888sport Review

Overall Rating:
Reliablity:
Software & Games:
Payout Speed:
Customer Service:

Unless you have been living in a cave without access to the internet or a TV, then you have probably seen or heard about the 888 line of gambling sites. One of the oldest and most well-known brands on the market today, not only has 888 managed to be a leader in all things online gambling, but they have also done very well to separate the brands under the company’s umbrella.

Case in point is 888sport. While featuring the standard 888 logos and branding, this site is clearly sports-dominated and has a very different look and feel to it than the other pieces of the 888 brand. Let’s have a closer look at the sportsbook site.

About 888sport

The 888 Group of Companies is a publicly traded entity on the London Stock Exchange. The company has been in business since 1997, the early days of online gambling. As a result, the company comes with a rich and extensive history, and its ownership group, Cassava, has been in the operations game since the launch.

Not surprisingly, 888sport is licensed in two jurisdictions, the United Kingdom and Gibraltar. The UK Gambling Commission license is one of the most highly sought-after distinctions in the online gaming world, while the Gibraltar license is necessary as the company has a large office in that tax-friendly UK state.

Who Can Play at 888sport?

Along with the distinction of having a UK Gaming license comes a list of countries that 888sport cannot accept players from. This is also not a surprise; maintaining good standing in the ever-desirable UK market is reason alone for the company to restrict play from countries like the United States, where they did accept players from until the UIGEA Act of 2006 took effect.

Here is a list from 888sport of their restricted countries.

  • Afghanistan
  • Australia
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Cuba
  • Denmark
  • France
  • Germany
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Indonesia
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Kuwait
  • Macao
  • Philippines
  • Puerto Rico
  • Romania
  • Singapore
  • South Korea
  • South Sudan
  • Spain
  • Sudan
  • Thailand
  • Turkey
  • United States of America

Software Suppliers

888sport has been using their own proprietary software since their inception. Having their own in-house development team means the company can make modifications to the platform that they need, as opposed to waiting in the queue with a bunch of other licensees of a third-party software partner.

The software is excellent, providing lines quickly and allowing for wagering to take place without much buffer at all. Also, there is an 888sport mobile app available for iOS and Android devices (this is likely limited to jurisdictions the mobile providers will allow). What this means is that while you are sitting at a match, you can quickly and easily access the live betting options so you can wager in real time during the game.

The Good Stuff

Mobile Betting Options

I love the fact that there is a responsive mobile site as well as a native app for 888sport. These days, most gamblers are making their wagers on their devices, and having easy access to their 888sport account means that wagers can be made faster and more frequently. I know I will for sure be using the mobile app for in-game betting.

Loads of Promotions

The company has spent a lot of time coming up with a lot of small promotions that are sure to please even the stingiest of gamblers. Many of these promotions are insurance-based (see the promotions section below for details), which are perfect for people who feel they get screwed in the last minute of these games.

The Bad Stuff

Poker and Casino Nowhere to be Found

Yes, there is a link to the different 888 sites, but if you are looking for seamless movement from one game to another on the 888sport site, you will not be happy. It’s a small thing, but I for one don’t like having to leave a place even for a partner site.

Welcome Bonus Terms and Conditions

For their welcome offer, you have to make a wager on an event that has 2/1 odds or worse to qualify. That to me seems ridiculous; the maximum you can win is $30 ($20 of bonus money), so it isn’t set up to have people take huge advantage of it. I hope the site sees the error in its ways and removes that restriction.

Game Selection

The sportsbook features all the betting options you could want. Everything from future betting on leagues and teams to game odds, parlays (they call them accumulators), and teasers is covered. Also, with the live betting feature, you can make wagers on certain sports like soccer and tennis as the matches are in progress. This is an excellent feature, as those sports, in particular, can be long and tedious if you only have a bet on the final outcome. Live in-game betting has become incredibly popular in the UK market and is slowly becoming more relevant in the North American sports.

As for the sports you can wager on at 888sports, you are going to find pretty much anything you are looking for. Here’s a short list from the lobby screen of the main sports page.

  • Soccer
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Tennis
  • Horse Racing
  • Cricket
  • Golf
  • Boxing
  • Cycling
  • Handball
  • WWE
  • Yachting
  • Surfing
  • Greyhounds
  • Politics
  • Rugby
  • Snooker
  • Volleyball
  • UFC Martial Arts (MMA)
  • Baseball
  • Darts
  • Ice Hockey
  • Motorsports
  • Esports

It’s good to see a major site like 888sport taking esports seriously; the amount of money being wagered on these video gaming events is growing at incredible rates, and it is safe to say that the future sports gamblers are likely to be hooked initially by betting on their favorite League of Legends teams.

