Bwin8 sandwiches a win between a B and an eight. Another way of looking at is that they’ve put a prize in the middle of some bait (b8), and frankly, I think that’s a hell of an honest way to describe any casino. I’m not totally sure that’s what they were going for, but hey, I respect it either way. Hell, that low level of mystery and intrigue about the name is enough to get a bored Porn Dude to load up the site in between afternoon fap sessions, if for no other reason than to figure out what they’re peddling. I’m still a little confused on that front, but whatever—at least I got to gamble!
The name doesn’t make it half as obvious as with similar joints, but Bwin8.ph is an online casino aimed at the Asian market. In fact, they phrase it like this, “Bwin is proud to be the first prestige online gaming website in Asian market.” I’m not sure if the claim is actually true or it’s just a bullshit brag, but I don’t think it matters anyway. Nah, I’ve got my own set of criteria for judging any internet gambling site, and it mainly concerns more practical matters. Marketing hype aside, let’s see how well they live up to my expectations.
No Boner Pills, Just Bonuses
There’s really nothing on the front page of Bwin 8 that differentiates it from most of the other online casinos out there, not unless you count the name. The rest of the presentation is pretty typical, with a lot of flashy colors, bright graphics and text screaming in all caps with multiple exclamation points. “IPHONE 14 IS NOW HERE ON BWIN!!!” read the glowing orange letters beside a sexy Asian lady, slot machines erupting behind her. “OCTOBER MONTH HAS NEVER BEEN THIS EXCITING BEFORE!!!”
It’s only a few days into October Month, but who knows? Maybe they’re onto something. Smaller text scrolls underneath the loud header graphic, this time promoting something a bit more tangible: they offer a nice welcome bonus as well as daily bonuses. Welcome bonuses are a common introductory perk on sites like this, so I made my way to the Bwin8.ph Promotions page to learn more.
Turns out, they’ve got a nice little bundle of promotions. I always recommend checking out the promo page on any online casino you’re fucking with, because they don’t always list all the current gimmicks, freebies, deals and contests on the front page. Right now, there are daily login bonuses, big sportsbook bonuses, the iPhone contest and a super low turnover reload, which they call the Bwin Daily Mid-Night Promo. Bwin 8 has a downloadable app, and you can even get a cash bonus just for installing it on your phone.
As soon as I saw the promos, I was even more excited to play at Bwin8.ph than I’d been minutes earlier. Who wouldn’t want to cash in on all that free shit? Well, here’s where I ran into an odd little quirk about the site, and it’s going to be a deal breaker for a lot of you.
Currently, the only advertised way to deposit funds into your Bwin8 account is through your local bank. They even make you contact customer service just to get their bank account numbers. The reverse is also true: the only current withdrawal method, according to their documentation, is via local bank transfer. To do so, you must supply Bwin 8 with a copy of your ID, your bank account number, and copies of the front and back of your debit/credit card. If you were hoping to gamble away your crypto before it devalues to nothing, you’ll have to head back to my big list of Betting Sites here at ThePornDude and pick somewhere else.
Once I actually got signed up, I found that Bwin also works with GCash. (They’re almost certainly losing potential players by not mentioning this out front.) GCash support will make it a lot easier to play with the site, especially if you’ve already got the app set up on your phone. GCash has been teasing a crypto option, going as far as including a GCrypto icon in the app, but the feature is still “coming soon” as of early October Month. That’ll be a legit gamechanger, both for GCash and Bwin8, so I’m looking forward to seeing that cryptocurrency support finally rolled out.
What Do You Want to Play Today?
The banking options offered by Bwin8.ph ain’t the most enticing in the world, but there’s got to be a reason they’re pulling as much traffic as they are. You know what I think it is? I’d bet my right nut that it’s all about the games.
For starters, they’ve got a nice selection of live games, typically with sexy dealers. I clicked the Live tab expecting to see dudes in suits standing around roulette tables, but instead found a bunch of pretty girls. They work with recognizable brands and providers, which helps me feel right at home. The current offerings include live-dealer gambling from Dream Gaming, Evolution Gaming, AE Sexy and WM Casino.
In case you haven’t noticed by now, pretty much all the reputable online casinos are running games from the same providers. That’s also evident here in the Slots section, where they’ve got the providers listed in a sidebar menu along the left side of the screen. Even if you don’t recognize the brands themselves, the compulsive online gamblers in the audience might recognize a game or two or three. Maybe a lot more, considering they’ve got hundreds of slots and other digital games.
There are virtual slot machines on Bwin 8 with just about any theme you can think of, from cute gambling bunnies to prosperous tigers, to zombies, pirates, fighter pilots and diamond miners. I quickly burned through my initial signup bonus playing Greek Gods, but maybe next time I’ll be a winner.
Bwin8.ph is the only online casino I’ve seen with such big, dedicated sections full of Chess and Fishing games. I have seen these games before, but they’re usually just bundled with the rest of the slots, lotteries and other common games. I guess that’s probably a reflection on the demographics who play here versus the other betting sites. Asians do seem to like fish more than their American counterparts, so it all adds up.
Bet On Sports While Taking a Shit
Finally, Bwin 8 offers a sportbook for those of you who prefer to gamble on somebody else’s efforts. Sometimes it’s just easier and more fun to place a bet on football and then sit back and watch. Sports fans are going to watch anyway, and having some cash riding on it is always a good way to get you a little more excited. One minute you’ll be sitting on your ass, lamenting the weak effort your team seems to be putting in. The next you’ll be on your feet, screaming with joy as they earn you a few pesos or pay your rent.
Bwin8.ph ain’t the greatest online casino in the world. In fact, with the current banking setup, they’re still a few steps away from what I’d call a fully functional online gambling operation. Crypto is vital these days. That said, there’s obviously a reason people keep coming by to risk their life savings. I’d wager many of them are coming by for practical reasons, such as Bwin8’s status as one of the only online casinos serving the Asian market. When your options are limited, sometimes you go for what’s available, and sometimes what’s available is pretty basic.
And that’s how I’d summarize the place: basic. It isn’t bad, but it certainly isn’t great either. It does, however, offer the standard set of risks and rewards most of us are looking for when we visit a casino, whether it’s online or in a building full of flashing lights, cigarette smoke and hookers. Bwin8.ph has games aplenty, from the live dealer games with sexy ladies to the automated table games to the slots and lotteries to the sportsbook. If that’s all you’re looking for, then they’ve got all you need. If nothing else, I’d cash in on that welcome bonus to give the games a test run. If you enjoy yourself, well, keep coming back for those daily bonuses.