Company History
In 1967, 24-year-old Fred Done persuaded his younger brother Peter to invest with him in a shop in Salford, Greater Manchester and this marked the birth of Done Bookmakers and Betfred. Fred, as Chairman, has built the business around the ‘customer comes first’ ethos. When the brothers opened their first shop, they put carpets on the floor and called the customers ‘Sir’, creating a unique approach unheard in the betting industry of the day. From humble beginnings, the company now has retail outlets throughout the UK and has a greater High Street presence than Marks & Spencers!
In 2002, Fred set his sights on extending the Done Bookmakers empire beyond the retail outlets and this resulted in the birth of Betfred telephone and (soon!) internet betting. Rather than betting with a faceless PLC, Betfred wants punters to feel that they are taking Fred on. In return, he will happily take their bets, treat them fairly and pay out if he gets it wrong! The business has grown from strength to strength and in August 2003 the company re-located from Salford to purpose-built 60,000 square feet premises in Birchwood, near Warrington. This vast, modern complex serves as headquarters for the company's call-centre and internet betting operation.
Betfred Firsts
- Inventors of the Lucky 15
- First to offer early horseracing prices
- First to offer best price guaranteed
- First to pay out on disqualified horses after stewards enquiries for singles and multiples
- First to offer 500/1 for three correct numbers on the Irish Lottery
- First to abolish 5p rule fours
- First to offer singles on football matches
- First bookmaker to offer a ‘back or lay’ service on football
The Bonus King
Over the years, the company has earned the reputation of 'the Bonus Kings' with their customer-focused approach, indeed Betfred offer more bonuses and consolations than any other bookmaker. Here is a selection of Betfred bonuses:
- The best value football bonus coupon in the UK
- Singles on all major European football league matches
- In-running betting available on all football shown live in the UK
- Double result payout on singles and multiples after stewards enquiries in horseracing
- The most early priced horse races each day
- Double odds for one winner on Lucky 15, 31 and 63
- Best odds available on the Irish Lottery
- Up to 500% bonus for all-correct horseracing multiples
Fred's decision to pay out early on Manchester United for the Premier League title in 1998 has become legendary. A lifelong fan of the Reds, he felt they had an unassailable lead at the top of the table and decided to let punters have their money with ten games to go. To his horror, Arsenal managed to overhaul United’s lead and become Champions, so Fred ended up paying out on them too! The whole episode cost Fred around half a million pounds, but it didn't stop him paying out early on United in 2000 and 2001 and on Celtic in 2001 and 2004.
The Betfred Gold Cup
Betfred have taken over sponsorship of the Gold Cup at Sandown in April. This prestigious finale to the National Hunt calendar is Fred’s opportunity to give something back to the sport he loves and one that has been good to him over the years.
Wembley and Manchester United
In 2006 Betfred became the official bookmaker for the new Wembley Stadium and Manchester United.
The Future
Over the next five years, Betfred will be spending £70m on expansion and creating over 1,000 jobs in the UK. Fred intends to double the number of betting shops, through organic growth and acquisition, to 800 and undertake a huge expansion of the call centre and internet business in order to become the biggest and best in the business. Fred regularly receives approaches for his empire but turns them down flat. |
