Betsafe review

Betsafe review BettingFellow Rating: 8.40/10

Online sports betting in 2021 is a global, international business. Online sportsbooks and betting sites these days no longer focus on specific markets or regions – it’s all about appealing to as many people as possible. This is one of the reasons why punters have so much choice. Betting companies bring all sorts of business philosophies from different backgrounds – it’s just a matter of finding one that matches your needs and priorities.

Betsafe is run and operated by Betsson, the premier online gambling service provider in Scandinavia. While the history of Betsson goes back as far as the 1960s, Betsafe was built as the name might imply – with a focus on modern technology and online safety and privacy. Today, we’ll be taking a look at it from the perspective of an active sports bettor. How does it hold up to the giants of the UK sports betting scene, for example? Keep reading for Betting Fellow’s detailed overview of Betsafe.

Betsafe – The One-Stop Betting Platform for the Modern Punter

Betsafe review

Betsafe’s history is closely related to Betsson, but we’ll avoid talking about the parent company too much. After all, that is a separate betting site, and the Betsson review can be found right here on Betting Fellow. Either way, Betsafe first opened its doors in 2006. While online bookmakers were nothing new at the time, the industry was much younger, and Betsafe was primarily targeted towards Scandinavian countries – Sweden, Norway, and Finland. It is also worth mentioning that they were an independent site at the time, and merely one of Betsson’s many competitors. They continued growing over the years, spreading all over Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe. The demand for top online bookmakers in Europe kept growing, and Betsafe was pleased to accommodate the needs of the market.

The company was acquired by the Betsson Group in 2011. In a way, this was proof of the success and quality of Betsafe, which was still much smaller at the time. While there is something to be said about corporate consolidation in the online gambling industry, this acquisition served to push Betsafe to new heights. Becoming part of a larger company gave Betsafe access to new licences and new markets – most notably Great Britain and Ireland. The two brands are still separate regardless of ownership, although some similarities are noticeable.

Betsafe is not just an online sportsbook, strictly speaking. They offer a comprehensive range of online gambling services, including casino games, live casino, poker tables – everything you’re used to from today’s best betting sites. It’s worth noting, however, that many players stress the quality of Betsafe’s casino services. Whereas some bookies offer these options as a side-show to the sportsbook, this one ranks incredibly well with a lot of casino experts. If you're interested in forms of online gambling other than sports wagering, this site might just be perfect for you.

Interestingly, Betsafe appears to have close ties to the Lithuanian market besides its Scandinavian roots. In addition to holding a local gambling licence, they are also proud sponsors of the famous Lithuanian national basketball team.

The first thing we appreciate about the Betsafe online sportsbook is the design. Even the world’s top betting sites often have issues picking a stylish visual identity and sticking to it. Betsafe features a dark, toned-down, yet undeniably modern design.

We admit we might be somewhat partial to darker tones on betting sites – but we have our reasons. For instance, if you spend a long time looking at sportsbooks, bright colours can become a strain on your eyes. This is especially noticeable at night. Darker tones do not necessarily negate this completely, but they help – besides, it's hard to deny Betsafe looks good. And the looks do not come at the expense of user-friendliness, either. The website is easy to navigate and use even for complete beginners, and all relevant information is easily accessible.

Licensing & Safety

Betsafe conforms to the strictest standards of remote gambling regulations, and there is absolutely no reason to doubt that we’re dealing with a legit betting site. As we mentioned previously, a good number of their licences come from their parent company Betsson – which is another respected, trusted online bookmaker.

To start with, players from the UK are regulated by a licence issued by the Great Britain Gambling Commission. For residents of the Republic of Ireland, the relevant permissions are given by the Gambling Regulative Bodies of Ireland. However, the parent company Betsson is primarily based and operated from Malta. As such, the most important authority under whose licenceBetsafe operates is the Malta Gaming Authority. Officially, it is filed under the name BML Group Ltd with a registered address at Betsson Experience Centre.

