Betfair was founded in 2000. The firm’s headquarters are in Gibraltar Hammersmith, West London, UK and Clonskeagh, Dublin. Since it is an international betting firm, it is regulated by various betting licensing organizations in different countries in the world, like the UK and Gibraltar. It is also licensed to operate in Kenya.
The bookie has made a name for itself in the betting industry worldwide because of its diverse portfolio of betting offers. Fairly new in Kenya, Betfair is slowly gaining popularity among Kenyan bettors, providing Kenyan bettors many enticing betting offers.
This article gives you an overview of Betfair so that you can make an informed decision by comparing it to other betting sites in Kenya.
Sports Betting
Having merged with Paddy Power, this is one area that you can well imagine Betfair will excel, and it most certainly does. It is one of the most popular bookmakers on the planet. Its sportsbook is powered by OpenBet, which means for a smooth and seamless sports betting experience.
This is a company that knows how to provide the best service. The range of markets available to bet on his huge and the odds are very often the best you’ll find on the online market. It has 33 sports and activities to bet on and a range of betting options, should you choose to bet on match results, goal totals and so much more. There is so much both pre-match and in-play available You can also benefit from live streaming, cash-out options as well as a constant flow of great promotions to make it even more enjoyable.
What sports and markets can you bet on?
Here’s a general list of the sports they cover:
| American FootballBasketballCurrent AffairsFootballHorse RacingNetballSnookerWinter SportsAthleticsBoxingRugby LeagueTennisBaseball | American FootballBasketballCurrent AffairsFootballHorse RacingNetballSnookerWinter SportsAthleticsBoxingCricketE-SportsGreyhound Racing | CyclingGaelic GamesIce HockeyPoliticsSpecial BetsAustralian RulesChessDartsGolfMixed Martial ArtsMotor SportRugby UnionVolleyball |
They also cover financials, greyhound and horse race betting.
Live Betting
Betfair has an awesome online live betting platform. The interface is well designed showcasing lots of live betting games available for the day. Moreover, you can use your desktop or mobile device to place in-play bets.
Wagers can do live betting on soccer, badminton, ice hockey, cricket, basketball among other games. The in-play interface is user-friendly and lists the in-play and upcoming games. To place your bets, go to the firm’s website’s main page and select in-play. Then select the game you want to play.
For soccer live betting fans can go to the in-play icon, then choose football under the live betting forum and you will find matches for different markets including popular football leagues.
The odds for the live matches keep being refreshed every few seconds according to the status on the ground as the match progresses.
Live Streaming Live Games
Betfair offers one of the best live streaming services to bettors. The live streaming services are for in-play games. Select the sports among the listed sports namely horse races, cricket, and football and then you can live stream.
Betfair Cash Out
One of the best reasons to bet with Betfair Sportsbook is their Cash Out feature. Betfair Cash Out makes it possible to secure a profit when things are going in your favour (or limit your losses if things have gone against you) before the event is finished. So if you potentially see that win slipping out of your grasp in the final minutes of a game then make sure to take advantage of Betfair’s Cash Out feature and keep some money in your pocket!
Since its launch, Betfair Cash Out has become increasingly popular, with almost every bookmaker in the industry now offering a version of the feature. We think Betfair Cash Out is the best of them all.
What is Cash Out?
Like we said, Betfair Cash Out allows you to easily secure a profit while a sporting event is still in play. What makes Betfair Cash Out so great is that there is no need for you to make tricky calculations to work out your current position. Betfair Cash Out does all the maths for you. It will tell you how much you can claim as profit or how much you will lose at a given stage of an event.
What’s even better about Betfair Cash Out is that you can cash out any portion of your bet you choose. Just use their awesome cash out slider. You can cash out as much of your stake for as much profit as you like. Want to cash out half your stake and leave half in play? You can do that thanks to Betfair Cash Out. How you play it is up to you.
