Betfred

Betfred made its first inroads into the US market in 2019 and 2020 after striking partnerships with casinos in Iowa and Colorado to manage their retail and mobile betting operations. Betfred later set its sights on Pennsylvania and reached an agreement with Wind Creek Casino. Betfred’s presence in Pennsylvania isn’t as prominent, where it operates under Wind Creek Casino branding at play.windcreekcasino.com and through Wind Creek-branded mobile apps for iOS/Android devices.

Pros

  • High value welcome bonuses available
  • Excellent Virtual Sports service
  • Most ongoing promotions
  • Improved live streaming service

Cons

  • In-play console is dated

  • Not a native US sportsbook (UK-based operator)
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Betfred made its first inroads into the US market in 2019 and 2020 after striking partnerships with casinos in Iowa and Colorado to manage their retail and mobile betting operations.

Betfred later set its sights on Pennsylvania and reached an agreement with Wind Creek Casino. Betfred’s presence in Pennsylvania isn’t as prominent, where it operates under Wind Creek Casino branding at play.windcreekcasino.com and through Wind Creek-branded mobile apps for iOS/Android devices.

The Betfred story dates back to a single betting shop established in the UK in 1967. From there, Betfred expanded to control what is now a commanding share of the UK’s retail sports betting market, with more than 1,600 sportsbooks across the country adorning its name.

Betfred.com launched in 2004 to enter the international online betting sphere and is now active in markets worldwide.

The Basics

  • Betfred Online Available in: Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Pennsylvania
  • Platforms: Desktop, iOS, and Android
  • New Customer Bonus: Up to $1,000 extra (max bonus varies by state)
  • Betfred Bonus Code: None needed

Betfred Bonus and Other Promotions

Betfred Sportsbook offers a straightforward welcome bonus to all new customers, but the details vary from one state to the next.

  • Arizona: Up to $3,000 in welcome bonuses
  • Colorado: 100% first wager match for a free bet worth up to $500
  • Iowa: 100% deposit bonus for up to $1,000 in promo cash
  • Pennsylvania: Bet $50, get a free bet worth $50

Note: No bonus code is needed to claim any Betfred welcome offer.

Below is an explanation of how the Betfred bonus works in each state.

Betfred Bonus Code

Betfred asks for a bonus code during the registration process, but new customers can skip that field for now. All customers qualify for welcome bonuses with no promo code necessary.

Betfred Sports Betting App

Betfred customers may download the mobile app for iOS and Android devices. Interacting with the mobile interface is easy due to clearly labeled navigation menus and functional design elements that show users what’s coming up at a glance with options to view other sports built into the navigation menu.

The Betfred app lists popular upcoming games from the main US sports such as basketball, football, and golf on the homepage. Betfred displays the spread, moneyline, and total odds for each matchup on the homepage, plus a small number noting the total number of markets available for that event.

The bottom navigation menu provides quick jump links to view a list of all active sports today, the current betting slip, a list of games that are live for in-play betting, and an option to view trending wagers.

BetFred Sportsbook Mobile Screenshots

Betfred In-Play Betting

The Betfred in-play betting platform covers most major US sports leagues with live odds on games as they happen.

Coverage of international leagues for sports such as tennis, ice hockey, soccer, and others from around the world lags behind the likes of DraftKings, BetRivers, and other established US operators.

Betfred will likely expand its in-play coverage over time. But currently, it is not uncommon to log in to Betfred during off-peak hours and find just one or two in-play betting options, whereas other major betting sites almost always have 10+ live events running no matter what time of day it is.

Very short-term wagers such as the result of the next play drive in football or the team to score next in basketball are missing in action at the moment. Instead, most Betfred markets revolve around full game, half-game, or quarter results.

The in-play betting interface includes streaming stats in most cases, including running text commentary and a visualization of the field or court showing key data such as who has possession, who’s up to bat, and more.

BetFred Sportsbook In-Play Betting Screenshots

Betfred Betting Markets

As one of the larger and more established operators to come to the US, Betfred suffers no shortage of experience when it comes to covering sports leagues in the US and abroad.

Currently, Betfred accepts wagers on the following sports:

  • Athletics
  • Aussie Rules
  • Badminton
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Bowls
  • Boxing
  • Cricket
  • Cycling
  • Darts
  • Field Hockey
  • Football
  • Futsal
  • Gaelic Games
  • Golf
  • Handball
  • Hockey
  • Lacrosse
  • MMA / UFC
  • Motor Sports
  • Olympics
  • Pool
  • Rowing
  • Rugby
  • Soccer
  • Swimming
  • Table Tennis
  • Tennis
  • Volleyball
  • Winter Sports

As far as types of wagers offered, one need only visit the page for any individual event to see Betfred’s offering is comprehensive. Betfred covers major games with dozens of bet types that collectively provide a hundred or more individual betting options.

