The gambling website known as bwin has been around since 1997. Founded in Austria, they’ve served more than 20 million players in a single year, thanks to licenses in jurisdictions such as Gibraltar, the UK, Germany, and the Mohawk territory of Kahnawake. The company merged with PartyGaming in 2011, and in 2016 they were purchased by GVC Holdings.
While bwin offers poker, bingo, and casino gaming, their primary focus is on sports betting. This was true when the company only had 12 employees back in 1997, and it remains the case today.
For those who’d like to learn more about their services, this review should provide a respectable amount of insight into what bwin can offer to their customers.
Every online casino or sportsbook I’ve come across provides a detailed list of banned jurisdictions, but that’s not the case with this company. Instead, they offer a more abbreviated version that includes the following restricted regions:
Given the ever-changing landscape of Internet gambling, I suppose the folks at bwin got tired of having to continually update their list. Instead, they typed up a couple of specific nations and otherwise covered everything else with “any territory where it is not legal to participate in on-line gaming at the time of placing a bet or participating in a game.”
Frankly, it seems lazy not to include an exhaustive list. Sure, everyone knows that online gambling is illegal in places like North Korea, but it doesn’t take long to type it.
When you do business with this company, you’ll find that they make things as easy on their customers as possible. This is certainly the case when it comes to making a deposit, and it’s almost as true when making a withdrawal.
At the moment, the following deposit options are offered by the site, and most of these can also be used for the purposes of making a withdrawal:
Most deposits are taken care of within a matter of seconds. Payouts, of course, are a little more complicated, although bwin still manages to keep things within a reasonable range. Most cash out requests are handled within three business days, while some can take up to a week. I’ve found this length of time to be more than reasonable, as I’ve yet to encounter a situation where I was so desperate for cash that I couldn’t wait a few days.
Like most businesses, bookmakers thrive on the ability to draw in a wide array of customers who are interested in a variety of sporting events. This site is no different, which is why they offer the betting public a healthy dose of options. According to their site, you can wager on any of the following (depending on the time of year):
The above list constitutes one of the stronger sports betting selections that I’ve seen in years. The last time I visited the site, for example, there were a total of 37,704 bets that could be made.
If you enjoy procrastinating about making a wager, you’ll want to take advantage of the “Last Minute Bets” section. As the name would indicate, these are events that are just about to start, so they provide players with a last-minute opportunity to participate.
For those who speak a dialect other than English, there’s no need to worry about communication. The site also supports the following 20 languages: Romanian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Greek, Polish, Slovak, Norwegian, Danish, Catalan, Czech, Hungarian, Portuguese, Russian, and Slovenian.
During a single 24-hour period, the customer is limited to 250,000 euros in wagers. On a single bet, the limit is 10,000 euros. Bwin has the option to adjust these limits, however, so high rollers with terrible luck might find themselves approved for even larger bets. On the other hand, sharp bettors could have even stricter limits imposed, which is something I’m not a fan of (although it comes with the territory).
In addition to the listed sports, the bottom of the main betting page also contains three resources that may be useful to the serious gamblers. These include:
Livescore – Provides real-time updates as various sporting events take place.
Statistics – Displays team and individual stats for every event featured on the site.
Results – Displays the final results for a wide selection of sporting events.
While their list of sportsbetting options is robust, it should be noted that bwin DOES NOT offer bets on horse or greyhound races. This policy was enacted on March 23rd, 2014, and I’ve seen no indication that there are any plans to change.
If you’re partial to human sports, then this policy should have little effect on you. For those with a passion for the “Sport of Kings,” however, you’ll obviously need to look elsewhere to get your fix.
While the company never stated their exact reasons for implementing this change, the prevailing wisdom is that horse and greyhound racing simply didn’t draw in much business for them. Therefore, instead of dealing with the hassle, they decided to drop them entirely and focus on more lucrative avenues.
