Online casino founded in 1997
888casino, formerly Casino-on-Net, is an online casino
brand owned by 888 Holdings. It was founded in 💲 1997, and is headquartered 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]
History [ edit
]
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 2024 💲 the site was licensed and operating in Gibraltar, New Jersey,
Denmark, Spain and a number of other countries and territories.[7][8]
In 💲 2024, Gaming
Intelligence magazine described 888casino as "the only truly pan-European
casino."[9]
In 2024, 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 2024, 888casino stopped offering
sports betting in New Jersey as it prepares to launch its regulated Sports
Illustrated-branded sportsbook 💲 in the state.[citation needed]
On 9 September 2024,
888casino acquired William Hill International's European business from US owners
Caesars Entertainment for 💲 a purchase price of £2.2 billion.[12][13]
888casino has been
involved in sponsorship of sporting events, teams and athletes, including as title
💲 sponsor of the 2013 World Seniors Championship in snooker, the New York Jets of the
NFL, and title sponsor of 💲 the 2024 Portuguese Grand Prix.[14]
United States [ edit ]
As
a result of an act of the United States Congress in 💲 October 2006,[15] 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.[16] In August 2013, 888casino signed an agreement with Caesars Entertainment
Corporation[17] through the group's All American 💲 Poker Network (AAPN) joint venture
with Avenue Capital, enabling 888casino to offer own-branded products in New
Jersey.[18] 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.[19][20] 888casino's payout rate is
95.1%.[1][21]
