888Sport Review: Rebranded To SI Sportsbook
Update: 888Sport has ceased all US operations as it pursues sports betting opportunities under the SI Sportsbook brand. Previously, 888 Sportsbook only offered online sports betting in New Jersey, where it struggled to achieve any significant market share. 888 US has since partnered with Sports Illustrated to launch SI Sportsbook as its new, customer-facing brand. See BettingUSA’s SI Sportsbook review for more information and updates.
With a company history that dates back to the late 90s, 888Sport is an old hand in online sports betting. 888 Sportsbook established itself as a major player on the international stage before coming to the US, bringing with it a wealth of sports betting experience.
888Sport offers mobile betting in New Jersey today, and it has expanded since then to offer mobile betting in Colorado under the SI Sportsbook brand in a partnership with Sports Illustrated. The 888Sport name has a long history in online betting, but it will likely continue its US expansion plans under the SI Sportsbook banner.
Pros
Generous deposit bonusThousands of bets offered every dayExtensive in-play betting marketsLegal and licensed in the USACons
Limited customer support contact methodsDoes not offer live stats for all in-play betting eventsIn late 2020, 888 Holdings announced it has secured market access deals to offer mobile betting in Colorado, Indiana, and Iowa. Later, 888 Holdings announced a partnership with Sports Illustrated to launch SI Sportsbook in additional states moving forward, starting with Colorado.
888 has been slower to expand in the US than most international operators of its size. In an interview with BettingUSA, 888’s Head of Commercial Development, Yaniv Sherman, explained his company prefers to take a “smart and selective” approach to growing its US operations.
888’s parent company, 888 Holdings, also provides software and services to other gambling operators in several states. WSOP Poker in Nevada and New Jersey operate on 888 software, as do Delaware’s three lottery-controlled gambling sites.
The remainder of this 888Sport review will focus specifically on its mobile sports betting operations in the US.
888Sport Overview
888 Sportsbook made its US debut in September 2018 after receiving a sports betting license from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE).
888 Sportsbook brought decades’ worth of experience to the US market, with a full selection of sports betting markets, in-play betting options, and mobile apps ready to go from day one.
The sportsbook is strong in some areas but has room for improvement in others. Its strong points include extensive coverage of sports leagues big and small, commendable market depth (220+ betting options for major North American sports), instant markets for in-play betting, and an interface that is easy to navigate.
Weak points include a lack of in-play betting statistics and lackluster customer support.
The Basics
- 888Sport is available in: New Jersey
- Operated by: 888 Holdings and sports betting supplier company Kambi
- Established: 888 founded in 1997; us launch in 2018
- Platforms: Desktop and mobile website; iOS and Android apps
- 888 bonus code: Use Link
888Sport Bonus and Promo Code
888Sport no longer offers a welcome bonus in the US market. However, bettors can visit SISportsbook.com instead to claim a new customer bonus.
Latest 888Sport Promo Code: None Needed
Other 888 Sports Betting Promotions
888Sport hosts regular betting promotions for new and existing customers alike, but the variety and qualify of promos comes up short compared to most other sportsbooks.
Below is an overview of the promotions 888Sport had on offer at the time of this review. The following examples are just a snapshot in time, but they demonstrate 888’s philosophy regarding promotions.
888Sport App Review
Desktop and mobile users can visit us.888sport.com to bet online with no download necessary. Mobile bettors can also head to us.888sport.com for download links to get the official mobile app for iOS and Android devices.
For this review, BettingUSA downloaded and used the 888Sport iOS app on an iPhone. We found the app to resemble the website in look and function, with simple navigation menus and intelligent interface design.
For example, 888Sport displays alternate point spreads and point totals in a unique manner. While other sportsbooks simply list every possible alternate spread or point total, 888Sport provides simple slides that users can manipulate to change the total to their liking. It’s an intuitive feature, and it saves a lot of space when betting with the app.
In general, the mobile betting interface is straightforward and logically organized. The app’s homepage provides quick links to popular sports, betting odds for the biggest games of the day, and an expandable navigation menu to view more sports or visit the in-play betting area.
888Sport Mobile App Screenshots
888Sport Sportsbook Odds
888Sport In-Play Betting
In-play betting is a strong point for 888Sport. Customers can log in day or night and consistently find multiple in-play betting events open for betting with numerous markets on offer.
Market depth during in-play betting events is well above average well. It is not uncommon to find 50 or more in-play bet types on offer, covering everything from who will win the game to the outcome of the next play.
Live stats are hit-and-miss. 888Sport provides live scoring data and virtual game trackers to display what’s happening in real-time for some games but not all. It appears 888Sport offers live stats and info for most international events, but coverage for the major North American sports is spotty.
