888sport sports betting experience – test & review

Bonus & VIP Offer

Welcome bonus

As befits an exemplary bookie, 888sport welcomes new customers with a welcome bonus. On your first deposit you will receive a 100 percent bonus up to 100 euros.

If you want to secure the full 888sport bonus, you have to deposit at least 100 euros. But beware: Skrill and Moneybookers are excluded from the promotion and the bonus maximum for payments via Paysafecard is 25 euros. If you want to use the sports betting bonus, you should consequently use other transaction methods.

In the information about the bonus offer, there is no information about a required minimum deposit amount, but of course the general limits apply (at least 10 euros per deposit).

You have to wager the deposited amount once on a bet with a minimum odds of 1.5. After that, the bonus will automatically land on your player account.

Clear the 888sport bonus
As with all bookmakers, the payout of the bonus and the winnings generated with it is linked to certain conditions. 888sport has set a 6x turnover target, whereby only bets with odds of 1.5 or higher count towards turnover. For example, anyone who receives a bonus of 50 euros from the bookie must consequently turn over 300 euros (50 euros x 6) when betting. You have a total of 60 days to complete the required turnover. Please note that bets placed via the cashout function do not contribute to the turnover.

If you fail to meet the bonus requirements within the given time limit, the bonus and the winnings generated with it will be forfeited. The following overview summarizes all important data about the 888sport bonus:

VIP & Loyalty Programme

There is no classic VIP club with a level system at 888sport. However, when I asked the customer service, I learned that the bookie elevates very active users to the rank of VIP player. Among other things, these benefit from individual bonus offers and more customer-friendly bonus conditions. However, the bookmaker does not provide any information on its website about the criteria the betting operator uses to select its VIP customers.

Furthermore, existing customers can also benefit from bonuses. These can be, for example, free bets, cashback campaigns or a profit boost. With the Super 8 betting game, you also have the opportunity to win up to 1,000 euros every week.

Thus, the 888sport test shows that the betting provider spoils both new and active customers with bonus offers. According to my 888sport experiences, the bookie has only waived a loyalty points program for sports betting.

Betting offer

The betting portfolio of 888sport is composed of a little more than 30 categories. In addition to the standards like soccer, tennis and basketball, the offer also includes some more unusual disciplines like sumo wrestling or surfing. With ice hockey, American football and baseball, some popular US sports are also represented. Those who rather prefer UK disciplines will be pleased to know that betway is one of the best horse betting providers and also offers tips on cricket or rugby. In the field of combat sports, the bookie is also well positioned. You can also place bets on boxing matches and wrestling and UFC events.

E-Sports & Special Bets
At 888sport, you also have the option to bet on political and social events. In addition, you can find various disciplines from the field of e-sports, such as League of Legends or Call of Duty, on the betting platform. This bookmaker definitely provides enough variety.

888sports focuses on soccer
King Football is clearly the most popular sport in this country. The bookie has oriented itself to customer wishes and placed its focus on the grass sport.

Even though it is a successful betting offer, the bookie can by no means keep up with the top providers in the industry. The top European leagues are all available, but the offer does not go too far in depth. In the field of German soccer, for example, the 3rd league is the deepest division you can bet on. With really well positioned bookmakers, on the other hand, even Oberliga games can be found. However, this is only a minor point of criticism. Logically, the portfolio also includes international tournaments like the UEFA Champion League or the World Cup.

Satisfactory number of betting options on popular disciplines
Of course, betting only provides entertainment in the long run if there is a sufficient number of betting markets available. For popular sports, there are usually 200 to 400 betting options available. Fortunately, this is not only true for soccer, but also for basketball and ice hockey, for example.

In addition to standard bets such as three-way bets, handicap bets and over/under bets, the portfolio also includes a whole range of special bets. For example, you can bet on the first goal scorer of a match, but also on the total number of goals in the match. In the area of less popular discipline, however, the number of betting options is much lower.

