In its beginnings as a single gambling shop during the 60s Betfred expanded significantly over the last fifty years. They currently boast more than 1,350 betting stores and more than 10,000 employees around the world. Betfred is one of the fastest-growing online betting stores in the United Kingdom, especially when it is related to British horse racing.
This could be due to the fact that Betfred is known for its special promotions and offers that allure new customers to explore their website, and for their creative ideas when it comes to social media. If you’re interested in learning more about the past of Betfred and how their business has grown over the years you should be sure to read throughout this piece.
Fred & Peter Done
Fred Done, the man who was the main driver behind the creation of Betfred was born in Salford, England in 1943. Done’s fascination with bookmaking began when he was a child when his father who was a full time bookmaker, had him go to the local bar and factories to take football bets for his son.
After high secondary school Done became Ernie Peters his assistant because Ernie was the most renowned author in town and Done was eager to learn from the top. Done worked side by side with Ernie for more than nine years until he realized that he wanted to create his own business of bookmaking.
Fred required help in getting his business on the right track and he enlisted the help of his older brother Peter who was able to assist to raise the funds to turn this business into a reality; he needed just under $6,000. By the middle of 1967 they were on track to open their first Betfred betting shop. It was they planned to locate in the city that they had been born: Salford, England. Much of their capital was derived from a bet Done had placed in the favor the possibility of England getting in the World Cup that year.
Moving Their Feet Off the Floor
After knowing a little more about the people who founded Betfred and Betfred, we can delve more deeply into the motives behind why Betfred has become so popular over the next few years. Done made his shop stand out among other stores in England at the time, because he treated it like an official business. He was always asking his patrons “sir” and offering complimentary drinks to customers.
His hospitality was instrumental in helping Betfred increase its numbers, but also set a standard for betting shops in the near future. By 1997, Betfred owned more than 100 betting shops across Europe and within less than three years, the number of shops almost tripled. Done made sure that even as their business was growing, they were still focused on what was the most important: customer service.
Betfred became the first gambling shop to pay their customers before that the outcomes of a contest were released. On March 28, 1998 Betfred compensated all their clients who placed bets with the expectation that Manchester United would win the Premier League prior to the game’s conclusion. This was Fred Done’s favorite team, and he believed that they would triumph, which they subsequently won by just one goal.
Continued to Expand (Betfred.com is born)
As time passed, Betfred continued to expand by acquiring over 500 betting establishments in March 2005. Meanwhile, Done saw a huge potential for growth in the world of online gambling. He recruited a group of professionals to design Betfred.com which all of those loyal patrons who routinely visited his shops were eager to test when it was officially launched in 2004.
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Since the beginning, Betfred has been dedicated to ensuring that their customers are playing responsibly. this is why they have posted this to their website,
“Our customer service teams are specially trained to handle the various aspects of responsible gambling and the following tips may be of interest. We can help you stay in control by establishing limit on deposits on your account. It can be set daily, either weekly or monthly. We invite you to contact our customer care team to arrange a limit that suits you.”
With this they included a list of prudent steps ways to avoid a gambling issue from developing.
Betfred.com is a one-stop shop for everything you ever require including an online casino including slot games Live casino games, live sports betting bingo, poker and much more. They also provide live assistance that gives their customers assistance all day, 7 days a week and throughout the year. Customers can be assured that any concerns they are unsure of will be addressed in a an efficient manner since Betfred puts this as their top priority.
One thing about their site that was very unique was the Goals Galore Bonus coupon that they publish each week. It gives players the chance to choose the teams they believe will score, at no cost to them. According to a report in 2010 from The Guardian,
“Betfred is an innovative company, as demonstrated by the recent launch of the popular “goals galore’ coupon. gamblers have to pick five games they believe that both sides will be scoring.”
After two years since the Betfred website went live, Betfred expanded into a mobile version of their website which allows players to browse their website in the world. Players use the same bankroll and can avail the same bonuses and promotions that they would receive if they were playing on their website.
Another way Betfred expanded was through the acquisition of The Tote in 2011, purchasing all its 517 shops in the process and for just under $400 million. This move into the race industry is proven to be highly successful for Betfred.com as it has brought a totally new type of sports betting to their site. The Tote has actually been available for sale since the late 1990s, but it was only when Betfred made a decision to raise their initial offer that The Tote’s owners finally accepted the offer.
Relying only on Social Media
Betfred can now be found on every social media site you can think of such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google Plus, and Twitter. Betfred actually has a variety of twitter accounts that focus on certain aspects of their site such as a page for bingo players and one for golfing fans. They inform players of the latest news on what’s happening in the world of gaming and also inform you of promotions they are running currently.
Betfred.com won the Best Innovation in Social Marketing Award at E-Gaming Review’s Operator Innovation Awards ceremony in 2013. Betfred.com was recognized for their dedication towards social media, which has helped attract potential customers onto their site.
Sponsorships and Charities
Betfred is among the primary sponsors of Sheffield as well as Kinsley Greyhound Stadium Nottingham Greyhound Stadium, and the Owenton Stadium. They also supported the World Snooker Championship for four tournaments between 2009 and 2012. After taking some time off from the sponsorship of these tournaments, Betfred decided to support their team once more in 2015. More details about this partnership are available in the following section.
Betfred’s official charity for Betfred is The Injured Jockeys Fund’s “Jack Berry House.” The sole purpose of the foundation is raising funds to build a modern rehabilitation facility for injured jockeys . It will offer them all medical services they need.
This rehabilitation center will have facilities that include the equipment required to perform traditional physical therapy and an indoor pool for hydrotherapy. They will hire experts to manage these facilities. They will also offer training courses for current or aspiring jockeys that want to learn more information on proper nutrition and injury management, sports psychology, and other topics that can aid in preventing severe injuries from happening in the future.
Betfred has also donated to numerous other local and global corporations including those of the Harley Slack Fund, the Killing Cancer foundation, Manchester Children’s Hospital, Northern Racing College, in addition to the Retired Greyhound Trust to name some.