Standard types of wagers offered at Betfred include all the usual pre-game bets on the point spread, moneyline, and total, along with many others such as:

  • In-play betting
  • Alternate moneylines
  • Alternate totals
  • Team totals
  • First, anytime and last goalscorers
  • Halftime winner
  • Game parlays
  • To win both halves
  • Winning margin
  • Props (such as will there be an overtime period, will defense/special teams score)

Betfred Interface and Navigation

Betfred.com uses a standard interface style that should be familiar to bettors, with a navigation menu on the left and open markets dominating the center of the screen.

Navigation is painless due to a well-organized menu that displays key links near the top (in-play betting, promotions, support, and house rules), a second menu listing the top leagues of the day, and a third menu showing all active sports from A-Z.

Before launching in the US, Betfred announced it would come to the US powered by the OptimaMGS platform that allows operators to endlessly customize the interface to better serve customers in each jurisdiction.

Additionally, the OptimaMGS platform provides multichannel functionality. As such, customers may one day be able to use a single account to place wagers, make deposits, receive withdrawals, and earn rewards in-person at the casino and online.

Betfred Deposit Methods

Betfred launched in the US with a limited array of deposit methods but has added more over time.

Currently, customers may fund their account via:

  • PayNearMe: Cash deposit made in person at the nearest Family Dollar
  • Play+: Prepaid card account that customers can fund with Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal
  • ACH eCheck: Betfred contracts with VIP Preferred to process ACH/eCheck deposits that move money directly from your bank account to your betting account. Selecting this method will have you register with VIP Preferred to manage deposits and withdrawals.
  • Cash at the Book: Visit the casino affiliated with Betfred in your state for in-person cash deposits and withdrawals

Betfred.com Customer Support

Betfred offers live support via phone, text message, and e-mail. A test call to the Betfred help center was answered instantly by a courteous and knowledgeable support rep who was obviously from the area and a native English speaker.

One thing Betfred could do to improve customer support is to offer a self-help guide or FAQ somewhere on the website. Currently, the Betfred website and mobile apps provide no answers to frequently asked questions.

Betfred States of Operation

Betfred moved a bit slower to enter the US market than some of the world’s other major sportsbook providers, but this is a well-funded operation and should have little trouble forming additional partnerships over time.

Betfred Colorado

  • Products: Retail sportsbook and mobile betting
  • Land-Based Partner: Saratoga Casino Black Hawk

Betfred Sportsbook came to Colorado through a partnership with Saratoga Casino in Black Hawk. Per the agreement, Betfred manages a retail sportsbook at Saratoga Casino and also offers online sports betting in Colorado.

Betfred officially launched for Colorado sports bettors in September 2020.

Betfred Pennsylvania

  • Products: Retail sportsbook and mobile betting
  • Land-Based Partner: Wind Creek Bethlehem

Betfred Pennsylvania received a sports betting license in January 2020 and opened a retail sportsbook at Wind Creek Bethlehem that November.

Wind Creek launched its Pennsylvania online sports betting app in December 2020. The sports betting website and mobile app operate under Wind Creek branding, but both rely on Betfred technology. Pennsylvania bettors can download the Wind Creek online casino app to bet from their mobile devices or visit play.windcreekcasino.com to bet online from any desktop.

Betfred Iowa

  • Products: Retail sportsbook and mobile betting
  • Land-Based Partners: Elite Casino Resorts (Riverside Casino, Grand Falls Casino, and Rhythm City Casino)

Betfred and Elite Casino Resorts announced a partnership in July 2019 for online, mobile, and retail sports betting. According to a press release issued at the time, Betfred agreed to provide technical assistance, online and mobile betting technology, customer support, marketing, payments, and more for the three Elite Casino Resorts properties in Iowa.

The first Iowa sportsbook powered by Betfred launched in January 2020 at Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood, and mobile betting began that September.

Betfred Arizona

  • Products: Mobile betting and retail sportsbook
  • Land-Based Partner: We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort

Betfred and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation partnered to launch an Arizona online sports betting app and retail sportsbook at We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort. The Betfred Arizona app launched in early 2022.

Betfred Louisiana

  • Products: Retail sportsbook
  • Land-Based Partner: Paragon Casino Resort

Betfred Sportsbook secured Louisiana sports betting market access through a partnership with the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe to manage the sports betting operations at Paragon Casino in Marksville. The Draft Room at Paragon features theater-style seating, three VIP fan caves, food and drinks, and more than 100 TVs.

Visitors can place wagers via self-serve betting kiosks or visit one of the sportsbook’s teller windows.

The retail sportsbook opened in October 2021, but neither Betfred nor Paragon Casino has confirmed whether they intend to offer mobile betting.

Final Thoughts: Is Betfred Legit?

With a long history on the international stage, there’s no question Betfred is a legitimate online sportsbook. However, whether it can survive long-term in the US market remains an open question. Betfred is a safe and well-rounded sportsbook, but it got a late start in the US market and hasn’t shown much innovative drive since launching.

That said, Betfred ranks well in all the most important points – it features a solid interface, often launches promotions tailored to local teams, and pays winning bets. There’s little to complain about other than its lack of unique selling points.