Promotions

As mentioned above, the site has many ongoing promotions which are perfect for players who like to bet accumulators or who feel like they are always getting screwed by teams late in matches. If you want to see the most up-to-date series of promotions, I always suggest that you head to the website’s promotions page. T&C apply to all offers.

Welcome Offer

The welcome offer from 888sport is straightforward: bet $10, get $30 in free wagers, as well as $10 in casino credit. This is great value for a smaller gambler; if you tend to make much larger wagers, then this isn’t all that special for you (I suggest calling the site to see what offer they are willing to give you when you explain how big a player you are). T&C’s Apply

Here’s how you get it:

  • Register and log in to 888sport and make your first deposit
  • Place your first bet of $10+
  • Get two $10 free bets and a $10 free bet for mobile!

Here is one promotion I am looking forward to using when NFL football season starts.

American Dream

I could break this one down for you, however I think 888sports does an excellent job of it themselves:

Stake back as a free bet when you narrowly miss out! There are few worse feelings than missing out on a big payday when your monster acca narrowly goes down.That’s why, when you have an American sport multiple comprising five legs or more, we’ll refund your stake as a free bet when it fails by one leg! It’s simple. Just:

Bet: Place a $5 or more accumulator of at least five selections (minimum odds 3/10 [1.3] on each leg) on any American sports market, including the MLS, NFL, NBA and NHL.

Get: A free bet refund of up to $25 if one of your selections is a loser.

Nothing can fully ease the pain of one of punting’s pitfalls, the near-miss – but we hope this will help a little!

Banking

A legit site like 888sport, backed by one of the largest publicly-traded betting companies, is going to have no problem getting accounts with the top payment processors. As a result, you have loads of options for depositing and withdrawing your money. The minimum deposit is $10, and the only restriction on withdrawals is a maximum of $30,000 per month (should you get that lucky).

Deposit Options

  • Visa
  • MasterCard
  • Visa Electron
  • Neteller
  • PayPal
  • Skrill
  • E-Check
  • Wire Transfer
  • EPS
  • GiroPay
  • IDebit
  • iDeal
  • Instadebit
  • Instant Banking
  • Trustly
  • Paysafecard

Withdrawal Options

  • Visa
  • MasterCard
  • Visa Electron
  • Neteller
  • PayPal
  • Skrill
  • Wire Transfer

Comp Program

888sport offers its players a comp program by way of the Premier Player Club. This club rewards you with cash based on the number of dollars wagered on a weekly basis. It’s a straightforward program; you can earn up to $50 free according to the following breakdown.

Stake CASH Reward
50-249 5
250-499 7.5
500-999 10
1000-1499 15
1500-2999 25
3000+ 50

VIP Program

The VIP program at 888sport is not easy to find on their website. However, a quick Google search uncovers a link to the 888 Casino VIP Program, which is extended to the sports players as well. The VIP program is by invitation only, so I can’t provide too many details on it as I write this review. I can imagine that you will have to either be a heavy gambler or a big loser to be invited to the exclusive club, where you will be rewarded with bigger bonuses, free bets, and VIP event invitations.

Customer Service

The service team at 888 has come under a little bit of fire for being rude to players in the casino, although I have not seen any complaints about them when it comes to sports betting. Whatever the case, there are multiple ways to contact the 888sport team if you have any questions. They offer a toll-free telephone number, as well as my favorite: a live chat function. You can also send them an email, although that is likely to be the slowest from a response-time perspective.

Before resorting to contacting support, I suggest you check out their detailed FAQ section. With twenty years of experience, the company has seen it all and then some, and they have most of the issues players have had covered in this section of their website.

Would I Play at 888sport?

Given the fact that this is one of the safest places to gamble online, I would, of course, recommend you play at 888sport. While I think they could do a little more to tell us about their VIP program and also work on their welcome offer, I believe that having the backing of a public company is far more relevant in this gaming climate.

Jim Beviglia
Get in touch with Jim
About Jim Beviglia
Jim Beviglia has been a gambling writer at LegitGamblingSites.com since 2018. During that time, he’s written just about every type of article related to gambling, including reviews of betting sites, guides to popular casino games, betting tips on both casino and sports betting, sports and casino blog posts, and game picks. In addition to online gambling, one of Jim’s other major interests is music. He has been doing freelance work for various music sites and magazines for two decades. Among his outlets past and present are American Songwriter, VinylMePlease, Treble, and The Bluegrass Situation. Jim has also written five books on music that were published by Rowman & Littlefield.