Betsafe opened its virtual doors in 2006 as an online sportsbook, but it soon added a casino and a poker room that helped it quickly cement its position on the European online gambling market. It is operated by BML Group Ltd., one of the largest and most respected gambling groups in the world today. It is also behind industry-leading names such as Betsson, NordicBet Casino, Norges Automaten, Star Casino, and many others. As its name suggests, Betsafe is dedicated to providing its customers with safety, transparency and reliability which have always been the basic ingredients of punters’ trust in the brand. Plenty of other factors, however, contribute to its great reputation, its solid software and impressive, user-friendly design being among them.
One of the best features of Betsafe is certainly its Poker Black Room which runs on the highly popular Microgaming Poker Network, simply known as MPN. It attracts massive traffic at any time of the day or night and poker enthusiasts who decide to play at Betsafe can choose from various tables, poker variants, and tournament options. The Betsafe Poker Black can be downloaded on Windows computers but it is also available as an instant-play platform. The generous promotions and welcome bonuses are among the most attractive poker offers right now and can earn you seat to a busy poker festival or give you the opportunity to win an exciting progressive jackpot.
Promotions and Bonus Terms
There are plenty of advantages to signing up with Betsafe Poker Black and the most notable one is the Welcome Bonus which reaches €1,000. But newcomers can also take part in daily tournaments and enjoy the 10 Day New Poker Challenge designed specifically for them. Prizes include cash, tournament tickets and even free spins on slot games in Betsafe Casino. The gambling operator also holds regular promotions and tournaments for its loyal customers where they can win fantastic prizes, including seats in large poker festivals across Europe.
Up to €1,000 Welcome Bonus
This exciting offer is available to all newly registered customers who play real-money poker games via the Betsafe Poker Client. Unlike welcome packages offered by most poker and gambling platforms right now, this is not a first deposit bonus but instead, it is awarded gradually after the player rakes €5 or more. This package includes 5 different cash bonuses in amounts from €25 to €1,000.
In order to receive it, punters need to open a new account at the Betsafe website, download the Poker Client on their computers, and register a Poker Alias. They can choose the size of the Welcome Bonus from the Available Bonuses section of Poker Black and activate it by entering its respective bonus code. These promotional codes are displayed on the Promotions page of the site and should be used within 30 days of signing up a new account. After activation of the bonus, the gambling operator starts releasing it gradually when players rake in at least €5. For every €5 raked in cash games or tournaments, a €1 bonus is credited from the user’s bonus account to their real-money account. This continues until the full amount of the bonus is released.
This is given as an example only of the smallest bonus of €25 – the minimum rake required and the cash credited each time increase proportionally to the size of the bonus chosen. The term “rake” in this context refers to the fee charged by the house for each hand played in poker. The rake is paid by the player after each betting round and it is a small percentage of the pot.
In addition to the cash bonus, all new poker players automatically receive a free ticket to the €888 New Player Freeroll which will be played the following Wednesday. They will be able to take part in this tournament up to 6 times within 6 weeks after registering a Poker Alias. There is a guaranteed prize pool of €888 and the buy-in for all customers registered within the past week is €1. However, if they do not play a hand in the first blind level, they will be removed from the tournament. There is a second option – a €1,000 New Player Freeroll which is free for all new players registered within the last 7 days.
10 Day New Player Poker Challenge
This is an interesting and a rather generous offer which aims at boosting the gaming experience of new players. In order to be eligible for it, customers need to sign up a new account at Betsafe Poker Black, download the Poker Client and choose an Alias. Then, they will have the opportunity to complete 10 challenges over the course of the first 10 days after registering. The progress on this promotion can be checked in the My Achievements section of the My Account page at Betsafe.
Each challenge consists of one or more tasks that need to be completed within 10 days of picking a Poker Alias. You can complete them independently and in no particular order, but once you do, you will immediately receive your prize. The rewards include tournament tickets worth €1.10 to €3.30, cash prizes, as well as free spins on select slot games. After completing a challenge, you also receive an Achievement Badge that you can show at the tables where you play. There are certain restrictions for this offer, however. Players based in the UK, for instance, are not eligible for the 10 Day 10 Achievement Challenge.
Bad Beat Progressive Jackpot
Poker players know too well that sometimes, even great hands can lose and in order to reward those unlucky punters, the gambling operator offers the Bad Beat Progressive Jackpot. It has a combined prize pool fed by small fees paid by all players that opted in. In order to qualify for the jackpot, you need to opt-in – you can opt in and out at any time even from directly from the table you play at. When you opt-in, you will contribute €0.02 per hand to the size of the progressive jackpot.
