888Sport Review

888Sport were very much at the forefront of internet betting, and continue to lead the way with innovative features, and an excellent user experience.

Is 888Sport Safe?

888Sport is one of the biggest online betting sites and provides one of the best sports betting products on the market. In this 888Sport review, we’ll take a close look at why.

We’ll explore their generous welcome bonus which includes a casino element, payment options and safety features.

Discover all about their in-house technologies, and why that makes them stand out from the crowd.

Overview

Safety rating	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Founded	1997
Owners	888Holdings
Headquarters	Gibraltar
Support	Live chat, email, phone
Test period	8 hours

888Sport Security

Security

Is 888Sport safe?	Yes
Licence	UK, Gibraltar, Malta
Bonus terms	Standard
Withdrawal problems	No
Protection of Funds	Medium rating
Ever blacklisted?	No
Fines	Yes
SSL	256-bit (best available)
Live chat	Yes
2-step verification	Yes

Player safety is clearly paramount at 888Sport. The company is listed on the London stock exchange, which very few betting sites are, and has decades of experience behind it.

The 256-bit SSL encryption technology is as good as it gets for protecting your data, so we’re glad to see 888Sport use this. Again, this is not something that all betting sites have.

They are also a member of the International Betting Integrity Agency. This is a leading global company that ensures there is no form of fixing across sports for the benefit of gambling. It also holds betting companies to account for any suspicious behaviour.

On top of that, 888Sport sponsor some big teams in the sporting world. They are a proud partner of the NFL and have allegiances with Cardiff City FC and Norwich to name a few.

Platform

Many betting sites host their sportsbook on a third-party platform. At 888Sport, however, everything is in-house.

This is massively impressive and sets them apart. It means that they do not rely on another provider. Even the biggest betting sites in the UK such as Paddy Power and William Hill outsource this aspect of their business.

The fact that 888sport have taken the time to build a platform for their product shows how serious they are.

Licence

888Sport hold a licence with the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC). This is a notoriously difficult licence to both acquire and maintain due to the strict rules in place.

Furthermore, 888Sport hold licences with:

• Malta Gaming Authority
• Gibraltar Gaming Commission

These are two powerhouses within the betting industry. Being able to hold more than one licence is a big plus. 888Sport will have to satisfy the rules of each authority, depending on where they operate.

This is a complex procedure and one which requires dedicated experts. So, if a betting site holds several licences, you can be sure they take rules seriously.

Protection of Funds

The UKGC has assigned 888Sport with a medium rating regarding their protection of funds processes.

High the best option, but many betting firms will opt for the medium rating; as 888Sport do. It does provide a good level of insurance for players. Funds are held in a separate account to the companies, which means that they won’t be touched if a firm falls into administration.

Of course, it is unlikely that 888Sport will go under but in the case that they do, your money is safe under a medium rating. In saying that, it is not guaranteed.

Fines

When you hold licences, you are subject to fines if you breach any rules. To provide a fair 888Sport review we look for any fines that may have been handed out.

In 2017 flaws were exposed in the responsible gambling software at 888Sport and as result, they were handed a hefty fine by the UKGC.

Since then, the company has gone on to improve these and now players can choose from a whole range of responsible gambling tools. So although they have been fined in the past, the improvements mean they are now one of the leading sites in this department.

You Can Trust 888Sport Because

888Sport Promotions

888Sport Welcome Offer

Bonus type	Bet and get
Amount	£30 in free bets + £10 casino bonus
Minimum deposit	£10
PayPal eligible?	No
No deposit	No, minimum deposit required
Minimum odds	First bet 1/2 or higher
Wagering	Casino 40x
Bonus code	30F
Time frame	Free bets 7 days
Extra	£10 casino bonus
Other promotions	Yes
Get £30 in Free Bets	Visit site

888Sport Welcome Offer UK – Get £30 in Free Bets

All new players from the UK can get £30 in free bets with a £10 deposit. The free bets are paid at 3 x £10, one of which needs to be placed on a mobile device.

This bonus stands out to us due to its relatively small qualifying amount. And the fact that there are no wagering requirements on the free bets. It offers a lot of value, and although not as flashy as some other offers on the markets is accessible to many players.

The addition of a £10 casino bonus is a nice touch too. The 888casino is regarded as a big player in the industry too, so it gives new customers the chance to give it a go.

As with most casino bonuses, however, there are wagering requirements involved. The bonus must be played through 40x within 14 days, and winnings are capped at £500. In saying that, it’s extra to the promotion of the sports, so is still relatively good.

1

Open an account

Using the code 30F

2

Deposit

Via an eligible method such as debit card

3

Place a bet

With a stake of at least £10 (min odds 1/2)

4

Get £30

In free bets once the initial bet has settled

5

Get £10

In casino bonus money to play with instantly

Terms and Conditions

The terms of the 888Sport new customer promotion all seem to be in line with the norm. They can realistically be met, especially with there being no wagering requirements on the free bets.

