888 Casino Review

With awards juxtaposed with its logo, it’s difficult to simply ignore this site and not consider doing a 888casino review. Established in 1997, this online casino is one of the oldest online casinos around. It has since established a reputation of being one of the most trusted gambling sites on the Internet. 888 casino is a member of the 888 Group, one of the world’s the biggest operators of high profile gambling websites.

888casino is regarded as one of the flagship online casinos of 888 Group. Since it went online, it is claimed that it has already served more than 20 million players in different parts of the world. It has won several industry awards and recognitions. In 2015, it received the Gaming Intelligence Award for being the Best Casino Operator. In 2014, it was given the recognition as the Operator of the Year and Best Digital Operator at the Global Gaming Awards. Also in 2013, it received the awards for being EGR Operator Awards’ Casino Operator of the Year, Operator of the Year, and Poker Operator of the Year. These awards can be perceived as proofs of 888casino’s commitment to providing the best online casino gaming experience. However, does it really live up to all the hype these awards create?

888 casino is a fully certified casino that offers a wide variety of games, various bonuses and promotions, as well as secure transactions. Its collection of games are also said to be strictly regulated and fair. It supports mobile playing. You can play the games by downloading the 888casino software or by simply playing the games on your web browser.

This 888casino review will focus more on the browser-based version of the games instead of the downloadable game client. The games that can be accessed by both options are similar anyway. Also, the account created online can be used across platforms.

Slightly Long Registration Process

We thought it was going to be a short online form to fill out but we actually had to fill out a series of three online forms to register for an account. The information sought include the player address, contact number, as well as a pair of security question and answer. We were able to complete the registration process in a little over a minute. There is no email confirmation required but we received two emails that provided more information about our account and the bonuses that can be availed.

Intuitive Account Dashboard and User Interface in General

888casino’s account dashboard enables the editing of some personal details and the changing of the password. We thought the Bonuses section would readily show the bonuses that can be obtained but it appears it is only intended for monitoring the bonuses that have been availed.

We like how the user interface is designed to be tab-based. If you open the account dashboard and the cashier page (page for making deposits and withdrawals), for example, they are shown in tabs so you can easily switch between them. This is a very intuitive design and also decently responsive. Computers with lower specs, though, may find it difficult to handle this kind of interface.

The 888casino Games

On its website, 888casino claims to offer more than 200 games but we found less than this number when we did our manual count. We found only 164 games on the site.

• There are 75 slot games on the site including 1-20 line and 25+ line slot games.
• There are 26 card and table games including 9 roulette, 3 blackjack, 11 poker, 2 keno, and 1 baccarat games.
• There are 16 live roulette, 41 live blackjack, 3 live baccarat, 1 live casino hold’em, 1 live Caribbean stud, and 1 live three-card poker games on 888 casino. That’s a total of 63 live games.

The games on 888casino are not the fastest-loading games we have encountered. There were also times when we encountered games that were “not available at the moment.”  We also don’t like that we don’t get to see a progress indicator as the game loads. Nevertheless, the graphics and overall aesthetics are great. Also, the tabbed presentation of games is great and enables the opening of multiple (maximum of 2) games at a time. You can’t switch tabs, though, if a game is still loading. You may only switch to other tabs once a game is ready to play.

888casino Game Software, Fairness, and Payouts

The games on 888casino are supplied by some of the most reputable online gaming software providers. These are Microgaming, NextGen Gaming, Evolution Gaming, Playtech, and IGT.

888casino does not advertise its games as provably fair games but we can state in this 888casino review that the games being offered are fair. eCOGRA or the e-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance certifies 888casino as a safe and fair gambling site. The Random Number Generator (RNG) used by the games is determined to be fair.

Based on eCOGRA’s assessments, the average payout for all of the games on 888casino is 96.62%. The rest of the payout percentages are shown on the screenshot of the eCOGRA certification below:

888 casino Is Mobile-Friendly

888casino has a mobile-friendly website. Additionally, it has mobile app for iOS. There are no download/installation links for the app on the 888casino website so we had to look for it on our own. We found the app on iTunes but it does not include all of the games, only some games that have been optimized for mobile gaming.

The Mobile page makes it appear that there is also an app for Android but we found none. It appears that the app being referred to here is just the mobile-friendly website of 888 casino. Well actually, there’s no need for a mobile app to play 888 casino games on mobile since the games can be easily accessed and played through mobile browsers on most devices (smartphones and tablets) at present. If your mobile browse supports Flash, you should be able to play the games on your smartphone or tablet.

