Betfair Esports Review

Overview

Betfair are a unique player on the international betting scene, as not only do they offer a traditional sportsbook, but also a betting exchange. They also have highly rewarding promotions running throughout the year, including a generous welcome bonus for new customers.

In terms of esports betting, though, the site has certain limitations, only offering options for LoL, CSGO, AoV, KoG, FIFA, CoD, and VALORANT. Still, it remains one of the few exchange platforms supporting esports punters. Let’s take a look at what the site as a whole has to offer, from its sign-up process to its availability on mobile.

Registration Process 5/5

• Two-step registration process
• Straightforward and simple sign-up
• Takes just 5 minutes

Creating an account at Betfair is simple and easy. To begin, just click on the “Join Now” button located at the top-right corner of the homepage. This will take you to the sign-up form where you need to provide your personal details, select a currency, set your limits, and choose a secure password along with a security question.

After you have completed the above, you can make a deposit, claim your free bets, and start enjoying the platform’s many offerings.

However, it’s important to note that you will not be able to withdraw any funds until your account has been fully verified. The latter refers to a standard procedure required across all legitimate bookmakers online, and is in place to ensure the safety and security of both the platform and its users.

In order to complete Betfair’s verification process, you will need to upload a copy of your ID card, driver’s licence or passport, as well as a recent utility bill (no older than three months) as proof of address.

Once you have submitted the necessary documents, the Betfair team will review them and verify your account accordingly.

Rest assured that the above is a one-time requirement, and although it may take a few days to complete, it’s best to get it out of the way as soon as possible to avoid hassle later on when trying to withdraw your winnings.

Deposits and Withdrawal Options 4/5

• Most major e-wallets and cards accepted
• No fees involved
• Fast withdrawals

Players at Betfair can take advantage of a wide range of payment options, among which include paysafecard, PayPal, Skrill, NETELLER, Visa, and Mastercard.

This should be enough for most punters in the EU and UK, though perhaps those in other countries would like to see the addition of cryptos and other types of prepaid cards.

In terms of withdrawals, you have the options of bank transfer, debit cards, and e-wallets. In most cases, in order to prevent fraud, you need to withdraw to the same payment method that you used for your deposit as part of Betfair’s ‘Closed Loop Policy’. Again, we’ll remind you here that your account must be verified before you can request any payouts.

For deposits, there is a maximum limit of €5,000 per transaction, while the minimum is €5. In terms of withdrawals, when using bank transfer, there are no limits whatsoever! Other payment methods may come with certain limitations of their own, but these are usually inherent to the providers themselves, and are not set by Betfair.

Open Account Offer 5/5

• Two welcome offers
• Free bet of € 30 for sports or esports
• Free € 20 Exchange bet

Customers at Betfair are eligible to claim two free bets when they sign up: one on the sportsbook, and the other on the Exchange.

These bonuses are available in GBP and EUR and are available to punters from most countries. In addition, you can also claim an optional casino bonus, as well as several other regular promos.

€30 Free Bet (Sportsbook)

Available to all new customers, all you need to do to claim this welcome bonus is create an account and deposit at least €10. Simply follow these steps below:

1. Open a new account and use promo code ZBGC01 when signing up.
2. Make sure to verify your number by SMS.
3. Deposit at least of €10 (debit card or Apple Pay only).
4. Bet at least €10 on the Betfair Sportsbook, min odds 1/2 (1.5). Esports is included.
5. Make sure to do this within 30 days of signing up.

Free €20 Exchange Bet

Betfair’s welcome bonus on the Exchange comes in the form of a risk-free bet. This means you will get your first Exchange bet refunded up to the sum of €20 if it loses. This is a great offer, available to both new and existing customers who have never used the Exchange before.

Follow these steps to get your free Exchange bet:

• Place your first bet at the Exchange.
• If your first bet loses, you will be refunded up to the amount of €20 within 72 hours.

Casino Welcome Offer: 50 Free Spins

Betfair’s casino welcome offer will give you 50 free spins, worth €0.10 each. That gives this promo a total value of €5. Winnings are paid in cash instead of bonus funds, so there are no rollover or wagering requirements involved.

Keep in mind that you need to use promo code CASF51 when signing up in order to activate this offer – and yes, this does mean that you will have to choose between the casino or sportsbook welcome bonus.

Follow these steps to get and use your 50 free spins:

• Sign up using promo code CASF51.
• Deposit and wager at least €10 on daily jackpot games.
• Get 50 free spins on select casino games.

Other Promos and Features

Besides the welcome offer, you can also enjoy several other promotions and handy features. We’ve listed the best of these in the below table.