Of course, these are merely the biggest and most important regulatory bodies, according to Betsafe’s information. Other local licences include the Swedish Gambling Authority, a local licence in Lithuania and a dozen other countries. The point we’re trying to get across is this: Betsafe’s customers are well-protected from a legal standpoint, to say the least.

Still, due to the heavily regulated nature of remote gambling, a certain number of countries do not have access to Betsafe. As per the official information, Betsafe restricted countries include Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Georgia, Greece, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Guyane (French Guiana), Hungary, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Norfolk Island, N. Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Portugal, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, and the United States and its dependencies.

The name Betsafe wouldn't fit if all transactions on the website were not protected by state-of-the-art security protocols. As far as our research has shown, Betsafe is one of the most secure gambling sites out there. Pretty much all traffic – starting with deposits and withdrawals – is protected by multi-point security breach protection. Of course, SSL encryption is complex and guarantees absolute data integrity.

Deposit and Withdrawals

Before we dig into the payment options at Betsafe, we would like to point how easy it was to get a hold of all the relevant information. For one reason or another, even the best bookies rarely provide easily-accessible information about details such as withdrawal times, limits, etc. Whether this is intentional or not, we cannot say – but the people at Betsafe have gone above and beyond in making everything easy to find and understand. Transparency in online gambling is always commendable.

Now, the number of different options is not impressive or anything, but it covers all the most important bases. Let’s be honest – 90% of users use either card payments or one of the bigger e-wallets. With that in mind, you are almost certain to find an option which suits you at Betsafe.

Betsafe deposit and withdrawal options

To start with, Visa and Mastercard options are available for both deposits and withdrawals. Card deposits at Betsafe are instant, but withdrawals may take some time – requests are processed within 24 hours, but the bank may need 3-5 additional days before the payment appears on your bank statement. There are no fees – at least not on Betsafe’s end – and the limits are £10 for deposits and £20 for withdrawals.

As far as e-wallets such as Neteller and Skrill go – the limits are the same, as is the lack of hidden fees or charges. Requests for withdrawals may take up to 24 hours, after which the transaction should be completed immediately. Pay Pal is much the same, except the limits are reversed, so to speak: £10 for withdrawals and £20 for deposits.

Citadel Instant Banking is available for deposits, which are instant with a minimum of £10. Paysafecard vouchers are another option. Additionally, you may have smaller, regional options available depending on where you’re from.

The maximum withdrawal at Betsafe is €50,000, regardless of the method of choice. Also, note that this limit does not apply to customers from the UK or Ireland.

As you may have guessed, all of the limits and amounts we’ve mentioned can be converted into the currency of your choice. Speaking of which, the available currencies on Betsafe include

  • Bulgarian lev (BGN)
  • Canadian dollar (CAD)
  • Euro (EUR)
  • British Pound Sterling (GBP)
  • Norwegian krone (NOK)
  • Peruvian Sol (PEN)
  • Polish Zloty (PLN)
  • Swedish Krona (SEK)
  • United States Dolar (USD)

Customer Support

Betsafe support

The more we researched Betsafe’s customer relations, the more we were impressed by their customer-centric business policy. This is best reflected with their peerless customer support centre.

Let’s start with the FAQ. This is the first place you should look at if you have any queries, and it includes a lot of useful information. We already expressed how happy we were with the availability of relevant information, so we won’t repeat ourselves too much – but the FAQ is highly informative and well structured.

Should you need to contact Betsafe anyway, you won’t run into any problems. Their representatives are all quick, professional, and polite. All the questions we had were answered within seconds, and all information was accurate. Customers are treated fairly and respectfully, which is extremely important for us as experienced online punters.

Here are the methods by which you can get in touch with Betsafe:

24/7 Live Chat: The preferred channel of communication for bookmakers in 2020, contacting Betsafe’s reps this way is sure to get you a response in under a minute. It's quick, effective, easy to use, and open 24/7.

