Winner.com
Year established: 2011
Mobile compatible: Yes
Jurisdiction: Malta & UK
Overall rating: C-
Recommended: For recreational players
Winner Sports Review
Winner is something of a newcomer to sports betting, as whilst the online casino has been active since 2009 the sportsbook was only launched in 2011.
Licensed and regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority, it was a betting partner for West Ham United but this deal ended when Betway became the club’s principal sponsor.
The bookmaker is powered by platform provider Playtech whilst the live statistics are provided by Betradar. Every event has live stats attached to it, as well as live scores in-play which are also delivered by Betradar. Audio commentaries are available for horseracing and football events.
Winner has a presence on both Twitter and Facebook but isn’t particularly social media savvy and is yet to embrace these channels in the same manner as more innovative competitors.
Betting markets
It has the typical range of popular sports markets such as football, tennis, horseracing and some more niche options such as MMA, volleyball and winter sports. It does not however have any esports markets, and its politics markets are somewhat limited.
It offers virtual sports which includes virtual football, horseracing, greyhounds and speedway. There are consistent events with a countdown on each to the next live race or match. This is a particular highlight of the Winner site. The casino products are extensive, this is after all what the Winner brand was built on, and there are separate tabs for Casino, Vegas, Live Casino, Slots, Poker and Bingo.
Inplay betting
Similar to the pre-match markets you can select specific ‘Favourite Events’ within the inplay section which is a helpful factor if you’re betting live on events across leagues and sports.
There are three ways in which you can view the live betting page depending on your preference, and this level of personalisation definitely scores the bookmaker some plus points. In terms of live betting markets there are a number of markets across the sports it offers, and wading through them is easy with the search bar.
Usability of the site
The site is available in English, German, Portuguese, Chinese, Russian, Greek and Swedish. This flexibility is handy as is the option to be able to select favourites in regard to sports you like to bet on, meaning these will appear on the top left of your account page.
The search bar, also well located at the top left, is another feature which improves usability something which is needed due to the main homepage being particularly busy with too many markets and toolbars viewable at once.
One negative feature is that upon entering specific markets such as politics on the desktop site there appears a huge ad telling you to ‘Download the app’. This is poorly placed, it’s unimaginative in-your-face marketing and, most importantly, it worsens the user experience. The size of the ad is such that the available markets themselves are very much relegated to second place when looking at the page.
To its credit the app is a strong product, it’s slick and easy to use and navigate. Available on both iOS and Android platforms it contains features such as ‘Top Bets’ and regularly updated ‘Betting Highlights’. It’s reliable and the in-play markets contain enough stats whilst not getting over-complicated.
Customer service is also good, Winner includes e-mail, a Freephone number in the UK and, increasingly the support method of choice for many, there is the live chat facility that is available 24/7.
Conclusion
Winner needs to focus on its marketing strategy. Its mobile app is excellent but the extent to which it forces it on those using the site is unacceptable and it simply gets annoying. The site in general is navigable, if a little busy, but overall user experience remains strong.
The range of customer service is also good, as those that like to bet late at night still have the option to talk to support staff via chat. From an innovative perspective though Winner needs to focus on improving its output on Twitter and Facebook, and it’s yet to introduce esports markets.
Many online reviews complain about Winner’s terms and conditions surrounding its promotional offers and the amount of ‘red tape’ prior to payouts. This is particularly damaging to its reputation and something the bookmaker absolutely must work on if it is to thrive in a busy marketplace.
Advantages:
– Owned and backed by a reputable brand;
– Huge selection of markets and some of the best odds around;
– Fully integrated gambling site;
– Ability to “favourite” certain sports;
– Free bets and enhanced odds for all new account holders;
– Live scores and streaming of live events;
– Simple and effective interface;
– Low minimum deposit;
– Many payment options available;
– Wide range of customer service options.
Disadvantages:
– High wagering requirements on some promotions;
– Tend to limit fast and high winning players;
– Restricted play in some countries.
Payments:
Visa/Mastercard, Skrill (Moneybookers), Webmoney, QIWI, Neteller, ClickandBuy, Ukash, Click2Pay, Moneta.ru, Yandex money, 1Pay, PaysafeCard, Giropay, Western Union, Abaqoos, Bank Transfer, EntroPay, eps, iDeal, InstaDebit, Neosurf, Nordea, Poli, Przelewy24, Teleingreso
*Keep in mind to double check information. Be prepared for changes to restricted countries, bonuses, currencies, deposit and payment options, languages, contact info.
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