888sport

888sport
IndustryGambling
Founded2008 (2008)
Headquarters
Gibraltar
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsSports betting
ParentEvoke plc
Websitewww.888sport.com

888sport is an international sports betting brand owned by Evoke plc. It was founded in 2008, and is headquartered in Gibraltar. The company provides online sports betting, predominantly in European markets.[1]

History

888sport was launched as the dedicated sports arm of 888 Holdings in March 2008, and as part of 888's gambling arm.[1] 888sport began to get involved in sports sponsorship in 2010, starting with a sponsored stand at Fontwell Park Racecourse.[2]

Former Spanish national team footballer Santiago Cañizares joined 888sport in 2011 as European brand ambassador,[3] in 2012, English former professional footballer Ian Wright as pundit during The Euros,[4] and Channel 4 Racing presenter Emma Spencer joined in 2014 as horse racing expert.[5]

888sport received media coverage for the way it utilised social media prior to and during the fight between George Groves and Carl Froch fight in 2014.[6][7]

In 2013, the Nevada Gaming Commission licensed 888 Holdings to provide online gaming, making it one of the first non-US online betting companies to operate in the United States.[8][9]

888sport is a member of ESSA, the European betting integrity body.[10]

In March 2019, 888 paid £15 million for Dublin-based Dedsert Ltd, which provided the sportsbook platform for UK-licensed bookmaker BetBright.[11][12][13] 888 CEO Itai Pazner said the acquisition "gives us the missing piece in our proprietary and technology portfolio."[14] In 2018, 888sport partnered with Caesars Atlantic City Casino to offer online sports betting to residents of New Jersey.[15]

In 2024, Evoke reported roughly £1.75 billion in revenue and an adjusted EBITDA of about £312 million, despite a net loss of £191 million driven by integration and transformation expenses, including debt from the William Hill acquisition.[16]

Regulatory issues

In August 2017, 888Sport was fined £7.8 million by the UK Gambling Commission after a system error allowed self-excluded customers to continue gambling; part of the fine funded reimbursements and social initiatives.[17][18][19]

In March 2022, 888 UK Ltd received a £9.4 million fine for breaches of anti‑money laundering and social responsibility rules, including delayed AML checks and inadequate customer protection during the COVID‑19 lockdown, accompanied by an official warning and mandatory audits.[20][21][22]

In 2024, 888Sport was blacklisted by the Dominican Republic along with other major operators under its re-regulated gambling framework.[23][24]

Sponsorships

888sport sponsorships include:

References

  1. ^ a b Gary Trask (March 13, 2008). "888 dives into the European sports betting market". Gambling Portal Webmasters Association.
  2. ^ Michael Long (August 16, 2010). "Fontwell Park Racecourse announces dream sponsorship". SportsPro.
  3. ^ "888 signs up Canizares". iGaming Business. June 14, 2011. Archived from the original on March 22, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  4. ^ "Wright partnership for 888". iGaming Business. June 5, 2012. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  5. ^ Adam Courtney (April 30, 2014). "Emma Spencer Joins 888sport As Racing Ambassador". 888sport. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  6. ^ Krishan Majithia (June 5, 2014). "888sport Deliver Knockout Blow on Social Media". Digital Sport.
  7. ^ "888sport and Betway top Froch-Groves social media charts". iGaming Business. June 5, 2014. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  8. ^ bethq (June 5, 2014). "Implementation of Nevada Gaming Commission".
  9. ^ "MaksBet Casino". [Maxbet]. June 5, 2014. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  10. ^ "ESSA secures latest key operator as 888 joins up". Betting Business Magazine. 10 February 2017. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  11. ^ Wood, Greg (2019-03-05). "Anger as BetBright ceases trading and declares void all unsettled bets". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  12. ^ Reddan, Fiona. "Dublin-based betting group Betbright acquired by 888 in €17.5m deal". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  13. ^ "888 agrees £15m BetBright acquisition". iGB. 2019-03-04. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  14. ^ Reddan, Fiona. "Dublin-based betting group Betbright acquired by 888 in €17.5m deal". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  15. ^ "888sport USA". Reink Media Group. April 17, 2020.
  16. ^ "FY2024 Results" (PDF). evokeplc.com. 2025-03-26. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  17. ^ "Gambling firm 888 to pay over £7.8million for failing vulnerable customers". Gambling Commission. 2017-08-31. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  18. ^ "Online gambling firm 888 hit with record £7.8m penalty". 2017-08-31. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  19. ^ Williams-Grut, Oscar. "Online casino 888 fined record £7.8 million for failing to protect problem gamblers — including one who stole £55,000 to fund bets". Business Insider. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  20. ^ "£9.4m fine for online operator 888". Gambling Commission. 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  21. ^ Davies, Rob (2022-03-01). "Betting firm 888 fined £9.4m after customers lost thousands in pandemic". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  22. ^ "888Sport Regulatory Track Records". BetzillionNews. 2025-07-31. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  23. ^ Brown, Nick (2024-04-05). "888Sport, William Hill, Bet365 and Betsson blacklisted by Dominican Republic". iGB. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  24. ^ "Dominican Republic blacklists 41 gaming brands including Betway, Bet365, 888Sport, and William Hill". Yogonet International. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.