888 Casino Review

Is 888 Casino Legit for U.S. Players?

Well, unfortunately for U.S. players outside of New Jersey, for the time being, 888 Casino is not a legit option for you as a player. The casino is off limits to players from the United States, and so even though you see their advertising all over the World Series of Poker, this is meant for an international broadcast audience. 888 Casino was once a powerhouse in the U.S. market so you can expect the brand to be back in some form nationally as soon as they are allowed in more states than New Jersey.

Casino Review

As we mentioned earlier, when 888 Casino first came on to the scene in 1997, they were building their own piece of software, Dragonfish (Random Logic) Games. This is, of course, a pricey venture, and over the years it became apparent that while they were going to continue to maintain and build games for their own suite, that they would also have to add content from leading providers. Today, you can find games from the following vendors at 888 Casino:  Microgaming, Amaya, IGT/WagerWorks, and NetEnt. If you are lucky enough to live in one of the jurisdictions where it is available, you can access the 888 games via their downloadable mobile app. With mobile use continuing to rise on an annual basis, the gaming space has taken notice and 888 have built a very slick app that allows you to play some of your favorite games without being in a browser. We are going to cover the following in our detailed review:

Casino

Random Logic continues to be the source of most of the games you will find at 888 Casino, but adding multiple vendors has given you some more options when it comes to the look and feel of many of the games.

Table Games

The Table Games available at 888 Casino are sufficient enough to please most of the players who will enter their casino. We were a bit disappointed by the overall selection of games as we have seen many more variants at other casinos. However, we also know that many of these variants are actually worse for the players, so we are happy that at least the classic versions of the games are here. If you want to give any of their games a shot, we would suggest you try their European Roulette wheel;

Slots

Similarly to their Table Games catalog, the Slots lobby of the 888 Casino isn’t as bursting with games as many other slots-focused casinos out there. That’s just fine by us; we can focus on trying different titles without being overwhelmed by the sheer number of games. The casino does offer many jackpot games, including Irish Riches, which currently features a progressive jackpot of almost $4 million. You can check out that game and try it for free here: Don’t get us wrong; there are still over 100 options for you in the slots lobby at 888. Here are some of our favorites; let us know yours!

Video Poker

This area of the casino is a bit of a disappointment to this reviewer. I am an avid video poker player, and it is the first place I look when I try out a new casino. 888 Casino, despite having several different software suppliers to choose from, has a very limited set of video poker games available in their lobby. This shouldn’t affect the majority of players who either don’t play the game or play it rarely, but for those of us who could spend hours playing out favorite variant, this selection will leave you wanting more.

Live Dealer Games

If you like to play your online casino games against a real dealer, then you are in luck with 888 Casino. The company has dedicated a fair amount of space in their lobby to the Live Dealer games; it is a growing segment of the market, and you will probably see more casino games had this direction as the speed continues to increase and the games grow in popularity. Here are the games you can try in the Live Dealer lobby:  

• Baccarat
• Blackjack
• Roulette
• Casino Hold’Em
• Caribbean Stud Poker
• Three Card Poker
• Ultimate Texas Hold’em

   

Sports

In Europe, and especially in the United Kingdom, 888 is known as a sportsbook first and foremost. It is no surprise, then, to find out that if you have an account at 888 Casino, you can seamlessly use that account to bet on your favorite sport! The link to the Sportsbook is on the top right of the website, and when you click on it, you are taken to the sports section. Here you will find sports-specific promotions including a triple payout on winnings on your first bet (a nice way to start your bankroll). 888 provides odds on all the major sporting events around the world as well as much smaller, less popular sports: Of note here is that 888 is taking bets on eSports. We are big believers in the future of the gaming industry, and eSports and Virtual Sports are going to play a significant part in the overall success of gaming companies in years to come. We took a quick peek at the eSports betting options at 888; at the time of the review, there were no less than 85 different events to place a wager on including all of the major competitions being held across the globe.