Live bets

Live bets score with even more excitement than ordinary pre-match bets and therefore enjoy a continuously increasing popularity. A renowned provider like 888sport naturally also offers its customers a live area. As is already the case with the usual betting offer, the bookmaker is well positioned, but does not quite manage to keep up with the best betting providers.

The focus of live betting is also on soccer, although numerous other sports are also included in the program. You basically have to wait about six seconds until the betting slip is accepted. When I took a close look at the live section on a Monday evening, it included the following categories:

Basketball
Soccer
Tennis
Ice Hockey
Table Tennis
Esports
Volleyball

However, what is a clear minus point: odds changes are not displayed sufficiently. This makes it very difficult to react quickly to increasing or decreasing odds. Numerous competitors have definitely solved the display of changing odds in a more customer-friendly way – for example with signal colors and/or arrows.

What can be mentioned positively, however, is that 888sport has at least thought of keeping you up to date on how the match is going. An animated playing field is used for this purpose. In addition, the betting provider provides you with useful statistics on the teams in many cases. On the other hand, the bookmaker does not offer live streams so far. However, due to the small number of providers that offer such a service, this is not really a negative point.

Quotes & Betting Features

Quotes

The odds ratio is of crucial importance when it comes to the amount of your profit. Therefore, it is advisable to look for the betting provider that offers you the best odds. To give you a realistic impression of the odds level, I have examined ten randomly selected betting markets. I have taken into account both mainstream sports and less popular disciplines. The following overview illustrates how high the odds turn out:

96,46 / 95,68 / 93,74 / 93,84 / 96,02 / 95,22 / 95,19 / 95,34 / 94,62 / 93,98 %

The average payout rate is thus 95.01 percent, which is an excellent value. However, you must not forget that in case of a win, the 5 percent betting tax applies. However, there are only a few bookmakers (mostly new betting providers emerging on the market) that take over the tax burden for their customers. Another positive thing to mention is that the odds did not even come close to the 90 percent mark in any of the betting markets examined.

Practical example of odds calculation at esport.directory.net
How the odds calculation works is best explained by a practical example. In the Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig, 888sport provides the following betting odds:

Odds Eintracht Frankfurt: 4,20
Odds draw: 4,25
odds RB Leipzig win: 1,76
Winning odds of the match = 1 / (1 / 4.20+ 1 / 4.25 + 1 / 1.76) = 0.96.01.
Thus, the payout ratio reaches a value of 96.01 percent.

Betting Features

The cashout feature allows you to close a bet even before the event is over. You can therefore use the feature to secure winnings and reduce losses. 888sport provides its customers with the popular betting function for selected pre-match bets and live bets. However, only a full cashout is possible. In addition, the bookie offers a so-called Bet Builder, which allows you to create individual bets.

Deposits & Withdrawals

Deposits

The bookie scores with a broad payment portfolio. This should ensure positive 888sport experiences for many users: The bookmaker is one of the few betting providers where you can also make transactions with PayPal. The minimum deposit amount is always 10 euros, with one exception. In the case of a bank transfer, however, it is 85 euros. The following list shows which payment methods are available for deposits:

Credit card (maximum 3,000€), only payment cards from VISA are accepted.
PayPal (maximum 3.000€), virtual wallet (e-wallet) for fast money transfer
Sofort (maximum 3.000€), enables direct transfers from the current account via online banking
Trustly (maximum 1.500€), service provider for online payment releases
RapidTransfer (maximum 5.000€), also direct transfers via online banking
Skrill also an e-wallet and alternative to PayPal
NETELLER (maximum 115€), another e-wallet
MuchBetter (maximum 10.000€), payment app and e-wallet
paysafecard (maximum 25€), payment card with 16-digit PIN, works on the prepaid principle
Wire Transfer (maximum 3.000€), ordinary bank transfer.
There are no fees for deposits. Usually the deposited funds are available after 10 minutes at the latest. Only with Trustly (up to 1 business day) and a bank transfer (up to 5 business days) you have to wait a little longer.