Casino bonuses can be a bit trickier than sports bonuses. This comes down to the wagering mostly, with not all games being equal. For example, in this offer you need to wager the £10 bonus 40x before being able to withdraw (which is standard).

However, if you play Blackjack, this only contributes 10% to the wagering, so therefore you’d need to play through a whopping £4,000. So, just bear that in mind.

Existing Player Promotions

In our 888Sport review, you’ll also find that existing players can enjoy a whole host of exciting promotions. They’re easy to find too with a handy promotions tab.

What we like is that the offers are over a range of sports including NFL, football, horse racing and tennis. In the promotions tab, they also promote their specials which feature on a regular basis.

Those include boosted odds, enhanced places in horse racing and more. You’ll also see the bet builder feature here, as well as their Predict eight game.

8 Games 8 Results

Our top pick is the ‘8 Games 8 Results’ promotion. For the 2020/21 Premier League season 888Sport have a free-to-play game. You need to predict the outcome of eight selected games, and you can win a share of the £8,000 prize pot.

If you don’t get all eight, you’ll get a £1 free bet for all the outcomes you correctly predict. The catch is that after playing twice, you’ll need a weekly bet of £25 in order to continue receiving the free bets. Still, we think it’s a nice extra to have on-site.

Sports Betting Markets

Sportsbook and Features

Bet	Here
Number of sports	27 (high-end)
Competitive odds	Yes
Top sports	Horse racing, football, tennis
Cash out	Yes
Live betting	Great
Live streaming	A number of streams
Daily offers	Yes

888Sport operate on their in-house platform which is great as it makes for a unique betting experience. Their sportsbook is also packed with sports and exciting markets. You can bet on:

• Horse racing
• Football
• Greyhounds
• Tennis
• Basketball
• Snooker
• American Football
• Golf
• Rugby

The range of markets is good too. As is the case with the best football betting sites, there can be hundreds of betting opportunities with the first goalscorer, over/under, home team number of goals and various handicap markets too.

If you’re a punter that doesn’t mind hunting for the value then 888Sport have plenty to explore.

Maximum Payouts

Maximum Payouts

Top level football	£250,000
Horse racing (UK & IRE)	£100,000
Tennis	£150,00
Cricket	£100,000
Football other	£250,000
Horse racing other	£100,000
Golf	£100,000
Rugby	£100,000

Each sport comes with its own maximum payout, and this will also vary depending on the level.

As you can see the biggest maximum payout is for top football leagues such as the English Premier League, German Bundesliga, and the Champions League. This is relatively standard as football is one of the biggest betting sports in the UK. However, the £250,000 limit is low for the industry.

Bookmakers of a similar size to 888Sport including William Hill offer almost 10x this amount at £2,000,000. While Paddy Power’s limit is £1,000,000.

In saying that, they are more in line with those bookies on other sports such as tennis and cricket. But it is something to bear in mind.

Horse Racing at 888Sport

Horse racing is well promoted on the 888Sport site. We think it stands out above other betting sites due to the volume of stats available.

For UK and Irish races, you can identify course winners, course and distance winners and much more. Other sites in the UK can provide similar information but it’s very prominent at 888Sport. They sell this as a feature called ‘betfinder’. It is a unique offering and one we think players can gain an advantage with.

Other than UK and Irish racing there are often fixed odds online for South Africa and Australia.

Not many betting sites promote such a variety of countries, which makes 888Sport’s horse racing a cut above the rest.

Competitive Odds

In terms of odds, we can say that 888Sport hold their own. We’ve mentioned that platform and it’s even more interesting where odds are concerned. Betting sites will sometimes outsource their odds as well as the platform.

At 888Sport everything is in-house and therefore they have complete control over prices. They can change odds as often as they like and can often be found at the top price on horses and other events. But in terms of value, do 888sport offer competitive odds?

Here we can see that 888Sport are adding a 6% margin which is in line with other top betting sites. Of course, it’s not all about the 1X2 markets. For our 88Sport review, we want to look a little deeper.

We’ve also examined the draw no bet markets. Meaning you can back a team to win, and if the game ends in a draw you will get your stake back. For this market, 888Sport hold the best margin at 5% compared with both Paddy Power and bet365’s 108% here.

On balance, we’re satisfied that 888Sport promote competitive odds in comparison with other market leaders.

888Sport Betfeed

An addition to the sportsbook is the 888Sport betfeed. This provides players with the chance to see what other punters are backing.

It’s in real-time and there are a number of filters you can choose from. You can choose which sport you would like to see, what type of bets and sort them by either most recent or start time.

It’s not the best feature you’ll find on a sportsbook, but it’s also pretty cool to see what bets are hot if you’re in two minds about what to back. It also shows that 888Sport are transparent about what bets they take, and it’s not something you’ll find on many other sites.

Live Betting at 888Sport

We looked through the various parts of the in-play suite at 888Sport and were impressed with the ease of navigation. There is a handy bar within the live betting section that shows how many events per sport are currently live, which is a nice touch.

