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Bwin's Virtual Casino Plans Profiled

October 26, 2009 (CAP Newswire) — Continuing its high-rolling exposure in the Internet’s most premier online business media, Austrian-based online gaming company Bwin was the subject of a recent profile detailing its plans to take its site from a basic “Internet casino” to a newer-model “virtual casino”.

To do so, the company is “experimenting with social networking and other interactive technologies to simulate the experience of a live casino,” the article’s author, Tim Ferguson, states.

“When you think of gambling, smoky casinos populated by tough guys chewing cigars and nursing their whiskey probably come to mind. … UK online gamblers might not quite fit this image but they can increasingly get into the spirit of their Vegas counterparts through technology that allows them a way to banter across the baize with their opponents.”

The new tool that bwin is testing out, called Shoutbox, has the goal of placing online visitors in a more interactive online casino that transcends just one site. They’ll also have the option of commenting and holding conversations about their bets, as well as the ability to challenge people to games via their friend lists on Facebook and Twitter.

Bwin’s plans go beyond pre-existing social media sites, though; it also has its eye on creating a social software platform that gives online gamblers tools like buddy lists, instant messaging, and alerts. So, a system designed to take advantage of the current popularity of social media sites like Facebook also has as its long-term goal the plan of bringing online gamers into a whole new social world — this one created around the idea of an online gambling community. It's brand-building for the modern era, and it appears to be working for the company.

And, although the idea isn’t exactly a new one, with its resources and brand awareness, Bwin might just be the firm to finally pull it off.

Click here to read the original profile at BusinessWeek.com. Details of the bwin online casino affiliate program can be found here