Toals Bookmakers is an online sports book that's run by FSB Technology (UK) Limited. It's one of a number of online sports books that FSB Technology – a turnkey sports betting solutions provider – have helped find a place on the internet, some others being GentingBet, 21Bet, MiniBet and Go Wager. Like all of FSB Technology's sites, Toals Bookmakers is licensed for UK-based punters by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission.

Promotions

There's a terrific deal for new customers when it comes to Toals Bookmakers – how does £/€250 in free bets sound? Before you get too excited though it should be pointed out that these free bets are spread out over a full year – you can't use them all at once!

To gain your first £/€10 freebie you simply need to place five qualifying bets in your first week of membership. A qualifying bet is a wager that's placed (and settled) of at least £/€5 with single odds or accumulative odds of at least evens (2.00). You have a full seven days to make these bets and if you succeed at the end of the week you be give a £/€10 free bet.

Any subsequent week that you make at least ten qualifying bets you will be rewarded with a £/€5 free bet. Don't worry if you miss a week – unlike other sports books Toals Bookmakers will not kick you off this promo for good. ANY week that you meet the 'free bets' criteria you will be awarded your £5 free bet, for your first year of membership at least.

The free bets you are awarded work as typical free bets in that the stake is not returned as part of your winnings if your free bet is successful. You have seven days in which to use your free bet else it will be declared void.

There are also a couple of special bonus offers you might be interested in here. First up, you can get acca insurance. This means that if you place a five-match accumulator and just one of your selections lets you down, then you will receive back your stake as free bet money. The same applies for any acca laid on GAA Football.

While not strictly to do with the sports book here, the attached casino available at Toals Bookmakers can offer you a special welcome deal – a one hundred percent matched welcome bonus on your first deposit up to £/€200. You need to deposit at least £/€10 to qualify for this offer, and you need to wager your bonus and deposit twenty-five times over before you can cash out any winnings.

Markets covered

• American Football
• Australian Rules Football
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Darts
• eSports
• Football
• GAA Football
• GAA Hurling
• Golf
• Greyhounds
• Handball
• Horse Racing
• Ice Hockey
• MMA
• Motor Sports
• Pool
• Rugby League
• Rugby Union
• Snooker
• Specials
• Tennis
• Volleyball

Site Design

FSB Technology (UK) are really becoming one of the big names in the UK when it comes to sports betting, and their interface – as now used by a number of sports book including Toals Bookmakers – is one that's becoming increasingly familiar to regular sports bettors. It's a hugely attractive one that is extremely easy to use, with emphasis on the bigger markets such as football, horse racing and tennis.

If you prefer less well-known markets then just find your way to the menu button in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. You'll find a suitable range of markers and events for your perusal right there.

Cashier options

Currently Toals Bookmakers only feels fantastic about your plastic as the site only accepts credit and debit cards (Visa or MasterCard) and from UK and Irish customers. The minimum amount you are able to deposit is £10, and the maximum is £5,000.

The minimum withdrawal this sports book will accept is £10 and withdrawals back to your credit or debit card should take between three to five days to process. All withdrawals are free unless you have yet to make a bet via your sports book account here.

Conclusion

The only moan we can find about Toals Bookmakers is the lack of payment options beyond debit and credit cards – but then as everyone usually has plastic in their pocket it's not something we're going to lose too much sleep over.

Everything else is mighty fine – the promos (a year of free bets is one of the best deals we've seen anywhere) and the range of markets, plus a super cool interface. What's there not to like, or even love?

BetBright review

BetBright is an online casino that's been created by Dedsert (Ireland) Limited who are based in Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland. The site was launched late in 2012 by Dedsert, whom are the company that run the Irish Lottery NovaBall, which offers players a minimum £7 million jackpot.

BetBright now offer all manner of sporting markets, but when they came into being their main emphasis was on horse racing. They sponsor many leading horse races across Ireland and a few in the UK.

Promotions

New customers can take advantage of a £30 free bet sign up offer. You'll receive a free bet up to £30 when you apply to open an online betting account at BetBright. All you need to do then is place a bet at odds of evens (2.00) or greater on any available market in the sports book. If your bet loses, then you will receive the value of your losing bet – up to the maximum of £30 – as a fee bet. The minimum you need to bet in order to receive this offer is £5.