Currencies, Deposits, and Withdrawals on 888casino

888casino uses three currencies: US dollar (USD), British pound (GBP), and euro (EUR). However, there are plans to integrate bitcoin payments in the future that’s why we are including it in our review of bitcoin gambling sites. Also, it is possible to pay using bitcoins through Neteller, which is supported as one of the payment methods on 888 casino.

Deposits can be made through Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards, EntroPay, Diners Club cards, wire transfer, and Neteller. The minimum and maximum deposit limits vary according to the payment method. For Visa, the minimum single deposit is 20 USD while the maximum is 3,000 USD. For MasterCard, the minimum and maximum limits are 20 USD and 5,000 USD respectively, For Diners Club and EntroPay deposits, it is 20 USD to 9,000 USD. For wire transfers, the minimum is 100 USD while the maximum is 3,000 USD. Neteller deposits, on the other hand, have 20 USD to 10,000 USD minimum and maximum deposit amounts. There are also limits for per day and per month deposit transactions. The highest of which are 25,000 USD and 100,000 USD for the Visa and MasterCard deposits.

There are actually more deposit methods described on the Help resource of 888casino, including PayPal and Skrill, but we did not find these options at the Cashier page so we will no longer be discussing them. Deposits are completed after 10 minutes to 5 days (for wire transfers).

For withdrawals, we only found two options at the Cashier page: credit card and bank draft. These withdrawal options take up to 8 business days (6 for VIPs) for the credit cards and up to 18 business days (16 for VIPs) for the bank draft. Wire transfer may also be an option, depending on where you are located. Wire transfer withdrawals take 7 to 10 business days (5-8 for VIPs).

888casino does not impose charges on deposits and withdrawals but the payment methods do. Refer to these payment methods for the details on the fees you need to pay to them.

Account verification is required to be able to make withdrawals. This verification entails the uploading of proofs of identity such as credit or debit cards, government-issued IDs, proof of address, and notarized documentation.

888casino Bonuses and Other Promotions

This online casino offers a wide variety of bonuses and promotions. Here’s a summary:

• 100% First Deposit Bonus or Welcome Bonus of up to 200 USD or 100 GBP or 140 EUR
• Premium Player Welcome Package of up to 1,500 USD/GBP/EUR. This actually a series of deposit bonuses. The first bonus is a 100% deposit bonus of up to 100 USD and uses the code “Welcome1.” The second is a 30% deposit bonus of up to 350 USD with the promo code “Welcome2.” The third is a 30% deposit bonus of up to 350 USD (code: Welcome3). The fourth is a 30% deposit bonus with the code “Welcome4.” Lastly, the fifth is a 30% deposit bonus of up to 350 USD, which uses the code “Welcome5.”
• 30% FreePlay Showers of up to 3,000 USD for Roulette, Blackjack, and Jackpot games. Code: SHOWERS. To get this bonus, you must have wagered your deposit at least 3 times. This bonus can be availed for up to 10 times.
• Daily Deals.
  • Sunday Funday Raffle of up to 500 USD in Free Play
  • 30% Jackpot Manic Monday Blues bonus of up to 150 USD in Free Play
  • 30% Table Tuesday bonus of up to 150 USD in Free Play
  • 20% Winning Wednesday bonus of up to 20 USD in Cash Back
  • 20% Traveller Thursday bonus of up to 100 USD in Free Play
  • Freaky Friday Bonus of up to 60 USD in Free Play
  • 20% Saturday Night Live bonus of up to 100 USD
• Monthly Deals
  • Pinch, Punch, It’s the 1^st of the Month. This is a raffle that grants a total 888 USD/GBP/EUR to 26 lucky 888 casino players for simply logging in during the 1^st day of the month. There is no deposit required for this bonus. It’s not 888 USD/GBP/EUR for each player though but 8 for 20 players plus 88 for 4 players and 188 for 2 players. 888 is the total of the bonus given away for the month.
  • 21^st of the Month. This is a bonus of up to 300 USD/GBP/EUR in Free Play given to players of Multihand Blackjack during the 21^st day of each month.

The typical wagering requirement for these bonuses is from 20x (for Japanese players) to 30x (standard) or 40x (for deposits made through Neteller). Just visit the respective bonus pages for more details about the wagering requirements for each of the bonuses mentioned above.

In addition to the bonuses, 888casino also has a comp points system. These comp points can be redeemed for cash. You get 1 comp point for every 10 USD, 1.35 for every 10 EUR, and 1.5 for every 10 GBP wagered. You can redeem 100 comp points for 1 USD, 135 comp points for 1 EUR, and 150 comp points for 1 GBP.