As a result, customers may sometimes have to juggle placing bets through the 888Sport app while following game updates elsewhere.
Instant Betting: 888Sport offers instant betting markets, which last just a few minutes and are resolved in real-time as the game progresses. Examples of instant betting markets include the outcome of the next at-bat in an MLB game or the result of the next drive in an NFL game.
Instant betting markets are rapid-fire in nature, ensuring there is always something to bet on from start to finish. Below are real examples from recent MLB and NFL games:
- LA Dodgers Inning 4: Will this batter achieve a hit or walk? Yes +188 / No -265
- NY Jets next drive result: Punt, offensive touchdown, turnover, field goal attempt, any other outcome
888 In-Play Betting Screenshots
888Sport Markets and Types of Bets
888Sport is a complete online sportsbook and one of the most polished to launch in the US to date. Even in its early days, 888Sport covered a wide range of sports provided thousands of individual betting markets every day.
Market depth continues to improve as well, offering many options for each game. When 888Sport first launched, it provided 120+ markets per game. Today, bettors can log in to find 220+ markets per game.
Bet types include the usual moneylines, point spreads, and totals plus in-play betting, alternate lines, alternate totals, same-game props, game props, player props, player point and stat totals, part-time results, and more. Whether it’s betting on the first team to score or how many rushing yards the starting running back will acquire, 888 covers just about every aspect of every game.
Non-US sports also receive detailed coverage. For example, the international soccer tab had exactly 63,769 betting markets available on the day of this review.
888 Sportsbook covers the following sports, subject to seasonality:
- Athletics
- Aussie Rules
- Badminton
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Beach Volleyball
- Boxing
- Cricket
- Curling
- Cycling
- Cyclo Cross
- Darts
- Esports
- Football
- Golf
- Handball
- Ice Hockey
- MMA
- Motor Sports
- Netball
- Olympics
- Pesäpallo
- Rugby League
- Rugby Union
- Snooker
- Soccer
- Speedway
- Squash
- Surfing
- Swimming
- Table Tennis
- Tennis
- Trotting
- TV and Novelty
- Volleyball
- Winter Sports
888Sport Live Scoring and Stats
888Sport provides more stats and in-game information than most sportsbooks. When bettors visit a game’s betting page on the 888 Sportsbook website or mobile app, they’ll see live scoring and stats updates if the game is in progress and an option to “view all stats” for all games.
The “all stats” tool opens in a new browser window, which isn’t ideal when using the mobile app, but it works. Bettors can view pregame stats for each team or head-to-head stats for a specific match for a plethora of handicapping information.
For example, opening the head-to-head stats tool for an upcoming MLB game compares both teams to one another in multiple aspects:
- Their recent win/loss records
- Their win/loss records against one another
- Point totals in their recent meetings
- Their average points per game this season
- And more
One minor but ongoing issue relates to certain quirks in the way dates and other information is displayed. 888Sport seems to have ported its stats database over from its international betting arm. As a result, the interface displays dates in the UK format (i.e., displaying April 1st as 01/04) and uses UK-centric terms such as “fixtures” that are unfamiliar to us here in the US.
A second persistent issue is 888Sport occasionally indicates stats are not available for a game even though they are. Bettors sometimes receive a message stating 888Sport does not have stats for a game when they tap the “view all stats” button, even though users can launch the stats tool and manually navigate to that game to view stats for that matchup.
Stats Screenshots
888Sport Deposit Methods
888Sport accepts the most common payment methods used by bettors across the country. Customers can fund their accounts instantly via bank transfers and credit cards, e-wallets, and cash.
- ACH Bank Transfer: Transfer funds directly from your bank account to 888Sport; deposits are processed instantly
- Credit and Debit Cards: 888Sport accepts Visa, Mastercard, and Discover; some banks block transactions to sports betting sites – if you have problems depositing with your debit or credit card, the ACH transfer is the next best alternative
- Play+: Sign up for a Play+ card to make instant online deposits and to receive withdrawals; you will also receive a physical Play+ card in the mail to use anywhere Discover is accepted
- PayPal: Use your PayPal account to make instant online deposits
- Online Bill Pay: Use your bank’s existing online bill pay feature to authorize a deposit to 888Sport; your bank will ask you to log in with your existing online banking credentials to confirm the deposit
- PayNearMe: Deposit with cash at a nearby 7-Eleven, Family Dollar, or CVS; the deposit should be credited to your account in under an hour
- Cash at the Cage: Visit a casino associated with 888Sport in your state to make cash deposits and withdrawals
Withdrawals
888Sport automatically processes withdrawals back via the same means used to deposit if possible. For example, users who deposit via PayPal automatically receive withdrawals back to the same PayPal account.