The jackpot hits when the losing hand in a Hold’em game is Four of a Kind or better. This means that a hand of four Twos or higher needs to be beaten by an even better hand. The stake levels need to be at least €0.10/€0.20. But the Bad Beat winner (the player with the losing hand in a qualifying game) does not receive the whole jackpot. Instead, the jackpot is shared by all players at the table and even by all punters who play at the same stake levels. If you become the Bad Beat winner, you will win 40% of the jackpot, while your opponent with the highest ranking hand receives 20% of the jackpot. There are other prizes, as well – 10% of the size of the progressive jackpot is credited to the players at the same table, as well as to those who play at the same stake levels. The rest (20%) is used for the next jackpot.
There are additional conditions that should be met for the jackpot to be triggered. As already mentioned, only Hold’em games on stake levels of €0.10/€0.20 and up will qualify, while the losing hand needs to be a Four of a Kind or higher. In addition, the winning and the losing hand need to include both the hole cards and the losing set of cards need to go to showdown. Only players who contribute to the jackpot can receive a prize. But interestingly, even if the two players involved in the Bad Beat did not opt-in, the jackpot can trigger. In this case, they will not receive prizes, but all other qualifying punters at the table or playing at the same stake levels will be rewarded.
General Bonus Terms
Not all punters will be given bonuses automatically when they register at Betsafe Poker Black or start playing for real money. They need to make sure that they are eligible for receiving promotions and other special offers by the gambling operator by simply checking their account. Of course, some bonuses need to be claimed or activated manually – this can also be done at the My Account section of the downloadable Client. There are various other terms and conditions that should be met before a bonus can be received and used.
For example, every bonus is available per a person, household, email or physical address, computer, bank account and IP address. Also, players from certain countries and regions may be excluded from a promotion, but this information should be available on the promotion landing page. Casino bonuses are subject to certain wagering requirements and although normally, they do not apply to poker bonuses, there are some exceptions. One of them is the 10 Day 10 Achievement Challenge for new players where some of the prizes include free spins on the following slot games – Rabbit in the Hat, Loose Cannon, and Lucky Koi.
The winnings generated from these spins need to be wagered 35 times because they are credited to your balance as bonus funds. Regardless of where you play on Betsafe – Casino, Sportsbook, or Poker Black, you need to meet the rollover requirements associated with free spins before you make a withdrawal. In this case, you need to place bets equal to 35 times the winnings from the spins. The games that contribute fully to the wagering include almost all video and classic slots, while bets placed on roulette, blackjack, video poker, poker and live games are counted only partially when completing the wagering. The excluded games are all baccarat types, Punto Banco, Oasis Poker, Live Three Card Poker, as well as the following slots – Aliens, Big Bang, Bloodsuckers, Castle builder, Castle Builder 2, Dead or Alive, The Wish Master, Tower Quest, Eye of the Kraken, Eggomatic, Pearls of India, Scrooge, Champion of the Track, Devil´s Delight, 1429 Uncharted Seas, Super Monopoly Money, Wild Gambler, Kings of Chicago, Pearls of India, Robin Hood, and Zombies.
Banking
Well-known for its excellent customer services and reliable payments, Betsafe offers a wide variety of deposit and withdrawal options. Players can choose a banking method that is the most convenient to them, including credit cards, e-wallets, online banking, or prepaid vouchers. More importantly, punters can rest assured that their deposits and withdrawals are completely secure. All transactions are at the Poker Client or the website are protected with 128-bit TSL (Transport Layer Security) encryption, while customers’ deposited funds are held separately in bank accounts with regulated, tier-1 banking institutions.
The gambling operator accepts payments made in several currencies – EUR, SEK, NOK, USD, GBP, BGN, PLN, and CAD. When a player decides to register a new account, he or she needs to choose a currency. Whenever a deposit is made in a different currency, the payment is converted to the currency of the account at an exchange rate determined by Betsafe. Most deposits are processed instantly, while withdrawals take longer because they first need to be approved by the financial division of the gambling operator. This usually takes up to 24 hours, except for those instances when players are requesting a withdrawal for the first time. Also, you will be asked for additional verification documents when withdrawing more than €2,000 (or the equivalent in your preferred currency).
