With Winamax, another bookmaker specializing in cryptocurrencies is trying to win the favor of sports betting fans. The bookie has been active since 2016. We take the recent page relaunch and the translation of the portal into USA as an opportunity to subject the betting provider to a detailed editorial test. We were curious to see whether the very professional presentation does what it promises.
A growing number of bookmakers now offer sports betting with cryptocurrencies. Some have completely specialized in this and even allow betting with Bitcoin and Altcoins. We wanted to find out whether Winamax can keep up with conventional bookmakers in terms of betting offers, odds, safety standards and all other relevant areas.
Betting offer
As for the sports covered by Winamax, even the most demanding betting fans will get their money’s worth. The fact is that all important disciplines, as well as lesser-known sports , can be found in the portfolio. Anyone who calls up the page has a selection of the currently most popular events including betting options on the screen. You can access the entire betting program via a drop-down menu on the left side of the homepage. Around 25 sports were available during our test. These are listed among each other, apparently according to demand. King Football is followed in the ranking with tennis, baseball, American football, basketball and ice hockey by the usual suspects of the most popular disciplines among betting fans.
It continues with classics such as handball, volleyball, golf, rugby, table tennis, boxing, MMA as well as darts and snooker. It is striking that the traditional British betting markets horse and dog races are missing. The same applies to motorsport. Winamax is also currently disappointing those who prefer real exotic products. Beach volleyball, squash and futsal are most likely to have a niche character, although during our test the impressive number of 17 different leagues was available for the latter alone. Also worth mentioning is a very solid e-sports offering , which has all popular games on board with Call of Duty, Counter Strike, DOTA, League of Legends and Star Craft. The portfolio is completed by special bets from the area of politics.
The betting offer in terms of football is almost gigantic . Well over 100 leagues and competitions were available during our test. Of course, all top European leagues (Bundesliga, Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1) and all important competitions of UEFA (Champions and Europa League) and other international associations such as AFC, CAF, CONCACAF or the FIFA Club World Cup are covered . In addition, at SportBet.io you can basically type all around the world. In addition to a considerable selection of women’s and youth competitions, this also includes blatant exotic leagues in countries such as Uzbekistan, Syria or El Salvador.
For the top matches, betting fans always have between 80 and 120 betting options available . From the classic 3-way bet to handicap, double chance, over / under betting and goal betting – each in every conceivable variant – to half-time and special bets, there is definitely nothing left to be desired here.
Live betting
The live betting area, somewhat unfavorably translated as “in game”, is a real highlight of the bookmaker. Although the number of options available cannot yet keep up with the absolute industry giants, all important competitions and leagues can also be bet in real time . As in the pre-match area, the focus is particularly on the disciplines of football, tennis, basketball, all other ball sports and e-sports.
With a click on the desired event, the user is taken to the clearly laid out live cockpit, from which many competitors can cut themselves off. The available betting options are arranged centrally, odds changes are indicated at first glance by green or red arrows. On the right-hand side there is a successful graphical representation of the game , which keeps you informed about current events and goes into great detail. In addition, the user is shown numerous statistics that can be filtered according to individual game sections or (depending on the sport) according to specific values.
The bottom line is that we rate our Winamax experience with live betting as extremely positive. The real-time area of the bookmaker impresses with a high level of information and exemplary clarity. The only thing that would be desirable is that the number of available events be increased somewhat.
Betting bonus
Basically, Winamax can make deposits and wagers in multiple currencies. You do not have to commit yourself permanently, but can hold balances both in euros and in the cryptocurrencies Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETC) and All Sports Coin (SOC).
This plays a role for the new customer bonus in that the premium is calculated based on the currency used for your first bet. Winamax will credit you with a free bet three times the amount of the first bet. This is always set to an exact value. The following bonus amounts result for the different currencies:
- Bet amount: EUR 10.00 = value of free bet: EUR 30.00
- Bet amount: 0.002 BTC = value of free bet: 0.006 BTC
- Bet amount: 0.03 ETH = value of free bet: 0.09 ETH
- Bet amount: 250.00 SOC = value of free bet: 750.00 SOC
Since cryptocurrencies are sometimes subject to significant fluctuations in exchange rates, you should consider the current exchange rate before placing your first bet . At the time of the test (October 3, 2018), 0.006 BTC corresponded, for example, to EUR 33.46, while the free bet of 0.09 ETH was worth only EUR 17.06. So if you want to receive the maximum possible bonus, choose the most profitable currency.