As with the pre-match odds, we found that they were extremely competitive across all sports.

We found that lived odds were available on a wide range of sports and for sports of different levels. So, it’s not just the big leagues.

Live Streaming

Live streams and in-play betting especially, go hand in hand. We’re happy to say that 888Sport offer a good variety of live streams, again for a number of sports.

Players need to have a funded account to watch the streams and this is common practice across the industry.

You get access to some pretty cool stats too. There’s a heat map that shows where the action is taking place in football games too. It’s a great visual and can come in handy for picking in-play bets.

Cash out

It’s become less of an exception, and more the rule for betting sites to offer cash out. We tried it out for the purpose of our 888Sport review and we’re happy to say it was efficient. At the time of writing, it is only available on select football markets.

It isn’t available on all matches either, but they are clearly marked, and it will also show in your betslip. We should also note that it is available on both pre-match and live markets.

While other companies may offer more sports for cash out, we found that it worked well and offered decent returns.

Payments

888Sport Minimum Deposit and Withdrawal Times

Payment Method	Min Deposit/Withdrawal	Withdrawal Time
	£10/£10	4-5 working days
	£10/£10	4-5 working days
	£10/£10	4-5 working day
	£10/£10	4-5 working days
	£10/£10	4-5 working days
	£10/£10	4-5 working days
	£10/£10	4-5 working days
	£10/N/A	N/A

With such a wide range of options available, we’re sure there’s something that suits all players. It’s a good sign when bookmakers provide choice and it also shows that they are legit because they are set-up to handle well-known payment providers.

It’s good to see Apple Pay, PayPal and Trustly on there as those are some of the favourite methods given how secure they are.

The downside is that the wait times are relatively long. The likes of Paddy Power offer players instant payouts, so bear this in mind when withdrawing.

888Sport App

App overview

Safety rating	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Operating system	iOS (11.0 or newer) and Android
Mobile web	Yes, all major browsers
2-step log-in	Yes
Usability	Excellent
Widely available	No, UK and Ireland only
App store rating	4.4/5
Download size	25.3MB

The app itself provides a great betting experience. You’ll be able to use all the same features as on desktop and the same promotions are also there.

For a period, Google wasn’t promoting, or allowing betting apps but have since loosened restrictions. The fact that 888Sport have been on there for a while shows they are highly reputable beyond the betting industry.

2-step verification is in place meaning no-one will be able to access your account if you do lose your phone. This offers peace of mind and is a feature we always check for and was no exception for our 888sport review.

If you prefer to play on the mobile website, then you won’t be disappointed either. It’s clear that 888Sport have heavily invested in their mobile site. A couple of years ago, they underwent a huge revamp and it was the mobile site that benefitted most.

User Experience

We’ve played on many betting sites and we can say that 888Sport is one of the best in the business. Sign-up is an easy process; the new customer bonus is clear and everything is well sign-posted. The site has quick responses and load times are minimal.

Moving between markets and storing selections in your betslip is a smooth process. Overall, we’re very impressed with the navigation and usability of the 88Sport site.

You may also have heard of 888casino and 888poker as both of those are big players in their respective fields. Unlike most other sites that offer more than one product, all of these sites sit separately.

By this, we mean that there is not simply a tab in the menu bar, but a whole new site to visit. This of course comes with its pros and cons, but if you’re a dedicated sports player, then you won’t get annoyed with casino offers.

888Sport Support

Live chat	Yes
Email	[email protected]
UK Phone	+44 203 478 0670
Other	Online contact form

888Sport introduced a live chat in June 2021. In our opinion, it was a glaring omission from our 888Sport review, so we’re pleased to see this. It operates from 12-10 UK time.

We contacted them a few times and were met with a friendly agent within seconds. To access the live chat feature, you’ll need to go to ‘cashier’ as the option is found there.

They do offer other ways of contacting including an online form. It’s similar to live chat but not as instantaneous. You can request a call back if you prefer, this option is available between 10 am – 6 pm.

Emailing is still an option too, and there is a wide range of FAQs to explore. Overall 888Sport now provides one of the best customer support channels in the business.

Tips

Improvements

We would like to see more payment options made eligible for the welcome bonus. PayPal is one of our preferred methods due to its increased security.

We also find it interesting that withdrawals to e-wallets can take up to 5 working days. Most betting sites offer these within a 24-hour window, or even less. In saying that, when we tried this out, our withdrawal was in within 2 working days, but it is certainly an area they could improve in.

Conclusion

888Sport is a giant in the industry and respected beyond. The fact that it uses its own platform is impressive and they provide players with all-around excellent user experience.

The welcome offer gives new players the chance to earn free bets and to try out the casino all for just a £10 deposit. We’re big fans of this betting site. Discover 888Sport for yourself.

With a secure betting platform, excellent odds and offers; 888Sport is one of our most respected sports betting sites.

Back to top