Betfair

Information About Betfair

It may only have been founded in 1999 but Betfair has easily established itself as one of the major players. Press releases and industry tittle-tattle are not always to be believed but the numbers that Betfair talk in deserves to be heard. Claiming to be the UK’s biggest online betting firm and the world’s largest betting exchange, Betfair states they have over 1 million clients. An exchange has the benefit of offering improved odds if you can find someone willing to take your bet but is Betfair really deserving of the status it is supposedly held in?

It is very rare for a new face to make itself known in the world of sports gambling in the UK, dominated as the industry is by the Big 3 (Ladbrokes, William Hill, and Coral). A handful of sites have managed to push their way into the market, with Bet365 amongst them. Rare as that success is, however, it is even rarer for a company to put a whole new spin on the idea of sports gambling, which is exactly what Betfair has done with their strictly online operations. Let’s take a look to see if it’s somewhere worth taking your money to.

History

As mentioned Betfair was started online in 1999, and has since grown to be the world’s biggest online bookmaker, bar none.

Part of the reason for Betfair’s success is its radical concept. Instead of placing bets on lines made by a book maker, Betfair is a site that facilitates betting between bettors themselves. The bettors choose the match and make the odds, and wait for another gambler to take up their bets. Because of the unique way in which bets are made, the site is known as a “betting exchange” rather than as a sports book.

Ease of use

As it is an exchange, it can take a bit more time to get used to the Betfair layout. If you are more accustomed to the standard sites, you may need to take some time to get used to the layout but there are plenty of advice panels to walk you through the process. There is also a fairly comprehensive demo that pops up to give any new user an immediate lesson in how to use the site. This is a really good feature and whilst it lacks the immediacy of other sites, Betfair do their best to make their site as usable as possible. With a Betfair education section of their site and even Betfair Education events held regularly throughout the UK, Betfair take customer service very seriously.

Markets

With regards to the sports on offer at Betfair, there is a full selection and anything you want to bet on will be there. Not only that but all the additional events that you would expect for a full season or in-play can be found here, all with odds that can be determined by whatever someone is willing to wager against. You also can’t argue with a betting site that allows you to bet on a sport that you haven’t even heard of. The ‘Petola’ market had us searching online and it turns out there are a few variations on the game but it is a court sport played with a ball and a racquet, bat or a person’s hand. So if you feel inclined to place a wager on a sport like this, then this is definitely the site to be on.

As is the trend these days, there is also a full selection of casino, poker and fun games to try your hand at. Being an exchange there is a slight twist and games like Hi-Lo sees the player betting on how a computer "player" will perform, as opposed to playing the game themselves. Normal service is resumed for games like ‘Final Score’ or ‘Blackjack’ where the user takes the more traditional role. In addition to these games, there is a ‘Zero Lounge’ available also which shows the best odds available.

Of course, betting on this site is unique because it’s up to the punter to make the odds. You’ll see the bets listed, and if you want to take one then you can feel free. If you think you can do a better job, then set up odds of your own. It is important to note that on Betfair, you don’t have to take a team to win a game; you can also lay a team to lose! That’s one of the hallmarks of this original concept in sports betting.

In addition to this, there is also Tradefair which allows people to bet on financial markets.

Opening offers

One promo only from Betfair, but it is a juicy one. Deposit £25 and you will be able to recoup your bet if the first wager you place is a losing one (up to £25). Very unique offer from a very unique site.

All in all, it is probably fair to say that Betfair will be top of the heap as far as online sports gambling operations in the for years to come. It’s fresh, it allows a lot of control, and it’s easy to use.

Additional features

Betfair go the extra distance in spreading the word about their site and ensuring people know what they are doing on it. They also offer their service on your mobile phone, live scores and results, a Labs site to showcase some the ideas and developments they have in production, live football, tennis and horseracing and many other features. Betfair seem to provide everything is really needed and as long as you can get your head around the exchange system, there is no doubt that Betfair does live up to the hype it generates.

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