There’s absolutely no doubt about it. Betfair Cash Out puts you in control of your in play betting like never before.
Betting Limits
The Betfair system is programmed to prevent wagers from overspending on betting. To protect its members from overbetting, Betfair provides a system where punters can set limits on how much to bet. They can set monthly, weekly or daily limits on how much to bet or deposit.
To add to that, it protects minors from betting.
Bonuses from Betfair bookmaker
The bookmaker constantly has several attractive offers and promotions for both new and existing users. Moreover, the company immediately sends a letter with a selection of current special offers after registration by mail. Their exact list depends on the region of residence of the user, but usually such actions are listed:
- Free sports betting in the Sportsbook section.
- The risk-free bet on the Betfair betting exchange.
- Free participation in one of totes.
- Participation in the action-race: the most active and successful participants receive a reward from a special prize fund.
- Free bet in the Sportsbook section for fulfilling the conditions. For example, for one or more expresses, in which there are at least 4 events, for a total sum of $ 25 and above.
In addition, the Betfair website has offers for all users:
- Daily offers. They are issued for action in the Sportsbook, on the stock exchange and horse racing.
- Odds augmentor. Once a day, the company offers an improved stake for a specific event.
- Full or partial refund of a bet on a specific event in the case of loss.
- Free bet for a larger bet. For example, I put 10 pounds on the stock exchange – I got 5 pounds for sportsbook bets.
A lot of additional bonuses can be found in the casino section. Most of them are free spins in slots and gambling from the catalog.
If you can not figure out the site, you can always ask for help in the support service. Support of Betfair is one of the most responsive and active in the industry. Just ask what offers and promotions are available for your account, and the employee will write in detail how to use them.
Sports Promotions
Right now, Betfair offers 10 different promotions inside their sportsbook. However, most of them are not really promotions, are limited time deals, or aren’t useable in the sportsbook.
Anyway, here are the details for their few sports promos.
- Risk Free Bet – Opt-in for this offer and then make a bet. If you bet more than £5 in their exchange – and it loses – Betfair will refund you the £5 in cash. This offer is only available for your FIRST bet in the exchange.
- Best Odds – Betfair claims they offer the best odds on men’s tennis, English football, rugby and UK and Irish horse race and greyhound winner markets. It’s not so much a ‘do this, get that’ sort of promotion. But it’s great to see that if you plan to bet on these sports/markets, that you’re getting the best price – with proof to back it up.
- Bet £10, Get £5 – Betfair has a limited time offer where, if you make a £10 Exchange bet on a specific soccer match, you’ll receive a £5 sportsbook accumulator bet.
While it sucks this is a limited time offer, there’s a good chance they’ll offer it again in the future – just on a different match, or for a different sport.
Betfair Sportsbook Mobile App
You can download the Betfair mobile app for both Apple and Android devices. Although functionality differs depending upon which device you use, the Betfair mobile app has a superb range of features. The app provides you access to:
- Pre-match odds for literally hundreds of markets
- Live odds for selected in play markets
- Access your bet history
- Deposit and withdraw funds across a range of banking options
- Live scores and video
- Cash Out
If you prefer, you can access the same range of features via the Betfair Sportsbook mobile site.
Betfair’s mobile app offers one of the best mobile betting experiences in the business. With a great design, excellent range of features not to mention a stable and dependable platform. Betfair punters will be well satisfied with the Betfair Sportsbook mobile app.
It’s also worth mentioning the Betfair app library, with dozens of betting app developed specifically for Betfair punters. Many of these great app are free while some ask a small fee to download. Either way, there’s a great range of app available to enhance your Betfair betting.
How to open Betfair account
Now that you’re at the Betfair Sportsbook home, click on the Join Now button in the top right of the page, located next to the user login button. You will now begin the open account in Betfair registration process.