Moreover, 888casino has a VIP Casino Club that offers a higher level of bonuses and promotions. These include the following:

• VIP Spring Fever Free Play of up to 10,000 USD
• Daily Lucky 8 wherein a bonus is given every time the 888casino Live Casino Roulette hits the number 8
• Daily 888Xtra Bonus. This is a bonus for live blackjack that offers up to 750 USD in daily bonuses.
• Daily 888VIP Bonus that allows a VIP player to win a share from the 1,200 USD in daily bonuses.

Membership to the VIP program is on an invitation-only basis.  In addition to the bonuses mentioned above, VIP players also enjoy a one-off Welcome Bonus, increased deposit limits, gadget and appliance giveaways, opportunities to win weekend getaway packages, invitations to various hospitality events, access to VIP high stake tables, higher comp point conversion rates (50% higher), birthday gifts, monthly prizes, and an exclusive VIP support team.

There are three levels of VIP players: VIP, VIP Gold, and VIP Platinum. If you achieve the highest VIP level (platinum), you can get considerably faster cash outs, increased deposit limits, more match up bonuses, even higher comp rates (50% higher than that of the first level VIP’s), an exclusive support staff, and annual casino anniversary bonuses.

Player Support

We have to note in this 888casino review that it was rather difficult finding the player support or contact options on the site. The Contact Us and Help links only direct us to the comprehensive help database of 888casino. We couldn’t find buttons for sending emails or a list of telephone numbers. The only way to communicate with the 888casino admin is by using the contact form within the help database. It can be accessed through the Contact Us button at one of the pages of the Help database. We included the link here for your convenience because it’s really quite difficult to find this online contact form.

This online contact form allow you to send an email to 888casino. It supports document attachment so you may send screenshots especially if you are asking for assistance regarding technical issues you may encounter on the site.

888casino Country Restrictions and Site Languages

Players in the United States, unfortunately, are generally not allowed to wager real money on 888casino. However, those who reside in New Jersey can play with real money through by going to us.888casino.com.

For a comprehensive list of eligible countries on 888casino, go to this link and find the dropdown list of eligible countries. If your country is not on the list, you can still sign up for an account and play the “fun” version of the games.

To better serve the international players who sign up for accounts on 888casino, the site has various language versions. These languages include English, Chinese, French, Spanish, German, Czech, Dutch, Portuguese, Romanian, Swedish, Greek, and Japanese.

888casino License, Regulation, and Security

888casino is operated through the 888 Group subsidiary Cassava Enterprises Limited, a company incorporated in Gibraltar. Cassava Enterprises is licensed and regulated to provide online gaming services under Gaming License #022 and 039. In the UK, it is 888 UK Limited that handles the operations of 888casino. 888 UK Limited is also incorporated under the laws of Gibraltar but is licensed and regulated by the Great Britain Gambling Commission. For other countries in the European Union, on the other hand, 888casino is being operated by Virtual Digital Services Limited, a company also formed under the laws of Gibraltar. Virtual Digital Services Limited uses the following registered address: 601-701 Europort, Gibraltar.

In terms of security, 888casino guarantees that all transactions and account information are protected. The site uses sophisticated RSA encryption technology to guarantee the protection of personal details and financial transactions.

Considering that 888casino is a recipient of a number of online casino awards, we are not inclined on being skeptical about the security and trustworthiness of this gambling site. Besides, we couldn’t find significant complaints online regarding the reliability and security of 888casino.

More about 888casino

If you click on the Help link near the upper right corner of the website, a window that provides a comprehensive guide on various aspects of 888casino appears. This comprehensive Help resource is like a Frequently Asked Questions section or an online knowledge bank that provides information on almost all topics related to 888casino. It features a search bar so you can just enter a keyword for the topic you want to learn about.

There are News and Blog sections on 888casino so if you are looking for updates or new information about this online casino, don’t forget to check these pages out. Additionally, 888casino has a Getting Started page that presents a simple guide on how you can play on 888casino.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Client-based (download) and instant (web-based) ways for playing
• Tabbed game interface
• Good collection of games with nice graphics
• Mobile-friendly site
• Multiple payment methods supported

Cons

• Anonymous gambling not supported
• Not provably fair games
• No instant deposits and withdrawals
• Difficult-to-navigate game gallery. Game gallery/collection is not shown in full page so your scrolling is limited and the thumbnails are small
• A number of games were not available when we did this review
• No live chat support