Bwin goes live in Russia

GVC Holdings PLC, the multinational sports betting and gaming group and DIGITAL BETTING LTD, supported by Rambler&Co, the Russian media group, are pleased to announce the launch of bwin.ru, the first non-Russian online betting brand to be officially licensed and operated in the country.

Bwin.ru offers its clients an innovative product for placing interactive bets. A web-based offer for desktop and mobile is now available to customers, with native iOS and Android apps set to be introduced in the near future. The site offers an expanded selection of the most popular Russian events, which previously have had limited availability on bwin Sportsbook & Racebook. The odds have been formulated for Russian customers and are highly competitive with other offers in the market.

The partnership, which brings together one of Russia's largest and most creative online media companies with one of the world's most popular gaming brands, will be among the first licensed online betting services offered in Russia, and it is anticipated it will take a leading position in the market.

Dmitry Sergeev, general director of DIGITAL BETTING, LLC (CEO bwin Russia), said, "We are pleased to officially announce the launch of bwin in Russia. 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 request 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."

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Bwin signs Robert Pires as brand ambassador

Bwin, the leading European sports book, has appointed legendary French footballer Robert Pires to an ambassadorial role with the company. Hugely respected throughout world football, Pires is particularly admired in his native France, with whom he won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, and in the U.K., where he spent six years with Arsenal and played a key role as an "Invincible" in their unbeaten Premier League title winning season in 2003-04.

In his newly created ambassadorial role, Pires will engage with bwin customers across France and the U.K. A key part of his role will see him produce and feature in a series of short films looking at a variety of sporting challenges. He will also share on camera his experiences as one of the leading lights of his generation. bwin customers will also be able to benefit from Pires' extensive footballing knowledge through his tips, which will be provided around major sporting events.

The films will be promoted across bwin's websites and social media channels along with the opportunity for fans to take part in competitions with exclusive prizes. The first of these will be released on Sunday, 11 June.

Welcoming the announcement, bwin's Chief Marketing Officer, Adam Lewis, said, "This is a marquee signing for bwin. Robert Pires is a footballing legend who was not only one of the most technically gifted players in the world but a proven natural born winner, who has picked up trophies and personal awards wherever he has played. We are really excited to be working with him and can’t wait to get started producing unique and insightful content to share with our customers."

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Chinese firm buys WPT

Great news from the world of poker! The WPT as been acquired by a Chinese-based social gaming company for $35 million. The all-cash transaction was announced Sunday in which Ourgame International Holdings Ltd. will purchase the World Poker Tour from Gibraltar-based Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment. World Poker Tour is known for its internationally televised events and land-based tournaments.

Bwin.Party has owned World Poker Tour since 2009. Last year, Ourgame agreed to license World Poker Tour products and services on an exclusive basis in more than a dozen countries across Asia.

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