Note that if you receive your free bet you will not have your stake returned when you use it – only any winnings you may make from it.

BetBright has a special deal if you download and use their mobile app on your smartphone or tablet – you'll receive back half of all your losses on any in-play events you back, but lose money on. You will receive back your cash as free bet money, and the maximum you can receive back is £100. The minimum you must have bet during the qualifying period – which is from 00.00 Saturday to 23:59 Sunday – is £5. You must use your free bet money within 24 hours of being awarded it.

You also get money back on your football accumulators, as long as you have at least five legs involved. You will receive your full stake back if just one selection lets you down, and half back if two fail. The maximum amount you can claw back is £25, and your money is returned as a free bet which must be used within 24 hours.

You can also get free bets on the sports book for every five bets you make on virtual sports, and at weekends you can earn a fifty percent bonus on your deposits up to £25. Your bonus cash comes with 50x wagering requirements, which must be met within seven days.

Finally, casino players can opt for a three-stage £500 casino welcome bonus as a matched deposit bonus. This bonus require a 50x play-through (first stage only, other stages 60x play-through) requirement.

Markets covered

• American Football
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Cricket
• Darts
• Football
• GAA Football
• GAA Hurling
• Golf
• Greyhounds
• Horse Racing
• Ice Hockey
• Motor Racing
• MMA
• Rugby League
• Rugby Union
• Tennis
• Virtual Sports

In-play betting and cash-out are both available.

Site design

You can tell that BetBright has its roots in horse racing, as emphasis at the site is given to the gee-gees. The next three races that are about to go under starters orders are placed at the top centre of the site, along with the most-fancied mounts at each.

Below the horse racing comes football – including all the coupons that the site offers – and after that … nothing! If you want to bet on some of the more oblique markets, then you select them via the menu on the left.

You can access the in-play options, casino and games via the menu along the top. There's also BBTV, which when you click creates a pop-out screen showing live streaming of horse racing. You need a minimum bet of £1 on any race that you want to watch in order to do so.

Cashier options

BetBright only accepts credit and debit cards – Visa, Visa Debit, Visa Electron, Maestro and MasterCard. Despite being based in Ireland, the site will only accept UK Pounds Sterling as the currency of choice.

The minimum amount you can deposit is £10, which is also the minimum amount you can withdraw. Withdrawals will take between three and five banking days before you receive them. All withdrawals are subject to security checks, as BrightBet deems necessary.

Conclusion

It has to be said that BrightBet has a few limitations – there are only a small amount of gambling markets available in comparison to other sports books, and it's real shame that the site does not accept eWallets.

The positives include the trendy site design, the unfussy approach and the range of bonuses that are available. If you want to be a bright online sports gambling, then placing a punt at BrightBet is not the worse way to go about it.

Royal Panda Sports

The Royal Panda Sports book is an online sports book that's run via the well-established Royal Panda online casino site. It is a recent addition to the Royal Panda suite of online wagering products that also includes an online casino and a live online casino.

Royal Panda is its own entity, 'owned' by Royal Panda Limited, a company that is based in Malta. Both the casino and the sports book are licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority and for UK players, the UK Gambling Commission.

Promotions

Unlike most other sports books, Royal Panda Sports does not offer a free bet. Instead, new sports bettors at the site can claim a casino-like bonus that's much tastier – a one hundred percent welcome bonus up to a maximum of £100! That's a pretty sports-tastic deal.

This is bonus cash, and it's only available to players from the United Kingdom and it's not available if you use Skrill, Neteller or Paysafecard to fund your initial deposit at this sports book.

To turn your bonus cash into withdrawable money you need to make real money bets totalling ten times the bonus amount you claimed. Note that only events with minimum odds of 4/5 (1.80) qualify as being able to meet your wagering requirements. You have a very generous ninety days in which you can meet these play-through needs.

