Licensed in Colorado
REVIEW
When Colorado sports betting went live on May 1, a host of top-name sportsbooks were ready to pounce. Naturally, 888sport, first founded in the U.K. in 2008 and one of the very first British bookmakers to make it across the Atlantic, is joining them.
The Colorado market is saturated by big-name American brands. But with 888sport, bettors in the Centennial State get a book with more than a decade of experience bringing international sports betting to its customers across the globe.
As the sports betting face of a much larger online and mobile casino that has been around since 1997, 888sport has a stellar reputation as a true innovator in the industry.
BONUSES
Sign Up and Deposit Bonus
One of the cornerstones of any sportsbook’s efforts to reach out to new customers is the free bets and bonuses they offer. 888sport satisfies this tick on the checklist by giving registrations from new customers a risk-free bet of up to $500.
How it works is simple. If you place a bet within seven days of first creating your new account, and you lose that bet, you will receive the total amount of that bet – of up to $500 – back in a free bet credit.
It only works for single bets – sorry, no parlays – and the amount of the free bet credit must be used all at once. That means that if your first bet is for $500 and you lose, the free bet you receive will have to be used as another $500 bet.
You may also be eligible for a deposit matching bonus that is also for up to $500. In that scenario, 888sport will match your initial deposit dollar-for-dollar of up to $500 at the time of deposit.
The one caveat with the deposit bonus is that it must be wagered a total of six times before it becomes cash in your account. So if you do get the entire $500 bonus, once your total wagering amounts reach $3,000, that bonus money is then eligible to be withdrawn.
Bettors will have 30 days from the time of the bonus to complete the six-time playthrough requirement.
Weekly Features
Along with a very user-friendly website, you’ll find that 888sport is constantly featuring new ways to bet on sports. Each week, it has a Pick 8, which has players choosing the results of eight events, and everyone who hits on it will split $1,000 in prize money.
You can also get up to $50 in free bets each day, depending on how much you wager in the previous 24-hour period. At $150, you get $10. Bet $200, and you get $20, while $300 is $30 in free bets.
And up to $500 gets you a free $50 bet. Those free bets are good for seven days.
Special Bets
888sport also has a series of ongoing bet offers that differ from what you normally find. Bet a five-leg parlay, and if one leg loses, you receive a $25 free bet credit.
Receive a $5 free bet when placing a $10-plus wager on odds of +500 or greater. And Money Back Mondays feature a free bet token of up to $50 if your bet loses.
$250 BONUS MATCH
ON FIRST DEPOSIT – T&C’S APPLY
888SPORT FEATURES
One of the first things you’ll notice is the dark screen on both the website and app. If you’re going to be staring at a screen for hours at a time, 888sport really is one of the most pleasant to look at. Well done to them.
The interface is also smart and intuitive, making it easy to find what you’re looking for even as a first-time user. You’ll also notice just how responsive the tech is. If you like in-play wagering, you’ll be more than pleased with the speed at which everything works.
BANKING WITH 888SPORT
As good as a sportsbook may be, it all comes crashing down if they can’t do the banking correctly. Speed, options, and security are all a must, and fortunately, 888sport does all three of those things well.
Making Account Deposits
Colorado law and 888sport combine to give sports bettors several ways to make deposits. The fastest and safest method is to do online bill pay, just as you do when paying your electric bill.
Online bill pay is recommended by 888sport because it’s instantaneous, simple to set up, and safe – because you never have to give your account number to another person.
Still, the single most popular way to make deposits is by a credit card, and 888sport does allow you to do that. But make sure you check with your issuing bank before making that first deposit.
Many credit card companies treat payments to gambling companies like a cash advance, meaning they may attach other fees. Before getting any surprises on the back end, always check ahead of time.
Finally, you can pay with several e-wallets (Neteller, PayPal, Skrill, etc.), prepaid cards, Apple Pay, or the still tried and true method of writing a check.
