Betfred

And the weird part is, I like Betfred. I always believed (and still do) that apart from bet365 and Betfair etc., this betting site was unique, in a sense, that it's probably one of the few remainder companies that haven't been bought out by larger conglomerates, or fallen to industry-corrections.

It does seem to have quite a number of bad reviews on sites like TrustPilot. But then I'd like to at least go for an honest take. It's a 50/50 thing on there. It seems half of the people are fairly satisfied, while a good bunch of them have had terrible experience with bonus rules and payout of winnings.

But in the pretext of being fair, overall, only people having had a bad experience, tend to try to share them on the web. They might actually - and probably do - have more happy customers than not. However, it seems that their truth is not being reflected out in the open.

Betfred needs to hire a better social media and PR-handling team. But, then that's just me saying that. And, I'm a nobody. They know what's best for them or works for them.

Redditors also don't seem to have much mercy on them. Their main beef is the poor website design, and not being able to bet big. Many claim to have been limited. Then there's also cries of jackpot winnings being nulled, if won through bonus money.

So, something is definitely smelly. I'm not going to ditch genuine users of Betfred, who've had a bad spell with them, just for affiliate commissions. Sorry, it isn't happening. Not on my watch.

Mind you, Betfred is a legit and trusted brand. All these reported issues, most probably stem from the fact, that they're very big and thus, having problems managing their growth.

Whether you go for them, knowing how they're generally viewed by the public, is up to you. I would, if you were to ask me. I think a lot of the neg stuff relates to bonus money, the use of which (from what you have read in my previous writings) I'm against, anyway.

Moving towards the basics of this brand, it does seem to *semi-strictly* follow the gambling laws of most countries. This means, access to their site is blocked (by them), where they aren't locally regulated. They don't play the grey-market card. Not sure, if they did do illegal stuff in the past. At least, at present, they're sort of clean.

Good thing is that they seem to be regulated in all major nations, where punting is legal. US (States where it's got the license), UK, Belgium and a few others. They physically registered - as a company - in Gibraltar.

Ok, I did say that they're *clean* up there, but I've also seen them sponsor sporting events in China. They wouldn't do it, if they weren't picking up Chinese bettors, which is illegal, anyway you look at it. So, they may not be as kosher, as their image is touted out to be.

Deposits can be made through cards, PayPal, common e-wallets, and even through hard cash in their physical betting shops. In the UK, for example, Betfred has over 1500 brick-and-mortar outlets, so a deposit is literally 5 minutes walk away.

Withdrawals will take time, and even more time, if you actually do end up winning a large amount. For normal processing, you're looking at 3 to 5 days minimum, provided you're also in the clear with their Accounts department. Make sure to keep your ID scans available on the smartphone. You never know.

If you win a large jackpot, expect things to be delayed even further. And, also expect your winnings to be declined, especially if you won using the free bonus money. For normal odd amounts, they wouldn't make a fuss, but don't expect to get paid a hundred grand, on £30 bonus. I have not seen a single example, of anyone, ever getting paid, on bonus-money-winnings, from anyone, let alone Betfred.

Bonus is mostly for the show, to get you to sign up for a new account. It's not serious, despite of whatever the ad or promo says. Betfred offers a standard UKGC-approved £30 on £10 deposit (which is required to open a new account btw). This equates to like 50 free spins on slots.

Speaking of which, since they're fully licensed, one can enjoy a good number of slot games from reputable software providers. Most top progressive jackpots are available.

Though, they tend to focus on sports betting (particularly football), their live casino is also something that should be checked out. Like for example, one can enjoy live blackjack or roulette powered by Playtech and many more.

The odds can't be compared with the likes of say, Betfair's exchange, but it does a good job, if their clients don't really care about such details.

Being legal, you can also download their app for Android and Apple iphone. The quality of their betting app is so-so. But it works. And that's the main thing. I would use the desktop to use this site, though. Their very-tabular website design seems to organize itself better, in a PC browser.

They also have a live streaming service. Guess, they took the idea from bet365. I think it's a cool feature.

Customer support is not the best, but one can get a hold of them in physical betting shops, on the phone, through email and live chat. They seem to have a fine number of options in this area. I haven't personally contacted them over the phone for support issues, but haven't read worrisome comments about their non-responsiveness, on the internet, either.

Betfred is a big, well-groomed, and experienced brand, that does face a few issues with keeping everyone happy.

It wants to do a good job. It's not that they're not trying.

They have a go-ahead-and-sign-up signal from my end. You can't possibly lose giving up £10 or so, to test out their platform.

Perhaps, you will have a much better time at Betfred, than the rest of the complainypants posting on Trustpilot and Reddit.

Claire Reid

Why should Claire's review be trusted?

Completed Gaming Management Program from the University of Nevada Reno. This gives her the ability to evaluate gambling establishments on technical grounds.
Worked for three years at the UKGC as a compliance manager at their Birmingham, West Midlands office. This means she knows the ins and outs of what makes up a good law-abiding gambling site.
Completed an online course on Ethics and Ethical-Decision Making Essentials from Udemy, which serves as a guide for her when writing true reviews, without taking sides.

A word from the author:

To make this review fair, transparent and to remove any sponsorship bias, I allocated anywhere between $500 (for casual betting) to $25,000 (for evaluating the quality of the high-roller gambling services) out of my own pocket for testing the browser-based platform and the app (where available) of this betting site.

This money was spent on online casino games and sports betting, depending on what the place is primarily known for. For example, certain brands only cater to slots, while others are predominantly sportsbooks.
My tests involved all the processes, such as initial deposit and accepting welcome bonuses, KYC, an actual experience of playing the games, and finally withdrawing my winnings, if any.

Legally Binding Oath: I hereby declare that the above made statements are true to the best of my knowledge and belief, and that I understand it may be used as evidence in court and is subject to penalty for perjury.

Disclosure: BestSites.Bet is not compensated, for any outbound clicks or new customer signups at Betfred. This document is free of affiliate marketing links in order to maintain its editorial integrity. As per our internal company policy, we do not use any AI or Automated tools to produce content on this website. To maintain the accuracy and innovation of new ideas, all reviews are written and edited by real humans. Guaranteed.

18+

Install an anti-gambling software app on your computer and smartphone

Problem Gambling websites

Never wager with money you can't afford to lose.

Our promise of unbiased assessments: Favoritism-free scrutiny of the finest betting sites is what BestSites.Bet does. We promise to stand by our principles of impartiality and assiduous brand research. Our readers' long-term interest was kept in mind, and always came first, before penning down this review.

All reviewers on this website are independent, meaning although they may write for BestSites.Bet, we have not paid them for it. In fact, to remove any sponsorship bias, these individuals can spend up to $25,000 out of their own pockets to evaluate the brands listed on this site. All the tests include things like deposits, bonuses, real game-playing, and the time and KYC process required to withdraw any winnings. This way we can deliver original comments and thoughts on popular betting sites.

If you would like to share your own personal experience of a relatively well-known gambling site, please do contact us.

Page Last Updated: 23rd February 2024.