Betfair Casino Review

Since they were founded in 1999, Betfair has built a solid reputation for understanding their customers and providing a secure betting environment. Betfair was also the first company to demo a betting exchange system where punters can chose their own odds, and bet against each other. The huge following that they have amassed in such a relatively short amount of time is testament to their commitment to excellence in all areas. With all they have on the table in the realm of online gambling, most industry watchers assumed that they would be adding to their holdings much sooner than actually took place. In fact it wasn’t until October of 2006 that Betfair introduced their online casino to the world. Will they simply be too slow off the blocks to make any kind of impact, or will they have learned from the mistakes of those around them.

A good first impression is vital, and Betfair delivers a solid performance. We like that the Betfair Casino is smoothly integrated right into their existing home page and is accessible by its very own tab at the top. The overall design is very sleek and even professional, which is a nice classy touch. Also we have to point out that at Betfair customers are able to choose their native language to run the site. Most of the common European varieties were listed, though strangely enough French was not an option. On the whole navigation was a breeze, but don’t get caught up in the left hand links like we did. There is a list of options running down that side of the screen and you will find that some are links to other areas of the site, while others are merely ads that take you nowhere. This is a bit confusing if you are new to the casino.

When you go to join Betfair you will find that they run this process strictly by the book. Even the newest of players will find themselves right in the action in no time at all. The games are offered using the Chartwell software platform which is non-downloading. Players will have access to some very well delivered games without ever having to install anything on their own systems. A nice feature that is offered by Chartwell is that the platform is available for any number of different operating systems. So our Mac friends won’t be left out of the fun at Betfair as they are at some other sites. In fact, Chartwell’s smooth operation and sound delivery still make it one of the best options out there today. One feature that really differentiates Betfair from its competition is their unique Zero Lounge games. The zero in this case refers to the fact that the house takes no edge on the games here. Players will find a more limited selection of choices but they will have the chance to play odds that match the true odds of the game. This is one area where Betfair has really done something nice for their customers and no matter how hard we looked, we couldn’t find a downside. It is important to note that the games in Zero Lounge are excluded from all of Betfair’s general promotions. This is not unheard of for special rooms though so don’t let that stop you from taking part in all the fun.

Speaking of promotions, when we completed our review we did not come across any new player or welcome bonuses. However if you are web savvy enough you may be able to find some type of promotional code floating around out there on the net. Betfair does have one very interesting promotion in that players can earn points on each wager that will eventually earn them some extra money. Remember, this is only available on play in the Main Lounge; Zero Lounge is excluded from this offer. If you check out the news page you will see signs of new promotions to come that could be very exciting.

In the area of customer support, customers will find that Betfair offers them their choice of phone, fax, and e-mail ready and waiting around the clock. Players should be aware that while the site can load in several different languages, it is listed that the customer service helpdesk is only available in English. Also UK customers need to note that there is no freephone option available in that area. This is an area where Betfair could improve as freephone is available for UK customers at most of their big rivals.

Betfair may have held back their entry to the online casino world, but it proved to be well worth the wait. They deliver a real top shelf option here that does a lot to enhance their already fine site. We like that the new casino is smoothly integrated into the main page making it very easy to locate. Also the Zero Lounge may just be the next big thing in online casinos. After all these are the people that first brought you a betting exchange. We did find a few minor faults but they did nothing to ruin our overall experience. We highly recommend that you stop by and check things out for yourself. You won’t be sad that you did.