Poker

888’s Poker brand has been well-known around the globe for ages. You can often find 888 logos on the players playing at a feature or final tables of most televised events, including the most broadcast poker tournament on the planet, the World Series of Poker. Recently, the company started a campaign to Take Poker Back – an attempt to make the game fun again for amateurs with a series of promotions designed with that caliber of player in mind. 888’s belief is that the game has become too competitive (which is true) and that is what is dissuading novice players from giving it a try. 888 Poker offering is available for both PC and mobile, and you can find cash games, tournaments and Sit And Go event starting from 1 cent. This year, the site sent over 400 players to the World Series of Poker Main event as part of their summer series of satellites. They also run their own series of live events around the world, usually with smaller buy-ins so they can offer a live event to a more novice player.

Customer Service

The Customer Service at 888 has come under fire over the years. Many complaints from players showed up on online forum sites, complaining about poor service, rude staff and issues simply not being taken care of. Thankfully, it seems that 888 has improved their customer service department as a whole, and now they head right to those forums and social media to address player concerns in public. You can reach 888 Casino via email, Live Chat or by telephone.

Promotions

As far as online casinos go, 888 Casino is at the head of the pack when it comes to their promotions department. We are used to seeing most casinos load up on their welcome bonus with no real concern about ongoing promotions; this is the exact opposite at 888. When you arrive at their site, you will see offer after offer presented in a simple, clean fashion. There is truly something for everyone; let’s have a look at a few of the promotions here.

No Deposit Bonus

We love a casino that gives you a few free spins to try out their real money games without having to make a deposit. 888 does this for all their new members with the opportunity to spin a wheel to win up to $888 in bonuses without making a deposit. Once you collect your bonus you can use that money at the games; you won’t be able to withdraw any of those funds until you make a deposit and are a real money player.

Welcome Offer

The Welcome Offer can look a bit underwhelming compared to other online casinos, but if you know how to take advantage of it, then you will find it to be quite satisfactory. For your first deposit, 888 Casino offers you a 100% Match Bonus to a maximum of $200. While this number seems small, it is a realistic amount of bonus to try to have to clear on your first deposit. The casino does offer a second type of Welcome Bonus. The Premium Welcome Package rewards players not just for their first deposit, but their first week of deposits at the site. You will take a hit on the rate of the first deposit bonus but have an opportunity to collect up to $1,500 in total in the first week. Here’s how these bonuses work:  

• 1st Deposit, use code Welcome1 and get 100% up to $100 Bonus
• 2nd Deposit, use code Welcome2 and get 30% up to $350 Bonus
• 3rd Deposit, use code Welcome3 and get 30% up to $350 Bonus
• 4th Deposit, use code Welcome4 and get 30% up to $350 Bonus
• 5th Deposit, use code Welcome5 and get 30% up to $350 Bonus

    We think this is an excellent way to get started on your path to profitability at 888 Casino; forget about the larger one-time bonus and focus on making more deposits during the first 7 days (hopefully you will be a winner and won’t need all of the codes). 888 goes above and beyond for its casino players when it comes to the recurring promotions on their site. Here is a couple that caught our eye:

Pinch, Punch

This is a very simple but effective promotion. On the first of each month, 888 gives away cash bonuses to players simply for logging in to the accounts. We like this kind of promotion because it rewards people for staying active (and gives 888 an idea of who is setting their clocks to promotions like this one).

