888casino
888casino, formerly Casino-on-Net, is an online casino founded in 1997 and based in Gibraltar. 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]
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Industry | Online casinos |
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Founded | 1998 |
Headquarters | Gibraltar |
Area served | Worldwide |
Parent | 888 Holdings |
Website | 888casino.com |
History
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 a dentistry conference in Monte Carlo.[3][4] In 1994, the Free Trade & Processing Zone Act was passed in Antigua and Barbuda, opening the way for the development of legal online casinos.[5] Casino-on-Net was re-branded as 888casino 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 the Gauselmann Group.[10]
888casino has been awarded eCOGRA's Safe and Fair assurance seal.[11]
In 2021, 888casino stopped offering sports betting in New Jersey as it prepares to launch its regulated Sports Illustrated-branded sportsbook in the state.[12]
On 9 September 2021, 888casino acquired William Hill International's European business from US owners Caesars Entertainment for a purchase price of £2.2 billion.[13][14]
Sponsorship
888casino has been involved in sponsorship of sporting events, teams and athletes, including as title sponsor of the 2013 World Seniors Championship in Snooker,[15] the New York Jets of the NFL,[16] and title sponsor of the 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix.[17]
United States
As a result of an act of the United States Congress in October 2006,[18] 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, the Nevada Gaming Commission granted 888casino a license as an Interactive Gaming Service Provider, making it the first company providing exclusively online gambling to be licensed by any US jurisdiction.[2]
In January 2011, the New Jersey Legislature passed a bill sponsored by Raymond Lesniak to allow online gambling by New Jersey residents over the age of 21.[19] In August 2013, 888casino signed an agreement with Caesars Entertainment Corporation[20] through the group’s All American Poker Network (AAPN) joint venture with Avenue Capital, enabling 888casino to offer own-branded products in New Jersey.[21] 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.[22] 888casino's payout rate is 95.1%.[1]
Awards
Award | Year |
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Casino Operator of the Year, eGR Operator Awards | 2021[23] |
Casino Operator of the Year, Gaming Intelligence Awards | 2019[24] |
Casino Operator of the Year, eGR Operator Awards | 2019,[25] 2021[26] |
Best Casino Operator, Gaming Intelligence Awards | 2015[9] |
Digital Operator of the Year, Global Gaming Awards | 2014[27] |
Operator of the Year, eGR Operator Awards | 2013[28][29] |
Best Casino Operator, eGR Operator Awards | 2013[29] |
References
- "888casino". Gambling.org. Archived from the original on 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
- Robin Wauters (March 22, 2013). ""An historic moment": 888 first online gambling company to win US license". The Next Web. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
- Matthew Garrahan (3 September 2005). "Lucky draw puts brothers at top of their game". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 6 May 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
- Paul Gallagher (17 February 2013). "Meet the pioneers who are making millions from online gambling". The Independent. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
- "Free Trade and Processing Zone Act 1994" (PDF). Government of Antigua and Barbuda. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-22.
- "888 Holdings plc 888 Q4 KPI's and IMS". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
- "Remote Gambling". gibraltar.gov.gi. Archived from the original on 2014-11-01. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
- "888 announces launch of major brands in Regulated Markets Romania & Denmark". Regulatory News Service. September 3, 2015. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
- "Casino Operator of the Year". Gaming Intelligence. 6 February 2016. Archived from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
- "Ab sofort Merkur-Spiele im 888 Casino". Game Oasis (in German). Archived from the original on 2017-12-16. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
- "Safe and Fair Seals: Approved Casinos". eCOGRA. Archived from the original on 2017-12-08. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
- "888 stops operations ahead of SI sportsbook launch in New Jersey". www.fortunegames.com. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
- "Gambling firm 888 buys William Hill International in £2.2bn deal". The Guardian. 9 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-09-09. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- "888 agrees to buy William Hill European business". BBC. 9 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-09-09. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- "888casino.com ups snooker investment". sportspromedia.com. Archived from the original on 2015-07-03. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
- "New York Jets seal landmark 888 deal". SportBusiness. 6 November 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- "888 announced as Portuguese GP title sponsor". MotoGP. Archived from the original on 2021-03-24. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- Fiona Walsh (2006-10-09). "Last chance saloon for online gaming firms". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 2017-12-16. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
- "N.J. Senate Bill No. 490 (2010)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-04-23. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
- "Wynn Partners With 888 Holdings For Online Gambling In Nevada". Seeking Alpha. 26 September 2013. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
- "888 joins with Avenue Capital for online gambling push in the US". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
- "eCogra Certification". www.ecogra.org. Archived from the original on 2015-06-11. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
- "Winners of 2021 EGR Operator Awards". Online Bingo. 2021-11-26. Archived from the original on 2021-11-27. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
- "Gaming Intelligence Casino Operator of the Year - 888casino". Gaming Intelligence. 2020-02-05. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
- "EGR Operator Awards 2020 - AwardStage". egroperatorawards.awardstage.com. Archived from the original on 2020-07-21. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
- "2021 Winners - EGR Operator Awards". EGR Operator Awards. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- "Global Gaming Awards 2014". Gambling Insider. Archived from the original on 2017-09-27. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-05-14. Retrieved 2014-05-14.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - "Die Gewinner der EGR Operator Awards 2013". Agaco (in German). Archived from the original on 2017-12-16. Retrieved 2017-12-15.