Withdrawals

Making withdrawals at 888sport
Except for instant transfers, all payment methods are also available for withdrawals. For bank transfers, a minimum amount of 15 euros applies and for all other transaction methods a minimum amount of only 4 euros. According to the terms and conditions, there is no limit for most payment options. Only for credit card payments with VISA such a limit exists (34,000 euros per day). In addition, 888sport reserves the right to reduce the maximum monthly payout amount to 30,000 euros.

Which will make for negative 888sport experiences for many sports bettors: There is a hold-back period of 3 business days. Only after that does the bookie process withdrawal requests, which takes up to 2 business days. With the credit card (up to 5 business days) and bank transfer (4 to 7 business days) payment options, you will have to wait even longer for your money.

Also note that withdrawals are only possible after you have gone through the so-called KYC process – an identity check. For this purpose, it is necessary to send the betting provider a copy of a valid identification document and a copy of a utility bill or credit card statement. The latter serves as proof of address. You can upload both documents directly via your profile. In order to check the documents, 888sport needs up to 72 hours, which is very long compared to numerous competitors.

My experience with the first deposit, bonus activation and withdrawal.
I tested the deposit, the classic 100% bonus and the withdrawal for you at 888sport. My deposit ran as with most other bookmakers, very simple and fast. In goes the money always fast. Something confusing I found the pop-up window, which opened during the deposit. Here it was suggested to me to increase my deposit. Assuming that I would then get a higher bonus, I increased my 30 euros by another 10. However, I did not get the bonus, but had to unlock it.

The odds of 1.5 on a 2nd Bundesliga game could then clear the bonus for me. 5% betting tax was withheld. After my successful bet, the bonus was automatically activated immediately.

The withdrawal went very well, as I had done the KYC process in advance. Without having to clear my bonus, the remaining 57.76 euros were still paid out and are already back in my account. Overall, really clean processes and good experience at 888sport.

The minimum and maximum stake at the bookmaker
The 888sport minimum stake for a solo tip is just ten cents. This makes the bookmaker particularly suitable for beginners and offers a low hurdle, which also invites the newcomer to fill out a system betting slip. The advantage of a low minimum bet is that customers can achieve quite a high profit with a low stake at the appropriate odds. A system can also be used to secure the winnings. It is common in betting practice to play several betting outcomes on one ticket at the same time. For example, four different matches can each be tipped as a single bet or as a system bet or as a combination bet.

In the case of a full system, the player must specify 63 betting lines. If, for example, the bookmaker requires a high minimum bet of one euro here, the betting slip will read 63 euros, which will be due upon submission. However, if it is a provider that only demands ten cents, as is the case with 888sport, the same ticket will only cost 6.30 euros. Another advantage for such a low minimum bet is also the significantly lower financial risk for the player. If it is a recreational player and not a professional, the fun is in the foreground for him. A hobby player does not want to take a high risk and would rather have fun with a low budget. The 0.10 euros of 888sport are located in the lowest range.

Maximum possible 888sport bet varies from bet to bet
There is no 888sport maximum bet, because here too the limitation is as usual via the 888sport maximum win. This in turn depends on the odds and therefore the 888sport betting limit is variable and varies from bet to bet. For the previously mentioned reasons, it is also impossible for the bookmaker to announce this value as a fixed euro amount in its terms and conditions. A customer only learns whether his bet is subject to a limit when submitting the betting slip. If this is the case, it is possible to reduce the bet accordingly. In practice, however, very few 888sport customers should be affected by a limit. In addition, 888sport reserves the right in the fine print to impose an individual betting limit on its users.

High winnings at 888sport are especially available for popular sports and sporting events (source: 888sport).
We would like it if the 888sport limits were a bit more transparent and uncomplicated to find. Nevertheless, probably only the fewest users will actually reach their limits at 888sport. For this, an incredibly high bet would have to be made, or an extremely high betting odds would have to be available. However, both are things that a recreational player should avoid as much as possible on the advice of the experts. Only professional gamblers, who usually operate with quite high betting stakes, are likely to be interested in finding the highest possible winning limit. Those who are not sure what the 888sport limit is for a particular bet can contact the customer service. The same is also true in order to achieve an individually higher betting limit.