You will also receive 'Loyal Panda Points' when you play at Royal Panda. For every sports bet you make at this place you will receive loyalty points, and you can then use these loyalty points to buy goodies at the Loyal Panda Shop. Here you can 'buy' special extras such as cash bonuses, casino free spins, gadgets (including MacBooks and iPads!) and a host of Royal Panda merchandise.

There was one other promo the site was running when we reviewed it (just before the start of the 2017-18 football season) that was tied in with the Royal Panda Casino's deal with the Championship football club Queens Park Rangers. If you managed to predict ALL of QPR's matches for the season correctly you would win £1 million! Of course, this was an unlikely event, but the person who came closest to getting the million would take home a £5,000 consolation prize, plus there was £1,500 for the runner-up.

Markets covered

• Alpine Skiing
• American Football
• Athletics
• Aussie Rules
• Badminton
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Beach Football
• Beach Volleyball
• Biathlon
• Boxing
• Chess
• Cricket
• Cross-Country-Skiing
• Cycling
• Darts
• eSports
• Field Hockey
• Football
• Golf
• Handball
• Ice Hockey
• MMA
• Motor Sports
• Netball
• Pool
• Rugby League
• Rugby Union
• Snooker
• Specials
• Surfing
• Table Tennis
• Tennis
• Volleyball

In-play betting and cash-out are both available.

Site design

We have to admit we did not find the Royal Panda sports book the easiest site to use, but that's probably because it is very, very comprehensive. There is a great deal of coverage of eSports such as League of Legends, Counter-Strike: GO and Dota 2, which shows that this site is a very forward-thinking one.

The screens do look a little bit too 'busy', but we think it's really just a question of getting used to it!

Cashier options

There are a huge number of payment providers available at this site, so you'll have no problem funding your account. Naturally, both Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards are accepted, as are leading eWallers such as Skrill, Neteller and Paysafecard. Many 'lesser lights' of the eWallet world are represented too, including AstroPay, eKonto, ToditoCash and Trustly.

The minimum accepted deposit is £10, and the maximum (depending upon the payment method you choose) is £15,000. All deposits are processed instantly and there are no fees.

You can withdraw via credit/debit card, Skrill, Neteller or bank transfer. The minimum accepted withdrawal is £10 and the maximum is £100,000. Again, you do not have to worry about fees. Withdrawals to Skrill/Neteller are processed instantly, but bank transfers and credit cards will take between one and five days.

Conclusion

The Royal Panda online casino is a very highly-rated establishment and we are confident that the Royal Panda sports book will become just as highly regarded. This is a place for the serious sports bettor – there's no mistaking that, and the coverage of events (and in particular eSports) is exceptional, as is that £100 max welcome bonus.

In short, the Royal Panda sports book gets our royal approval!

RedBet Sports review

RedBet Sports is an online sports book that's run by Bonnier Gaming Malta Limited. The company acquired RedBet in 2013, as well as Whitebet Casino. It also runs the very well thought of Heypoker Casino, and the Vinnarum Casino. All the company's gambling enterprises run via a whole host of licences from gambling authorities in the UK, Malta, Gibraltar and Alderney.

Promotions

If you sign up with RedBet Sports it is of course a red letter day, but what makes it especially triumphant is the welcome bonus that all new players receive. This is an instant £10 free bet, no waiting, no wagering!

To qualify for a free bet all you need to do is place a single, minimum £10 bet on any event with odds of 4/5 (1.80) or higher. You can use a combo bet as long as the total odds of the combo bet are at least 4/5. The amount wagered must be at least £10 - you cannot use two separate £5 singles, for example. Only singles and accas qualify, not system bets.

Once your qualifying bet is settled, then you will receive a £10 free bet to use on any event of your choice. Note that if your free bet is a winning one, you will not receive back your free bet stake money, only the winnings.

You can only have one bonus per account, IP address or household, and you must use your free bet within thirty days, else your bonus is forfeited. Note that this welcome bonus is not currently available for players who reside in the Sweden, Norway, Finland or Germany, or if you use Skrill, Neteller or Paysafecard to fund your initial £10 deposit.

