888Poker review

888Poker is a very well established online poker room that is available in various places around the globe, including the United Kingdom, some US states and much of Europe. Featuring both high-stakes poker and micro-stakes events, 888Poker has been online since 2002 and has a rich history in the gambling industry, with 888Sports and 888Casino running alongside it. 888Poker’s bonus offers and promotions vary depending on your location, but there is often a no deposit bonus or free tickets available, while matched deposits are also common-place. 888Poker is accessible via mobile, including having apps for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, although not all platforms are available in all jurisdictions the brand is available in. You can use our 888Poker review to learn what is available, including bonus offers, promotions, deposit options, history and app downloads.

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888Poker welcome bonus offer

888Poker has got a lucrative welcome offer for new players to the website, with this varying depending on where you are in the world, and having different terms and conditions based on this as well.

The 888Poker bonus that is most commonly taken advantage of is their 100% up to the value of $1000 matched deposit offer, so theoretically you can deposit $100 and have $200 to bet with. This 888Poker bonus comes with a 20% rakeback.

Or some poker players might be interested in their alternative offer, which nets players a $30 worth of free bets or tickets into tournaments, with this triggered by making a $10 or more deposit.

Another 888Poker no deposit bonus that is very popular is their $8 free offer, which can be used in cash games or tournaments, with it claimed by registering a new account and opting into the promotion.

These 888Poker welcome bonuses can be claimed in different currencies, depending on which one, but this company is licensed to operate in many different places, as you will see later in this review.

888Poker UK welcome bonus

888Poker has a long and storied history in the United Kingdom and they still cater extensively to this market, including having a great bonus and various other offers available to customers.

888Poker gives UK customers two options when they are looking to claim a bonus:

888Poker UK matched offer

The current British 888Poker sign up bonus is a 100% offer up to the value of £800, which is essentially the global bonus, but has been tailored to fit the United Kingdom and Stirling currency.

888Poker Get50 bonus code

The Get50 bonus code nets 888Pokers £40 in free tickets and bonus and £20 for the casino, giving new players a good look around before they commit lots of money to the website.

The £40 for the poker website is issued as $1 tickets, with one released each day, for 40 days to give you the opportunity to try a bevy of different tournaments. As each of these tickets are released you have seven days to use your entry.

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888Poker review

888Poker remains one of the top online poker sites globally, which is no surprise given the length of time they have been operating, the relationships they have with top players and their all-round brand recognition.

888Poker has copped some heat from players for several things, but in our experiences this is usually just bitterness, from players who just can’t catch a break or are just plain no good. For example, 888Poker has beeb accused of having bots play in some tournaments, to flesh out numbers, and while this practice is not unheard of, we highly doubt such a regulated a brand would do this.

The other big criticism of 888Poker has been the amount of bad beats you cop when playing, but the reality is this has been a complaint about all poker rooms, for about 25 years. 888Poker’s random number generators are tested for fairness by eCOGRA and other regulatory bodies.

Some of the most popular types of games available at 888Poker include:

• No-Limit Texas Hold’em (cash games and tournaments)
• Pot-Limit Omaha and variants (including possibly Omaha High & Low)
• Cash or ring games – 888Poker has got a good selection of both high limit and micro stakes cash games available.
• Sit & Go tournaments
• Multi-table tournaments (MTTs)
• “Mystery Bounty” or “Progressive Knockout” style tournaments.
• Multi Flight
• Faster or “snap” formats: For example, 888 lists “SNAP” among its game types.

888Poker tends to have a pretty decent player pool, with these numbers definitely high at the micro stakes level, while the number of players in cash games at the time of last updating this 888Poker review was at about 1600, and can peak at over 3000 on weekends. You will find micro stakes sit and got tournaments kicking off all the time, cash games, high stakes tourneys and basically anything else you can think of.

If we had to criticise the tournaments held at 888Poker it is that there is less action at middle and higher stakes than their used to be, which is probably no surprise given the emergence of GGPoker and other popular rooms. Our recommendation if you are looking to play for middle or higher stakes, is to plan ahead and find an upcoming event that suits.

888Poker, given they service so many different countries, has got welcome offer sand bonuses tailored to many different jurisdictions, while they also have regional specific websites for some countries, including Canada (Ontario only).

While 888Poker’s glory days, when they were going toe-to-toe with Pokerstars for the no.1 mantle are probably past, they remain a comprehensive poker website, with good reach into regulated markets.

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888Poker rakeback and ongoing promotions

888Poker often has high-class promotions available to their existing customers, while if something they are giving away tickles your fancy, you can register a new account.