The types of wager offered fall into three specific categories. These include the following:
Single – This is the simplest form of betting, as the customer selects one desired outcome, selects their stake, and places the wager. That’s all there is to it.
Parlay – Also known as a “multi bet,” this style of wager allows the customer to choose two or more results during an event. In order to collect, however, the player must correctly predict all outcomes. Up to 20 wagers can be combined into a parley, with the live betting option carrying a maximum of 12. Regardless of which type you choose, the minimum stake is 0.50 euros.
System – When a player has selected three or more bets, they’re eligible to choose a system wager. These resemble parlay wagers to an extent, but you can miss one or more predictions and still walk away as a winner (although a larger percentage of wins results in a bigger payout). An example of this would be a 2/4 system bet, in which the customer combines six wagers and gets paid if they hit on two or more.
A number of specific options are available within each of these three categories, and there are more than enough selections to keep even the most dedicated gambler busy. I’ve been especially impressed by their devotion to system bets, as this is something that’s often overlooked or downplayed by most of the competition. Just take a look at all the system bets supported by the site:
Are you tired of placing wagers days in advance and then having to wait for the outcome? If you crave more immediate satisfaction, I suggest giving the site’s in-play betting option a try.
Most of the major sports support the live betting option, although options such as chess may not be available. Still, the popularity of live wagering is growing all the time, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see all sports/games offered in the not-so-distant future.
Once you’ve placed your wager, wouldn’t it be great if you could watch the event on your computer? Well, now you can thanks to the streaming service. Hundreds of events have been shown on their site in the past, with options ranging from soccer and hockey to tennis and golf. I’ve used the service a few times, and I’ve found the streaming quality to be better than I would’ve imagined.
If you ever tire of betting on real human beings, bwin is already one step ahead of you. That’s why they offer virtual tennis, another gambling option that also happens to be streamed live on their site.
The graphics on these matches are impressive, and anyone who’s only half paying attention is likely to mistake it for the real thing. Numerous matches take place throughout the day, and you never have to worry about a contest being canceled due to weather or injury.
Punters can wager on a number of outcomes, just like in a real tennis match. In the much-anticipated Chang Bai vs Brock Webb contest, for example, customers could wager on game winner, set winner, total points, correct score, and the total points scored in a specific game.
My only complaint is that my streaming option was noticeably choppy at times. This, of course, may have more to do with my own Internet service provider than anything involving this bookmaker.
Whether you want to get in on the live betting craze or just enjoy the convenience of making wagers on the go, the betting app provides the same quality options as the traditional online service. Enjoy fast market selections, live alerts, in-depth statistics, and smart shortcuts, all just by tapping on the screen.
Customers who use an iPhone or iPad can download from the Apple App Store. If you use an Android device, then you can get the app directly from the bwin website.
If you enjoy a little casino action from time to time, apps are also available for the company’s mobile casino and poker room. The poker room is almost identical to the original, while the casino offers far fewer slots.
I love free things, which is why the FreeBet option from bwin has always been music to my ears. This special feature allows you to place a wager at the expense of the site, and you’ll get to keep any winnings that exceed the stake. Here’s an example of how it works:
Let’s say that I place a 5 euro FreeBet with odds of 2.50. If I win, my 5 euro stake is multiplied by the 2.5 odds for a total of 12.50 euros. The 5 euro stake is then removed, leaving me with a profit of 7.50 euros.
This promotion can spring up anywhere on the sportsbook, so be sure to keep an eye out for it. I’ve encountered FreeBets that are specific to a certain football league, while others might be attached to a sport such as NBA basketball or cricket. I’ve even seen a few offered just for mobile phone users, which is a smart way to bring in new customers.
If you’re looking for sportsbetting promotions and bonuses, you’ll find that this is one of their weaker areas. Then again, at least they don’t offer bettors a lot of supposedly “free” money and then bury a number of outlandish requirements in the small print.
