888 Betting Site
In This Review
Sports Betting at 888 Sport The sports betting section of the company has arguably been their biggest success over the last decade or so. 888 have always been well known for both online casino and online poker, and it was sports that they struggled to really get to grips with for whatever reason. 888 is an internationally-acclaimed brand with a strong US presence. Scores of sports fans have registered with us, and millions more are waiting in the wings to sign up with 888sport, the best online sports betting site in the US. As one of the industry’s power players, we continually strive for excellence in every sports betting market. 888 is an internationally-acclaimed brand with a strong US presence. Scores of sports fans have registered with us, and millions more are waiting in the wings to sign up with 888sport, the best online sports betting site in the US. As one of the industry’s power players, we continually strive for excellence in every sports betting market. In play betting online at 888 Sport Bet live at 888sport – with numerous events and fixtures to choose from every day. Whether you’re mad about the beautiful game, can’t wait to see what happens at the stumps, or love the thrill of a scrum, betting on almost any sport as the action unfolds is possible with us. It’s simple with 888sport.
888 are one of the world leading online gambling companies. They’ve been around since 1997 and in that time have managed to establish themselves in all formats of the gambling industry. The company first started predominantly as an online poker room, but have from that evolved into a much more well-rounded gambling outlet.
888 are based out of Gibraltar and hold their licensing with the Licencing Authority of Gibraltar. They’ve been long time servants to a massive player database from over 50 countries around the world and continue to offer an almost unrivalled betting home for all of their players.
These days 888 are able to provide casino, sports, poker and bingo to their punters, with each section bringing in a wealth of success for the company.
Sports Betting at 888 Sport
The sports betting section of the company has arguably been their biggest success over the last decade or so. 888 have always been well known for both online casino and online poker, and it was sports that they struggled to really get to grips with for whatever reason.
These days however, their sportsbook is absolutely thriving and they boast tons of sports and markets for their players from a magnitude of countries around the globe. A part of the company’s success in expanding has been their integration with mobile betting. Their betting app was recently re-designed in 2015 and now will hold it’s own against any of the major players in the industry. In fact, it’s often said that the site is easier to manage on mobile than on their desktop format, which is a credit to their betting app more than a disservice to their desktop.
Odds and Markets
As we mentioned earlier in the article, the sports betting section has come a long way over the last couple of years or so for 888 and one of the main reason behind this is the fact that they are now much more competitive with their odds pricing structure. Due to the aggressive nature of the industry and the ability to easily cross check odds from a host of bookmakers, 888Sport had to act on what was a part of their business that struggled previously.
These days you can run their prices through any odds comparison website to see that they are pretty much always there or thereabouts. We did find that they were rarely top price for many markets, but then they were always within 5% or so at worst from the markets that we checked.
Their market coverage has always been excellent and they boast a really strong range of sports and then markets for each of those sports. We’d argue that it’s fair to say that football and horse racing take up the vast majority of their markets, but then this is fairly common practice given their player demographic. Outside of these the likes of tennis, cricket, darts, American Football, Basketball and golf are very well covered.
Live Betting
The live betting section is one that’s well in its ascendancy. We’d go as far as saying that 888Sport don’t have the largest range of live sports to sink your teeth in, but they do send the majority of their sports markets in-play, which always gives it a sense that it’s a hive of activity.
The site has recently been re-designed and the live section has probably benefited from this more than others. The have started using the column system and once you click on a game that you want to bet on, it opens up a new column which includes all the in-play markets along with a match centre that includes up the second live action shots of each game.
Whilst there is no dedicated live streaming channel as such, you are able to stream a host of horse races from across Britain and Ireland. You will need to have had a wager of least £1 to view the race and once it’s complete, the feed will close down, unless you continue to wager on the next race that is.
Other Features
888Sport have added in a statistics section that will rival any bookmaker in the industry. These types of features are pretty common to be fair, but at 888Sport you’re getting a plethora of information on a host of sports, completely free of charge.