Reputation & Security

You do not need to worry about the seriousness of 888sport. On the one hand, the bookie has an official gambling license from Malta (license number MGA/CRP/543/2018/01). This was issued by the Malta Gaming Authority, which consequently regulates the bookmaker.

On the other hand, the sports betting brand belongs to the well-known as well as renowned 888 Holdings PLC, which is one of the largest online gambling providers worldwide. The company operates numerous other brands such as 777 online casino and Wink slots casino. In addition, 888 Holdings PLC is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Consequently, the group has to comply with strict legal regulations.

Also exemplary in data and player protection
To protect customer and transaction data from hackers, 888sport makes use of various security procedures. Firstly, data is always transmitted via a secure connection, i.e. encrypted. In addition, modern firewall systems are used.

There is also nothing to complain about when it comes to player protection. Here you have the option to set a deposit limit. In addition, you have the option to take a break of up to 60 days or to request a voluntary self-exclusion.

The limits at 888sport
888sport is committed to providing its users with a perfect betting experience. The bookmaker is well aware that gambling can be problematic for certain players. For this reason, the bookmaker offers many different measures on its websites that guarantee its users a controlled and safe gaming environment. Among other things, 888sport supports responsible gambling and has built some protective mechanisms into its betting portal.

The 888sport employees check the gambling behavior of their customers and help with the need to change it. Another offer is the possibility to limit the deposit at 888sport. Those who wish can take time out from betting due to personal or financial circumstances and the self-exclusion can be done optionally over different periods of time, ranging from one day to several weeks. Self-exclusion requires contacting customer service and the account will then be locked until the end of the chosen period. It is not possible to open an account prematurely, nor are any account movements allowed.

Service & Support

To contact the customer service of 888sport, you have several options at your disposal. You can reach the employees either via contact form, hotline or live chat. However, I had to click through several pages before I accidentally found the phone number, which is also not a number from Germany. Since it is uncertain how high the costs will be, I recommend the live chat.

Usually you only have to wait a few seconds until an employee answers in the live chat. The German-speaking support is open daily from 8:00 to 24:00. The English-speaking customer service even works around the clock. The employees are always friendly and take their time to solve problems and answer your questions in detail.

However, in many cases it might not even be necessary to write to a support employee. There is a very extensive FAQ section, which already answers a large number of questions. Here, 888sport has really made an effort. However, this circumstance goes back to the fact that no live chat was offered for a long time. Fortunately, the bookie has fixed this issue.

Functions & Design

The 888sport betting portal is a real feast for the eyes. The betting provider uses mostly neutral gray tones for its website, which are loosened up by individual accents in orange. All fonts are easily recognizable and the site also shines with a high usability. As a result, even inexperienced sports bettors will find their way around very quickly.

When it comes to the structure of the site, 888sport takes a slightly different approach than most of its competitors – which is, however, a plus point. Instead of three columns, the page is only divided into two columns. On the left, you will find all sports as usual. The bookie uses the remaining space to display the betting markets. The betting slip appears at the bottom of the screen as soon as you click on a betting option. On a positive note, the betting slip moves along with the scrolling.

Another plus point: In addition to the website version in error-free German, the following languages are also offered:

English
Finnish
Russian
Portuguese
French
Spanish

However, there are also two points of criticism. First, the left column does not display the full selection of disciplines. Instead, 888sport limits itself to popular sports here. For all other disciplines, you have to click on “All sports” each time, which is a bit cumbersome.

Secondly, I noticed in the course of my research that the website loads comparatively slowly. In my opinion, this is due to the fact that the entire page is loaded each time and not just the changing parts.

Other Offers

Offers away from sports betting
Since October 15, 2020, the sports betting provider 888 has stopped offering casino and poker. Responsible for this are the preparations for obtaining the German gambling license, which does not allow the sports betting provider to be associated with casino games or poker.