Betfair Review & Rating US 2021

Author: Bart Calendar

Last update on: December 17th, 2020

Topic: Sports Betting Review

Experiences Sports Betting & Casino

Bart Calendar spent 10 years as a journalist for Gannett covering murder trials and rock and roll. Since then he has traveled the Earth gambled in the best casinos in the world.

Read Our Betfair Sportsbook Rating Based On 10 Categories

Is Betfair legal? Betfair is one of the oldest and most established betting operators on the global scene. But is Betfair safe? Having launched back in 1999, the bookie has become renown around the globe as one of the go-to places for serious punters and casual bettors alike. Not surprisingly, the company has launched Betfair in USA as soon as the conditions were met for such a move.

In this review, we’ll focus on all the important aspects of this bookmaker, starting with its licensing and other legal stuff, over the betting offer and bonuses, to customers support, payment methods, and more. By the end of it, you should be able to create an informed decision about whether this bookie is the right choice for you. Oh, and of course, we'll answer the age old question — 'Is Betfair legal?'.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Security & Licensing

2. Betting Offer & Live Betting

3. Customer Services

4. Deposit & Withdrawal

5. Limits

6. Usability

7. Devices & Apps

8. Additional Offers

SELECT YOUR STATE

Carry on reading for our full review on Betfair US — or click on one of the buttons below to get the latest info in your state.

NJ ...

Betfair Legal Situation: Security and Licensing - Is Betfair Legal?

As you may have seen in our FanDuel scam and "Is BetAmerica legit?" guides, checking the security and licensing is one of the most important parts of our reviewing process. So is Betfair legal in your state? When it comes to safety, Betfair NJ is one of the safest and fairest betting sites around. Since it operates on the exchange model, punters aren’t actually playing against the house. Instead, everyone’s free to set their own odds and then other users can decide for themselves if they like them and place bets or choose set their own lines.

Is Betfair legal in terms of online gambling regulation? The bookie also complies with all relevant laws and regulations. This shows that there's no kind of Betfair scam. So is Betfair safe? Players can rest assured their money and personal information is kept safe and protected at all times. But is Betfair legit? Betfair owns a license in the following states, so playing in these states is 100% legal:

Certificates

Betfair Review: Features & Services under Review - Is Betfair safe?

Betfair USA is definitely one of the more interesting betting sites around when all things are considered — especially with Betfair legal in the US. While the operator does have its downsides, especially when it comes to sports betting types and markets, it stands out in other departments. This review will now look into several important aspects of the bookie.

Betting Offer & Live Betting: Horse Races Only But No Betfair Scam

While this bookmaker has a really wide variety of betting offers on the global scale, Betfair Exchange NJ currently only provides for horse betting. Punters have access to a wide range of racetracks from the United States, Europe, and other parts of the world. As already mentioned, the offering works on the exchange principle so it is users who set the odds and not the bookmaker.

When it comes to the Betfair in play betting, many races are available live and users can actually watch them right on the site as long as they log in. This is a very convenient option as punters get to watch many races they place their wagers on and don’t have to wait for the results to come in.

Our Betfair sportsbook review found that other sports currently aren’t offered, which can be a bit problematic for those users who don’t enjoy races or don’t know anything about this particular form of betting. There’s been some rumors that Betfair US could be expanding soon to add more sports in the near future, which would be a pretty important development.

Odds: Top odds found in our Betfair sportsbook review

As already explained briefly, Betfair America operates as an exchange rather than a traditional bookmaker. This means that users have all the freedom in the world to set their own odds for individual races based on the available information and their own knowledge. Once they set the odds, other players will decide if they like them enough to place their bets.

Of course, you can also bet against other punters and take them on if you believe their odds are favorable. The way it usually works out in the end is that the odds settle somewhere in the middle. For inexperienced punters, the best way to start is by taking bets proposed by other users. Our Betfair sportsbook review found that the bookie features a system where the best odds are always displayed first so you’ll have no problems finding the best current prices for any race. Check out our BetMGM sportsbook review or 888sports review to compare one of their competitors best available odds.

Welcome Bonus & Promotions: Solid Welcome Offer with Low Wagering

The Betfair sign up offer features up to USD 200 in bonus cash for all new players. The way this Betfair bonus works is that the bookie will match any first deposit made by the user up to the maximum of USD 200. Players simply need to sign up, deposit, and make their first wager here.

