An international name in online and mobile casinos and sportsbooks comes to Mzansi’s shores – and we bet there are some pretty excited punters looking to grab some action at Betfred. But is this UK-based brand just another player looking to hook our Randelas or will Betfred bring new and exciting online casino and sports betting opportunities our way. So far, it’s looking like a solid bet for SA’s online gambling community.
Casino Rating
8/10
New Players
100% first deposit match up to R5,000
Min Deposit
R100
Loyalty Scheme
There is currently no obvious Loyalty programme at Betfred
Simple and straightforward are the two words that spring to mind when looking at the Betfred website and mobile design. For an online gambling partner that offers such an extensive gambling platform, it really is delightful to find that they have put their experience to good use and designed a platform that is clearly laid out and easy to navigate.
From the landing page to the registration and sign in, to exploring all the betting options on offer, Betfred have made the CasinoPlay crew happy little campers by having everything in plain sight.
Plenty of tabs, lots of ways to get to different lobbies, and no unnecessary side bars packed with annoying marketing, it all helps to make our journey through Betfred a pleasure.
The shades of blue and a pinky-red are well used to enhance certain areas, but the dominant colour scheme is a clear and clean white to make reading and betting that much easier and faster.
The layout is pretty standard although Betfred has a very nice top bar that has all sorts of useful links like video tutorials, terms and conditions, and rules – links that are usually hidden at the foot of the page but make using, and trusting, the site that much more open and friendly.
The landing page gives a teaser to all that waits within using a big animated banner that has quick link button to Vegas Games (more commonly known as slots to us), Aviator, Sports, Live Sports, Price Boost, Horse Racing, Lucky Number, Instant Games, Betgames, and Scratchcards.
Below the banner, but bigger than the previous buttons, is a menu of Vegas Games, Sports, Live Sports, Horse Racing, Lucky Number, Instant Games, Betgames, and Greyhounds.
A scrollable series of images rounds out the landing page offering Featured Games and Sports.
Clicking any of the tabs takes players straight to the chosen lobby and all the sports and games on offer, all in a layout as eye-catching and user friendly as the landing page itself.
One thing that does stand out is the horseracing and greyhound racing lobbies. Betfred is a huge investor and innovator in horseracing specifically and South African fans of the four-legged beasts will find a world of options, literally – Betfred offers betting on every major horseracing event from around the world.
Legals and contact details are found at the bottom of the page. Betfred offers landline, email, and Live Chat assistance and has a very comprehensive page detailing all the local regulators and licenses they comply with.
Registration is par for the course with South African-regulated and licensed gambling operators. Hit the ‘Join’ button on the top right of the page. Fill in all the required details.
Log in is as easy as entering a username and password.
Remember, you will need to do a FICA check and supply banking details before you can start playing for real money or withdrawing real money.
Betfred is secured using industry-standard SSL digital encryption to ensure all your data and transactions are secure.
Betfred is provably fair, and supports Responsible Gambling and Fair Play policies.
There are plenty of choices for Mzansi’s online gambling fans. The Betfred online sportsbook is quite comprehensive although there are some bookies that have a lot more on offer. But there really is more than enough local and international sporting action to keep any fan fully satisfied. Odds are good and punters are able to tailor a lot of what is on offer like their preferred odds format, their latest bets, their favourites, and more.
The online casino is very good. Apart from the online slots, which we will discuss soon, Betfred has a huge Lucky Numbers lobby, Scratchcards, a basic video roulette game, the ever-popular Aviation game, Betgames, and more.
Tabs are well structured and situated across the various lobbies and pages for quick access and players can jump all over the Betfred site with ease. Just click a tab to get to the lobby and presto, you are ready to bet.
Sports and Live Sports are the tabs for the action lobbies and sports fans will have a stack of choices to keep them busy. Local and international sports are well represented, especially the SA favourites like Soccer, Cricket, Tennis, MMA, Motor racing, Rugby, Golf, and Basketball. There are also plenty of other world sports like Volleyball, Handball, Ice Hockey, NFL, Water Polo, Biathlon, Alpine Skiing, Table Tennis, Snooker, and Cycling to name a few. Betfred offers Special Bets as well where players can bet on Politics, Entertainment, and Current Events.