Gold Rush Bonuses

This is a series of reload bonuses for the month of July, giving players a chance to earn up to $18,000 in free play. Here is how the bonus works: Deposit with code GOLDRUSH, wager x3 and get 5 Increasing FreePlay prizes up to $4,500 Freeplay:

• 1st deposit – get 10% up to $200 FreePlay
• 2nd deposit – get 20% up to $400 FreePlay
• 3rd deposit – get 30% up to $700 FreePlay
• 4th deposit – get 40% up to $1,200 FreePlay
• 5th deposit – get 50% up to $2,000 FreePlay

Live Casino Lucky 8

We like a promotion that is focused on live casino play, and there are a few at 888. This one is straightforward; all you have to do is play roulette in the 888 Private Room between the hours of 8 pm and 9 pm GMT and wager at least $8 on a spin. If the spin comes up with the number 8, you get an extra $8 bonus no matter what number you selected! Also, 888 Casino has a series of smaller daily promotions, all of which you can read about by clicking on this link:

Banking

The fact that 888 is part of a public company provides players with the reassurance that their money is going to be handled in a safe, secure manner. The casino offers players multiple deposit and withdrawal options, but of course, it is best to head to the cashier yourself to see what is available in your jurisdiction.

Deposit Methods

 

• Bank Draft
• Wire Transfer
• ClickandBuy
• MasterCard
• Neteller
• PayPal
• Paysafe Card
• Ukash
• Visa Electron
• PayPoint e-Voucher
• Visa
• Przelewy24
• iDEAL
• Sofortuberwaisung
• POLi
• Abaqoos
• Boleto
• Swedbank
• eKonto
• SEB Bank
• Moneta
• Skrill

   

Withdrawal Methods

 

• Wire Transfer
• Check
• ClickandBuy
• MasterCard
• Neteller
• PayPal
• Visa Electron
• Visa
• Entropay
• Moneta.ru
• Skrill

   

Comp and VIP Program

The 888 Casino Comp Program is standard when it comes to earning and cashing in your points. The only thing that is different about the program is that depending on what currency you gamble in, you accumulate points at various rates. It all evens itself out when it comes to cashing them in; here are the earning and cash rates for each currency:  

• 10 GBP bet = 1.5 comp points, 150 points for 1 GBP in Bonus
• 10 Euro Bet – 1.35 comp points, 135 points for 1 Euro in Bonus
• 10 USD Bet = 1 comp point, 100 points for 1 USD in Bonus
• 10 CAD Bet – 1.25 comp points, 125 points for 1 CAD in Bonus

    The 888 VIP Program, as you would expect from one of the biggest brands in the world, is very extensive. The Program covers play at all 888 brands including their sister site 777 Casino (how creative, right?). The Program is free to any depositing player to join, and has three levels to it; VIP, VIP Gold, and VIP Platinum. Much like any VIP Program, the more you play, the faster you can increase your status within the casino. Unfortunately, there does seem to be a clear definition of how to reach each status level on the 888 website. There is a dedicated VIP team for 888 members, and they are prominently on display on the website. Also, VIP Members can take advantage of several perks as a result of being in one of the three levels (percentages increase as you move from one level to another):  

• Super-fast cash-outs
• Increased deposit limits
• A Weekly Appreciation Reward
• A ‘Most Valuable Player’ Award
• Amazing full hospitality events
• Platinum VIP promotions
• Additional Platinum bonus offers
• Your very own VIP Account Manager
• VIP Platinum high stake tables
• Higher comp point conversion rate
• Exclusive support staff
• Birthday gift
• Yearly Casino anniversary bonus

    One part of the VIP Program that we love and that sets 888 apart from a lot of its competitors is the event piece. The company doesn’t just give its loyal players more and more bonuses; they go out of their way to bring their players a full VIP experience with tickets to shows, sporting events, and exclusive parties. In the age of everything being programmed and standardized, it is excellent to see a company take real care of their most important (and most lucrative) players.

Conclusion

We were sad to see 888 have to leave the U.S. market in 2006; had they stayed, they would have created an even higher level of completion which would be better for everyone who plays online. Having said that, the casino is still a major player worldwide, and its public revenue numbers show just how successful the brand has become. We love the fact that you can toggle quickly between their casino games and the other offerings from 888 like Poker. Overall, even though they could perhaps enhance some of their casino game lobbies, the casino provides everything we could want for you players. We encourage you to take advantage of their excellent promotions and VIP Program; 888 Casino is highly recommended.