888 Casino Review: Blackjack and All it Has to Offer
Launched back in 1997 and having shares worth millions on the London Stock Exchange, 888 Casino is a well-known brand with over 25 million registered players in 13 countries and 18 languages. It has a strong international presence, both in Europe and the ‘tough-cookie’ U.S. market (licensed by Nevada and New Jersey). Far from being the ideal casino, it is, nevertheless, one of the big ones for a reason: it maintains a high-quality portfolio for loyal players and was awarded Casino of the Year 2015 by Gaming Intelligence. Check our 888Casino review for expert assessment of the casino’s strengths and weaknesses when it comes to playing blackjack online:
Security, License and Regulation
The 888 Casino online site employs advanced SSL encryption technology to ensure safe passage for your data over the Internet. The casino is licensed and regulated by the Gibraltar Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission and operates under four Gibraltar-based companies depending on the player’s jurisdiction: Cassava Enterprises Limited, 888 UK Limited, Virtual Digital Services Limited and 888 Ireland Limited. They are all owned by 888 Holdings plc. but you might get a different company name on your bank receipt depending on where you are from.
The 888 Casino also uses eCogra, a highly accredited independent UK-based testing agency, to audit the casino’s RNG software and publish regular payout reports.
Topics Covered on This Page
888 Casino Software: the Own+Best Software Combo
At 888 Casino, players can enjoy a privilege few online casinos can dream to afford: using their own proprietary software. Though a much pricier option than off-the-shelf software, developing their own in-house software enables them to create a unique set of games instantly recognizable within the sea of choices out there, and to also apply tighter quality and safety control. Both the software you download for PC and many of the 888 casino games are 888 casino’s own software products developed by their subsidiary Random Logic. To diversify and attract loyal players of the most popular online casino games in the industry, 888 also offers games by external companies like NetEnt, Amaya Software and others.
Banking Methods at 888 Casino
Here, you have a very wide selection of payment methods made available to you, including debit cards, credit cards, pre-paid cards, e-wallets and bank account transactions. Deposits are normally processed within 10 minutes with most banking options, withdrawals need to be approved first and may take somewhere between 2 and 10 days depending on banking option and VIP status.
Unfortunately, a less-than-great feature of the 888 online casino is the cap on withdrawals: any winnings through $/£/€30,000 are paid out in monthly installments of max $/£/€30,000. If you were to win big, this means that you would have to wait many months, or even years, to get your hands on what you’ve rightfully earned.
888 Casino’s Customer Support
Now, customer support is probably the one very weak spot of 888 Casino, unless you are a VIP customer (keep reading to see why). Once you land on their website, you can easily find the very exhaustive Help section, from where you can open a Contact form to submit an enquiry. You could also contact the casino by Email or phone, but you will find these buried within a lot of other information, as if you’re not meant to find them easily. You wouldn’t find a live chat option anywhere around, unless you check the VIP program on the site and, voilà, the page is spammed with ‘Live VIP Chat’ call-to-action options. The 888 Casino notoriously receives very poor feedback by dissatisfied players for inefficiency in resolving issues through their customer support (forums, reviews etc).
In terms of social responsibility, the 888 Casino has improved a lot since the recent £7.8 m penalty by the UK Gambling Commission. It now offers extensive support for handling unhealthy gambling behavior by introducing self-monitoring features to their site, like deposit limits, game time reminder, an Autoplay option restricting playing when you reach a loss or win limit, take-a-break period and self-exclusion period.
888 Blackjack Game Selection and 888 Live Blackjack
Out of 888 Casino’s 270 high-quality, top-industry games on offer, only four are blackjack: Classic Blackjack, American Blackjack, High Limit Blackjack and Multihand Blackjack. Powered by 888’s in-house Random Logic software, these games are unique and excel both visually and technically. The latest eCogra report assesses 888 Casino’s RTP for blackjack at 98.10%.
The true blackjack gamechanger at 888 is the live casino experience, powered by Evolution Gaming, the EGR Best Live Casino Supplier for eight consecutive years (prestigious industry awards). Evolution Gaming’s Latvian studio boasts knowledgeable dealers, unrivaled streaming and video quality, multiple languages, user-friendly layout, fast and smooth service, and a great variety of rooms, tables, betting limits and customizable VIP experiences. Blackjack lovers will be happy to find Evolution Gaming’s famous Blackjack Party with minimum £0.50 bet. Maximum table limits for blackjack are somewhat lower than in other games (£10,000 at the Diamond VIP Blackjack table).
888 Casino Mobile App Comparison
If you play on your PC, you’ll find that the 888 Casino’s Random Logic software functions slightly better than the in-browser version. If you play on the go, there is a great, highly functional native app for both Android and iOS users which has all the casino’s blackjack games (smaller selection in general), including live blackjack, though you can only play for real money, no demos.
888 Casino Bonuses and Promotions
You can claim a variety of bonus offers once becoming an 888 casino member
- Welcome Bonus100% up to$100
- VIP Offerfree$80
- Blackjack Special200% up to$200
888 Casino, the VIP Whisperer and King of Bonuses
The 888 Casino is big on bonuses and promotions. The casino’s fun sign-up offer includes an up to £888 no deposit bonus + a welcome bonus of 100% match on 1st deposit up to £100 (incl. 30% match on 2nd through 5th deposits for up to £1,500 welcome bonus in total).
Their wagering requirements can get pretty complicated. To break it down for you, getting the up to £888 no deposit bonus is a real feat: you sign up and need to claim it within 48 hrs in a claim-link Email; then, you spin a wheel to receive a no deposit bonus in the £15-£888 range. You must rollover the no deposit bonus within 14 days and all wins from that deposit x30 times within 90 days. You can only wager on select games (blackjack contributes 10%) and you cannot cash out more than the wins from your no deposit bonus, unless you win a Jackpot prize. The conditions are similar for other bonuses.
The Multihand Blackjack special bonus on every 21st of the month is somewhat more realistic: you wager it only x10 times and receive 20% match on up to £300. Additionally, there are special bonus cards at live tables daily between 1pm and 1am GMT (12 cards of £25-100 value at the 888xtra table and 12 cards at £50-150 value at the 888VIP table), which are capped at £500 total win per month and must be wagered x30 within 90 days.
For casino members, the 888 Casino offers daily and monthly deals and promotions, as well as the ubiquitous Comp Point loyalty scheme. However, their VIP program is where all the glamour and effort is poured into. You name it: lavish promotions and rewards, prize draws and personal account management, birthday and casino anniversary gifts, exclusive VIP-only events all over the world such as weekend getaways, concerts, French Open, FA Cup etc.
888 Online Casino Quick Overview
Overall, the 888Casino is an excellent choice for high-rollers and lovers of live (blackjack) casino. Its customer support could be improved significantly and we expect them to further enhance their mobile game selection. The use of proprietary software offering unique gaming experience and the wide selection of promotions and bonuses keep the rush high, though: a guarantee for long-lasting entertainment!
| CASINO | MIN DEPOSIT | MIN/MAX BET | BONUS | LIVE | SUPPORT | LEARN MORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $2/ $500 |
100% up to $100 |
Yes | 10m response time | Review | |
| $25 | $1/ $500 |
100% up to $7,777 |
Yes | 15m response time | Review | |
| $20 | $1/ $500 |
100% up to $100 |
Yes | 10m response time | Review |