The development of online gambling activities in the mid-90s led to a rise in many betting brands. Some of these brands collapsed while others managed to maintain a hold in the industry to date. One such example is Bwin which was founded in 1997 in Vienna, Austria. Its first online gambling platform, launched in 1998, went by the name Betandwin. The focus with this site was mainly on sports betting activities, which happened to have an up and coming industry during that time.
Betandwin's activities fell under the management of GCV Holdings, a company renowned for its success in the sports betting scene.
With more people joining the site for their sports betting activities, Betandwin included a live bet option for its members. Before this innovation, bettors had to make pre-match bets then wait for the games to air. However, with this exclusive option, Betandwin members could, for selected matches, make bets during an ongoing event.
With such successes, the brand moved on to acquire Simon Bold Gibraltar Limited in mid-2001. SBGL was a company well known for its online and telephone betting options. The acquisition set the pace for more developments for the betting platform, including:
- The addition of an online casino in December of 2001
- The launch of a soft games option, Balls of Fire, in 2003, for games with fixed odds
- The addition of multiplayer online poker games in late 2004
- Rebranding to bwin, in mid-2006, a more descriptive name to cater to the variety of services the brand offers
- The addition of live streaming services for leading sports events in 2007
- Being the first online gambling site in 2010 to receive the French issued ARJEL sports betting and poker licenses, which enabled the provision of its services to French bettors
6.1
Is It Legal and Safe?
With real money involved, it's important that bettors only choose legally recognized platforms for their betting activities. That way, in case of any disputes, there are channels for members to lodge their complaints and receive appropriate feedback from the operators.
Under the helm of GCV, this brand has managed to acquire licenses from the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority and the UK Gambling Commission for its Britain-based members. These enabled the site to cater to a global audience, as well as guarantee the quality of their services.
As part of the terms stipulated by these regulators, this gambling brand has industry-accepted security measures in place. These help to guarantee that players are safe at all times while on the site. Some of the measures in place include:
- SSL encryption to keep data transfers secure
- Firewalls to ensure that the platform's data servers cannot get accessed by unauthorised personnel
- Privacy policies which guarantee that only the site's authorized staff can access clients' sensitive details
Even though a platform is online, it's important to note that not all countries accept gambling activity, whether online or at physical locations. That being said, the licenses that this brand owns make it such that it can offer its services to several global regions.
Though many, there are still regions that you cannot access this site from. Some of them include US states like Wyoming, Maryland, Indiana, Guam, and Ohio, African countries like Sierra Leone, Congo, Somalia, and Sudan, German territories like Brandenburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Niedersachsen, Hessen, and Bayern, Australian regions like Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales, and Queensland, to list a few.
In case you've travelled and would like to access the platform, get in touch with the support team. The customer representative will let you know whether you're in a region that allows you to visit their site for real money bets.
6.3
Markets and Betting Lines
Since sports betting is where this brand built its name, you«re sure to find an amazing assortment available for your enjoyment. To access the Bwin sport options, clicking on the Sports Betting menu will direct you there. Members here have more than 80 different sports to make bets on. Some of the fan favorite options you'll come across include:
- Football;
- Tennis;
- Basketball;
- Cricket;
- Boxing;
- American Football;
- Rugby League;
- Ice Hockey;
- Volleyball;
- Esports.
For each of the sports you'll find on the site, events like tournaments and leagues are available that offer different betting markets. Once you land on the sports event you'd like to wager on, the markets you can bet on will get displayed in the middle of the screen. In general, Football events here tend to have the highest number of games and markets available. However, depending on the sport you choose, you can expect some of the following markets:
| Result 1X2 | Halftime | Correct Score |
| Handicap | Totals | Number of Corners |
| Over/Under | Next Goal | Goal Scorer |
| Double Chance | Set Winner | Cards |
| Draw No Bet | Both Teams to Score | |
Each of these markets comes with its own odds. These get calculated for every individual game based on the popularity of the event. So, for events with a bigger following, there's more to win for correct predictions. This site has always worked to offer some of the best odds on the market, giving it a competitive edge over competitor sites. As a result, bettors can always expect worthwhile odds on leading markets and events whenever they visit.
Whenever you'd like more of a thrill with your Bwin bet options, then the live betting section is where you should be. As the name suggests, these are bets you can place on ongoing events. This brand is well known for its in-play betting options, having created the option while still operating under the Betandwin name. One thing worth noting is that not all events qualify for live betting. Every online gaming platform has preferences for what they will or will not offer within their live betting section. Here, some of the sports you're likely to find a live event include:
- Basketball;
- Volleyball;
- Tennis;
- Handball;
- Football;
- Badminton;
- Ice Hockey;
- Table Tennis.
These events keep changing, So, you must be on the site to know what you can place live bets on. It's also important to know that since these are ongoing events, most of the available markets and odds also play out quite fast. You have to be quick when making your bets so that the opportunity doesn't pass you.
For you to enjoy any of the real betting options here, you must be a member. The registration process is quite simple, enabling you to get started rather quickly. You will need to fill out your details in three stages before you can complete your user account creation. Start by clicking on the Register button at the top right corner.
- Stage 1 — Fill in your country of residence, your preferred currency, your email address, and a password. The country and currency are automatically selected based on where you access the site. However, you're free to change them as you see fit. Guidelines on what your password must contain are also included.
- Stage 2 — Choose your user ID and input your date of birth. You'll also need to create a security question to help you regain access to your account whenever you forget your login details.
- Stage 3 — Finally, you'll need to fill in personal details such as your physical and postal address, plus your phone number. You'll also have a chance to select whether you'd like to receive news from the site through the post, an SMS, an email, or a phone call.
Once you click on the Create Account button after giving all the necessary details, you'll receive an email with a verification link. Click on it to confirm that you'd like a user account for the betting site. A plus that comes with using this platform for your sports betting is that everything is in a single site. That way, you won't need to go through the hassle of creating other accounts when you'd like to access the casino and poker room.
6.7
Casino and Poker Games
Whenever you need to take a break from sports, you can have a look at the Bwin casino. The casino offers different game categories, including slot varieties in addition to virtual and live table games. These are supplied by well-known developers, ensuring you have an exciting experience.
Poker fans have the Bwin poker room that's been set aside just for them. There, you'll find an impressive assortment of poker variations to test out your skills. The poker room also has exclusive tournaments that boast generous cash prizes for the winners. To access the poker offerings, you'll need to download the corresponding software from the site. That's whether you're on your desktop or mobile device.