Making Account Withdrawals
Even more important than depositing money is being able to withdraw your winnings. If a sportsbook takes your money quickly but is slow to give it back, that’s not a good sign. Again, 888sport does things right in this respect.
If you used an electronic method of deposit, like online bill pay or PayPal, then that transaction can easily be reversed for withdrawals. There may be some delays for processing through e-wallets, but it’s minimal.
If you made your deposit via check, or by using a card that can’t have money sent to it, you will have to get an e-check or personal check from 888sport. Both are easy to set up, but both will come with some delays. Obviously, the longest delays will come with checks sent through the post office.
Types of Bets at 888sport
As one would expect from a worldwide company with more than 45 million customers, there is no shortage of wagering types or sports that are available to bet.
Available Sports
If it is being played somewhere in the world, people are watching, and at least one of them is keeping score, chances are it’s available. The sports menu at 888sport includes:
- Aussie Rules
- Basketball (NBA, WNBA, NCAA, and International)
- Baseball (International and MLB)
- Football (NFL, NCAA)
- Soccer (From all around the world)
- Hockey (Ice and Field)
- Handball
- Tennis
- Table Tennis
- Golf
- Rugby (League, Union)
- Boxing
- UFC/MMA
- Cricket
- Cycling
- Darts
- Surfing
- Beach Volleyball
- Motorsports
- Table Tennis
- Virtual Sports
Available Wager Types
888sport offers all major types of sports bets, including the following:
Point Spread Betting: The favorite gives points, the underdog gets points, and the bookmaker tries to find the exact line that will draw an equal number of bets on both sides.
Moneyline Betting: You pick a player or team to win, and the bookmaker has set odds on who is the favorite and who is the underdog.
Over/Under: Also known as a totals bet, this is a wager on the total points scored by both teams in a single event, and you bet on either the over or the under.
Parlays: These are multiple bets that pay out big if they all come back winners. The problem is that if just one bet loses, the entire parlay loses.
Round Robins: These are creative parlay bets that feature at least three bets. They are safer than parlays since if one bet loses, the other bets are still in play. But naturally, the payout is also less when you win.
Proposition Bets: Obscure individual bets that can include the first team to score, the over/under on first-quarter turnovers, or who will be named the MVP of a particular game or championship series.
Futures Bets: Betting on the winner of an event in the future, like wagering on next year’s NCAA Tournament champion.
The newest rage is live betting, and 888sport offers a wide variety of live betting plays. Live bets, or in-play bets as they’re also called, involve wagering on an event after it is already underway.
As the game progresses, the odds change. There are quarter lines, halftime lines, and multiple buy-out options.
It is the most interactive way to participate in sports betting, and 888sport has the platform and technology perfect for placing live wagers.
Anyone eligible to place sports wagers in Colorado can open an account and place bets through 888sport. Just be at least 21 years old and inside the state lines of Colorado, and you are legal to place a bet. You do not need to be a resident of Colorado to have a sports betting account in Colorado.
The only exceptions to the above eligibility are for people who work in the bookmaking industry or someone who works with a team or league and can directly impact the outcome of a sporting event. This includes coaches, players, trainers, referees, and other team and league officials.
What makes 888sport one of the better sportsbook options is that no matter your experience or the size of your bankroll, there is a place for you. Inside the Help section, you can find detailed explanations of how to make deposits and place bets, as well as tutorials for each type of bet you can place.
Any question you might encounter about betting, as well as strategies for betting on the many different sports that are offered, can be found on the website.
Yes. Not only does 888sport have a long history of supporting responsible gaming measures, but Colorado requires it of all sportsbooks operating in the state.
888sport employees go through training that is specifically geared toward teaching them to recognize and address the problems of both gambling addiction and underage gambling. It also offers access to self-exclusion lists and can direct customers to other state resources for people with gambling addictions. There are also deposit and betting limits that a customer can set for each day or week.
On the 888sport website, parents can find a series of articles that give them tools to recognize if their children are gambling. For adult gamblers, there is educational material on how to recognize the beginning of addiction in yourself and others.