One of the big focuses at Betfred is Horse Racing (and Greyhound Racing too) which is not surprising considering Betfred has a huge physical presence at the racecourses. The Horse Racing lobby is impressive, with fans of the gee-gees getting access to almost every major event around the world. South African races, American races, UK races, Ireland, Australia, France – if there’s a four-legged filly or speedy stallion running somewhere, Betfred will have odds on it.
What wasn’t obvious at first glance was any Virtual Sports or e-Sports options although, sports books being what they are, they might only post odds or markets when there are big events on the go.
The online casino games are a great option at Betfred for fans of casino play. There are numerous tabs that will take you to specific lobbies that are already well known to SA players: Betgames (the quick live dealer games option), Lucky Numbers (betting on the outcome of lotteries from around the world), Aviator (that odd but fascinating aeroplane game that is taking SA by storm), Instant Games (Keno and Spin & Win games).
But CasinoPlay want to talk about the online slots, because this is an area that is really opening up in South Africa.
Some of our local online casino/sportsbook hybrids are bringing us some interesting ‘online slots’ style games, but a few are really investing in partnering with some big names. Play.co.za have NetEnt and Red Tiger on board. There are some online casinos that have managed to buy into Playtech or Yggdrasil. Betfred have partnered with Aardvark, Evolution, and Pragmatic Play – with a recent announcement that NetEnt and Red Tiger are also in their lobby! – to bring a fantastic mix of indie games, big studio hits, and some of the best Live Casino action around right to our doorstep. Actually, past our doorsteps and into our homes and offices.
There is a fabulous choice of some of the most entertaining, thrilling, popular, and potentially profitable online casino games at Betfred. From classic old school online slots to modern entertainment spectaculars, from quick live dealer games at Betgames to some of the most sophisticated and amazing studios for Live Casino play and games like poker, blackjack, roulette, sic bo, and more– and there are some tasty progressive jackpots looking for big winners too!
The only thing missing is player versus computer or video versions of the table games, although is a basic but fun roulette game called Rapid Spin & Win.
The Lucky Numbers tab is where you will find all the lotteries taking place around the globe so you can have a go at those life-changing payouts!
Aviator is a really weird betting game where you bet on when a plane will disappear from screen. The closer your bet is to the plane leaving, the more your multiplier. It is fun and seems to be quite a hit with Mzansi players.
There is currently no obvious Loyalty programme at Betfred
Using your mobile device to access Betfred is as simple as typing the address into your mobile browser. The Betfred mobile version is fantastically laid out to bring all the functionality and ease of use straight to your mobile device.
Betfred has a number of deposit and withdrawal methods catering to the South African user. Remember, before you can withdraw any money from your account you must first have your details FICA verified.
Deposit
Withdrawal
Winnings can be withdrawn into a properly FICA’d bank account. Remember, when withdrawing funds, you will be legally required to provide FICA documentation to Betway, including bank details, ID, and proof of address.
Betfred have a great selection of bonuses and promos. Apart from the usual Online Sportsbook and Online casino Welcome Bonuses, there are seasonal and ongoing promos that are constantly being updated. Players should opt in for the updates that Betfred send out via text or email to see exactly what new offers are being promoted.
The Betfred Welcome Bonus is a deposit bonus. Make your first deposit of up to R5,000 and Betfred will match it. So, 100% first deposit match up to R5,000. Terms and conditions definitely apply so check the wagering requirements and exactly what you need to do before you take up the offer.
There is also a First Bet bonus from Betfred where they will match your first bet in bonus funds in your bonus wallet. Bet R100, get R100 in your bonus wallet. Bet R3,000 get R3,000 in bonus funds in your bonus wallet. Up to a limit of R5,000. Terms and conditions and wagering requirements apply.
In essence, Betfred are giving new players a chance of getting up to R10,000 in bonus funds from their first deposit and first bet.
There are a lot of the usual seasonal and event specific promotions that change all the time. Accumulators, matchday offers, and so on but there are a few that need to be mentioned:
Live Chat, e-mail, and telephone are the go-to channels for any problems or concerns but there is also a good video tutorial section that can be found on the top menu of the page.
In-store is also a good resource for issues as there are numerous Betfred shop around the country.
Terms and Conditions are industry standard. Make sure to read and understand them before you start depositing money.
Betfred is the registered trading name of Betting World (Pty) Ltd. Betfred is licensed and regulated through the Western Cape, Northern Cape, North West, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KZN Gambling Boards.