Clicking on the Join Now button you will be taken to the Betfair Sportsbook account registration page. It only takes a couple of minutes to fill in the required details. You will be asked for the following personal information:
- your first and last name
- your date of birth
- your country of residence
- your postcode and home address
- your phone number
- your email address
- your password
- security question
- your preferred currency
- Betfair promo code
Please ensure you create a password that is both easily remembered but likewise not so easy to hack (I.e don’t make your password 1234). The Betfair open account registration page rates your password strength which is a helpful guide when selecting your password.
Betfair Sportsbook Payment Methods
Betfair Sportsbook operates what’s called a ‘closed loop policy’ when it comes to withdrawing funds. This simply means that if you’ve deposited into your Betfair Sportsbook account using a certain payment source, you’ll need to withdraw funds back to that same payment source. We have made our own research and below you can see how you can deposit or withdraw funds.
- Bank transfer
- Debit cards (Visa, Mastercard)
- PayPal
- Skrill
- Neteller
- Clickandbuy
- Cheque
Processing Fees and Commissions
One downside with this betting firm is that they charge their punters processing fees on deposits made. Worth noting, it is a small processing fee that is about 2% and therefore it is not a biggie.
Betfair also charges fairly high commissions on winnings which is not a favorable feature to bettors.
Pros of Betfair
- World’s largest online betting exchange
- It is an international betting site
- It offers a wide range of sports and markets
- Various payment system options
- Excellent Customer service
- Well marketed
- Bonuses and promotions
- Betting limits
- Live betting
- High betting security system
Cons
- Unfortunately at the time of writing this article, Betfair had stopped using Safaricom’s Mpesa payment system
- They charge processing fees
- They charge commissions
Customer Support
The customer support is great and is available in many different languages to cater for its multi-national appeal. There a live chat available that is available 24 hours a day and is generally answered in under 30 seconds, while there is also a contact sheet on the site that is quick and easy to use. Queries made in this manner are normally answered in depth and thoughtfully in under 4 hours, so you shouldn’t be left waiting around for days.
However, if you prefer to talk to someone then there’s a contact number you can use. It isn’t open 24 hours a day but is available between 7.30 am and 12.30am. This again is expected to be answered within 30 seconds so you should never be left waiting around for long. There are numbers for the UK, Eire and International. As well as this there is a decent FAQ section which answers a range of questions from Verifying your Account, to Sports Product Support. There is also a section for Top Queries which has some very helpful answers.
FAQ
- How do I place a multiple bet?
Simply choose your selections as you would for a single, and the betslip will appear on the right hand side of the page and will create your multiple. From here, you then have the option to choose your bet type – double, treble, fourfold, Trixie and so forth – after which you will need to add your desired stake amount. Your potential winnings will appear. If you are happy with your selection tick the ‘Confirm Bets’ box and then click on ‘Place Bets’.
- Sportsbook: How do I place a single bet?
First select the sport and then the event that you want to bet on. When you have chosen, click on the price and your selection will then automatically appear on your betslip on the right hand side of your screen.
Enter the amount you want to stake in the box provided and your potential winnings will appear.
To place the bet, tick the ‘Confirm Bets’ box and then click on ‘Place Bets’.
- How to Use Betfair Bonus?
Using the Betfair bonus is very simple. Firstly you will need to choose to sign up with them and start creating an account. When arriving at the ‘Promo Code’ section you will have to enter the code ‘ZBBC01’ which will allow you to receive up to £100 in free bets. This £100 will be given to you in the form of 5 £20 free bets, you will receive 1 £20 free bet for every £10 bet you place up to a limit of 5, automatically placed into your account.
- How to do an accumulator on Betfair?
Making an accumulator on Betfair is as simple as any other bookmaker app or site available. You simply need to search for the markets and stipulations you want and once you seem them, click the odds and this will start to make a collective of selections in your bet slip. Once you have selection all the stipulations which you wish to bet on, you need to select the ‘1x’ bet option box and enter your stake and press place bet.
