888poker is one of the few legal online poker sites that operate within the United States market. However, it is only currently available in three states: New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware.
Fortunately for players, the customer pool for these two states is (conditionally) combined on 888poker. This means that if you’re 21+ and located in NJ, NV, or DE, you’ll be able to compete in a shared player pool with opponents in those two states – for some events.
Read on to find out more about how to start playing online at 888poker, the games it spreads, its cash games and tournament lineup. We’ll also cover how to open up a new account and receive two separate bonuses upon signing-up (New Jersey only).
888poker Bonus Code Details
888poker $20 No Deposit Sign-Up Promotion (New Jersey only)
If you’re located in the Garden State, you can get $20 free without making any deposit – just for registering a verified new account!
The 888poker New Jersey sign-up promotion is allocated in the following manner.
- 6 Tournament Tickets (worth $1.00 each) for use on 888poker New Jersey
- $4 credited to your 888poker account for use at the tables or at 888casino NJ
- $10 FreePlay (online slot spins) for use at 888casino New Jersey
Simply click on the links to be taken to the 888poker sign-up page where you’ll be prompted to enter your name, date of birth, and email. Once verified, you’ll receive an email from the poker site welcoming you as a new player and requesting that you opt-in for the bonus release.
If you choose this promotion, you’ll need to begin using your free $20 No Deposit Bonus within 7 days. After that, you will be required to play-through the bonus amounts a minimum of 30 times before any remaining funds will be eligible for a cash out request.
888poker 100% First Deposit Match Bonus (Up to $1,500) Explained
If you’re in NJ and ready to make your first deposit on 888poker, then you can get a 100% initial deposit match bonus up to $1,500.
Here’s how it works:
- Once your new account has been verified, deposit a minimum of $10 up to a maximum of $1,500 onto 888poker (must be in New Jersey)
- The amount of that first deposit will be awarded to your account in $10 increments – which will be created for every 100 Bonus Points (BPs)
- 888pokerNJ Bonus Points are awarded at a rate of 2 BPs for every $1 in contributed ring game rake or tournament fees – or you can receive 1 BP for every $10 wagered in qualifying casino slots or table games
- There will be a meter that shows how much of your bonus you have released, and how many BPs remain for your next $10 bonus release
- $10 increments that are released upon accruing 100 BPs may be withdrawn at any time by the customer (verified account required)
- Must be 21+ and physically located in New Jersey to claim this 100% initial deposit match bonus up to $1,500
Other 888poker Promotions
The first time you win five BLAST Sit & Go tournaments on 888poker, the site will award you with one free ticket. Note that this promo has technically expired on the official 888poker site, but the webpage has yet to be taken down.
This BLAST Boost is a one-time only deal – and will be awarded in the amount of the BLAST tournament won with the lowest buy-in.
Upon receipt, your BLAST Boost ticket must be used within 7 calendar days or it will expire.
States Where You Can Play on 888poker
Despite the initial fanfare, the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), hasn’t really resulted in a large combined player pool.
You can play from 888poker in the United States if you are located in New Jersey, Nevada, or Delaware only.
Unfortunately, 888poker has yet to be authorized in the Great Lakes State of Michigan.
The company does not technically have an online poker site in Nevada either – despite its partnership with Caesars in that state. However, the 888poker New Jersey and Delaware player pools are shared with the WSOP online brand in Nevada.
The combined player pool that the NJ, NV, and DE 888poker sites have is typically in the hundreds. This is a far cry from the early days of online poker when hundreds of thousands would log-on to the most popular poker sites.
Registration and sign-up for 888poker in New Jersey is relatively easy (assuming you are using a Wi-Fi connection – more on that below).
In Delaware, you’ll need to register in-person through one of the three land-based “racinos” that operate in that state.
In Nevada, you’ll be forced to register for an account with the WSOP brand if you wish to legally play online poker in that state. WSOP Nevada shares its player pools with 888poker NJ and DE, but only for specific games and tournaments.
888poker in New Jersey
As of 2023, 888poker has been live and operational in New Jersey for a decade. However, the promises of interstate online poker play in a legal, regulated environment has left a lot to be desired – especially among players who enjoy massive player pools and tournaments.
With that said, you can register for a new account with 888pokerNJ and take advantage of the two generous welcome offers mentioned above.
During seasonal occasions, you can qualify for World Series of Poker circuit rings or bracelet tourneys through 888pokerNJ. You can also compete against other players who are in Nevada and Delaware in those branded satellite tournaments.
888poker in Delaware
If there is one word to summarize legal online poker in Delaware, it’s “inconvenience.”
There are a few things to know if you’re in Delaware and want to legally play online poker.
- You can only sign-up at one of the three designated “racinos” that are partnered with 888poker. These three racinos are: Dover Downs (northern Delaware), Harrington Raceway (southern DE), and Delaware Park (central DE). If you start at the northern tip of Delaware, it’s about a 2-hour drive from Dover Downs to Harrington Raceway.
- You can NOT sign-up for an 888poker Delaware account online. You MUST visit one of the three racinos in person and register your account there. Any promotions for signing-up will be presented to you at the retail counter or cashier cage.