Pre-Match Offer 4/5

• LoL, CS:GO, AoV, KoG, FIFA and VALORANT available
• One of the best esports exchanges online
• No Dota 2 betting options

At Befair, you can bet on popular esports such as LoL, CSGO, AoV, KoG, FIFA, CoD and VALORANT. While these options are slightly limited compared to what other betting sits have to offer, Betfair does remain one of the few bookies offering an exchange platform for esports, with a focus on LoL and CS:GO.

One unfortunate drawback is that Dota 2, a major esport, is completely missing from the site. Still, at least in terms of the esports they do cover, the below leagues are covered:

• CS:GO: BB Playlist Urbanistic, CCT North Europe, CCT South America, CCT West Europe, Elisa Invitational, ESL Meisterschaft, ESL Pro League Season
• CoD: Call of Duty League
• FIFA: GT Leagues
• KoG: KPL
• LOL: Balkan League, Elite Series, LCK, LCK Challengers, LCS, LEC, LFL, LJL, LPL, LVP Superliga, PCS, Prime League, Rift Rivals, TCL Season
• VALORANT: VALORANT Champions Tour, VCT EMEA, VCT Americas, and VCT Pacific

The overround is set at around 7.5% for most markets, making Betfair around average when it comes to odds competitivity.

Pre-Match Esports Betting Options

Betfair do an reasonable job of covering six markets per match. Odds will appear well in advance of any major competition, covering standard submarkets of Handicap betting, Map betting, Match odds, Correct Score, and total Maps for any CS:GO or LoL event.

Esports Betting on the Betfair Exchange

At Betfair Exchange, you bet against other punters rather than against the bookmaker itself. This means you can offer and accept bets on a variety of markets, giving you more flexibility and control overall.

How It Works

1. Browse the various markets available on the Exchange, such as the winner of an esports match, and place a bet on the outcome you believe will occur. This is called a back bet.
2. Other users on the Exchange can then choose to match your bet by laying the opposite outcome. For example, if one user bets on Team A to win, another user can lay Team A to lose. This effectively creates a market between the two bettors, with the odds determined by the supply and demand of bets in that market.
3. Betfair facilitates the Exchange of funds between both punters, holding the funds until the outcome of the event is determined.
4. Betfair then takes a commission on the net winnings of each user, which is calculated as a percentage of their total winnings minus their total losses.
5. After the event has concluded, Betfair pays out the winnings to the punters who backed the winning outcome and collects the stakes from the users who backed the losing outcome.

Using an exchange as opposed to a traditional sportsbook can provide you with a wider range of markets, as well as potentially higher odds and more profitable outcomes. Of course, you should keep in mind that certain risks are involved too, as you will have to fund your lost bets at the odds you agreed to.

In terms of esports, Betfair Exchange provides markets for both CS:GO and LoL. Of course, you should be aware that not every match or event will carry the same amount of steam, which could limit the total amount you can bet on certain events.

By way of explanation, when we say ‘steam’ in terms of exchange betting, this refers to a sudden and significant change in the odds of a particular event. This can occur when a large amount of money is placed on a particular outcome, causing the odds to shift rapidly in that direction.

The Betfair Exchange is particularly well-suited for the Match Winner market, where your potential winnings depend on how many lay bets have been placed and successfully matched with your selection. However, the amount of available liquidity can vary greatly from one market to another. Some matches may have very little interest from other users at any given moment, while others may have thousands of euros available to be matched.

Note: The amount of liquidity in a market can have a significant impact on the odds available for a particular bet. Markets with higher liquidity (a greater volume of money available to be matched for bets placed on that market) generally offer better odds and a greater chance of successfully matching your bet, while markets with lower liquidity may offer less favourable odds and may be more difficult to match.

Live Offer 4/5

• Plenty of markets available
• Bet on larger and smaller LoL and CS:GO events

In terms of live esports betting, the same set of betting options apply: Handicap betting, Map betting, Match odds, and Correct Score are all available for even smaller CS:GO and LoL events. Basically, all matches with prematch betting also offer live betting.

Security 5/5

• Licensed in UK and Malta
• Dedicated to responsible gambling
• Industry-standard encryption

Betfair are a reputable and secure online betting and gaming operator who take the safety and security of their users very seriously. In fact, the site is licensed and regulated by two of the most trusted authorities in the industry: the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority, who ensure that online bookmakers adhere to strict standards of fairness, transparency, and security.

In addition, the site has been implemented with industry-standard encryption technology to protect users’ sensitive information, such as personal data and payment details, from unauthorised access or theft. The platform also employs various security measures, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and fraud prevention tools to prevent hacking attempts and other security breaches.