There are also certain limits you need to take into consideration when making a deposit or requesting a withdrawal from Betsafe. Usually, this depends on the banking method you use but in general, you cannot withdraw more than €50,000 in a 24-hour period. The minimum deposit and withdrawal limit is €10, although, with most methods, you cannot withdraw less than €20. All limits and processing times for transactions can be seen in this table. The gambling operator does not charge fees for deposits or withdrawals, but in the event that you request more than 30 withdrawals in one calendar month, you may need to pay a processing fee of 2% of the transaction value. It will be €5 or more.
Credit Cards
Despite the arrival of newer and probably much easier to use payment methods such as e-wallets, many poker players still prefer to use their credit cards. Credit and debit cards are accepted virtually everywhere, which makes them convenient and truly universal. They are exceptionally secure and the risk of theft or unauthorized use is minimal. Betsafe accepts MasterCard, Maestro and Visa cards, which are internationally recognized brands and used by millions of people every day.
Deposits via credit or debit cards in the Poker Client are instant, although it may take up to 5 business days for the transfer to appear on your credit card statement. Despite the lack of fees imposed by the gambling operator, your card issuing institution may charge you up to 2.5% fee. You should know, however, that MasterCard and Maestro cards are not available for withdrawals and you will need an alternative banking method in order to cash out.
Digital Wallets
Digital wallets, or e-wallets as they are also known, have become incredibly popular in the past few years due to their simplicity and fast processing times. These services allow the customer to create an electronic wallet and load it with real money from a credit card, a bank account, or through any other method. Then, this wallet can be used for making instant payments online and receiving funds in a quick, secure way.
At Betsafe, punters can use PayPal, Skrill and Neteller for topping up their accounts without having to share any personal, banking or credit card information. The deposits made through these e-wallets are complete within seconds, while the withdrawals are usually processed within a few hours after approval. There are no fees imposed, but players should know that not all digital wallets will be available in their country. For instance, PayPal can be used by players only in Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Instant Banking
Players can also fund their poker account via one of several instant banking services, available at Betsafe. They vary across countries, so you may be able to see only one or two of them when you open the Cashier of the Poker Client. Such services use the online banking services of the bank you have an account with and allow you to move funds between your account and the online merchant in real time. The transfer is instantaneous, so you can play your favourite games within seconds.
Betsafe has integrated several instant banking services such as Trustly, Citadel, and SOFORT. Most of them charge some amount for both deposits and withdrawals, but the exact fees can be seen at the Cashier. Usually, they will not exceed €2 per transaction. The amount of funds you can deposit and withdraw also depend on the service chosen, as well as on the country you reside in. In some countries, this banking method will be displayed simply as Instant Banking in Cashier section of Betsafe Poker Client.
Virtual and Prepaid Cards
The long list of banking options offered by Betsafe also includes several prepaid vouchers and virtual cards that help you make a real-money deposit within seconds. One of these is EcoPayz, a popular online payment service that comes with several products, an e-wallet and a prepaid virtual card included. Using EcoPayz, punters can easily top up their accounts or withdraw their winnings to their Eco account.
Virtual Entropay cards by Visa are also available for depositing at Betsafe. They can be purchased online and funded by a credit card or an e-wallet, for instance, and then, used wherever Visa is accepted. Poker players can deposit and withdraw easily via their disposable Entropay cards at Betsafe securely and without any bank fees. Another alternative deposit method is through the prepaid Paysafecards, which are available as both physical vouchers and virtual cards. Transfers are instant and these cards can be purchased from thousands of shops and sale outlets around the world. However, withdrawals cannot be made to Paysafecard.
Additional Banking Methods
In order to provide its customers with more convenience, the gambling operator accepts a wide variety of banking methods. While there is a huge choice of options when it comes to ways to fund your gaming account, the payment methods available for withdrawals may be limited, depending on the country you reside in.
If none of them is accessible in your region, you can still retrieve your winnings from Betsafe using conventional bank transfer. You can withdraw funds directly to your bank account and the transaction usually takes up to 5 or 6 business days to complete. There are also several country-specific payment methods offered at Betsafe, some of which are the aforementioned PayPal and SOFORT. Another service available at the Cashier is iDEAL, a popular online bank transfer service intended for customers in the Netherlands. It allows you to instantly move funds in EUR to and from your bank account as long as it is registered at one of the associated banks in the Netherlands. You cannot cash out from Betsafe via iDEAL, so you will need to register another withdrawal method.
