Paddy Power Review

Paddy Power are a bookmaker that needs little introduction. The company have been at the top of the pile for several decades now and they continue to be one of the bookmakers that are setting the pace in this ferociously competitive environment. One of the best things about Paddy Power is their attitude toward the whole concept of sports betting and to say that they don’t take themselves too seriously would be the understatement of the year.

The company are just hilarious in some of the stunts that they pull though with a very clever marketing strategy - one that most bettors can totally relate to. Many have tried and failed to copy Paddy Power, but they really do remain the kings when it comes to promoting brand awareness. 

Odds & Markets

You may be fairly surprised to hear that in the early days of the online bookmaker, Paddy Power weren’t actually all that well priced and many thought of the brand to be one to generally avoid. Over time the company realised this and we can now report that they are easily one of the most competitive bookmakers when it comes to their pricing structure.

They often come out right at the top of the pile for a lot of sports and markets, making them a bookmaker that you could use on its own and be confident that the price that you were getting was going to be there or thereabouts.

The market coverage, as you would expect, is as good as you’re going to find. A typical high profile football match should attract well in excess of 150 betting markets total with many sports following a similar, if not diluted, trend.

A shout out has to go to that of horse racing, of which the bookmaker does as well as anybody. Being Irish they have a keen interest in the sport, often sponsoring some of the high profile races from around the world. Again, probably coming as little surprise, but Irish sports are covered amazingly well at Paddy Power, with huge numbers of markets for GAA games such as football and hurling.

Features

Live Streaming

At Paddy Power you are going to be able to tap into a huge range of features, none more impressive than their live streaming section. All customers can access this as long as you have a funded Paddy Power account. The streaming includes a good mix of both tennis and football, and with each week, the number and range of games that you can watch seems to continue to grow.

PPlus Card

You will also get the opportunity to apply for a PPlus card, which will allow you to access your account via a pre-paid card. The card is a MasterCard and you can use it at any ATM or point of sale that accepts these card types. The money will come direct from your betting account and it’s a great way to get your hands on your funds quickly. There are very few bookmakers who provide this feature and we think that it’s one of the best in business.

Partial Cash Out

The site includes both cash out and partial cash out betting, as well. This allows you to cash out your bets, which basically means settle a bet before that market has officially been settled. It’s fairly common in the betting industry these days, but still a welcomed addition.

Finally, we just wanted to touch on the promotions again and just how good they are. Whilst not a physical feature as such, the range of money back specials and enhanced prices on their own make Paddy Power well worth signing up for.

Cash Card & Cash Card Plus

At Paddy Power you are going to be able to get your hands on two cash cards; Cash Card and Cash Card PPlus. The initial Cash Card is linked up to your Paddy Power betting account and allows you to deposit and withdraw money from any Paddy Power shop, play on sports betting terminals and also play on Fixed odds betting terminals.

The Cash Card PPlus allows for a little more scope. It’s essentially a pre-paid debit card and it means you are able to use it in stores, such as Tesco and also online, such as Amazon. On top of that you are going to be able top withdraw money straight from your Paddy Power account at any ATM that accepts MasterCard.

Informer (Stats, Form Tips & Predictor)

Informer has been designed to really enhance the amount of information you can access for horse racing. It’s a HUB of activity and allows you to do everything from check recent form to read betting blogs dedicated to certain races. It’s one of the most comprehensive that we have seen for the sport and of course, is available free on their website.

One of the highlights for us was the fact that it’s linked up to the Racing Post, who are one of the best resources when it comes to horse racing in the world. They include synopsis’ of all races on site and even though it’s pretty brief, if you are coming in blind, it can be a huge benefit. We also enjoyed the fact that their predictors give you a true representation of what could happen in that race. It uses a huge algorithm such as form, going, horse rating, jockey, trainer form and loads more to combine the results, so isn’t often too far wrong.

On the High Street

The Paddy Power brand has been about since 1988 and, like most, started life on the high street. They were actually a collaboration of 3 independent Irish bookmakers, who decided that to get the best from their industry, they needed to merge and form one bigger company.

By 2005 the company had grown considerably and were able to boast over 195 betting shops, with 45 of those being across the UK (the only ones outside of Ireland at the time). They’ve made quite a few acquisitions in that period, with the likes of McGranaghan Racing, along with others all falling under the wing of the growing Irish brand.

By 2010 they had managed to increase their presence even further and were noted to have over 350 betting shops based around Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain. The recent merger with Betfair hasn’t really changed their status on the high street at all, but the extra income generated between the two brands has indicated that Paddy Power are working harder than ever to keep their high street presence as big as possible. 

Who Are Paddy Power?

Paddy Power has been about since 1988 and are still to this day based out of Dublin, Ireland not far from where the company first opened their initial betting shop. Over the years, the business grew quite rapidly and saw 3 independent bookmakers merge together to form one business.

Whilst online betting is the companies biggest earner, they still have 350 stores across Ireland and the UK, making them a truly international brand these days. In 2014, Paddy Power announced record operating income of £163.8 million, making them one of the largest bookmakers in the world. In 2015, it was announced that Paddy Power and betting exchange giants, Betfair, would merger under the name Paddy Power Betfair.

Contact & License Info

• Live Chat: Available via website
• Email: Accessible via webform on website
• Telephone: 08000 565 275
• Address: Paddy Power Holdings Limited, 1st Floor, 12-14 Ridgeway Street, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 1EN
• License: UK Gambling Commission (000-038939-R-319306-001)