888 Casino Review: Licensed Abroad, Exited the US

888 Casino Review: Legit Abroad, Gone From the US

888 Casino is a real, long-licensed operator — UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, Gibraltar — but the version of that story most US readers remember, a New Jersey-licensed online casino, ended on June 17, 2024. This review covers what 888 Casino actually is today: who regulates it, why it left New Jersey, and what a US player searching for it now needs to know before typing in a card number.

Type “888 Casino” into a search bar from the US in September 2026 and you’ll land on a confusing mix of old reviews, an active international site, and one very important piece of history: 888 Casino used to be licensed in New Jersey, and isn’t anymore. Both halves of that story are true at once, and untangling them is the point of this review.

Is 888 Casino Legit? Yes — Just Not Here

888casino.com is a genuinely old operator by internet standards. It launched in 1997 as Casino-on-Net, one of the earliest real-money online casinos, founded by Aaron and Avi Shaked alongside Ron and Shay Ben-Yitzhak. It moved its administrative base to Gibraltar in 2003 and rebranded to 888casino in 2006. Today it holds licenses from the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, and the Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association, and its parent company, evoke plc, is a London Stock Exchange-listed group that also owns William Hill, 888sport, 888poker, and Mr Green. That is a legitimate, regulated operator — in the markets it still serves.

The evoke plc rebrand. 888 Holdings officially became evoke plc in May 2024, a name change the company framed as a “reset” after roughly 18 months of management upheaval and regulatory issues. The consumer-facing brands — 888casino, 888poker, 888sport, William Hill, and Mr Green — kept their original names through the corporate rename. Trading moved to the London Stock Exchange under ticker EVOK.

Is 888 Casino Legal in the US? Not Since June 2024

Here’s the part most current reviews gloss over: 888 Casino did hold a real US license. It launched in New Jersey in 2013, partnered with Caesars Interactive Entertainment for market access, and briefly held the distinction of being the first exclusively-online casino licensed in the US. It also powered the Delaware Lottery’s online casino platform for a stretch, alongside Scientific Games. None of that is still true. evoke sold its US online casino and poker business, stopped taking new New Jersey deposits about 30 days ahead of the closure, and shut the NJ platform down entirely on June 17, 2024 — redirecting existing accounts to Hard Rock Bet. As of September 2026, 888 Casino holds no active license anywhere in the United States.

That means the honest answer to “is 888 Casino legal in [any US state]” is the same everywhere: it isn’t operating there, full stop. There’s no gray area to describe and no workaround to suggest — the product a US reader remembers simply doesn’t exist anymore.

How Safe Is 888 Casino for International Players?

For readers outside the US, in a market 888casino actually licenses — the UK, Malta-regulated jurisdictions, Gibraltar, Canada, Spain, Denmark, and a handful of others — the safety profile is solid by industry standards: multiple established regulators, fund segregation requirements, audited RNG games, and a formal complaint process through each licensing body. That safety picture simply doesn’t extend across the Atlantic anymore. A site or app claiming to offer “888 Casino” real-money play to US users post-June-2024 is not the regulated brand this review covers.

The Welcome Bonus, Market by Market

UK: 100% deposit match up to £100 on slots, subject to UK Gambling Commission-compliant wagering terms.

Other regulated markets: Canada, Spain, and Denmark each see their own separately-set offers under local rules.

United States: none — there is no US product to attach a bonus to.

Where 888 Casino Fits

888 Casino makes sense for exactly one kind of reader: someone in the UK, Malta, Gibraltar, Canada, or another market where evoke plc actually holds a license and wants a long-running, publicly traded operator. It does not make sense as a search result for a US player — that chapter closed in June 2024, and no amount of searching for “888 Casino New Jersey” brings it back. US readers comparing licensed options should look at operators still holding active state licenses, like Borgata in NJ/PA or the wider-footprint DraftKings.

888 Casino — Frequently Asked Questions

Is 888 Casino legit?

Yes, in the markets it currently serves. 888casino.com is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, and the Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association, and it is owned by evoke plc, a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange (ticker EVOK) that also owns William Hill and 888poker. That is real regulatory backing — it just does not extend to the US anymore.

Is 888 Casino legal in the US?

Not currently. 888 Casino was licensed in New Jersey from 2013 until it sold its US business and exited on June 17, 2024, redirecting existing accounts to Hard Rock Bet. As of September 2026 it holds no active US state gaming license, so there is no legal way to play real money on 888 Casino from anywhere in the United States.

Is 888 Casino safe?

For players in its licensed markets — the UK, Malta-regulated jurisdictions, Gibraltar, and a handful of others — yes: those regulators require fund segregation, audited games, and a formal complaint process. For a US reader, the safety question is moot, since the brand does not accept US real-money players at all; anything claiming to be "888 Casino USA" outside that history should be treated with suspicion.

Why did 888 Casino leave New Jersey?

evoke plc (888’s parent) sold its US online casino and poker business and wound the NJ operation down as part of a wider strategic reset following management and regulatory turbulence in 2023–2024. 888casino.com and 888poker stopped taking new NJ deposits about 30 days before the June 17, 2024 shutdown, and existing NJ customers were pointed to Hard Rock Bet.

Who owns 888 Casino now?

888 Casino is owned by evoke plc, which completed a rebrand from "888 Holdings" in May 2024. Evoke’s portfolio also includes William Hill, 888sport, 888poker, and Mr Green; all of those consumer brands kept their original names through the corporate rebrand.

What is the 888 Casino welcome bonus right now?

Offers are set per regulated market, not globally. UK players see a 100% deposit match up to £100 on slots under UK Gambling Commission rules as of September 2026; other licensed markets like Canada, Spain, and Denmark run their own separate promotions. There is no US offer, because there is no US product.