Users who deposit via credit card, debit card, PayNearMe, and other options that do not support withdrawals can choose a different method:
- ACH / eCheck: $10 minimum
- PayPal: $20 minimum
- Cash at the Cage: No minimum
- Play+ Card: $10 minimum
- Check by Mail: $50 minimum
888Sport Customer Support
Customer support is not a strong point for 888Sport. The 888 website provides a thorough self-help guide, but contact methods are limited and response times are slow.
The only contact method provided on the “contact us” page is a simple form that users submit to send an e-mail. 888Sport also provides a support phone number, but it is buried deep within the website and difficult to find. If users would prefer to chat with someone over the phone, they can call 888 support at:
- 1-855-218-6234
Customers can also reach out to 888Sport on Twitter.
BettingUSA reached out to 888Sport via e-mail by completing a submission form on the “contact us” page. 888Sport responded with an automated e-mail stating it has received our question and will respond as quickly as possible. The automated e-mail included several links to related questions on the self-help guide, one of which provided an answer to the question. BettingUSA received a personal answer from the support team seven calendar days later.
888 State-by-State Operations
888 Sportsbook has not expanded as rapidly in the US market as some of its competition, but that’s by design. Yaniz Sherman, Chief of Commercial Development for 888 Holdings, described the company strategy as “smart and selective” in an interview with BettingUSA.
However, 888Sport has ramped up its expansion plans since then and will continue to launch in additional states moving forward.
888 New Jersey
- Availability: Mobile betting, online casino and online poker
- Land-Based Partner: Caesars Interactive Entertainment / Bally’s
888 Sport first came to the US via New Jersey, launching its online casino and poker room in 2013 and its mobile sportsbook in 2018.
888 Pennsylvania
- Availability: Mobile sports betting uncertain, online casino games and poker in development
- Land-Based Partner: Caesars Entertainment / Harrah’s Philadelphia
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) issued an interactive gaming manufacturer’s license to 888 in September 2020, possibly clearing the way to launch a 888/WSOP branded online poker site.
888 Colorado
- Availability: Mobile sports betting coming soon
- Land-Based Partner: Colorado Grande Casino
In December 2020, 888 Sportsbook announced a partnership with Cripple Creek’s Colorado Grande Casino to offer statewide mobile sports betting.
The partnership agreement also grants 888 the option to offer online poker and casino games if Colorado legalizes those in the future. The Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (LGCC) issued a sports betting license to 888Sport later that month to clear the way for a 2021 launch.
888 Indiana
- Availability: Mobile betting coming soon
- Land-Based Partner: Harrah’s Hoosier Park (Caesars Entertainment)
In Indiana, 888Sport is partnered with Caesars Entertainment to offer mobile betting via the license held by Harrah’s Hoosier Park. In a press release, 888 said it plans to launch 888Sport in Indiana sometime in 2021.
888 Iowa
- Availability: Mobile betting coming soon
- Land-Based Partner: Catfish Bend Casino
888 Holdings confirmed in December 2020 that it will offer mobile betting in partnership with Catfish Bend Casino starting in 2021. The agreement includes provisions for 888 to offer online poker and casino games if state law changes to permit online gambling.
888 Nevada
- Availability: Online poker
- Land-Based Partner: Caesars Interactive Entertainment / WSOP
In Nevada, 888 powers the state’s largest poker site, WSOP.com Poker. Several poker sites have launched in Nevada since 2013, but 888/WSOP is the only operator to demonstrate long-term staying power. 888 does not have any sports betting or online casino operations in Nevada.
888 Delaware
- Availability: Online casinos and poker
- Land-Based Partners: Dover Downs, Delaware Park and Harrington Raceway under the DE Lottery
Delaware’s three land-based casinos and the state lottery control all sports betting and online gambling in the state. When Delaware legalized online gambling in 2012, the DE Lottery chose 888 to serve as the software provider for all three online casinos.
Each land-based casino in Delaware offers online poker and gambling under its own name, but all operate on software provided by 888 and are nearly identical aside from branding. All three are members of the interstate poker network, which means players at Delaware online poker sites can play alongside 888 customers located in New Jersey, Nevada, and elsewhere.
Expert Opinion: Is 888 Sportsbook Legit?
888 Sportsbook is a secure and reputable online sportsbook. The company has decades’ worth of experience, first as an international betting site and later as a licensed operator in the United States. Over its many years in operation, 888Sport has proven itself a safe place to bet online.
In summary, 888Sport provides excellent coverage of US and international sports with significant market depth, including short-term “instant betting” markets. However, many of its in-play events lack live stats, and its promotional lineup lacks compared to the competition.
888 US in the news: