Betfair Guide

An introduction to Betfair

Betfair is the online betting exchange where people with differing opinions exchange bets. Someone thinks something is going to happen; they Back it. Someone else thinks it won't happen; they Lay it. The bet is then matched. And at peak times we match more than 12,000 bets per minute! On Betfair, you and your fellow players are in control of the odds and the prices - not the bookmakers.

Bye bye old-school bookmakers. Bye bye hefty margins

Because Betfair are not like traditional bookmakers, we want you to be a winner. We don't manipulate the odds to protect our profit margin. Instead, on Betfair you only pay a low commission on your net winnings. This means that you get typically 20% better odds compared to traditional bookmakers.

What are the odds? You choose.

Try going into a betting shop and asking to choose the odds. When they finish laughing, come to Betfair. We give you total flexibility, so if you're not happy with the odds on offer - ask for better ones. We'll accept your bet request at the price you choose providing we can find some who disagrees with your opinion.

Winners welcome

We never turn them away. And we always pay out on winning bets. That's why we've always got the highest liquidity across the broadest range of markets - we attract people who like to bet big (as well as medium and small - £2 if you like).

Discover the exhilaration of in-play betting

If it's sheer excitement you're looking for, it's hard to beat an in-play bet at Betfair. In-play betting allows you to continue to use your skill and judgement to predict results even after an event has begun.

It works exactly the same way as betting on whether you think something will happen or not, but the action is much faster moving, with the odds changing second by second. In-play betting even allows you to change your position in a market as an event unfolds.

Don't delay - join the betting revolution now at Betfair