The 888Poker promotions include:

• Freeroll festival: The freeroll festival is available to funded players, with over $9000 in prizes every week, and it is available 24/7. There are three different free rolls you can enter, with these being the Free Freerolls, The Funky Freeolls and the Fabulous Freerolls. Prizes available in the 24/7 Freerolls Festivals include Tournament tickets, Casino FreePlay Sports Free bets and cash.
• Invite Your Friends: Share your special link with your friends and receive a $15 bonus when they join 888Poker. You can invite your friends with exclusive welcome offers, across different currencies and jurisdictions.

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888Poker Club review

The 888poker Club serves as the site’s automated loyalty programme where every real-money wager triggers participation. From the moment a player places a bet, membership begins without any dedicated opt-in.

Players earn “Club Points” by completing specified challenges and through everyday play—ring game rake, tournament fees, casino wagers and even sports bets each contribute to the point tally. As points accumulate, players climb levels (never descend) and at each new level receive “Gold Tokens,” which can be redeemed via the Redeem page for cash equivalents, tournament tickets or merchandise.

The appeal lies in consistent rewards for regular play. Casual and mid-stake players particularly benefit from the gamified system of challenges, levels and redeemable tokens rather than relying purely on raw volume or “rakeback”. Daily and weekly freerolls unlock starting from level 20 and above, offering additional prize-pool value.

Key terms to note: the programme is free but subject to change or termination at the operator’s discretion. Points and tokens carry no direct monetary value, are non-transferrable and may expire after a period of account inactivity (typically 90 days).Players should also review jurisdictional legality, as participation in the Club is conditioned by local licensing and regulatory frameworks.

Overall, the 888poker Club offers a transparent, tier-based rewards track that rewards steady engagement rather than only high-volume grinding — a well-rounded option for players seeking value from their play.

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888Poker licensing

888Poker is one of the biggest regulated online poker rooms globally, with licensed held in various countries and several different URLs operating, depending on the local laws.

While 888Poker does operate in some grey gambling markets (places where online poker is not banned, but not necessarily legal), they tend to react quickly when their is law changes, and won’t hesitate to withdraw from a market.

The 888Poker licenses that they currently hold include:

Jurisdiction	Entity / Licensee	Licence / Authorisation	Domains / Notes
United Kingdom	888 UK Limited	UK Gambling Commission Account 39028 (Remote Casino, Bingo, Sports)	888poker.co.uk
Gibraltar	Virtual Global Digital Services Ltd VDSL (International) Ltd	Gibraltar Remote Gaming Licences 112 & 113	Core .com operations outside locally licensed markets
Malta (EU servicing hub)	Virtual Digital Services Ltd	MGA licence: MGA/CRP/543/2018 (11 Oct 2019)	Serves EU/EEA where no local licence applies
Italy	888 Italia Limited	ADM Concessione GAD n.15014	888poker.it / 888.it
Spain	888 Online Games España SA (888 Spain PLC – historical corporate use)	Licensed by DGOJ (Spanish Gambling Authority)	888poker.es / 888.es
Denmark	888 Denmark Limited	Spillemyndigheden licence	888poker.dk
Sweden	888 Sweden Limited	Spelinspektionen licence (effective 1 Jan 2019)	888.se / 888poker.se / 888casino.se / 888sport.se
Romania	888 Romania Limited	ONJN Licence L1160654W000324 (1 Sep 2016 – 31 Aug 2026)	888poker.ro
Ontario (Canada)	VHL Ontario Limited	AGCO / iGaming Ontario authorisation	888poker.ca – locally licensed
United States (NJ & NV)	888 US Limited / 888 Atlantic Limited	Nevada Interactive Gaming licence (2013) New Jersey DGE approval under Caesars permit	888poker in NJ; technology network partner in NV
Ireland (betting only)	888 (Ireland) Limited	Licensed by Irish Revenue for remote betting	Sports only; Irish regime does not license online casino/poker

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888Poker history

888poker’s roots go back to 1997, when two sets of Israeli brothers — Avi and Aaron Shaked, and Shay and Ron Ben-Yitzhak — founded what became 888 Holdings (initially incorporated as Virtual Holdings) to build online gaming software and consumer brands. Their first foray into poker arrived a few years later as Pacific Poker, which launched in 2002, alongside the group’s casino and bingo products. The headquarters moved from Antigua to Gibraltar around that time as the business professionalised and positioned for growth in Europe.

Pacific Poker benefited from the first big online poker boom of the early 2000s. As part of a multi-product ecosystem, it could convert casino/bingo traffic into poker liquidity, building a recreational player base and a recognizable consumer brand. In 2005 the parent company floated on the London Stock Exchange, raising its profile and funding a broader global push under the umbrella 888 brand. Investors at the time publicly noted the founders’ large stakes and the company’s desire to diversify risk across verticals rather than rely solely on poker.