Email Support: English-speaking users can reach the service centre by email at [email protected]. Albeit a bit slower, most email messages are answered in under an hour

Phone Support: Alternatively, You can ask to speak to someone directly. For phone support, you don’t call Betsafe; instead, you can request a callback, and someone from their support team will call you in about 15 minutes. This waiting time is a downside, but it is a great way of avoiding international call fees.

Market & Odds

After all the praise we directed at Betsafe’s treatment of customers, it would be a shame if the core betting offer at their sportsbook was not up to par. Thankfully, Betsafe does not disappoint.

Let’s start with the diversity of heir offer: Betsafe boasts some 25+ different sports and categories. It should be noted, however, that some of these encompass several sub-categories – mostly if we’re looking or relatively niche areas such as Specials, or Motorsports. Either way, most punters are very likely to find what they’re looking for. Football and basketball betting are, as always, given special attention, but you can also enjoy relatively niche areas such as esports or even pesapallo. Indeed, this is the first site we’ve ever noticed to offer Finland’s national sport.

When it comes to coverage, options are not limited to the mainstays such as Premier League and Champions League betting. Betsafe prides itself on paying close attention to national leagues of almost every country where they have a significant number of customers. Generally speaking, this shows through their unmatched presence in Scandinavian sports. If you’re looking to bet on the Allsvenskan or the Finnish Elite League, this is the site for you. For one reason or another, Scandinavian football leagues are often praised for being great for value betting, so this might be attractive to people other than Scandinavians.

Betsafe best odds and markets

The variety of markets is fairly standard for top-rated betting sites: up to 250+ various offers for high-profile football matches, for example. These are all neatly sorted through a tab menu for each match, which makes the fixtures easy to navigate. Options include Asian handicaps, outrights, and so on.

We used football as an example, but other sports are consistent with the same variety – most notably basketball and ice hockey. This is especially noticeable when it comes to betting odds on Betsafe: for football betting, the odds are slightly above average. On the other hand, the offered odds on basketball, hockey, and a lot of US sports such as American football and baseball are downright incredible, far ahead of most of the competition.

In-Play Betting

We were pleasantly surprised when we took a look at the dedicated in-play betting page on Betsafe. Consistently with the rest of this betting site, the live betting window is nicely-designed and informative. It’s easy to keep track of multiple live sporting events and still dig up statistics (which are available on the left-hand panel on Betsafe.)

While the experience of live betting is great, live betting on Betsafe has some downsides. For instance, not all events from the pre-match fixtures are also available for live bets. While this is true for most top online bookmakers, it is especially noticeable on Betsafe.

The gap between pre-match coverage and in-play coverage is quite big, but at least the markets are there. Every match that finds its way to the live betting section can be wagered on with dozens of different markets – more than 200 in a lot of cases.

Betsafe Live Streaming Offer

Luckily, Betsafe even added a live sports streaming service to its platform recently. This service is available to all active customers, which means you have to have some funds on your account or a wager placed in the last 24 hours.

Betsafe customers can enjoy regular streams throughout the week. Which sports are streamed depends a lot on the part of the season, but can be anything from football, basketball, and hockey to table tennis, snooker, or boxing.

Sadly, English football is a bit under-represented, with streams of the English Cup and Divisions One and Two. However, you can regularly enjoy streams of top-flight national leagues from countries such as the Netherlands, Portugal, and even Japan and Argentina.

Betsafe Bookmaker Margin

Margins are closely related to how attractive the odds are going to be, so what you read here shouldn’t come as much of a surprise if you’ve read the odds section of this Betsafebookmaker review.

The whole offer averages out to 4.8% for the entire sportsbook. This is well below average and is even more impressive considering how far ahead Betsafe is compared to some much bigger betting companies.

