Paddy Power Review

Summary

Pros

• A welcome bonus
• A refer a friend bonus
• A refund if the first free bet is lost
• Huge variety of sports, including MMA

Cons

• Badly organised website
• Live chat not found easily
• US players are not eligible

History

Founded in 1988, by three Irish bookmakers: Stewart Kenny, David Power, and John Corcoran. With combined resources, the Paddy Power brand was born, with 40 physical betting shops. By the year 2000, they were making progress towards going online, thus buying the Paddypower.com. Today, they are the biggest bookmaker in Ireland, and the sixth biggest in the UK. Paddy power expanded quite ambitiously, by not having only casino, but rather adding poker, and a bit later, bingo. Paddy Power merged with Betfair on September 8th, 2015.

Betting on sports

PaddyPower offers a variety of different sports. No matter what type of sport the player is searching for, he will surely find something among the obscure games. Considering this, PaddyPower could easily be a place where a player can experience everything that he would vouch for.

List of sports to bet on

• American Football
• Athletic
• Australian Rules
• Badminton
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Cricket
• Current Affairs
• Cycling
• Darts
• Esports
• Football
• Gaelic Games
• Golf
• Greyhound Racing
• Handball
• Horse Racing
• Ice Hockey
• Lottery Specials
• Mixed Martial Arts
• Motor Sport
• Netball
• Politics
• Rugby League
• Rugby Union
• Snooker
• Special Bets
• Table Tennis
• Tennis
• Virtual Sports
• Volleyball
• Winter Sports

Welcome Bonus for new players

Paddy Power offers a free bet bonus, which a player can acquire through simply opening a new account. What is more, they offer a risk free first bet! What this means is that you can place a £20 single bet, not depending on the market, and, if you lose, you will get a refund in cash, with which you can bet again, or simply withdraw it.

Where to play

The player can indulge in playing on the website itself, which is mostly recommended for PC users, but PaddyPower also offers an Android and an iOS application. The app is basic, and offers extra chances to recover lost money. This is enabled by the app’s exclusive promotions, such as guaranteed prices, money back specials, and extra-place specials. Generally, the app is a good choice for phone and tablet users.

Licensing

PPB Counterparty Services Limited, having its registered address at Triq il-Kappillan Mifsud, St. Venera, SVR 1851, MALTA, is licensed and regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority under Licence Number MGA/CRP/131/2006 (issued on 01 August 2018).

Ownership

The business is owned 52% by the former Paddy Power shareholders and 48% by the former Betfair shareholders

Customer Support and Help Centre

The website offers a section with FAQ’s, where most asked questions are discussed, as well as other issues players might experience. To ease the player’s experience, there is a search form. Players can contact the customer support through e-mail and live chat, though the live chat is not easy to find on the website itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Does PaddyPower take US players?

PaddyPower does not accept players from the United States.

Question: Does PaddyPower take Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency for payments?

Paddy Power does not take Bitcoin, or other cryptocurrencies, as payment. Rather, the players can pay in pounds or euros.

Question: Does PaddyPower offer online poker or bingo?

Yes. Apart from casino, DaddyPower offers both online poker, and bingo.

Question: Is there a VIP & loyalty rewards program for frequent players?

Paddy Power offers a rewards program for their VIP members. It is usually the same weekly promotion, but the players are not happy about it, for the maximum bonus one can achieve is a 100 euro bonus.

Question: What are the wagering requirements of the signup bonus?

It depends on the offer. If the offer is £/€10 risk free first bet, then the condition is for the player to bet a single £/€10 bet, which he will be refunded, if he loses the bet.

If the offer is bet10get30, the player needs to ensure on making at least a £10 qualifying bet. Multiple bets that build up to this sum are not allowed. If the player opts out for this option, he will receive 3 free bets, each valued £10. Free bets tend to be credited instantly.

The player is advised to check the terms and conditions, to get information about standard game weightings, for some stakes may not count fully, on some of PaddyPower’s games.

Question: Does PaddyPower have an Android or iOS app for betting?

Yes. PaddyPower offers both an Android and an iOS app for betting. Although they are not quite perfect, which is confirmed by some of the customer’s reviews, they tend to be the best option if the player chooses to play on his phone or tablet.

Question: Can I play the PaddyPower bonus at the casino?

PaddyPower bonus cannot be transferred to casino.

Question: What resources does PaddyPower offer to help problem gamblers and for self-exclusion?

Paddypower offers the self assessment and the self exclusion program, as well as a program for protecting minors, and staying in control. The player can choose a permanent account closure, which will result in any future attempts of opening new accounts being disabled, and with previous account being closed forever. Apart from this, short break, and long break are offered. The first offers a break lasting up to a month, while a long break can last up to 5 years. Should the player choose the first option, his account will be reopened after the elapsed time. Should he, however, opt out for the second option, after the break period elapses, he will have to contact the customer support, where the rest will be handled.

Question: Does PaddyPower have a refer a friend program?

Yes. PaddyPower offers a ’Friends With Benefits program’. Each referred friend gives the player a £10 free bet. However, this option is not limitless, meaning that the player can only get a bonus for 5 friends, thus being able to get a maximum of £50 bonus.

Question: How long does it take to receive a withdrawal from PaddyPower?

Usually, the withdrawals can take up to 2-3 working days. Sometimes, they can even take 5 working days, due to bank processing.