At 888 you’re also going to be able access certain ‘zones’ that they promote when there’s a major tournament on such as the Euro’s or The Masters for example. In there you will be able to see all the betting markets for that event along with a statistics section that is dedicated to it. It’s a great addition to the site and one that really comes in handy if you’re targeting a certain event to bet on.
Casino Games at 888 Casino
The casino section at 888 is one that’s been the backbone of the company for a number of years now. They are generally the brand that a lot of people seem to congregate towards and that’s for good reason. They offer up some of the most exciting games in the industry and are able to offer a safe and secure platform, with over 2 decades of knowledge behind them.
What’s been great to see about their casino section is the company’s ability to keep improving, keep adding new games and also not being afraid to shake things up when things seem to be getting a little stale; their recent re-design being a massive part of that.
Software and Games
888 use a multitude of casino software providers including WagerLogic, IGT, Dragonfish and Random Logic. But, they also use their own in-house software as well, which is actually very unique to the industry. The number of games that they individually produce is actually quite low, but it has allowed them to plug gaps in the markets fro games that they thought their punters might like, which is pretty cool!
The wide number of developers means that the 888 casino can only be accessed on an instant play basis, but it does allow you to play from both Mac and Windows based machines. They include a really healthy catalogue of games, with over 200 slots and over 70 table games ranging from blackjack, roulette, Sic Bo, punto banco and everything in between.
Mobile Casino Games
The mobile casino can be accessed via any smartphone device simply by scanning the QR Code on their website. Alternatively, and possibly more easily, you can visit the casino’s page in your smartphones browser and then you will be immediately re-directed to where you need to be.
The mobile version of the casino doesn’t include all the games that you can play on the desktop as some of the developers that they use have made their games mobile compatible. But, we would guess that around 70% of them are on, including all the major titles such as Gonzo’s Quest Starburst and all the table games.
Other
888 Poker
As we briefly mentioned earlier in the article, 888 actually run an extremely popular poker room. In fact, for a lot of years it’s what the company were best known for. The company are unique in that they still run off their own independent poker network and it’s one of the few smaller networks that are still thriving even to this day.
Being on there own, if you will, allows 888 to run dozens of different tournaments all targeted towards their player demographic and whilst it may lack a little in numbers, it makes up for in features and added multi table tournaments.
888 Bingo
The bingo section is the company’s newest addition after its insertion in 2009. They offer up a really nice range of games including 90 ball and 75 ball variants, but they target the jackpot games heavily, making it a hot bed for players looking for those big prizes from a small outlay. It’s worth noting that in 2012 they won Online Bingo Operator of the Year from the IGA Gaming Awards and in 2014 they won Best Bingo Marketing Campaign at the EGR Operator Marketing and Innovation Awards.
Payment Methods
As you would expect, 888 offer up a load of payment options ranging from debit cards to e-wallets. Some of the more popular include Visa Debit Card, Entropay, AstroPay, Maestro, Neteller, PayPal, Skrill, Web Money and Bank Transfer. No payment method will be charged for making a deposit, and the majority wont be charged for withdrawals either. You can expect withdrawal times to range from just a couple hours to a week.
Customer Service
At 888 you will be able to contact them via either email or by telephone, of which you can see below:
- Email: support@888.com
- Phone: 0808 096 4780
888 Betting Site
Probably one of the oldest betting sites in the world, 888Sport has a reputation as a trusted and serious betting operation. That’s why today we have an 888Sport review in line. The site boasts around 40 sports that you can bet on, live betting and a wide range of great promotions and bonuses. The story of 888 Holdings dates back to 1997, and they’ve been around since the first days of the internet. The company is based in Gibraltar and is behind another successful gambling story, Casino-On-Net. In 2008, the company decided to launch a sports betting website that would cater to the needs of a wider audience – 888Sport or, in some countries, 888Bet.
