Betfred is one of the longest established bookmaking brands in the industry. Known for years by many as Fred Done Bookmakers with shops all over the country, the Betfred brand is now a huge online hit too.
Betfred has excelled for decades in the sports betting industry, even owning the Tote for a time. Their comprehensive betting markets and high understanding of major horse racing and football odds makes them a go-to for punters in the top two betting sports around.
While we’ve given Betfred a strong rating overall, there is actually only one category that lets them down. Their betting markets, while comprehensive, aren’t the most generous which we feel is just about the most basic thing for a bookmaker to get right and that hasn’t been achieved this time.
Customer service is excellent however, as is their banking system, with this being how we rated them section-by-section:
If Betfred could bring themselves to rival their chief opposition, even with just a few market leaders in terms of being top-price, then they would put themselves in line to be the very best out there in our view.
It would basically be online betting utopia to be in a place where a bookmaker has no discernible downsides. They all possess them, however in Betfred’s case we must point out that only one is a serious bugbear.
The brand’s upsides are great in number and in significance for certain. Overall, these is what we’d say the immediate highlights and lowlights of Betfred are:
Company
Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited, trading as Betfred
Via Account
Phone
01942 613 068
Live Chat
Yes
Founded
1967
Location
Cheshire (headquarters)
Licence
UK Gambling Commission
Mobile App
Yes – for iOS and Android devices
In-Play Console
Yes
Live Streaming
Yes
Minimum Deposit
Customer Support Types
Telephone, email, live chat, FAQ
During our Betfred review we discovered far more positives than negatives, so considering our need for technical brilliance and modern features we can’t say we are disappointed.
That said, the one negative we did find is a biggie and it concerns odds. Many companies around the world get all the complicated things right and forget the obvious things, and in a sense Betfred has been a little guilty of that.
Very rarely is this brand top-price on market leaders or major contenders, not even within the sports that make up their main focus which are football and horse racing.
That perceived stinginess will scare off many shrewd customers, but in terms of their technical prowess they really are fantastic.
All expected features are present, including live streaming and a good mobile app, while security is great, banking is efficient, promos are strong and most importantly customer service is just about second to none.
As a confirmed member of the establishment in this industry, Betfred already has a huge following and it’s true that people will flock regardless of welcome bonuses.
That said, Betfred does offer casino bonuses and a sports sign-up deal that we’d consider at least fair. £30 in free bets for a £10 stake is pretty standard, so while there are welcome bonuses out there with a higher value, there are also many much more expensive ones. This is how the deal breaks down:
Welcome Offer – the basic premise is ‘bet £10, get £30 in free bets’. The offer stands for those who sign up and then deposit £10 online or on the app. From there, place a £10 qualifying bet within a week at odds of even-money (1/1, 2.00) or greater and get £30 in free bets within 10 hours of the initial bet settling.
The overall value is either on par, or higher, than most of Betfred’s biggest market rivals. At £10 deposit and initial stake, the deal isn’t expensive either and seems fair for all.
As a traditional bookmaker, Betfred is switched on to how important major football and horse racing events are. So, around the time of the Grand National, Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot or the World Cup, an enhanced new player bonus may well be in the offing.
Betfred have a strong list of ongoing promotions aimed at existing customers. While many are in a similar vein to those on major competitors’ sites, there are at least plenty to choose from meaning punters can eke out a little more value from their bets.
While promos do change from time to time, a typical list of those at Betfred would be:
One for football fans. Back a player for first goalscorer and if they manage that, then score again, Betfred doubles the odds. If they score a third, they triple your odds. There is also an in-play version of this.
Another one for football bettors, Acca Insurance offers money back up to £10 if one selection lets you down from an accumulator featuring 5 teams or more.
Allowed on stipulated races and with minimum runner requirements added, horse racing fans can get extra each-way places instead of the industry standard 2, 3 or 4.
Another horse racing promo; Betfred offers a free bet up to £10 on selected races only if your horse is beaten into second place.
Horse racing and greyhound punters get BOG to ensure that, when taking a price for their selection, they get paid at the highest odds should their runner win and the SP be bigger than the price they accepted.
