Anonibet has become the latest gold member of the Bitcoin Foundation. The bitcoin bet shop is currently in the middle of its World Cup 2014 contest, with a total of 22 BTC up for grabs.

Anonibet has been around since 2011 and it has the distinction of being the first bitcoin sportbook and casino. It offers user the opportunity to bet on a wide range of sports, from basketball and football to snooker and beach volley.

With its latest World Cup 2014 contest and its recent decision to support the Bitcoin Foundation, Anonibet is hoping to attract new users and engage existing customers too.

Anonibet’s World Cup 2014 Contest

Anonibet first announced its World Cup 2014 Contest last month –setting aside 22 BTC in prizes, no strings attached.

According to the site, a skilled player can walk away with up to 10 BTC. However, since the Cup itself turned into a roller-coaster ride even before the group stage was over, users will inevitably require more luck than skill.

In any case, the promotion was good for business, as Anonibet’s Michael Hoshford explains:

“The World Cup is the most important sport event for all sportsbooks. The World Cup lasts a month and it offers much more matches than any other competition.”

The company claims its total prize of 22 BTC is so far the highest guaranteed prize of any sportsbook, whether it be bitcoin accepting or not.

Anonibet says it experienced a “very positive reaction” since its prizes are guaranteed and there is no fine print. Each winner will be able to withdraw their prize without having to place any bets and Anonibet told CoinDesk that the concept has already attracted a number of new users keen to adopt bitcoin just to take part in the contest.

Supporting the Bitcoin Foundation

But why has the company decided to formally support the Bitcoin Foundation at this time? Hoshford responded that he simply wants to see the foundation bridge the gap between bitcoin and established financial institutions and regulators:

“Since bitcoin is not backed by a bank or government, there is no ‘official’ body to answer questions coming from governments or any other institutions. The foundation’s role is very important to fill this gap.”

“We are strong believers in bitcoin and we think that it is on the verge [of going] mainstream in the coming 1-2 years, so that is why now is the perfect time to back the foundation,” he added.

Although details remain sketchy, Hoshford also used the opportunity to announce new features coming to the platform soon. “Our next product release will be a live dealer casino,” he said.

While Anonibet claims to have the highest prize, it is not the only service offering World Cup betting. We took a close look at World Cup bitcoin betting offers in our roundup earlier this month.

Futbol image via Shutterstock