| Banking Methods | Minimum/Maximum Deposit | Minimum/Maximum Withdrawal | Deposit Timeframe | Withdrawal Timeframe | Countries Where Available | Currencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | €10 – €10,000 | €20 – €10,000 | Instant | 3 to 5 Business Days | Most Accepted | GBP, EUR, BGN, CAD, DKK, NOK, PEN, PLN, SEK, USD |
| MasterCard | €10 – €10,000 | N/A | Instant | N/A | Most Accepted | GBP, EUR, BGN, CAD, DKK, NOK, PEN, PLN, SEK, USD |
| Maestro | €10 – €10,000 | N/A | Instant | N/A | Most Accepted | GBP, EUR, BGN, CAD, DKK, NOK, PEN, PLN, SEK, USD |
| Entropay | €10 – €10,000 | €20 – €2,000 | Instant | 3 to 5 Business Days | Most Accepted | GBP, EUR, USD |
| Neteller | €10 – €45,000 | €20 – €45,000 | Instant | Up to 24 Hours | Most Accepted | GBP, EUR, BGN, CAD, DKK, NOK, PEN, PLN, SEK, USD |
| Skrill | €10 – €45,000 | €20 – €45,000 | Instant | Up to 24 Hours | Most Accepted | GBP |
| PayPal | €15 – €8,000 | €10 – €8,000 | Instant | Up to 24 Hours | Germany, UK, Ireland | EUR, GBP |
| Trustly | €10 – €1,000,000 | €20 – €10,000 | Instant | Up to 24 Hours | Sweden, Finland | EUR, SEK |
| EcoPayz | €10 – €10,000 | €25 – €5,000 | Instant | 3 to 5 Business Days | Most Accepted | GBP, EUR, BGN, CAD, DKK, NOK, PEN, PLN, SEK, USD |
| Paysafecard | €10 – €200 | N/A | Instant | N/A | Most Accepted | GBP, EUR, BGN, CAD, DKK, NOK, PEN, PLN, SEK, USD |
| Instant Banking | €10 – €10,000 | N/A | Instant | N/A | Most Accepted | GBP, EUR, BGN, CAD, DKK, NOK, PLN, SEK, USD |
| Bank Transfer | N/A | €20 – €200,000 | N/A | 3 to 6 Business Days | Most Accepted | CZK, DKK, EUR, GBP, PLN, SEK |
| SOFORT | €10 – €1,000 | N/A | Instant | N/A | Germany | EUR, GBP, PLN |
| iDEAL | €10 – €1,000 | N/A | Instant | N/A | Netherlands | EUR |
Loyalty Program
The renowned gambling operator has prepared a fantastic loyalty program for all of its customers. The scheme is called Black Gold VIP Program and unlike most VIP poker clubs online, it is designed not only for the high-rollers but for all active players. Every newly registered player enters the program as soon as he or she starts playing for real money in the Betsafe Poker Client. Loyalty Points are easily earned by playing cash games or tournaments and can be redeemed for cash or for tournament buy-ins.
Poker players can track their VIP level and their points directly from the Poker Client. The more they play, the more rewards they will earn – 10 Loyalty Points are awarded for every €1 paid in rake in cash games and for every €1 paid in fees in Sit’n’ Go or multi-table tournaments. The VIP program has four tiers – Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond, which are reached after a certain amount of points are accumulated. The higher VIP levels allow you to redeem your Loyalty Points at a better exchange rate. Points expire within 180 days of being credited, so you need to use them before that.
Software
One of the advantages of playing poker at Betsafe is the access to one of the largest poker networks in the world in terms of traffic. This is the Microgaming Poker Network, available for free download, as well as in a browser. Joining it, you can play various poker games against thousands of other players in real time. At Betsafe, it is called Poker Black, which until recently was used to differentiate the MPN from the other poker network available at the website, the Ongame poker, which was Poker Red. After the cancellation of the latter, Poker Black remained as the only poker room offered by gambling operator. This is hardly a disadvantage, however, as there is no shortage of players online at MPN – they are usually between 10,000 and 15,000, while during peak hours, their numbers exceed 20,000.
Poker Black can be downloaded for free and installed on every laptop or desktop computer which runs on Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10. Alternatively, poker is available on the instant-play MPN platform which opens in all web browsers, although it is recommended that you use the latest version of Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome. Mac users are advised to open the poker room in Safari. In fact, the in-browser play is the only viable option for Mac, as Poker Black cannot be downloaded on Mac computers. The downloadable Poker Client is reliable and user-friendly, offering customers a smooth, personalized poker experience with plenty of customization options. When it comes to games variety, punters can enjoy all popular styles and variants, plenty of tournaments, and special events.