Pros / Cons
Easy banking
Intuitive betting
Great interface
Rich sportsbook
History
The story of 888 Holdings dates back to 1997, and they’ve been around since the first days of the internet. The company is based in Gibraltar and is behind another successful gambling story, Casino-On-Net. In 2008, the company decided to launch a sports betting website that would cater to the needs of a wider audience – 888Sport or, in some countries, 888Bet.
How to Start
From the first moment you find yourself on their website, 888Sport makes sure you know what to do. You can see the “Join Now” button, which is located on the top right side of the screen. Once you press it, there is a three-step process that you have to go through. The first one requires you to enter your first and last name, country, email, gender and date of birth. The next step is the username and password creation, along with the security question of your own choosing. After that, 888 Sport takes you to the final step where you enter your desired currency, postal code, city, phone number and address.
After that, you have to wait an hour or two for a verification email, which is quite odd, considering the fact that it should be an automatic service. Once you click on the verification link, you’ll be taken back to the website homepage, and from there, you’ll have to click on the login button – and from there you’ll be taken to the final step of registration on an 888sport login page where you must provide your username and password. Congratulations, you can finally play!
Special Loot
There are an awful lot of bonuses that the website provides for its members. For all new members there’s a special welcome Free Bet bonus of £20 on a desktop plus a £10 Free Bet bonus on a mobile device cleverly disguised as a £30 Welcome Bonus. Free Bet is exactly as it spells: a free bet you can place on most of the games. You have to make a first deposit of £10 and enter the special 888sport promo code for 2018 which is ‘30fb’.
There’s also a wide range of daily bonuses you can check out, each with their own special promo codes, but they change daily, so make sure you check them out regularly so you don’t miss out on them. Additionally, there’s a great boost bonus for every member that places football bets at odds of 2.0 or more with a minimum amount of £10. The bigger the odds are, the more your boost increases, and if you win at odds of 5.1 or more, you get £5 in Free Bets.
This all sounds fine and dandy. However, upon reading the 888sport bonus policy we find out that any bonus amount you get has to be wagered 30 times its original amount; for example, if you get £10, you have to gamble at least £300 in order to even be eligible to withdraw those £10, which by now you’ve probably lost.
By far the most useful bonus you can come across is the American Dream Bonus, where, if one of your American market sports bets fails, you get the equal amount back from the 888 sports betting site in the form of Free Bets. Be aware, though, that Free Bets expire within 72 hours, so make sure to use them as soon as possible.
Loading Cash
Once you decide you want to start depositing some cash, you can click on your balance number at the top right corner of the page. A pop-up window will appear with all the available deposit options: we used Skrill, but there are also options for Visa and Mastercard (debit only for the UK players), Neteller and EcoPayz.
888 Betting Sites
If you get stuck, 888 Sport has you covered: there is a button for deposit assistance and a short FAQ button that takes you through the process of depositing for each method. There’s also a small button that you might miss, but it enables you to deposit with the promo code, so make sure to check it out, along with the current promo codes available.
888Sport offers dozens and dozens of payment methods to its customers. You can load your cash using debit cards, wire transfers, pre-paid transfers, e-wallets, and PayPal users will be delighted to hear that 888Sport also supports PayPal. Another good thing is the speed at which the deposits are made. Our Skrill deposit took less than a minute, and the minimum was £10. The minimum amount for withdrawals is £10 for wire transfers, and £3 for all other methods.
Note that when making your first deposit, you’ll be asked to confirm your age, so make sure you have your passport or ID present with you. Upon uploading the images, the 888 betting site will send you another verification email, and then you’re pretty much good to go.
What About the Games?
Poker In
As for the games assortment, 888Sport offers a satisfying amount of 40 different sports to choose from. The biggest section, of course, is football, where you have a selection of 105 different leagues and cups to bet on from around the world. You also have your average roster of greyhound and horse races, American football, ice hockey and rugby.
Now, this is a perfect time for a small 888 sportsbook review. Upon logging in, you can access your sportsbook and all relevant info by clicking on the top left corner. Once you’re there, you can find the data on your previous bets and the upcoming games you’ve bet on.