Once the bet is settled, regardless of the outcome, the player will receive a 100 percent bonus matching the amount of their initial bet up to USD 200. Our Betfair sportsbook review found that the bonus comes with very low wagering of just one time the full amount, which is quite generous. To qualify towards wagering, at least three different bets need to be placed with odds of at least 2.00.

It is important to note that players have 15 days from the moment of joining the site to make their first deposit of at least USD 25 and place their first wager. Those who miss out on this deadline will forfeit their welcome bonus by default. It might still be possible to get the offer by asking the customer support but it is much easier to wait until you’re ready to deposit and only then make your account with the bookie.

Beyond the welcome offer, the Betfair sportsbook doesn’t offer much in terms of promotions. There aren’t too many Betfair bet of the day offers, odds’ boosters, or deposit bonuses for existing customers, at least not the ones players could count on. While there are occasional promos coinciding with big races and events, the bookie doesn’t feature any regular weekly or monthly promos.

Customer Service: Dedicated Support Team

Although it may be somewhat hard to find, Betfair Sports features a dedicated customer support team available to players via various contact methods. Punters can reach out via email, live chat, telephone, and social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Our Betfair sportsbook review found that the live chat agents are available between 9:00 AM and 2:00 AM EST, while phone operators are around between 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM ET. All of which shows that there's no Betfair scam.

In general, support agents are quite friendly and try to do whatever they can to help players resolve their issues and continue enjoying their experience on the site. With so many contact options on offer, punters can choose the one they feel the most comfortable with, which is always a big plus for the operator.

It is worth noting that there is also a rich knowledge base players can access at all times. Here, the bookie has prepared many articles and videos explaining the ins and outs of Betfair Exchange. For those new to this type of betting, these resources are very valuable and can help them make their first bets with ease, avoiding any potential mistakes and pitfalls right at the start.

Deposits & Withdrawals: Solid Options & Good Limits

Is Betfair safe for making deposits?The bookie accepts a great range of popular banking methods for both deposits and withdrawals. Thanks to this fact, players should have no problems with transactions to and from bookmaker and can enjoy their time on the platform more. Available banking methods include:

• Visa & MasterCard: Deposits up to USD 100,000 in a calendar month allowed
• BetCash – USD 2,000 per transaction, no monthly deposit limits and no fees involved
• Wire transfers – available for deposits of USD 1,000 or more
• Bill Pay
• Pay Near Me
• Money orders and checks

Here is an overview of all available payment methods:

MasterCard VISA Online Banking PayNearMe eCheck Bill Pay BetCash

Is Betfair legit for withdrawals?With a majority of these methods, money is immediately available in the player’s account and they can use it to place their wagers. This proves that there's no Betfair scam. With some methods, though, such as wire transfers and Bill Pay, it may take a little while for the money to become available. This is especially true for Bill Pay as it can take several days for the funds to appear in the Betfair betting account. When using this method, bettors are advised to deposit well ahead of time so to make sure they’ll have funds available at the time they want to place their wagers.

Limits & Payouts: Fair limits found in our Betfair sportsbook review

Is Betfair safe for payouts? When it comes to betting limits and payouts at Betfair, this bookie is equally suitable for casual bettors and serious punters alike. The minimum bet is just USD 2, which may be a bit higher than with more traditional betting sites but it is definitely not too steep for most players. The maximum amount will depend on the particular bet but given the size of the platform, even the biggest punters should have no problems finding what they’re looking for here.

Since the bookie operates in a different way, it is important to understand that they also make money from the players slightly differently. Instead of earning from the odds’ difference, Betfair takes the percentage of net winnings from every winning bet. Usually, this number is around 12 percent although it can be smaller for bigger players.

Overall, according to all the Betfair reviews and other information available about this bookmaker, punters will never have any issues when betting here. Payments are always made on time and there are virtually no restrictions since players are betting against each other so Betfair has no reason to set any limits. This shows that there's no Betfair scam here.

Usability: Simple but Effective Platform

The betting platform itself is nothing out of this world. In fact, when compared to other bookies, it even feels and looks a bit outdated as it offers only basic features and the design is very simple without almost any additional elements to add color to the whole thing. The whole design could almost be described as boring.

However, from the functionality point of view, the site does what it needs to do quite well. Players will have no problem finding various Betfair horse races they want to bet on as everything is neatly organized according to countries and start times.

By clicking on a particular race, bettors can access a new window containing all the important information about runners, which should help them form their bets. There is the info about several last races so players can get a good idea about what to expect from a particular horse, which is especially important for newcomers who might not have as good of a grasp.