Anway, football margins are a rather mediocre 5.1%. Things get a lot more interesting, however, if you look at tennis, basketball, American football, and ice hockey, which all have margins of less than 4.3%. Some niche sports, on the other hand, can range even up to 8%. Sadly, though, this is fairly common among bookies, so the margin isn’t even that bad – relatively speaking.

Overall Review

When you consider all of the above, Betsafe’sonline sports betting offer seems downright impressive. Sure, they’re not perfect, and some parts could use work. For instance, a more robust live betting offer would be nice, as would a few additional payment methods. Another issue we might see is that if you’re from, say, the UK – you could probably find a sportsbook that focuses much more on your specific needs.

However, if you look at all the aspects of this bookie’s service together and compare the result to the best operators on the planet – Betsafe comes out ahead so often, much bigger companies could learn a lot from them. As such, this site is one of the very best as far as we’re concerned, especially if you’re from Europe or Canada.

How to open an account at Betsafe?

Betsafe’s welcome bonus for the sportsbook is a 100% first deposit bonus up to £25. This is more or less average among leading bookmakers. However, Betsafe also offers a £10 risk-free bet on top of that, making the registration bonus quite attractive. To take advantage of these free bets, all you have to do is register. Here’s how to do that:

Betsafe opening account procedure explained
  • Go to betsafe.com
  • Click the “create account” button on the top right corner of the page.
  • Providing necessary information is all done on a single page. Betsafe needs your full name, billing address, age, and billing address.
  • You will also need to set up account info such as email, password, and a deposit limit if you want one.
  • Confirm the information by ticking the box and agreeing you are at least 18 years of age. This also agrees with Betsafe’s terms and conditions and privacy policy.
  • Perform KYC verification by submitting a personal document such as passport, driver's licence, or ID. You can do this by going to your profile page after registration is complete.
How to open an account at Betsafe?

Betsafe review FAQ

Is there a Betsafe mobile app?

Yes, all of Betsafe’s features are perfectly accessible on mobile devices. You can bet on the go using the regular website, which is fully optimized for mobile use, or download the dedicated Betsafe mobile betting app. The app is available on both Android and iOS.


Are Betsafe best odds guaranteed?

Although it’s not heavily advertised, Betsafe offers a “best odds guaranteed” policy on all UK and Irish horse races.


Is there a Betsafe bonus code?

The regular sportsbook sign-up bonus does not require any sort of promotional code. However, there are some bonus codes for Betsafe’s casino, such as 10NOW for a £10 bonus. Keep in mind, though, that these bonus credits are only usable on the casino and live casino and not the sportsbook.


Yes. Betsafe gladly accepts Canadian customers and is available and legal to use for all Canadian residents over the age of 18.


Is Betsafe safe?

As the name might imply, this bookie is heavily focused on security and reliability. Besides, they can boast a whole range of international remote gambling licences. All in all, you would be hard-pressed to find a safer online sportsbook. After thoroughly examining their service, we don’t believe there are any reasons to doubt this site’s legitimacy.


How does Betsafe work?

Betsafe operates much like any other online sportsbook in the world. Essentially, it’s an online service that allows people from across the globe to bet on the results of sporting events. After registering a Betsafe account, players can choose between dozens of sports and hundreds of leagues and markets to find the perfect wager. Users then deposit cash using one of several possible Betsafe payment methods and use it as a stake for the bets. Depending on the outcome, players can then win cash based on the stake they invested and the betting odds of the wager, which are inversely proportional to the likelihood of the outcome you bet on.


How to delete Betsafe account?

Betsafe currently doesn’t have an integrated functionality for deleting your account on the betting site, which means you’ll have to contact Betsafe customer service to do so. You can do so using the live chat feature or the Betsafe customer care e-mail address. Simply compose an e-mail with the title “REQUEST TO DELETE MY ACCOUNT”, which will help the bookie’s staff categorize and deal with your request quicker. In the e-mail, state the reason for your request and whether you’re looking to permanently delete your account or suspend it for a time.