One of the more notable promotions is called “Cash Out,” which allows customers to cash out their wagers at any time (even in the middle of a game or before it’s started). This applies to single bets, multi bets, live betting, and pre-event wagers. This option isn’t always available, however, so be sure to look carefully before jumping to any conclusions.
Another option that’s unique to bwin is known as “Protektor.” This promotion applies to multi-bets, allowing the player to insure a certain number of picks. If one or more of these fails to win, then the player gets a refund on their wager. Of course, each protected pick costs money, so keep that in mind before making your selection.
The casino is powered by more than 10 different gaming designers, with recognizable names including Amaya, NextGen, IGT, and Evolution. This provides a decent level of diversity, and the combination of table games, slots, and video poker number into the hundreds. Slots are especially plentiful, with lots of popular licensed games such as Guns N Roses, Game of Thrones, and Elvis.
Video poker players may be disappointed, as the return percentages on games aren’t as high as what you’ll find elsewhere. The most profitable video slot is Aces and Faces with a 99.26% RTP, but all other versions pays less than 99%. If this is your game of choice, you might want to look elsewhere.
Unfortunately, they have some predatory terms that have given them a bad name among a large segment of the gaming community. While they have a lot of games to choose from, be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully before making a sizable financial commitment.
The latest online casino trend is gambling via a streaming feed, allowing players to interact with a live dealer instead of an impersonal computerized table. Most of the major gaming sites now offer this option, and bwin is no different. The last time I visited their site, I found the following live casino games available:
I’ve found their selection to be better than many of their competitors, and the streaming feed is always clear and smooth. While I’m not especially fond of the live dealer experience, those who are interested should find more than enough choices to satisfy their craving.
This is sort of a catch-all category within the site, as it features an assortment of games that seem to have slipped through the cracks. These are grouped into the following categories:
I counted just over 50 available games, although the house edge for these tends to be less player-friendly than other sections of the website. Most of the graphics are basic by comparison, so don’t expect the same quality experience.
I’m unsure why there’s another slots section, especially when the main casino has so many titles to choose from. This entire section smacks of something that was just thrown together on the fly, although it does present yet another option for customers looking to pass the time.
Fans of poker can find a wide selection of options at the bwin room dedicated to the popular card game. Both tournament and sit & go events are available, and the following games can always be found:
The poker section is easy to navigate, and it can be downloaded onto your computer or played instantly in your browser. Mobile poker is also available, with downloads available for both Android and iOS users.
They have a decent amount of traffic throughout the day, so you shouldn’t have to worry about finding competition. The mixture between novice and veteran players is also strong, so customers can find opponents of all skill levels.
Single and multi-table tournaments abound, as well as shootout satellites, freerolls, heads-up, progressive knockouts, and even bounties. There are a wide variety of buy-ins, which makes it convenient for players of all financial levels.
If you need to reach their customer service department, you can do so in one of the following ways:
Live Chat – Available through website.
Contact Form – Available through website.
Telephone – 00350 200 77761 (7 days per week)
Snail Mail – ElectraWorks Limited, Suite 6, Atlantic Suites, Europort Avenue, Gibraltar
The telephone and live chat options are obviously the fastest, and you should expect to receive a response in one minute or less. Of course, the person on the other end can vary in their level of helpfulness, and I’ve seen a number of complaints regarding employees who were difficult or just downright rude. I’ve never had any trouble myself, but I can’t speak for everyone.
The website is an all-around solid place to gamble, especially for those who enjoy sports betting. The wagering options and supported sports are impressive, although the lack of horse racing is bound to disappoint some customers.
Their bingo, poker, and casino services are passable, although questionable customer service and predatory small print have sometimes left players with a bad taste in their mouths. Despite this, those with a passion for live gambling or progressive jackpots may want to brave the waters for a chance to strike it rich.
I suggest giving bwin a try if you’re passionate about betting on sports. For those who prefer table games and poker, you may be better off finding a site that focuses on those areas.