After the first deposit of any amount, the qualifying bet is only a minimum of 1.50. All sports and betting markets, including live and combination bets, are available to you. The free bet will then be credited to you within 48 hours.
Winamax prescribes very customer-friendly wagering requirements for unlocking the bonus . The free bet must only be placed once on the sports betting of your choice within seven days of receipt. A fair minimum quota of 1.50 also applies here. Afterwards, winnings can be paid out (minus the value of the free bet).
The amount of the Winamax welcome offer cannot convince. Other bookmakers offer significantly more here. On the other hand, we rate the sales conditions as very positive. This means that free spins of the bonus amount are absolutely feasible even for beginners.
Deposits/withdrawals
The payment options offered depend on the respective currencies in which Winamax can both hold credit and place bets. You do not have to commit yourself as a customer, but can maintain several accounts in different currencies and select them as required.
In order to make deposits and withdrawals, call up the menu “deposit” in your betting account, which you will find highlighted in green in the upper area of the page. Here too, the bumpy translation into USA, which runs through the entire range of bookmakers, is striking. You can then select the relevant credit account. Winamax currently has the following currencies in its portfolio:
- Euro (€)
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- All Sports Coin (SOC)
- Brazilian Real (R $)
The latter is unlikely to play a role for sports betting fans in America, so we won’t go into that any further. In addition to the two most popular cryptocurrencies Bitcoin and Ethereum, Winamax also offers transfers with the lesser known All Sports Coin. Developed especially for the sports market, SOC is currently relatively ranked 202nd in the ranking of digital cryptocurrencies. The further development of this entirely innovative project remains to be seen.
For all cryptocurrencies, deposits and withdrawals at Winamax are made via common e-wallets. To do this, you simply have to copy the respective payment address of the currency account into the field for the recipient of your e-wallet. Alternatively, a QR code can also be used. Then select the desired amount and click on “send”. As a rule, the credit is available on the betting account after a few minutes. If you have no experience with cryptocurrencies, you can find detailed information on the purchase and payment of Bitcoin, Ethereum and All Sports Coin in the Winamax payment menu. Deposits and withdrawals in euros are currently only possible with credit cards. The bookmaker does not provide any further information on which card types are accepted.
Winamax generally does not charge payment fees . However, please note that processing charges may apply when using credit cards, as determined by the respective card issuer.
Website and app
The structure of the website is one of the great strengths of the bookmaker. The layout is based on the proven concept of classic betting portals. The different sports are listed on the left side of the page. Under the main account function in the header you will be informed about current promotions. When you call up the page, you have the most popular events including the most important betting odds on your screen. That is all very clearly laid out and definitely not cluttered unlike many competitors. The color scheme convinces with subtle shades of blue and green and has a significant share in the pleasant user experience even when staying on the page for a long time.
The demarcation of the individual menus, the highlighting of the odds changes and the design of the betting slip, which (as it should be) always remains in view when scrolling, is implemented here in an exemplary manner. An excellent range of statistics is available for upcoming events and in the live area . For example, users receive information on the probability of winning, shape curve, positioning within the league and a head-to-head comparison. The Sports.Bet.io blog deserves special praise, as it contains many interesting articles on changing topics. Unfortunately, this is only available in English, which brings you to a topic that provides points deduction overall.
Although the main functions of the page (apart from the FAQ section and blog) have been translated into several languages, this has not happened in part in the quality that one can expect from a reputable bookmaker. For example, the sport “billiard” can be found, although it is a snooker. The menu for payments and deposits is translated as “down payment”. A final example: In the e-sports division, you can select the game “Counter-Strike”. Counter-Strike is of course meant. Similar errors can be found all over the page and can quickly lead to misunderstandings, especially when it comes to business or sales conditions. In any case, there is still room for improvement.
Winamax does not have its own app. However, the bookmaker’s website is completely optimized for mobile devices, so that the display automatically adjusts to the respective system when accessed. No matter whether you are on the go with iOS, Android or Windows Phone, a perfect mobile betting experience is guaranteed in all cases. All functions of the desktop version are therefore also available when visiting via smartphone and tablet.