Special deals are always on offer at RedBet Sports. For example, the site runs a regular prize draw in which you must place a bet of at least €10 on a selected football match, and in addition guess the minute in which you think the first goal will be scored. If you are correct, then you will win at least a share of the €500 jackpot. If a goal is scored in the time you predicted but it is not the first goal, then you receive a consolation prize of €20.

If you're a fan of casino games as well as sports betting, then there are a number of bonuses you can take advantage of if you decide to play at the RedBet Casino, or the RedBet poker site. The casino bonus can see you earning as much as £200 in bonus funds, as well as one hundred and fifty free spins on online slots.

Markets covered

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Cricket
• Football
• Handball
• Ice Hockey
• MMA
• Rugby League
• Tennis
• Virtual Sports

There are two live sports sections available at the site: 'SuperLive' and Live Score. Cashout is also available on most markets.

Site design

One thing used to strike you about the RedBet Sports site – the lack of sporting markets. The markets menu on the left-hand side of the screen was very sparsely populated, and to add a little volume to their offerings RedBet Sports unnecessarily split a couple of their sports into 'men' and 'women' categories – basketball and tennis. However, a 2017 upgrade saw plenty of sporting markets added to what was on offer, up to the standards of the very best sports book sites.

The middle of the screen is divided into current events and forthcoming events, with the emphasis placed upon football. This section of the site has been very well designed but with a few oddities – for example, if you have the screen in 'half screen' mode the text ends up moving all over the place.

The site's makeover is a very welcome one and while a significant improvement, it's still not quite all there.

Cashier options

There are several ways you can fund your account at RedBet Sports: Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card, Paysafecard, Skrill, Trustly, iDeal, Zimpler or Neteller, plus a few other country-specific eWallets. The minimum accepted deposit is €10, and the maximum is €1,000. For your safety, you are encouraged to set your own deposit limits at the site, which is something that is always recommended. Make sure you check for currency exchange fees, as some methods at RedBet Sports do incur them. Deposits are processed instantly.

You can withdraw to a credit card, Skrill, Neteller or via a direct bank transfer. The minimum allowable deposit is €20, and the maximum is €10,000. Withdrawal times are the standard 24-48 hours for eWallets, and three-to-five business days for credit cards.

Conclusion

There's a favourable free bet available at RedBet Sports, and thanks to a radical makeover there are plenty of sports betting markets available. Redbet Sports has certainly gone up in our estimations, but there's still a few strides to go before this site can be considered top of the tree.

Genting Bet Review

Genting are one of the biggest names in gambling in the UK, although that name is more associated with real-world casinos than sports books. Genting Group is a Malaysian conglomerate with annual revenues in excess of 17 billion Malaysian ringgits (around three billion pounds).

In the UK Genting run around forty land-based casinos. Genting Casinos can be found as far north as Edinburgh, and as far south as Plymouth. As well as real-world casinos, Genting runs its own online gambling portal. As part of that portal Genting runs an online sports book which goes under the name of Genting Bet.

Promotions

To welcome new customers, Genting Bet offers an LBS-exclusive risk-free bet that could be worth up to £25. Note that this offer is not available if you sign up to Genting Casino without using the link that's available here - the normal offer is £10.

To qualify for this risk-free bet offer, all you need to do is sign up with Genting Bet, then place your first bet at odds of Evens (2.00) or greater at the site. If your bet is not victorious, then Genting Bet will refund your stake up to a maximum of £25 as a free bet.

Your free bet must then be wagered on a single bet with odds no greater than 4/1 (5.0). Your free bet will expire in fourteen days if it is not used. Your free bet is not refundable, so only any winnings from your free bet will be paid into your real money account, not the stake/free bet itself.

There are a number of countries listed in this offer's terms and conditions that are not eligible for this promotion. If you are from the UK then you are fine, but if you are not from the UK then it is better that you check the offer's T&Cs before you apply for this no-risk bet offer.

The T&Cs also state that players making their first deposit via a Skrill or Ukash (now part of Paysafecard) account are not eligible to receive this bonus offer.

Like many other sports betting sites. Genting Bet offers insurance on your accumulators. If you place at least a five-team 'acca' at the site and one of your selections lets you down, then Genting will return you your money back up to a limit of £20 as a free bet.

