Paddy Power Free Bets and Offers

Paddy Power was formed in 1988 by the merger of three Irish bookmakers, and since then they have gained a reputation as a fun place to bet on a very wide range of sports as well as politics, entertainment and more. Having become the third largest sportsbook in the British Isles, they now offer a full range of casino, poker and bingo sites, but sports betting remains central to what they do, and they do it very well, with some generous offers for new customers and lots of on-going promotions for existing ones. An extensive live streaming service, lots of in-play betting opportunities, tips, news and a mobile app all add to the appeal of this popular gambling site.

Like many online sportsbooks, the homepage at Paddy Power can at first appear a little cluttered, as they are trying to pack a lot of information on to it, but it's mostly presented logically, with quick links to all of the major sports, details of the main events of the day, and the latest bonus offers highlighted at the top of the page. Just a couple of minor navigation issues affect the site, but nothing thats affects play.

Sports

Paddy Power cover a number of markets that many other bookies don't touch, so in addition to horse racing, football, cricket, tennis and rugby, they also feature sports like surfing, ten pin bowling, triathlons and beach volleyball. Being an Irish company, Gaelic football and hurling are well represented, while many sporting events from around the world can be found, including most European and international football leagues, lots of US sports and horse races from all corners of the globe. Novelty bets are a Paddy Power speciality, with everything from politics, entertainment, royalty, weather and more to be found, including lots of unique bets that won't be seen elsewhere. A virtual sports section includes football, horses, greyhounds, tennis and motorsports.

Placing a wager will be a familiar process to anyone who has used a sports betting site before, and for those who haven't, it is still a simple task that can be completed by just clicking to open the bet slip, clicking on an event and adding the bet size. Various bet types can be placed, like yankee, tricast, fourfold accumulators, trixies and lucky 15/31/63's, while punters can also adjust the settings on the screen to show decimal or fractional odds as well as how they want the slip itself to be displayed. To help keep track of it all, there is a Bet Calculator which will work out the odds and prices for each type of wager placed.

There are lots of extra services to help customers make their selections. Pimp That Bet highlights some of the most popular wagers being placed at the time, there is lots of advice from tipsters, a blog featuring the latest news, and the useful NagMe facility which informs users when their chosen horses or jockeys are due to race.

Punters from the UK and Ireland who are logged into their accounts can view all horse and greyhound races, plus most other events currently in progress via the live streaming service, which unlike some others, does not require the viewer to have a stake on the event being shown. Text and audio commentary on the days races are also provided. In-play betting is available for most events, with odds being continuously updated and a full results service lets customers know how their bets have gone without needing to log in. Paddy Power have a reputation for paying out 'justice' bets which other bookies do not honour, so if, for example, a goal is unfairly disallowed, the bets will still be paid, although this can depend on the circumstances and is not guaranteed.

Bonuses and Promotions

The bonuses at Paddy Power are quite generous, with new players able to claim free bets and returning ones being presented with lots of special offers. The actual details are constantly reviewed and of course many offers are dependent on what sports events are currently on-going, but the welcome bonus tends to be related to the size of the first few bets made by new customers.

There are daily specials which give money back on certain losing bets, double odds payouts for some winning wagers and bonus payments for getting several winners at any horse or greyhound race fixture. If luck is not on the punters side when they have a Lucky 15, 31 or 63 bet on, they can still receive double the odds when they get one winner on the day. If a horse wins and is subsequently disqualified, Paddy Power pay out for both that horse and the declared winner. A Best Odds Guarantee ensures that should the starting price on any horse be greater than the price taken, the higher odds will be paid out and when all these offers are taken together, few sportsbooks can match them.

Banking

Paddy Power accept payments from a wide selection of the most popular debit cards, prepaid vouchers or cards and money transfer services. They are generally aimed at UK and Irish customers and the payment options reflect this, although many people from other territories also use Paddy Power, with just a few places such as the USA excluded due to local laws.

Winners are paid out quickly, so the money is soon back in the players account for withdrawal. When requesting funds back, it can take a couple of days for the transaction to get processed, and wherever possible, the money will go back to the card used to make the deposit. All funds are handled securely and safely and, as Paddy Power are licensed in the Isle of Man, they are required to follow strict anti-fraud and customer privacy policies.

Conclusion

This is an excellent site to wager on all types of sports from all over the world. The range of events covered is enough to keep even the keenest sports fans satisfied, and with an unmatched selection of novelty bets, side bets and promotions, Paddy Power deserve their position as one of the largest online sportsbooks. They offer plenty of live betting opportunities, a good live streaming service and lots of useful tips, news and advice. Although some parts of the site, such as the bonus offers, are not immediately accessible from the homepage, it is fairly easy to navigate around and find out what the current promotions are.

Paddy Power like to add a little humour into everything they do, making this a welcoming place to visit, where punters can enjoy the experience. Anyone opening an account here can also access the casino, poker and bingo sites, or bet and play on a mobile device.