- This offer is available to new customers with accounts that are registered to the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland only.
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As one of the most renowned bookmakers in the UK, Betfair is a go to option for many punters when it comes to betting at the Cheltenham Festival, with 2026 shaping up no different. In the spirit of it being one of the biggest betting events of the year, Betfair has marked the occasion with some massive free bet rewards, which you can redeem now thanks to The Jockey Club!
Click any of the links on this page to sign up, deposit and bet £10, then watch your account be credited with £50 in free bets. Not only is this offer one of the highest value in terms of Cheltenham free bets, but it’s perfect to use alongside Betfair’s wide range of current deals for new and existing customers to enjoy throughout the festival.
Betfair Cheltenham Offer Summary
Like most of the Cheltenham free bet offers, Betfair’s promotion is available to new customers only, and gives you the chance to claim £50 in free bets when you sign up and wager £10. There will be minimum odds requirements, and a promo code to be eligible to claim this offer, which we have detailed below:
How to Claim Your Betfair Free Bet
Follow this short guide to sign up with Betfair and receive a huge £50 in free bets to use on any Cheltenham Festival market! It should only take a few minutes to unlock the bonus:
Betfair is one of the most influential names in the betting industry and a major force during the Cheltenham Festival. Known for its unique Betting Exchange as well as its traditional Sportsbook, Betfair gives bettors more flexibility and often better value than standard bookmakers. Throughout the Festival, they offer competitive odds, frequent price boosts, and a range of Cheltenham-specific promotions to keep punters engaged.
Odds and Special Offer
Betfair offers a variety of Cheltenham promotions that meet the needs of both Exchange and Sportsbook bettors. They run daily free bet offers on racing multiples throughout the festival, allowing you to place this type of wager each day and claim a free bet in return. For the Sportsbook, Betfair features Superboosts and Oddsboost tokens on selected horses, trainers, and jockeys, giving significantly enhanced odds on key Cheltenham markets.
Live Streaming and In-Play Betting
You can watch the action that comes with all 28 races at Cheltenham Festival through Betfair’s high-quality live streaming feature. The in-play betting interface updates quickly, allowing for quick decisions as the race unfolds and more informed decision making, in real-time.
Platform and App Experience
The Betfair site and betting app has modern design which offers smooth navigation
for users. The layout is easy to follow and you’ll find quick links to the Cheltenham Festival sections, which takes you straight to the latest odds for the day’s racing. You’ll find live updates and streaming capabilities within each race, allowing for seamless betting wherever you are.
Payment Options and Speed
Betfair supports a wide range of payment methods, including Open Banking, Visa/Mastercard debit cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Apple Pay, and more. Deposits are typically instant across most methods. For withdrawals, Betfair’s Fast Funds service allows Visa card users to receive payouts usually within seconds. E-wallets like PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller are also very fast and often processed in just a few hours. Traditional bank transfers or card payouts, however, can take anywhere from 1–5 working days, depending on your bank.
Customer Support
Betfair provides a solid range of customer support options, with 24/7 live chat available through its Help Centre, making it easy to raise issues or ask questions any time.
The simplest of Cheltenham betting markets and a market that most bookmakers will offer. You are betting on a horse to win their race.
Pick a horse to either win or finish in the placing threshold (e.g., top 3, 4 or more) depending on how many places are paid. For Cheltenham, Betfair may increase this, to offer greater flexibility and a better chance of winning.
Markets where you predict the first two (forecast) or first three
(tricast) finishers in order. These are noted as available for Cheltenham with Betfair.
These markets allow you to link selections across
multiple races: e.g., win accumulator, or each-way accumulator (where all legs must at least place).
During big festivals such as Cheltenham, Betfair often offer more “places” for each-way bets than standard. For example you might see 5 or 6 places rather than the usual 3 or 4 for select races.
Betfair is known for its special markets such as “Top Trainer at the Cheltenham Festival”, “Top Jockey at the Cheltenham Festival”, “Number of Irish-trained winners”, etc.
Betfair offers a Best Odds Guaranteed policy on its Sportsbook for UK and Irish horse racing, including Cheltenham. For win and each-way singles placed after 8am on the day of the race, if the Starting Price (SP) is greater than the price you took, Betfair will pay out at the higher SP. However, before you place any bets, it’s always worth checking oddschecker.com to find the best odds available for each race.
In the past, Betfair has provided plenty of continued value for existing customers throughout Cheltenham Festival, so there is no need to worry about what happens after claiming the generous sign-up offer. Whether you are looking for the insurance of Non-Runner No Bet or completely free bets on each day, Betfair has all types of bettors covered.
While the existing customer offers are yet to be confirmed for 2026 with Betfair, below is a list of promotions we are likely to see return for the festival:
Daily Cheltenham Free Bets
By opting in and placing a bet at the correct minimum odds, existing Betfair users can claim a completely free £10 bet, as part of the bookies free bet streak. Having ran this promotion last year, you will have to come back closer to the time, to see if it will return this time around.
Non-Runner No Bet (NRNB)
Non-Runner No Bet (NRNB) was offered to all Betfair customers in 2025, and is usually announced at the start of the year. NRNB is an insurance offer that gives users their stake back if their selection does not race for whatever reason.
Extra Place Races
Like many bookmakers, you will see extra places offered out at Cheltenham Festival and Betfair is no different. Traditionally, Betfair will give 1/5 of the odds on the top three places, but that will increase during the festival in March. Stay tuned for more details on their 2026 extra places.
Cheltenham Odds Boost
One aspect which sets Betfair apart for Cheltenham betting is their special odds boost, which sees experts pick out a stat about a particular race and boost those odds for the day. Betfair also provide lengthened odds and this means that you can bet on the distance your selection will win by in any given race at the festival.
If you’re betting at Cheltenham, Betfair offers a versatile experience that stands out from typical bookmakers. Their Exchange markets give bettors the freedom to lay as well as back horses, opening up more strategic opportunities that go beyond traditional bookie bets. On top of that, their Sportsbook is backed by compelling offers such as daily free bets for racing multiples, Superboosts, and enhanced price-boost tokens make for great value. Couple this with their generous bet £10 and get £50 in free bets, we would highly recommend using Betfair as your bookmaker of choice for the 2026 festival.