Betfred Review

Who are Betfred?

Of all the bookmaker origin stories, Betfred’s is possibly my favourite. Founded by brothers Fred and Peter Done, the business launched as a single betting shop in Salford in 1967. Rather than taking a loan or using savings, the brothers funded the business with winnings from backing England to win the 1966 World Cup. Betfred was, quite literally, born courtesy of a winning bet.

Initially known as Done Bookmakers, the business grew to become Britain’s largest independent bookmaker, with a presence on high streets up and down the land. 2004 marked a key year for the company, as the name changed to Betfred and the business launched online. Still owned by the Done family, Betfred maintains its high-street portfolio and offers sports betting, casino gaming, bingo, and poker via the online site.

Are Betfred’s odds any good?

Betfred has a reputation for being a great-value bookmaker, and I’ve had no cause for complaint during my years using the site. However, for the purpose of this review, I decided to put the Betfred odds to the test.

First, let’s take a look at the football. With the World Cup in full swing, I analysed the odds for a full round of games. Betfred performed well, with an average overround of 6.2% in the match result market stacking up well against much of the competition.

Next, I looked at the horse racing and the ante-post market for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Betfred again fared well, offering the joint best market price on six of the 14 runners. This compared favourably with Coral and BetVictor, who both offered four outright or joint best prices. (Information correct as of 19/07/2026.)

Is the Betfred welcome offer good value?

If you like a Bet and Get-style deal (and who doesn’t?), Betfred offers one of the very best welcome offers on the market. For just a £10 qualifying bet, you get £50 in Free Bets.

Sign up, deposit via debit card, and place your first bet of £10+ at odds of Evens (2.0) or greater to get £30 in free sports bets and £20 in free acca bets. With bet365, LiveScoreBet, and Unibet all offering Bet £10 and Get £30 in Free Bets, the Betfred sign-up bonus really does stand out from the crowd. Simply click one of our Betfred links to be taken to the Betfred welcome offer page.

Football Betting

In my opinion, Betfred falls into the “must have” category for football punters. It’s certainly where I do a lot of my football betting. As mentioned above, the odds stack up well, and that’s before factoring in the regular Boost and Turbo Boost deals.

The Betfred football section takes fans on a global tour, with competitions from over 40 nations – everything from the Argentinian Primera Division to the Swiss Super League.

Diving into a game from one of the bigger competitions reveals over 140 markets, neatly categorised under Popular, Match Specials, Goals, Player, Cards & Corners, Shots, and Half. All of the traditional punts are covered, in addition to interesting options such as Goalkeeper 2+ saves and Player Shots on Target from Outside the Box. Many of these markets turn in-play once the game kicks off.

When betting in-play on the Premier League, I found the Betfred odds updated quickly and the cash-out facility to be fast and responsive. Check out the Watch Live tab, as a selection of leagues benefit from a live streaming service.

Another big selling point for football bettors is the brilliant Betfred Bet Builder. With an impressive 59 markets available, including distinctive options like Player to Score a Header and Player to Score from Outside the Box, I can almost always create the bespoke punt I want.

Finally, the Betfred football promotions are too good to miss. Double Delight and Hattrick Heaven pay double and treble the odds on first goalscorer punts if your player goes on to score two or three. 2UP pays your match result bet as a winner if your team goes two up at any stage. Acca Flex awards a 5%-100% winnings boost on accas containing five or more legs, and if one leg lets you down, you get your stake back as cash! One of my personal favourites is Sub Switch, which has salvaged many a Bet Builder. With Sub Switch, your player-focused bets roll on to their replacement if they are taken off.

Horse Racing Betting

When picking out my daily racing punts, Betfred almost always offers the outright best price or joint best price for at least two runners in every race I look at. Betfred’s Best Odds Guaranteed concession is a big bonus. Available from 8am on the day of the race, this deal pays you at SP if the SP is bigger than the price you took.

Betfred offers significantly more racing markets than your average bookmaker. Whereas many bookies stick to win and each-way, Betfred features Place Only, Vs the Field, Match Bets, Lengthen Your Odds Winning Distances, and more.

With a balance of 1p or more, you can watch all UK and Irish horse racing live. The Tips & Course info section includes informative data and comments from the Racing Post – handy if you are seeking inspiration when picking out those Lucky 15s.

Betfred are the name behind the Lucky Bet bonus. Place a Lucky 15, 31, or 63 bet and if all of your selections run but only one wins, Betfred will pay that selection at 3x, 4x, or 5x the odds. Betfred are also linked to the Rewards4Racing programme – Get 2,000 points just for signing up and 1 point per £1 staked thereafter.

Sports Betting

It’s not all about racing and football at Betfred, with the Bonus King offering odds and markets on a total of 22 sports and events.

Solid across everything from American Football to Volleyball, Betfred is particularly strong in the areas of Darts and Golf. You won’t find Darts-specific promotions at every bookie, but Betfred offers early payout if your player hits a nine darter or a 170 checkout, regardless of whether they go on to win the match.

Having sponsored major tournaments, including the British Masters, Betfred enjoys strong links with golf. As such, it’s no surprise that the golf betting area is significantly better than par for the course. A great option for outright bets, Betfred often offers additional places well in advance of the event - and in 120-156-runner fields, every place helps. I also love the in-play price boosts, with the enhanced hole-by-hole odds a particular favourite of mine.

Betfred Payment Methods

Betfred supports Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, and Electron debit cards, Apple Pay linked to a valid debit card, and Instant Banking. Alternatively, you can deposit cash directly into your account at any Betfred shop – a nice perk if you bet online and in-shop. At Betfred, you can deposit from as little as £5.

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