Markets covered

• American Football
• Aussie Rules
• Badminton
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Darts
• eSports
• Football
• GAA Football
• GAA Hurling
• Golf
• Handball
• Horse Racing
• Ice Hockey
• Motor Racing
• Pool
• Rugby League
• Rugby Union
• Snooker
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• The site does allow in-play betting.

Site design

All of Genting's online activities have a specific, unfussy branding and this has been carried over into Genting Bet. The colour scheme of red and black with a touch of green works extremely well, and looks especially elegant on tablets.

The site takes an uncluttered approach which is quite uncommon with sports books sites where you tend to be overwhelmed with facts and figures at times. The latest top sporting events are listed on the left-hand menu, followed by that day's football betting opportunities. Below that all the available wagering markets are available.

All of Genting's other gambling portals, including their online casino, live casino and poker room – are available via the menu at the top of the screen.

Cashier options

Oddly for such an extensive platform, Genting Bet only seems to accept debit and credit cards. On their 'Payment Methods' page no eWallet solutions are listed at all, nor any other other payment method aside from 'Genting Pay'. We note this as odd given that both Skrill and Ukash are listed in the no-risk bet terms and conditions.

The minimum amount you can deposit is £10, and deposits are transacted immediately. The minimum withdrawal is also £10, and no fees are involved. Withdrawals take between three and four business days to process.

'Genting Pay' is a payment method where you can add money to your account by directly depositing cash at a Genting Casino.

Conclusion

Both Genting's real-world casinos and online offerings have a classy reputation, and Genting Bet is no exception to that. The site both looks superb and functions brilliantly.

There are downsides though. That free bet offer is not the more generous welcome offer we've ever seen, and there are plenty of punters throughout the globe whom are excluded from participating in it because of their current country of residence. The lack of payment options beyond credit and debit cards is a bit of a surprise too.

Still, with a solid company name like Genting behind you, you can't really go far with Genting Bet. Why not sign up at at least take advantage of that exclusive £25 no-risk bet offer?

BetRegal Review

BetRegal sports book is a trusted online sports book operated by a team of experienced iGaming professionals. This brand also offers table and slots games via their casino and live casino offerings.

The sports book offers the same betting markets as most competitors with a notable difference; BetRegal uses a reduced margin pricing model which means you get to keep more of your wager winnings. This, combined with incentives like sign up offers and loyalty points, ensures that players are almost treated like royalty.

BetRegal is operated and managed by EveryMatrix Software limited - a respected Malta based company. All of the brands gaming products are licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission.

Promotions

The royal theme of the site doesn’t just extend to design alone - even the new customer offer is something of a king’s welcome. Join and make your first deposit to receive thirty percent back as a free bet - up to a max of £50.

The free bet can be placed on any of BetRegal’s extensive range of sports options (with the exception of horse racing) and is available to all UK based players.

To turn your free bet winnings into cash, simply wager the net win amount a total of five times within thirty days of using your free bet. In comparison to other free bets, these terms couldn’t be much fairer. Keep in mind that the net winnings from a free bet must be bet on odds of Evens (2.00) or higher.

One of the biggest highlights of the BetRegal sports book is the sheer selection of in-play betting events - there are well over twenty-thousand events available to bet on. Perfect for those looking for a royal selection.

While BetRegal do offer special odds and promotional bets from time to time, at the time of writing no such offers were available. We’re sure this will change when a big sporting event is on the horizon.

Markets Covered

• American Football
• Athletics
• Badminton
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Cricket
• Cross Country Skiing
• Cycling
• Darts
• eSports
• Football
• GAA Football
• Golf
• Handball
• Horse Racing
• Ice Hockey
• Motor Racing
• Rugby League
• Rugby Union
• Snooker
• Surfing
• Tennis
• UFC/MMA
• Volleyball

In-play betting and cash-out are both available.

Site Design

Most sports books tend to have trouble with usability - specifically in terms of cluttered menus. BetRegal offer a relatively tight solution with a number of clever filters and search options to aid you in finding that next bet.

And while the menus can still feel a little overwhelming at times due to the sheer number of options, this sports book handles this elegantly enough.

