 | |
| Industry | Gambling |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Gibraltar |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Online casino |
| Parent | Evoke plc |
| Website | 888casino.com |
888casino, formerlyCasino-on-Net, is anonline casino brand owned byEvoke plc. It was founded in 1997, and is headquartered inGibraltar. It is one of the Internet's oldest casinos,[1] and in 2013 it became the first exclusively online casino to be licensed in the United States.[2]
Casino-on-Net was established by brothers Aaron and Avi Shaked along with partners Ron and Shay Ben-Yitzhaq, also two brothers, in 1997. Aaron Shaked claims to have come up with the idea of the online casino while attending adentistry conference inMonte Carlo.[3][4] In 1994, theFree Trade & Processing Zone Act was passed inAntigua and Barbuda, opening the way for the development of legal online casinos.[5]Casino-on-Net was re-branded as888casino in 2010 to unify the look and feel with other 888 brands.[6] By 2015 the site was licensed and operating in Gibraltar,New Jersey, Denmark, Spain and a number of other countries and territories.[7][8]
In 2015,Gaming Intelligence magazine described 888casino as "the only truly pan-European casino."[9]
In 2017, 888casino signed a deal to include slot games from Berlin-based Merkur Interactive Services GmbH, part of theGauselmann Group.[10]
888casino has been awardedeCOGRA'sSafe and Fair assurance seal.[11]
In 2021, 888casino stopped offering sports betting in New Jersey as it prepares to launch its regulated Sports Illustrated-brandedsportsbook in the state. In 2024, the brand has officially left New Jersey market ceasing all operation in the area.[12]
On 9 September 2021, 888casino acquiredWilliam Hill International's European business from US ownersCaesars Entertainment for a purchase price of £2.2 billion.[13][14]
888casino has been involved in sponsorship of sporting events, teams and athletes, including as title sponsor of the 2013World Seniors Championship insnooker, theNew York Jets of theNFL,Dundalk FC, and title sponsor of the2021 Portuguese Grand Prix.[15]
As a result of anact of the United States Congress in October 2006,[16] online gaming firms were forced to their presence in the US market, resulting in a mass exit from the US market for these sites.
In March 2013, theNevada Gaming Commission granted 888casino a license as anInteractive Gaming Service Provider, making it the first company providing exclusivelyonline gambling to be licensed by any US jurisdiction.[2]
In January 2011, theNew Jersey Legislature passed a bill sponsored byRaymond Lesniak to allow online gambling by New Jersey residents over the age of 21.[17] In August 2013, 888casino signed an agreement withCaesars Entertainment Corporation[18] through the group's All American Poker Network (AAPN) joint venture withAvenue Capital, enabling 888casino to offer own-branded products in New Jersey.[19]888casino publishes an independently audited monthly Casino Payout Percentage and includes the Payout Percentage of each game, as well as the total average Payout Percentage of 888casino.[20] 888casino's payout rate is 95.1%.[1]