Permanently deleting your account will irreversibly close your user profile. Since you can only use make one account per person at Betsafe, this means that you’ll never be able to access the site with your personal information again.

Alternatively, you can request a temporary suspension of your account. Such action is often called self-exclusion and is generally intended for people who want to take a break from online gambling. Note that you will not be able to access your account until the pre-arranged period of suspension is over.


How to register at Betsafe?

If you’re looking at how to join Betsafe, the first step is to go to Betsafe.com. Then, follow these simple steps to open your account.

  • 1. Click the ‘Create Account’ button in the upper right corner of the screen.
  • 2. Fill out the provided form. Start with personal details such as your full name, date of birth, and billing address.
  • 3. Provide account information such as username, password, and e-mail.
  • 4. Tick the box confirming you are over the legal age of 18, which also agrees to the general Betsafe terms and conditions.
  • 5. Your account is now created and active. Before you can start collecting your winnings, though, you will have to perform KYC verification.
  • 6. Go to your accounts screen and click the “KYC” tab.
  • 7. Click on the upload button and provide a photo or scan of a personal document such as a passport or ID card.

All new users can take advantage of the 100% matched bonus of up to €30 in Betsafe free bets. Note that some users may not be able to cash in the Betsafe registration bonus for various reasons. For example, bettors from Sweden cannot enjoy such bonuses due to the online gambling laws in Sweden.


Who owns Betsafe?

Since the buyout in 2011, Betsafe has been owned by the Swedish online gambling company Betsson. More specifically, both these top online bookmaker brands are technically owned by Betsson AB, a publically traded holding company. As a publically traded company, Betsson is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm stock exchange.


Where do I download the Betsafe app for Android?

Because of the Google Play Store’s regulation on gambling apps, the Betsafe betting app cannot be found there. Nor can any other mobile sports betting or online gambling app, for that matter. Instead, you will have to download the Betsafe APK file directly from the official website. Note that you will have to allow your device to install apps from unknown sources before you can install the app. The process of this depends on your device’s model and operating system version, but you can generally find the option in the Security section of your phone’s settings.


Can I play Blackjack at Betsafe?

Yes. Although Betsafe is most well-known as a top online sportsbook, the site offers a range of other online gambling services. This includes an online casino and a live casino. You can play blackjack in either RNG games or a live dealer casino game format.


Is there a Betsafe No Deposit Bonus?

Generally, Betsafe offers a matched welcome bonus for new players which essentially doubles your first deposit. However, there are occasional promotions at Betsafe that offer limited-time no deposit bonuses. These are often for specific users or types of service or wager, though. For example, Betsafe may offer no deposit sportsbook bonuses for regional Betsafe sites such as in Italy. Additionally, there are occasional mobile betting promotions that grant no deposit free bets for those who download the Betsafe app.


Can I bet on Dota 2 at Betsafe?

Yes. The Betsafe online bookmaker offers a relatively comprehensive esports betting section. Dota 2 is one of the more active and high-coverage esports at Betsafe, with dozens of betting opportunities each month. Other popular esports for betting at Betsafe include League of Legends, Counter-Strike, and the FIFA series.


How do I use Betsafe free bets?

First of all, you need to make sure you actually have free bets available. These are usually only given out as part of a promotion or special offer. You can check the status of your free bets in the cashier section of the Betsafe betting site.

To use free bets, make a betting slip as you usually would. On the betting slip, you can find options for determining your stake amount. Next to it, there should be a “use free bets” box. Tick the box and your wager will use free bets instead of your deposited regular funds.


Can I use Betsafe in Kenya?

Yes. However, you will have to use the Kenyan version of the site, which can be found at betsafe.co.ke. This version of the sportsbook operates under a licence issued by the Betting Control and Licencing Board of Kenya, which means this is a reliable, legal Kenyan betting site. Furthermore, this version allows you to use the Kenyan shillings as your chosen currency, as well as use local payment methods such as Mpesa.


Share your opinion