few brands indeed can match its longevity, or the success it’s had over its many decades of operations.

>What’s remarkable about Betfred, however, is that the company seems as determined as ever to keep growing. At the time of writing, it had literally just signed another sponsorship dealfor a major horse racing festival, presumably to further boost its brand awareness.
It is also still managing to expand, and – to do so – is looking beyond British shores. Betfred has taken advantage of the USA’s more relaxed gambling laws in a big way. It had already opened up in 10 different states, at the time of writing, and has even opened up its first sportsbook in Las Vegas

Betfred Sport UK Betting Review

FAQ

You’ve got around 22 different options here. Football and horse racing are the clear priorities, but you can also wager on the likes of eSports, American sports, golf, cricket, tennis, and virtual sports.

The current Betfred welcome offer is a classic ‘Bet £10, Get £30’ deal. You simply place an eligible £10 qualifying wager, and receive £30 back in free bets.

Betfred has one of the best selections of ongoing promotions around. These include several horse racing promos, a free bet offer, an acca insurance deal, a couple of football-specific promos, and more.

Absolutely. In fact, it’s one of the safest bookies you can use. Between its excellent track record, strong security features, and brilliant reputation, Betfred gives you as much peace of mind as you could hope for.

Share