When accessing the league you’re interested in, you’ll be taken to a page that displays current and future games and their odds. Placing a bet is easy and intuitive: just click the button on the right side, upon which a small pop-up will appear and ask you to enter the specified betting amount and confirmation. The system loads your bet in a matter of seconds, so all that’s left is waiting.
You’ll be happy to hear that there are dedicated 888Sport mobile apps both for Android and iOS users that you can download if you want to play on the go. The apps run smoothly, and all the options are there, even the customer support.
Is the Site Working Well?
The site is designed in a simplistic manner with a bright orange header and a layout of its current games on a black background. Right on the top, you’ll find links to all the main sections of the website. The top right corner contains your balance and account information, and the left has all the sports listed in a random order.
The overall look of the site is sort of outdated and needs a little overhaul. If you go to bet365 or find any review online about their site, you’ll see that their interface looks much more coherent and functional, so 888Sport definitely has more work to do when it comes to updating the design. Most importantly, sometimes you won’t even be able to access the site, but we suppose that’s due to the high traffic.
The Spoils
In order to withdraw your money from 888Sport, just click on your balance and a pop-up window will appear demanding info about your email, the amount, preferred currency and withdrawal method.
“Will 888Sport cause me any withdrawal problems?” you might ask. Well, there is one pretty huge concern, and that’s the fact that you have to wait three working days in order to withdraw your money. The minimum withdrawal amount is £4, and if it’s your first time, you’ll have to provide a document in order to verify your age.
Is There Anybody Out There?
When talking about the people who might be holding you back, we have to note that the customer support at the 888Sport website is very slow and is one of the weakest points in our 888Sport review.
Unlike the deposit page, where you can find two buttons for customer support right in the middle of it, on the homepage you have to look around for quite a while until you find the customer support button tucked in the top menu. Clicking on it, you’ll be taken to a page where they have a dedicated phone number with operators working from 9 a.m. until midnight GMT, a large FAQ section and a contact form.
You’ll be sad to learn that there is no 888sport live chat. Upon completing the form, the support bot will suggest a couple of possible solutions from the FAQ, based on the word pattern you used, but if that’s not enough, you can still email real living humans. The website instantly sends you an email, but it’s just another bot suggestion with an indication that your real reply will arrive in approximately 48 hours. The reply arrived within 24 hours, and the support team did provide a valid answer, but it wasn’t worth the wait.
How Tight Is the Security?
The security at 888Sport is also kind of confusing, and it’s another weak spot in our 888Sport review. Upon registering and uploading the required documents, we found ourselves in a predicament where we were forced to take additional steps in verifying our identity. During this process, the website will arbitrarily cancel your bets, even though you were eligible to make them in the first place.
Upon reading the terms and conditions, we find out that the company is owned by the 888 Group based in Gibraltar and therefore complies with its local laws under Remote Gaming license numbers 022 and 039. The 888Sport UK website is operated by 888UK Ltd. (Remote Gaming License Number 000-039028-R-319297-0016) and is regulated by the Great Britain Gambling Commission. We are assured that the RNG (Random Number Generator) is tested by the company on a regular basis and that all the payout percentages are audited by third-party companies.
On the upside, the website promotes and supports responsible gaming. If at any time you start to feel like you might have a problem, you can set your own deposit limits or enter a Take-a-Break program that permits you to freeze your account from one day to six weeks. There’s also a self-exclusion program, but it’s not specified how long it lasts.
Conclusion
The end of our 888Sport review is reserved for summarizing all our general impressions. On the one hand, the gameplay is easy and intuitive, the sportsbook is comprehensive and depositing takes a full minute at worst if you’re using an E-Wallet.
On the other hand, there are not that many depositing options, withdrawing your money takes too long, not even counting the countless verification processes you have to go through, and the customer support response time should definitely be improved if 888Sport aims to qualify for a spot among the best betting sites.