Rather non-trivial methods conquered the market the company 888Sport which operates since 2008. At one time, its brand was represented by such famous players as Santiago Canizares and Ian Wright, and in the fifth year of its existence, the bookie has become the first non-US bettor who was able to enter the North American market legally. The betting organisation's request was granted by the Nevada Gambling Commission.
Our aim today is to take a detailed look at the betting company's current state of affairs. We will also focus on the domestic UK market, going over the most important criteria for assessing the quality of its operations.
Official website of 888Sport bookmaker
The homepage is very simple and very functional at the same time. The orange and black design doesn't strain the eye, and doesn't distract from the main thing: searching for odds. Concerning the usability 888Sport satisfies even the most demanding requests.
Seven language versions (Finnish, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Russian, English and French) enable the British diaspora from almost half of the European countries to feel at home here. The switching mechanism between languages is also well implemented, suitable even for newcomers.
For beginners on the online resource of the betting company 888Sport has a special section with the basic rules of betting. But experienced bettors can use the betting calculator which allows them to calculate potential winnings without risking real money.
The blog on the bookmaker's website has tips from tipsters, announcements of the most popular matches and forecasts from experienced analysts, which serve as great tips when choosing your final betting option. The sports statistics section deserves praise, as it looks at every event in great detail, under the microscope.
Security methods at 888Sport
When it comes to data protection and maintaining an overall high level of security, the company is unrivalled in the UK market. Understandably, having a Gambling Commission license comes with certain responsibilities. But 888Sport has gone further and also implemented security assurance principles and methods from services such as eCOGRA, Cyber Patrol and GamBlock. The latter two are parental controls, but are also continuing to progress in making the internet more secure.
Filters for further material usage are also available for each customer to customise individually. The site keeps statistics on the time that is your "working time", i.e. the period when you are most active in betting. You can initially set your financial limits per day, week, month and even year.
Welcome Bonus from 888 Sport
The 888Sport New Customer Bonus is only available to those making their first deposit through methods other than PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Entropay and Skrill. By entering the relevant promo code, the bettor is able to claim a £30 freebet. To do so, you need to make a deposit of at least £10 and then wager at odds of £1.50 or more on the same amount.
It's worth noting that the welcome bonus is limited to 7 days. Even if you win the bonus, you won't be able to claim the freebet itself. However, the profit that you could earn from the bonus is available for external payments.
Promo codes
As far as sports betting is concerned, there are two types of promotional codes that you can use to reward your customers. With promo code 30fFB, a bonus of the equivalent of £30 becomes available. If you enter the combination TOP100 when registering, you'll get £100 immediately to your deposit. Of course, all of this is only in symbiosis with the main list of terms and conditions of the specific bonus offer.
Offers for current clients
In addition to the loyalty club, which is constantly running in different ways, current users of the betting product from 888 Sport have the opportunity to receive a daily £5 free bet. True, to do so, you have to wager an amount twice as high, and still find odds of 4.00 or higher to be successful. This is how the bookmaker's office rewards brave players. Keep in mind that this bonus will burn out after seven days if you don't use it.
Loyalty Club
The VIP Club rewards programme offers a cumulative rewards scheme, which is based on the customer's activity. Up to £50 in cash is given back to selected users once a week. But in order to get the most cashback, you have to scroll quite a bit as well. Specifically, we're talking about an amount of £3,000, or its equivalent in another currency. Only bets placed in markets with minimum odds of 1.50 and above will take part in the offer.
Big Bet Bounty
This type of bonus is all about betting, with users competing on the success of their multi-step bets. The maximum weekly reward is £888 per customer. Well, the Big Bet Bounty has a total prize pool of £2,000.
Mobile App of 888Sport
Not the most ideal option for mobile betting, but satisfies all basic customer needs. The navigation in the mobile app is user-friendly, but the occasional hiccups when loading the line are still a bit annoying. The performance level also leaves a lot to be desired, which raises questions for the developers. Our verdict is simple enough - the mobile application on iOS and the Android cannot be called a strong point of 888Sport.
Additional features
There is a list of things about the gameplay that, at first glance, have little impact on the overall experience, but are in fact important. Seasoned bettors will soon notice the difference between bookies who have a lot to offer in this area and those who shy away from introducing additional features for their customers.
Live Streaming
Live streaming events on 888 Sport's website and mobile app are only available in the horse racing betting markets. You'll need to wager £1 or more on the race you wish to watch online. On some occasions streaming is also available for users who have placed a token bet of 50p.
Bet Builder
If you are missing any markets, or have an idea which you feel should be considered by the betting operator, offer your odds options via the Bet Builder functionality. There is a high level of interest in the grandees' absentee matches, which can be created using the builder. If Manchester City and Liverpool play in parallel against teams of a similar level, for instance, their physical 'match' will draw a lot of interest, even if it's not on the official schedule.
Cash Out
For all verified customers of the 888Sport bookmaker's office, an early bet cash-out feature is available. The slight disadvantage of its operation is that it is not possible to cash out a part of the bet amount. But even without this feature, having this functionality improves your overall betting experience.
Final say
The leading position of 888Sport in terms of data protection and overall transaction security is beyond doubt. Also at a good level is the odds line, statistics section and user blog on the site. But the mobile application is the bookmaker's Achilles' heel. Yet it leaves much to be desired in terms of quality and speed, both for Android and iOS devices.
