Bwin goes live in Russia

GVC Holdings’ online sports betting brand Bwin has officially launched its service offering in Russia.

In a statement on its website, Bwin Russia said it is now taking bets on Russian territory, having previously delayed the launch of the platform from September to mid-November.

The launch comes as the result of a partnership between GVC and Russian investor Alexander Mamut, who owns the company holding the licence, Digital Betting LLC, as well as online technology firm Rambler & Co.

Mamut is said to have pledged up to €10m per year over the next three years to develop the new Bwin.ru brand.

The platform initially went live last month for preliminary registrations and offered a shared bonus pot of RUB100m (€1.4m/€1.7m) to all new sign-ups.

Bwin is the first foreign operator to be handed a licence since the jurisdiction began regulating sports betting two years ago.

Speaking last month, a spokesman for the new venture said: “Our entry into the Russian market is thought to be a pioneering movement – we are the first foreign brand to operate in the market ever – and will pave the way for the entrance of other major betting sites,” he added.

“We understand many players still bet offline due to there being plenty of betting shops.

“We did a lot of research to prepare for the launch and are ready to meet the expectations of those who believed and continue to believe in us.”