Those betting on horse racing and greyhounds can get a bonus of 10% - 25% if all selections in a Lucky 15, Lucky 31 or Heinz bet are successful.
Other offers are also displayed from time to time, again with a strong lean towards racing which is an area in which Betfred made its reputation initially.
Betfred reviews these promotions regularly and they are quite hot on keeping them relevant. If there is a specific, high-profile football match or horse race about to happen then often their promos will surround the exact event.
It goes without saying that Betfred has a good range of banking options, mostly free and often instant which is always a plus.
All major debit cards are accepted, Visa and MasterCard, with Neteller, Skrill, PayPal, paysafecard also in use. eWallets are especially popular right now and offer instant withdrawals, meaning no waiting around for your cash.
You can deposit with Betfred from just £5 using your debit card, the same with Skrill but strangely £5.50 with PayPal and Neteller.
The minimum deposit is below the standard £5 elsewhere in the industry, which we like, while up to £20,000 can be deposited in one go, with between £5 and £9,999 available to withdraw.
One of the slight niggles noted concerns the above. Big hitters have often complained that £20,000 can be deposited, but barely half that can be withdrawn but to be brutally honest, that doesn’t affect the vast majority of punters.
Betfred is all over the modern-day promotions and has more than enough to offer racing and football fans. With around 30 sports and categories to choose from in its markets however, they are no higher than average in that regard and where betting odds are concerned, they are often downright stingy!
Maybe that’s mean, but the truth is that Betfred is very, very rarely top-price on any likely winner at the top of the market which is a major let-down of theirs.
Here are the markets you’ll find available to bet on:
American football, Australian rules football, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, cricket, cycling, darts, eSports, football, Gaelic football, golf, greyhounds, horse racing, hurling, ice hockey, motorsports, politics, rugby league, rugby union, snooker, specials, tennis, UFA/MMA, virtual sports.
As you can see, there are a few sports missing that other brands have as a target. In fairness, Betfred concentrates heavily on their core football and horse racing markets so within these categories, there are many different markets to choose from.
If your own betting focus is on the most popular sports in Britain and/or America, you will not struggle to find a market. Just make sure you are getting a fair price for your selection.
Betfred is fully licenced and regulated by the Gambling Commission in the UK, so has to follow the highest of standards. Bet limits and account limits can be set up, while their privacy policy too is comprehensive and puts our mind at ease right away.
All customer data, personal and financial, is fully protected by the best encryption with no major breaches or problems having been reported.
The real trial of trust comes with Betfred’s responsible gambling policy, and it is impressive. They have a Safer Gambling Charter, some five pages long, with many links to charities that are on-hand to help with gambling-related harm.
Naturally they help any player act before it reaches that stage, with limits and reality checks that can be put in place, time-outs and self-excl*usions too.
What is memorable about Betfred is that they have done plenty for charity over the years. Among many other endeavours, the firm has given £50,000 to the Sir Graham Wylie Foundation which golf-orientated, money has been donated to the Stroke Association with links to them sponsoring darts championships, while some Cheltenham racing profits have also been given to good causes.
This all helps to engender trust and a feeling of security with Betfred, something crucial to online punters.
Betfred’s customer service is a feather in their cap, undoubtedly. They have a solid, informative FAQ section along with enough ways to get in touch to leave us feeling that we aren’t ignored as customers.
If you head to the ‘help’ section on the website, you’ll find the FAQ page. Most regular queries are answered there in good detail, so many will genuinely not feel the need to get in touch at all.
If a query is a little more specific, then what you’ll find regardless of your chosen method of contact is a knowledgeable team, friendly and one that most importantly comes across as willing to help.
You can email Betfred via the website. This way, your query is answered in writing within a day or so although most questions are answered in a way similar to what could have been found in the FAQ’s and information pages.
You can also call the team on 01942 613 068 although this is not the speediest method, with our preferred option as always being to hit Betfred’s live chat system.
Through this, your query will be answered almost immediately. Once again, it’ll be done so by a good team member who can find answers to anything you want to ask, and it means you get those answers in real time and in writing.
