Betfair Poker Review and Bonus

Betfair is among the most established online betting operators in the industry, offering a wide range of top-class gambling products, including a virtual casino with a huge selection of Playtech games, a sportsbook with a betting exchange, live dealer games, a bingo room, and an easy-to-use poker platform. Founded in 1999, the operator boasts a vast experience in the online gambling industry and has succeeded in establishing a solid reputation among players for its trustworthiness, fairness, and integrity. It operates a multi-lingual website under the licensing and regulations of the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).

• Bonus Info
• Banking
• VIP Club
• Software
• Licensing Info
• Customer Support

Betfair supports one-of-a-kind poker platform which allows for an immersive experience and is open to both poker rookies and professionals alike. The poker platform was launched in 2001 and is one of the oldest out there. It runs on software provided by iPoker Network, allowing players to enjoy a nice range of cash games throughout the day. Additionally, Betfair Poker offers an amazing selection of tournaments with buy-ins to suit players of all persuasions, including many events with guaranteed prize pools. Players can hop in and join a tournament anytime they like since Betfair is also compatible with mobile devices and offers dedicated applications for smartphones, based on Android and iOS.

Another aspect of Betfair Poker that sets it apart from the competition is its long list of promotional incentives. Old customers get to participate in a variety of ongoing promotions while newcomers are in for a nice surprise in the form of a welcome bonus package comprising a 200% deposit bonus of up to €1,000, free Wild Twister Poker play, and tokens for participation in various multi-table tournaments. Betfair Poker is also home to a lucrative VIP Club, which rewards customers for their loyalty with cold, hard cash.

Betfair accepts a broad range of secure banking options and offers solid support to its customers via email and a dedicated chat facility for faster and more efficient resolution of ensuing issues.

Promotions and Bonus Terms

One thing that immediately jumps to mind when poker mavens hear the brand name Betfair is the operator’s generosity in terms of bonuses and promotions. The website is home to a bevy of tournaments and giveaways which is one of the primary reasons for its huge popularity. First-timers are enabled to start their experience by redeeming a fantastic welcome package while existing customers are treated to an ever-growing list of ongoing and one-off promotions, such as leaderboards, Sit’n’Go specials, and monthly bonuses.

The Poker Welcome Pack

Newcomers who register via the Betfair Poker client, create a nickname at the poker room, and deposit a minimum of €10 into their Betfair wallets instantly qualify for an incredible welcome package, consisting of a 200% match bonus of up to €1,000, a week of free Wild Twister Poker play, €5 in tokens for the multi-table tournaments, €10 in bonus credits to try the available casino games, and participation in two Welcome Missions.

New members of the poker room who meet the above-specified depositing conditions can redeem their 200% bonus immediately. For instance, if you commit with a €200 deposit, you will qualify for the same amount in bonus funds, having a total of €400 to play with. The bonus is redeemed into cash by collecting status points and is released into the player’s account in batches of €10 for every 1,250 points collected. Make sure you obtain your desired bonus amount within a period of 45 days following your registration and deposit.

In addition, new players can gain access to a week of free Wild Twister as soon as they process their first deposits into their Betfair Poker wallet and opt in for the bonus. They are again required to collect status points throughout the week – one free token for the Wild Twister can be received in exchange for 25 points.

Following the successful transfer of players’ first deposits, they are automatically credited with a free token to the value of €5 to buy their way into a €5 multi-table tournament. But this is not all Betfair Poker can offer to its new customers. To boot, they get to choose between two different Welcome Missions as long as they receive the needed Twister tokens. There is a choice between a €1 Twister token available on 2 different days during the first week after registration and a €5 token to use on 10 separate days during the first month of play.

If by chance you happen to grow tired of playing poker, you can give the Betfair casino games a try. Upon your first deposit into your poker wallet, you automatically earn €10 in free casino credits. You have 7 days to use up the bonus. After you meet the 40x wagering requirements, the winnings you have generated with the bonus will be released as cash into your withdrawable balance.

The Monthly Bank Job Promotion

Existing customers of Betfair poker can earn a little extra by collecting status points throughout the month to reach different targets. The promotion starts on the 1st of each month and the points are awarded for every €1 you pay in rake. In order to participate, you must sign into your account, visit the cashier, select the Rewards section, and input the promo code that is valid for the respective month.

You receive 25 points for every €1 you pay in rake or fees (30 points for £1) for the available cash games, multi-table tournaments, and Sit’n’Go tournaments. You can exchange 250 points for €1 in cash, 750 points for €2, 1,500 points for €3 in prizes and so on. The more points you collect during the month, the higher your prize will be. The ceiling is capped at €100 in total prizes in exchange for 25,000 status points.