All in all, the platform could definitely do with some more visual details added to the mix. While the appearance may not be the most important factor, it is still quite important, especially for those new to sports betting who might make their decision about joining primarily based on how much they like the site at first glance.

Betfair

Devices & App: Covering all Aspects

When it comes to availability, Betfair NJ has made sure that all players can enjoy their betting with no issues. The exchange site is available across all sorts of desktop and handheld devices and the Betfair app is there for those who prefer placing their bets on the go. Thanks to this, punters can rest assured they’ll never miss a bet.

On top of this, customers can also use a variety of devices to do other things, such as make deposits, request withdrawals, and contact Betfair customer service. Thus, the bookmaker truly makes it easy for everyone to get involved and doesn’t restrict players in the least based on their choice of device or technology.

As already mentioned, the platform itself is nothing to write home about but it works very well and this is true across all the different device types. So, while it may not be visually impressive, it provides a very fast and reliable service with no bugs or glitches, which is far more important.

• Download Betfair iOS or Android app
• Install the app and sign up for an account
• Claim the bonus and make your mobile bets

App Review

Conclusion: Betfair Rating & Quality

So is Betfair legal? As already mentioned in this review, Betfair USA features several interesting options such as the ability to watch horse races on the site and resources to help new players get started with the exchange system while avoiding early mistakes.

However, for those looking for some additional action, there is also a casino section that you can easily access and start playing all sorts of video slots, table games, and much more. You can easily use your existing funds in the casino section so if you feel like chasing a Betfair jackpot on one of their slots or would like to try your luck playing roulette, it will only take you a couple of minutes.

Like the betting site, the online casino is also fully licensed in the state of New Jersey so there is nothing that players need to worry about. Everything is completely legal and regulated and all games are thoroughly tested and verified.

BetFair In Michigan - Is Betfair legit in Michigan?

BetFair is not your normal sports bookie. For one thing, you can only bet on horse races. No other sports are available. It goes without saying that they don't have any casino options except for in New Jersey, where they are experimenting with it. And when it comes to Michigan, we hope that they'll follow suit with this experiment.

For another, they don't set the odds. Instead, BetFair is a horse racing betting exchange. When you want to place a bet, you post on the site what you want the odds to be. Then other players can take you up on the race and the odds you want.

You can also scroll through what other players say they want for odds and choose to take them up on that. BetFair then charges a percentage fee to the winner of the bet. It's an odd way of doing things but some people seem to like it. But BetFair sportsbook in Michigan is only for experienced players. BetFair betting in Michigan is very, very hard. If you're not a seasoned pro, how about taking a look at our top daily fantasy sites instead?

Betfair Michigan Bonus Offers - Is Betfair legit in its bonuses?

While this site isn't available in Michigan yet, here are the bonuses they offer in New Jersey. When it does launch in Michigan they should be similar if not exactly the same - and should hopefully stand up to competitors such as the current Mohegan Sun online casino bonus codes and SugarHouse bonus code.

While not a regular sportsbook, BetFair does have a welcome offer and it is quite generous. Make your initial deposit and then bet the deposit. Once you have fully bet your initial deposit BetFair will provide matching funds into your account. The maximum amount is $200, and you have to bet it through at least one time. Then if you win you receive the full value of your win, minus the bonus money you bet with and minus the fee that BetFair charges you. This is as close to a normal bookmaking site as BetFair gets, but at least they give you some sort of reward for trying them out.

Betfair Michigan Customer Service - Is Betfair legal?

As we said before, this site isn't available yet in Michigan — thought Betfair legal in NJ gives us something to work with. So, instead, we tested the New Jersey version of the site and this is what we found.

BetFair does a decent job at customer service. Most people will want to contact them via live chat or over the phone. Live chat agents are available between 9:00 AM and 2:00 AM EST, while phone operators are around between 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM EST. We'd like to see them available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

You can also send them an email and expect a response in about two hours during the regular business day. Where BetFair excels is that at any time, day or night, you can contact them on Twitter or Facebook. In general, they will get back to you in a few minutes. This is where we see BetFair moving well beyond their competition.

Betfair Michigan VIP Program - Is Betfair safe and is Betfair legal?

This site has yet to launch in Michigan. Here is what the VIP section is like in New Jersey: There is no BetFair VIP program.

Is Betfair Legit & Other Important FAQs