The United States’ UIGEA in 2006 forced a strategic retrenchment: like most large operators, 888 withdrew from the open US gambling market and pivoted to regulated markets, while reinforcing its European and international footprint from Gibraltar. The core poker product focused on everyday formats (cash, SNGs, MTTs) with recreational-friendly features.

Australia was a meaningful early-to-mid 2000s market for many online poker rooms, and 888poker built local visibility with ambassador work — most famously through Australian cricket legend Shane Warne, who represented the brand and led Team 888poker at the Aussie Millions. However, the company exited the Australian market in January 2017 ahead of legislative tightening via the Interactive Gambling Amendment Act, notifying players that real money services would cease and balances could be withdrawn.

Sponsorships and ambassadors were and are central to 888poker’s brand voice. Over the years, the roster has featured elite poker professionals and mainstream celebrities: Dominik Nitsche, Martin Jacobson, Chris Moorman, Kara Scott, Sofia Lövgren, Vivian Saliba, UK pro Ian Simpson, Spain’s Lucía Navarro — and beyond poker, names like UFC champion Georges St-Pierre and Brazilian footballer Denílson. The strategy was simple: keep the brand visible at the World Series and global festivals, and align with personable pros who appeal to recreational players.

Recently, 888 the group has been through a pivotal merger and acquisitions chapter. In 2022, it completed the acquisition of William Hill’s international (non-U.S.) business from Caesars, adding a vast retail and online sports/casino operation to its portfolio and diversifying revenue well beyond poker. In 2024, the group rebranded from 888 Holdings to Evoke plc, signalling a multi-brand strategy across markets and verticals; it also announced plans to sell selected U.S. assets to Hard Rock Digital and focus on core regions. From a poker perspective, this means 888poker now sits within a larger, more complex, multi-brand operator — one reason the company has weathered cycles better than pure-play poker rooms.

Not everything has been smooth. In January 2023 the CEO departed as the company suspended certain Middle East VIP accounts amid KYC/AML concerns, highlighting the operational and reputational pressure of global compliance. In March 2024, however, the UK Gambling Commission concluded a licence review without imposing penalties or new conditions, indicating the gambling regulator was satisfied with mitigations.

Even with those bumps, 888poker has evolved into a modern, mobile-first cardroom emphasising recreational-friendly ecology. The software has cycled through multiple redesigns; formats have broadened to include fast-fold (SNAP), progressive-knockout and mystery-bounty MTTs, and national-market localisations (e.g., Denmark and Spain) to comply with licensing regimes. Its ambassador programme continues to refresh, mirroring the brand’s tilt toward inclusive, social poker that still caters for aspirational grinders with regular online series.

Regulatory actions and reviews:

• United Kingdom (2017): UK Gambling Commission imposed a £7.8m penalty package on 888 for social-responsibility failures, including self-excluded customers being able to gamble.
• United Kingdom (2022): UKGC fined 888 UK Limited £9.4m for AML and social-responsibility failings and issued an official warning with requirements for extensive independent auditing.
• Gibraltar (2023): 888 subsidiary Virtual Global Digital Services reached a £2.9m regulatory settlement with the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner related to VIP-customer due-diligence failings in certain Middle East markets.
• Denmark (2019): Spillemyndigheden (Danish Gambling Authority) issued orders/warnings to 888 over AML procedural shortcomings, including delays in obtaining source-of-funds documentation.
• Spain (2022): DGOJ enforcement round listed a fine against 888’s Spanish entity.
• United Kingdom (2024): A UKGC licence review of 888 concluded with no further action—no conditions, penalties, or remedies imposed after the company’s mitigations.

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888Poker deposit options

The deposit options will vary depending on your location and currency, with this company catering to various different geographical areas that have markedly different payment options. As a general rule, 888Poker will have credit and debit card (UK does not allow credit payments) in most jurisdictions, while web wallets like Paypal and Neteller are also popular.

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888Poker review verdict

888Poker is one of the most well-known poker rooms in the world, and while they have not always been perfect with their regulatory compliance, they remain a major player, including sponsoring several star players. Given 888Poker has been online since the early 2000s, and they have licensing from the likes o the United Kingdom GamblingCommission, you should play here with confidence.

Our biggest criticism of 888Poker is the past has been their somewhat lacklustre rewards or rakeback program, with this typically giving players between 3 and 5 per cent, which is lower than other popular poker sites. But it will be good enough for the casual player, who is not sending large sums of real money around the tables.

While common complaints online have centered around possible bots filling tables or collusion we have played a lot, even walking away with $500 from a ring game last time we updated this 888Poker review, and have seen no evidence of it. But would love hear your experiences in the box below.

Overall, 888Poker’s welcome packages and promotions, and reliable levels of player numbers make them a formidable contestant in the online poker space.