Cashier Options

BetRegal has a comprehensive range of deposit and payment options, so you should face little difficulty adding funds to your account. Credit and debit cards are accepted as standard, while players preferring eWallet payments can use popular providers like Neteller and Skrill. Should you have none of these to hand, then you can also transfer monies via bank transfer.

It is worth noting that there some deposit options might incur a fee; once you login to your account and click deposit button, you will see the fee displayed on the payment methods that are available to you.

The minimum deposit is merely £10 and the maximum is £10,000, but this depends on the payment method you are using.

Withdrawals are just as simple as deposits - but it’s worth noting that the casino will only transfer withdrawn funds back to the original payment method due to anti money laundering legislation.

Conclusion

The BetRegal sports book is a slick and well designed site. With over twenty thousand in-play betting options and an impressive market coverage - this brand gives sports fanatics all the tools to make accurate and profitable bets. A sports book fit for a king!

Black Type review

The Black Type sports book styles itself as an online bookmakers that's a little different to all the usual sports book fodder. That seems to mean that it has taken a no-nonsense approach with a clean and clear interface. This sports book is owned in the UK by a company called Black Type Services Ltd, but the software is provided and run by the well-established FSB Technology (UK) Ltd. Black Type is licensed in the UK by the UK Gambling Commission.

Promotions

Black Type caused quite a stir when they appeared on the internet just as 2016 began to wind down to a close. The people behind this online sports book stated that they were determined to return to a traditional form of bookmaking, with the only 'update' being that bets were placed over the internet, as opposed to at a betting shop or over the phone.

As part of this remit, Black Type does not offer a welcome bonus. Instead, it offers 'guaranteed bet to win' at £500 for horse racing, and £1,000 for all other major sporting events.

Before you get excited and think this means you can guarantee a bet to win at £1,000, the offer does not actually mean that. There have been many issues with online sports books limiting the amount you can win when placing a bet, and even going as far as closing the accounts of bettors whom are successful on a regular basis. Black Type has confirmed it will lay all bets up to £500 for horse racing, and £1,000 for major markers such as the EPL, Championship and the Champions League as well as major sporting events such as Wimbledon, the US Open or the Six Nations. This means that winning bets up to those limits are guaranteed to pay out.

There is an online casino too at Black Type, and here there does exist a more traditional casino welcome bonus. This is a one hundred percent welcome bonus on any amount from £10 up to a maximum of £100. You need to play through your bonus and deposit amount twenty-five times before you are able to cash out, and you have thirty days in which to do so.

Markets covered

• American Football
• Aussie Rules
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Darts
• Football
• Golf
• Greyhounds
• Handball
• Horse racing
• Ice Hockey
• MMA
• Motor Sports
• Rugby League
• Rugby Union
• Snooker
• Specials
• Tennis
• Volleyball

Both cash-out and betting on in-play events are available.

Site design

You might recognise the 'style' of the Black Type sports book, as it's one that used by other sports book providers. The software is actually produced by Kambi, a company that's based in Malta and the UK. Among the other providers that use Kambi's software are 888Sport, UniBet, 32 Red, LeoVegas and Mr Green.

Black Type's style is very clean, clear and precise which makes this sports book one that is extremely easy to use.

Cashier options

It has to be said the Black Type is a little tight on the payment options side of things. The site will only allow you to use your plastic here – Visa or MasterCard credit or debit cards. No eWallet solutions are allowed, not even Skrill or Neteller. Black Type will also only accept bets from players based in the United Kingdom.

The minimum amount you can deposit is £10, and the maximum accepted deposit is £5,000. There are no fees charged by Black Type for making deposits.

The minimum accepted withdrawal here is also £10. There are only fees when withdrawing if you've previously deposited money here and then not used it. All withdrawals should be completed within three to five days.

Conclusion

The attitude of Black Type should be music to any serious gambler's ears. Too many online sports books seem unwilling to allow high roller bets, and too many seem quick to close the accounts of successful sports bettors. It's as if they are only interested in the accounts of those who lose money!

