Betfair has joined the Apple iPhone and iPad application craze. Mobile betting has been available for a while over various high bandwidth mobile phone providers. Betfair being the world’s largest sports betting company, has entered the market with an iPhone and iPad betting application. As you might expect most iPhone betting apps offer the same or similar features to what the bookmaker offers it’s customers already. Betfair’s iPhone betting app is no exception. Users can find almost all the features available on Betfair.com.

Betfair is unique in that it is a betting exchange. It offers full exchange betting functionality to iPhone owners. In a nutshell a betting exchange offers better odds than traditional bookmakers and allows members to bet that things will not happen (lay betting). A slight detraction from Betfair’s success is that traditional bookmakers tend accept larger bets. For high rollers bets can be limited using the Betfair betting exchange. This happens if there are not enough members willing to open their wallets on the other side of the bet (that means back to the other guy’s lay, or lay to the other gals back). Visit the site at the end of the post if these things need more explanation.

Back to the Betfair betting app. Personally a mobile betting app for my iPhone would be most useful. During the 2006 and 2010 world cup I received betting tips from a tipster. These tips where profitable which is always good. The problem was that I wanted to be in a pub watching the game. After receiving a tip the bet needed to be placed quickly. Tips where coming through at all times of the day making it very difficult. The experience would have been vastly improved if I’d gone mobile. The Betfair iPhone betting app does full fill a real need in the market place. As a result of that we expect it’s use to grow quickly. Paddy Power’s iPhone betting app has been active for longer than the Betfair app and already accounts for more than 50% of their mobile betting revenue.

As is the case with betting it is often impulsive. Perhaps a key player is injured and the odds for the next game offer really good value, or, a weather forecast for a horse race changes significantly. For these occasions you need something handy. The Betfair betting app fits the bill.

Compared to the Betfair mobile betting application the iPhone app is easy to install. Personally I found the Betfair mobile app to be quite slow on 3G. However, this was probably due to the fact I was using a Nokia 5230 which does not employ the most up to date browser technology. Any phone with a Java enabled browser will run the Betfair Mobile betting app. Talking about up to date browser technology Google’s operating system for mobile devices, called Android, will surely challenge Apple for any advantages that the iPhone app has over other mobile betting apps.

All normal functionality of Betfair is available on the Betfair iPhone betting app. Users can browse sports, compare odds, make back and lay bets, but, extras like Betfair TV aren’t available. It’s free so it’s worth a try. The Betfair iPhone app can be accessed via the Betfair website, if you don’t have an account already we’d recommend their special sign up bonus. The app can be used in the UK and Ireland. Location is verified by the GPS technology in the phone.

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