Cash Games and Tournaments
Betsafe is one of the popular skins in the Microgaming Poker Network. It offers a nice collection of cash games, Sit’n’ Gos, multi-table tournaments, and more. When they open the lobby, punters can search cash games by the number of seats, by their style (Texas Hold’em or Pot-Limit Omaha), or by limits. The Poker Client also comes with Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven-Card Stud, Razz, Five-Card Stud, and Five-Card Draw. The room includes games for all types of players – there are numerous micro-stakes tables (€0.01/€0.02), as well as games where the stakes reach €4,000/€8,000. Of course, the busiest games are in the lower and medium limit range – €0.10/€0.20, €0.25/€0.50, and up to €5/€10.
The gambling operator is also putting a huge focus on regular tournaments – there are standard events, freerolls, plenty of satellites that can take you to exciting tournaments and poker festivals, as well as tournaments with guaranteed prizes. With buy-ins starting from €1.10, poker fans can register for multiple events that run throughout the day. Players can take part in the satellites for several live tournaments such as the MPN Poker Tour Morocco and the MPNPT Bratislava packages. Alternatively, they can buy-in directly for €1,500 and contact the customer support to confirm their registration. Buy-ins for the satellites are usually €55 to €135.
Punters can also play poker in the popular Sit’n’ Go format with more than a hundred games, available at a time. They can also try the so-called Blaze poker, a fast-paced Texas Hold’em where they can join a pool of players instead of a single table. As you have probably guessed already, this is a quick-fold poker and you can play it on multiple tables at the same time. One of the most exciting games at Betsafe Poker, however, is the Fish Party Poker which along with an attractive prize pool of at least twice the buy-in, has a progressive jackpot. The buy-in for the different games of this type is from €1 to €50, while jackpots can reach six-figure numbers. Fish Party is a fantastic no-limit Texas Hold’em played as a Sit’n’ Go tournament and players are randomly seated on a three-seated table.
Mobile Poker
With the fantastic instant-play mobile platform of Betsafe, punters can enjoy their favourite poker games on a mobile device, whether it runs on Android, iOS, or any other mobile operating system. Currently, there is no native application specifically for Betsafe Poker, so users can play poker on the go by directly opening the website in the browser of their phone or tablet. The mobile version of Betsafe comes with all the essential sections and functionalities from the original site, including the Cashier and the Game Lobby. Of course, the number of mobile games is limited in comparison with the desktop site, but this is to be expected.
Still, there is a Betsafe Casino & Betting app for iOS and Android which offers limited access to the Poker Room – more games and options will be added for all poker fans. This application can be downloaded from the Betsafe website or for iPhone/iPad users, from Apple’s App Store. It is available in multiple languages, including English, Czech, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian Bokmål, Polish, Portuguese, Serbian, Spanish, and Swedish. The app requires iOS 8.0 or a later version, while the mobile site can be opened on devices running on Android 4.2 and up or Windows Phone 10 or later.
Licensing Info
Acquired by the online gaming giant Betsson in 2009, today Betsafe is among the most respected and preferred destinations for playing casino games, poker or for sports betting. It works to the highest standards for safety, transparency and integrity in the online gambling industry, focusing not only on providing a diverse and bountiful product line, but also fair play and reliability across all of its offerings – Poker Room, Sportsbook, Casino, Live Casino and Racebook.
Betsafe is operated by BML Group Ltd., a Nordic gambling group that is based and registered in Malta. The company holds licences issued by the Malta Gaming Authority while for residents in Great Britain, it is licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. Several products offered by Betsafe such as the Sportsbook or Evolution and iSoftbet games also have licences from Alderney and Ireland.
Customer Support
As a leading provider of gambling entertainment services, Betsafe also focuses on its customers and their experience on the online gaming platform. In order to guarantee a secure, fair and smooth play, the gambling operator has a professional Customer Support team available at any time of the day or week. The support agents will be happy to assist you and answer all your questions, whether you are regular players or are yet to open an account on the website. You can contact them instantly by the Live Chat option and by phone (+448083280028 for residents of the UK), or send them an email at support-en@betsafe.com.
Those who look for information on how to deposit, verify their user account or wish to learn the differences between poker variations can visit the Help Section at Betsafe. It includes not only contact information but also a large number of FAQ pages in multiple categories such as Poker by Microgaming, Casino, Sportsbook, Payments, Mobile, Promotions and Bonuses, etc. Another great benefit for Betsafe customers is that it is available in multiple languages – English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, and Spanish are supported.