Banking

Betfair Poker offers a variety of safe and trusted payment methods, which enable players to put money into their poker wallets with great convenience and ease. You can fund your account via bank transfers, credit or debit cards, e-wallets, and prepaid vouchers, among other options. It should be noted the available options may vary depending on your country of residence, but you can log into the poker client and go to the cashier section to see which ones are offered where you live.

Credit and Debit Cards

Betfair supports popular credit card brands like those issued by Visa, Maestro, and MasterCard. These are commonly preferred by poker players who join as they offer very high levels of convenience, efficiency, and security. In addition, the method is suitable for poker fans from all walks of life as the minimum amount you are allowed to fund your account with stands at €6 only or the equivalent in your currency.

There is no need to worry over the safety of your details as all card payments are protected by 128-bit encryptions. To use your card, you must first register it but once your card verification is complete, you will be able to instantly add some funds to your poker wallet. Deposits with cards are transferred immediately and normally do not involve fees on behalf of Betfair.

You might want to contact your card issuer to enquire whether or not they impose extra charges on payments. Unfortunately, some banking institutions may decline processing payments to online gambling websites like Betfair, causing some players to look for alternative methods.

Neteller

If you feel reluctant to deposit with your Visa or MasterCard card at Betfair Poker due to privacy reasons, you may opt for the alternative solution Neteller. This method operates as a digital e-wallet and as such, requires you to first set up an account on its official website. The process is rather simplified and will take only a few minutes of your time.

There is a wild variety of options you can fund your Neteller account with. You can transfer the money from another e-wallet you hold an account with, but we recommend using local bank deposits or bank transfers as these are free of charge. Another alternative is to link your Neteller wallet to your card, in which case you will have to pay a fee of up to 4.95% of the amount you transfer to your account.

Depositing with Neteller at Betfair Poker is easy as child’s play. You access your poker client account, navigate to the cashier, and select the e-wallet from the menu. Then you input the preferred amount along with your Neteller ID, your security ID, and your Betfair password; you confirm the payment and you are good to go.

PayPal

PayPal enables you to transfer money to and from your Betfair Poker balance in a matter of seconds. It functions in a similar way to Neteller as it, too, is a digital wallet. Besides, it can be used in many countries around the world, so most likely it will be available where you live.

Similarly to Neteller, PayPal allows you to retain your privacy when playing poker at Betfair. This is so because there is no need to share your banking details with Betfair when initiating the payment. You use your PayPal log-in credentials when making a deposit and the money is transferred directly from your PayPal account. You can top it up by using your credit card or via a standard bank transfer.

Paysafecard

Paysafecard is a very convenient option for poker players who are looking to prevent spending more than they can afford at Betfair Poker. This is a prepaid solution and as such, it requires you to purchase a voucher, either online or in one of the numerous landbased outlets Paysafecard is sold at.

The strongest point of Paysafecard is that you are not expected to have a card or even a bank account. Once you buy your voucher, you choose the method from the available options in the client’s cashier, specify the amount you want to deposit, and enter the voucher’s 16-digit PIN code.

The vouchers are available in a variety of denominations, ranging from €10 to €100. Paysafecard supports many different currencies and allows you to deposit in EUR, GBP, USD, CAD, SEK, and AUD, among others. You can use the same voucher several times until its limit is reached or combine two or more vouchers to top up your account with a higher amount. The only negative side of this method is that it is impossible to use for withdrawals.

Loyalty and VIP Programme

Betfair has established a practice of rewarding the loyalty of its customers and all players automatically become part of the VIP Club upon signing up with accounts. The loyalty scheme comprises three tiers, starting with the entry Bronze level and proceeding with the Silver and Gold levels. It pays to hit the virtual poker tables at Betfair as each time you contribute by paying a rake or a tournament fee of €1, you are awarded 25 status points.

To achieve a given level, players are expected to collect the necessary number of status points. You reach Silver status when earning a minimum of 1,250 points each month. The Gold level requires the highest number of points, which is 12,500. If you have not collected the needed points, your level will be automatically reduced at the end of the month.

The status points are granted for playing cash games and tournaments. You can easily calculate your total for the month by multiplying the points’ number by your VIP Club multiplier. The multipliers for the Bronze and Silver levels are 3x while that of the Gold tier is higher at 5.25x.

At the beginning of each calendar month, players’ point balance is reset to zero and their VIP Club level is calculated for the respective month. To use an example, assume you have collected 1,700 points during the month of August and have climbed from the Bronze to the Silver tier. You start at the Silver level in the beginning of September but fail to cover the requirements and earn only 1,000 during this month. This will cause you to drop back to Bronze level in October. If you manage to accumulate 12,700 points in October, you will climb to the Gold level in November.

The multipliers can help you generate points at a faster rate. If you are on the Silver level, where the 3x multiplier applies, you will earn a total of 75 points for every €1 you pay in rake or fees (25 points multiplied by 3x multiplier).

