Bwin goes live in Russia
GVC-owned sportsbook becomes first non-Russian online betting company to obtain an official licence in the country
Bwin has gone live in Russia, becoming the first foreign online betting brand to obtain an official license in the country.
Bwin has partnered with one of Russia’s largest media companies, Rambler&Co. as reported in June, along with local operator Digital Betting, which holds one of the country’s few online betting licenses.
GVC will license the bwin brand to the two companies, along with its platform, support services and betting product, while Rambler and Digital Betting will take care of the advertising and marketing of the product.
A web-based sportsbook is now available at bwin.ru, while iOS and Android apps will be introduced to the market shortly.
Bwin Russia CEO and general director of Digital Betting, Dmitry Sergeev, said: “We have worked extremely hard to adapt the platform in line with the regulatory requirements and we are excited to be live in the market.
“In preparing bwin.ru we have incorporated feedback and requests from our customers which were collected during the pre-registration stage.
“We are sure that Russian bettors will want to choose bwin, and trust us with their business.”
Bwin’s regulated launch in the market ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia could prove a lucrative strategy, particularly with the support of Rambler&Co, which is owned by Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut.
According to Forbes, Mamut was known as the “Yeltsin family banker” and is described by The Telegraph as “the most powerful oligarch you have never heard of”. He also owns British bookstore chain Waterstones.