Betfair is dedicated to responsible gambling, providing various tools and resources to help you manage your gambling activity. These include deposit limits (which you can set when signing up), self-exclusion, and links to gambling support services.

Service and Customer Support 4/5

• 24/7 Live chat
• Helpful chat agents
• Available in many languages

If you require assistance with placing bets, making withdrawals, signing in, or any other issue, Betfair’s customer support team is available to help. Simply click on the “Help” button located in the top left corner of the webpage to access a screen containing an FAQ section, as well as a live chat option.

Initially, you will be greeted by a chatbot that will attempt to answer your questions. However, you can require human assistance if you prefer, and a representative will be assigned to help you promptly.

It’s worth noting that the chat service is available 24/7, but there may be busy periods during peak hours. Despite this, at any time of day or night, the customer support agents are helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable, and will do their best to address any queries or concerns you may have.

Design and Usability 5/5

• Easy to use
• Navigate between various sports and markets
• Available in eight languages

Betfair’s website has a modern and user-friendly design, with a colour scheme in primarily black and yellow together with clear and easy-to-read text. The same is true for the Exchange platform, for which back and lay markets appear in blue and pink respectively.

The layout is well-organised, with a navigation menu at the top of the page that allows you to easily access different sections of the site, such as sports betting, casino games, and promotions. To access the esports betting options, click on the ‘Sportsbook’ tab on top and then click on the ‘Esports’ option on the black-and-white menu that appears.

You can use the site in English, German, Spanish, Portugese, Russian, Finnish, Hungarian, and Norwegian.

Mobile 5/5

• Two separate apps for Sportsbook and Exchange
• Both apps offer esports betting
• Mobile site works perfectly as well

Betfair also offers two apps, which are both available through the App Store, Google Play, or the site itself.

The sportsbook app lets you track your bets on the go, and has the same promos and special options, such as the Same Game Multi (parlays on the same match) and Each Way Edge. Additionally, you can livestream over 100,000 live events each year and bet live.

The exchange app lets you place your back and lay bets, allowing you to trade markets, set your own odds, and even bet live on the go.

Of course, esports are prominently featured on both of these apps.

Other Products 5/5

• Small but fun casino section
• PvP Poker
• Array of traditional sports and special bets

Other betting options available at Betfair include a casino section and poker, both of which we’ll take a closer look at below.

Betfair Casino

Betfair offers a decent casino experience, with a wide range of slot games, including the popular Megaways™ slots, as well as daily Must-Fall jackpots and Slingo games. The live casino section features various blackjack and roulette tables, as well as game shows and live poker.

One standout feature of this casino is the “Exchange Games,” which offer a unique virtual poker experience. Instead of being dealt a hand, players can choose to back or lay one of four hands, while the odds of winning are clearly displayed for each option. This engaging gameplay offers a more strategic approach to online poker, with better choices leading to a smaller house edge.

Betfair Poker

Betfair Poker seamlessly integrates with the Exchange using the same account, making it easy for you to switch between the two platforms.

Here, you’ll find a variety of popular poker games, including Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Seven-Card Stud. You can choose between cash games and tournaments, with the platform offering various buy-in levels to cater to all levels of players.

There are great promotions and bonuses too, including a generous welcome offer of up to €40 in free poker tickets.

Other Sports

Being one of the most well-known bookmakers online, it should come as no surprise that Betfair offers a wide variety of traditional sports apart from esports. On the main site (i.e. its sportsbook), you can bet on football, hockey, ice hockey, basketball, tennis, Formula 1 and many other disciplines. The more popular the sport, the higher the odds, with the overround set at around 7.5%.

Moreover, there is a section entirely dedicated to horse racing, including a variety of tools and features to help users make informed betting decisions, including live race data, form guides, and Odds Boosts promotions to enhance your overall experience.

In addition to traditional sports, Betfair also offer options to bet on social events and politics. This means that you can easily place bets on upcoming UK or US elections, for examples, along with a wide range of other interesting choices available at your fingertips.

Summary 4.5/5

In conclusion, Betfair offers a solid esports betting platform with a unique twist of exchange betting, which sets it apart from other traditional sportsbooks. While it may have a limited selection of esports titles and markets, the site provides excellent odds and promotions, making it a great option for both beginner and advanced bettors. The user-friendly interface and customer support add to the overall experience, along with the generous sign-up bonuses.

Overall, we’d say that it’s definitely worth giving Betfair a try for your next esports bet. Sign up today and experience the excitement for yourself!