Once players have generated the needed number of points, they have two options. First, they can redeem them for real money at a rate of €1 for 375 points. Note that the minimum amount you can cash out from the status points is €10. They can also use the points to buy their way into tournaments and cash games. Make sure you use your point as regularly as possible since they expire after 6 months.

Poker Software

Betfair has selected the easy-to-use iPoker platform for its poker offering. Powered by software developer Playtech, this is one of the top poker networks in the world alongside PokerStars. Since the traffic is quite high, you can always expect an abundance of fellow poker players at the Betfair tables. That being said, the competition is softer than that on some other poker platforms but there are generally players from all skill and experience levels.

The iPoker software impresses with a very clean design. It stands out with high responsiveness and user-friendliness, so players would rarely experience any glitches. When you load multiple tables at the same time, you can expect them to load quickly and to operate seamlessly. The software is not available for instant play and requires you to download and install the client on your desktop computer. That being said, the platform runs smoothly on Windows-based devices but is not currently compatible with Mac computers so Apple users will have to look elsewhere if they wish to play poker.

There is a comprehensive range of cash games you can join around the clock where stake sizing is designed to suit all bankrolls. Stakes at the cash-game tables normally range from €0.01/€0.02 to €5/€10. Yet, some of the tables aim to accommodate high-rollers, who can buy their way in for as much as €1,000. The number of seats varies but some of the virtual No-Limit Hold’em tables can accommodate up to six players. There are others which support two-handed play. Customers who register through the client can also join one of the six-handed Omaha tables.

In addition, Betfair hosts a variety of tournaments with tasty pools where each month players can collect millions in prizes. Some of these are freerolls while others involve multiple re-entries and humble buy-ins of €0.20 only. Most of the tournaments at Betfair are in the No-Limit Hold’em format, which might drive away fans of the other variations of the game.

There is a separate section in the lobby, reserved specifically for Sit’n’Go tourneys. You can join a Turbo tournament for as little as €0.10 or opt for a two-handed No-Limit table with a buy-in of €5,000. Additionally, the client is home to a special Sit’n’Go tourney format, called Twister Poker. The tables there involve three-handed play and the prize pools are determined at random by the software before the very first hand is dealt. The Speed Poker section features games where customers are enabled to play hundreds of hands per hour.

Betfair Poker is also compatible with mobile devices running on iOS and Android. Players can jump right into the action by accessing the Betfair mobile page on their portable devices. The in-browser app supports HTML5 and there is no need to download any dedicated software on your smartphone and tablet. Of course, if you wish, you can download and install the native Android and iOS app on your hand-held devices.

Licensing Information

Existing since 2001, Betfair Poker has become one of the most trusted names in the online poker universe. The renowned gambling provider operates under the license and guidelines of the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). After its 2016 merger with Paddy Power, Betfair is owned and managed by a company called PPB Entertainment Limited.

The UKGC and the MGA ensure Betfair sticks to their guidelines which aim at guaranteeing all poker players who join in will enjoy a fair and safe environment. The two regulators also intervene whenever any disputes between the betting operator and its players ensue. Their guidelines dictate that all payments should be conducted on par with the highest standards of safety possible, which is why the transactions to and from your Betfair Poker account are encoded with state-of-the-art 128-bit encryptions. There is to need to fear your account will be compromised as you need to go through a 2-step authentication procedure each time you lon in via a new device. In such cases, you are sent a special security code as a text message and you need to enter it when accessing your account.

The well-being of players is a major priority at Betfair. The website contains a separate section, dedicated to responsible gambling. You can work out how much you spend on gambling each month thanks to the Budget Calculator tool or self-exclude completely if nothing else helps you to control your betting activities. Another option is to determine your own deposit limits.

Customer Support

Adequate customer service is a common trait of all established online gambling operators and since Betfair also belongs to this category, players who register through its poker client can expect nothing but excellent treatment on behalf of the support team. They are always quick to respond to queries of all types and are constantly available. You can reach them via the live chat at Betfair’s website or via the dedicated live chat facility in the poker client. You need to be connected to the poker client to use the chat facility, which is to say you must register an account first.

The support agents are very friendly and proactive. They are always glad to help players out in times of need and boast some of the quickest response times in the industry, around 20 seconds on average. When using the chat, make sure you select the proper category your query belongs to. This way, the agents will not lose time to transfer you between departments and your issues will be resolved with greater time-efficiency. Betfair supports a chat that is available in a couple of other languages so you are not expected to be fluent in English to receive the help you need – as long as you speak Italian or Spanish, you will be ok.

You can email your question or call on the phone. The gambling operator has also set up a customer-help desk where it is possible to find comprehensive answers to all frequently-asked questions, related to account management, payments, and promotional incentives.