The best part about all of this, and this is not something offered by all of the firm’s main rivals, is that the team is available 24 hours a day which we feel is becoming a prerequisite in what is a round-the-clock industry.
Along with a good range of promotions, the main thing that keeps brands like Betfred fighting alongside its main competition is extra features. It has to be said, we weren’t disappointed with what they had to offer.
We have little doubt that as more new features are invented within the industry, Betfred will be on top of them but for now this is what you can expect to find on their betting platforms:
Live, in-play betting is a strength at Betfred and is available on a range of sports. Naturally the football section is the biggest they have, though you can bet live on much more than that with odds being accurate up to the second.
Cash out is now a very familiar, borderline necessary feature with top online bookmakers and Betfred has it too. As long as a cash out value is offered on your live selection, you’ll see that in your live bets and can choose whether or not to leave the bet early, locking in profit or cutting some losses.
Betfred’s bet builder is called Pick Your Punt. Available on football, the feature works for games in many different leagues meaning punters can create their own unique accumulator to bet on one game, getting the best value possible out of it.
Typically, there are many live streams of horse racing, football, tennis, basketball, badminton and ice hockey events at Betfred. As long as you have a positive real-money balance, you will be able to watch live.
A dedicated Betfred sports betting app is available – see below for more.
Betfred’s mobile website content mirrors the desktop site, so in that regard it is well-designed, quick, has no major issues and is very easy to use.
You can access the mobile site with a browser on any modern smartphone or tablet, naturally with no download required which is what suits many customers.
For added security, a little more speed and better log-in capabilities however, there is a dedicated Betfred app. The app is available for both iOS and Android users, downloadable from the App Store or Google Play respectively.
All features, including streaming and live betting, along with all bonuses and promotions are available on the app so as we move more and more towards betting on the go, Betfred is not a firm to be left behind.
The app has a very good structure, a terrific interface and behaves very well indeed. All markets are available, odds and markets remain the same as the main site, meaning there are no obvious drawbacks and the betting experience is the same as using a desktop device.
If Betfred being just a fraction below their main rivals, or sometimes on a par with them, on contenders in major markets is OK with you then there is nothing to dislike about Betfred.
Even when prices aren’t the best, you can get extra places and boosted odds here so there is always a way to get that value back up to where you feel it should be.
The software here is top-class. A good website, strong mobile site and brilliant app meaning betting is a pleasant experience, is fast and is always backed up by some of the best customer service we’ve experienced to date.
Crucially, not only is that support good, but it is offered 24 hours a day which is a big deal to us given the nature of this business and it’s something not all top brands can boast.
In conclusion, Betfred is definitely an online bookmaker we can recommend and that goes double for those specifically interested in betting on football or horse racing markets.
Yes. The brand has existed since 1967 on the high street and is fully licenced and regulated for retail and online endeavours.
There are almost 30 sports and event categories to choose from, with football and horse racing being the main focus.
Betfred’s casino section is powered by PlayTech, though like all good online casinos other good developers work with them including Microgaming and IGT.
Betfred offers a strong new player bonus of £30 in free bets for a £10 qualifying bet. Other promotions for existing customers include extra places on racing and acca boosts on football.
Betfred is fully licenced by the Gambling Commission in the UK, as well as in other territories.
Top-notch. The customer service team is available 24 hours a day via email and live chat.
Customers can deposit as little as £5 or as much as £20,000 with Betfred.
Customers can withdraw from £5 with Betfred.
The withdrawal process in the main is instant. For bank transfers, this could take a few days.
No, but their promotions are generally good which ensures loyalty to them and extra benefits to players.
Yes, for both iOS and Android users.
Yes. Their live, in-play betting options are vast and cover an array of different sports.
Yes. Live streaming is offered on a number of sports events, as long as players have a positive real-money balance.
New players only. 3x buy-in bonuses. % varies between 50% and 100%. Min £20 cash buy-in per bonus. Max bonus £700 in total. Bonus valid on classic slot games only. Exclusions apply. Max £2 stake. 20x wager requirements on total of buy-in and bonus amount. Bonus valid for 7 days. Keep it fun - set your deposit limit. T&C's apply.
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