As well as the guarantee bet to win pledge, Black Type has also vowed never to close anyone's account with them, no matter how successful they become. All this bodes extremely well.

Note that you do not have to be a high roller to use this online casino. Casual sports bettors are welcome here too!

Our impression of Black Type is a very decent one, then, although we would prefer a few more payment providers. Despite that, Black Type is our type of online sports book!

Betfred review

Betfred is a large, UK-based sports book that was first established in 1967. The business began with a single shop, opened in Salford by brothers Fred and Peter Done. The company was known as 'Fred Done' for most of its life, changing to BetFred in the 2000s.

Fred Done is now one of the richest and most successful businessmen in the UK, with a personal fortune into the multi-millions, however it has not always been the easiest road to the top for Fred. In the 1970s a disgruntled punter who'd lost £50 betting on the jockey Lester Piggott stabbed Fred seven times at one of the bookmaker's betting shops. Fred survived, but needed thirty-two stitches.

Betfred have never been afraid to seek publicity. In 2014 they returned all wagers placed on Manchester United following the side's poor post-Alex Ferguson showing in that season's Premier League.

Promotions

Betfred offers all new sports bettors who register at their site the chance to gain £30 in free bets, as long as a £10 bet is made first.

This a fairly typical free bet offer. To gain your free £30, all you need to do is sign up as a new customer at Betfred, and make a deposit of at least £10. You then must make a wager on a single event at odds of Evens (2.0) or greater. Once the bet has been settled (win or lose) then within 24 hours you will be credited with £30s worth of free bets.

Note that players who make their first deposit via Skrill, Ukash, Paysafecard or Neteller cannot take advantage of this deal. All free bets must be used within seven days of their reward, or they are removed from a player's account.

As normal, when you place your free bet, your stake is not returned as part of your winnings. You can only use free bets at Betfred's sportsbook – you cannot transfer them to the site's bingo, casino or poker rooms.

Aside from the welcome bonus, we're pleased to report that Betfred likes to keep its customers in the money with a wide range of promotions. Most of these are involved with horse racing, as it was horse racing betting that the Fred Done empire was built upon.

Additionally, you'll find deals on football particularly prevalent, as well as deals on all the top sporting events, such as Wimbledon in tennis, the UK and US Opens in golf, and both the summer and winter olympics.

Markets covered

• American Football
• Athletics
• Aussie Rules
• Badminton
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Bowls
• Boxing
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Darts
• Football
• GAA Football
• Golf
• Greyhounds
• Handball
• Horse Racing
• Ice Hockey
• MMA
• Motor Sports
• Rugby League
• Rugby Union
• Snooker
• Tennis
• UFC
• Winter Sports

The site allows both in-play and cash-out options.

Site Design

We're afraid that we're going to have to say that Betfred 's sports book site is a bit of a dinosaur. The blue and red colour scheme is not very appealing, especially as the odd hint of green is thrown in for good measure.

The site also places too much emphasis on selling its promotions, and its other gambling portals, such as its casino and slots games. This results in the important stuff you really want to know – like which events are forthcoming, which are the big football games that are kicking off today, and of course all the odds that you need to know – being squashed. The text is too small too. A bit of a rethink may be in order.

We notice that Skrill is still referred to as 'Moneybookers' here (which it hasn't been since 2014). This adds to our 'dinosaur' case.

Cashier options

The minimum deposit is £5 via credit cards, debit cards, PayPal, Skrill or Ukash (now part of Paysafecard), and £5.50 for Neteller. You can also deposit via cheque or bank transfer, and even 'over the counter' at Betfred betting shops.

Withdrawals can be made to Visa, Neteller, PayPal, Skrill or via a cheque or banker's draft. The minimum withdrawal is £5, and the maximum is £9,999 (Visa).

Deposits are processed almost immediately. Withdrawals take one or two days (eWallets), three to five days (cards) or longer via a banker's draft or cheque.

Conclusion

Betfred has something of an 'old-fashioned bookies' image, and their online betting site reflects that perfectly. If you prefer to do things the old-fashioned way, then Betfred is the place for you. However, if you like something a little more contemporary, then you might be tempted to look elsewhere for your sports betting action.