- There is NO MOBILE APP for 888poker in Delaware. Your only option is to use a desktop or laptop PC (personal computer). In other words, the 888poker software offered by the three racinos in Delaware is NOT compatible with Android or iOS smart devices.
Once you’ve gotten things sorted out in person at one of Delaware’s racinos, you’ll have your very own 888poker Delaware account. You will then be able to compete against online poker players at WSOP Nevada and 888poker New Jersey in select games.
888poker in Nevada (via WSOP online poker)
Nevada poker players can sign-up for a WSOP account, which will grant access to the 888poker player pools in NJ and DE.
888poker enjoys a partnership with WSOP’s parent company (Caesars Entertainment) in Nevada that allows for interstate online poker play. But you will need to register your account through the WSOP online poker brand in NV.
WSOP is the only licensed real money online poker site in the Silver State with any meaningful traffic.
How to Sign-Up with 888poker (New Jersey only)
Once you have clicked through the 888poker New Jersey link, you will be taken to a registration page.
Here, you will need to provide the platform with personal information including your name, physical address, email, mobile phone number, plus your complete U.S. Social Security Number (per New Jersey regulations).
You will also be prompted to create your 888poker username, which is unique and cannot be changed once it has been submitted.
Upon completing the registration form, you can download the software for Windows (PC), through the Google Play storefront (Android), or the App Store (iOS).
Once the 888poker software has downloaded, the platform will need to verify that you are indeed within the borders of New Jersey. As a prerequisite, you MUST be connected via a Wi-Fi network for the geo-location software to pinpoint your location.
888poker Desktop Client Review (New Jersey & Delaware)
The 888poker software for PC users is not very fancy (and sometimes lags), but it IS legal online poker.
Forget about personalization choices such as table themes and optimized wait lists. Instead, focus on the basic Check-Bet-Raise-Fold toggles and you should be fine.
Luckily, you can use the client’s filter to choose the game or stakes of your choice.
888poker Mobile App Review (New Jersey only)
888poker in New Jersey has a mobile app that can be accessed by visiting the Apple App Store (iOS smart devices) or the Google Play store (Android mobile phones).
The 888pokerNJ mobile app includes all the games that you will find on the desktop version, but it is only available in New Jersey. If you are in Delaware, you won’t be able to enjoy the convenience of a mobile app. 888poker Delaware players must play from a desktop or laptop PC.
888poker Game Selection
888poker offers Texas Hold’em, Omaha, 7-Card Stud, and Omaha Hi/Lo (Eight or Better).
The formats of the games can be “No Limit,” “Limit,” or “Pot Limit” depending on each table.
888poker Cash Games & Ring Games
Choose a table that has the poker variant and stakes you want to play, and take a virtual seat. Real money cash games are typically low-stakes due to the limited player pool.
888poker Single-Table and Multi-Table Tournaments
If you’re looking to play a short tournament, you can opt for one of the multiple Sit & Go games that feature a single virtual table. Payouts are usually awarded to the Top 3 players in each SNG.
Multi-Table Tournaments (MTTs) are available at 888poker and allow you to aim for a large top prize relative to the buy-in. MTT formats include freezeouts (single buy-in), re-entry, bounty, and rebuys (limited and unlimited).
BLAST Poker
BLAST Poker is 888poker’s take on the very popular “lottery-style” Sit & Go tournament.
These 4-handed “ultra-quick” single table tournaments are perfect for on-the-go poker players.
They can also be extremely lucrative if you’re lucky enough to be seated at a “jackpot” table.
BLAST Poker winners will generally cash for twice the original buy-in, but can win as much as 10,000 times the original buy-in on very rare occasions.
The chances of being placed at a BLAST Poker table that pays 10,000 times the original buy-in to the winner is exactly 1 in a million (1:1,000,000).
There are six different buy-in levels for 888poker BLAST Poker games: $0.10 – $1 – $5 – $10 – $20 – and $50.
BLAST Poker is a “winner take all” event that concludes in just a few minutes. However, the larger jackpot tables will distribute the prize pool among multiple participants. The eventual winner will still be awarded the largest payout.
888poker Major Tournament Schedule (MTTs)
888poker doesn’t really offer any major “daily” or “weekly” tournaments, nor are any promoted on its website. This is because the bigger tournaments go through the WSOP Nevada brand for most live dealer type of events.
Some of the major WSOP-branded online tournaments can be accessed from your 888pokerNJ or 888pokerDE account (in-person Delaware racino sign-up required).
The major WSOP tournament and corresponding satellite events are mostly tied to the Circuit and Bracelet tournaments that are played both online and live.
888poker Rake Rates & Pricing
By percentage, 888poker offers a competitive rake rate for both online cash games and tournaments.
The maximum rake amount per pot is capped at $3 for the mid-stakes $1/$2, $2/$4, $3/$6, and $5/$10, and $10/$20 Texas Hold’em games. The higher stakes $25/$50 and $50/$100 Texas Hold’em games have a per-pot rake cap of $5.
Of course, if you’re playing lower or micro-stakes, then the rake caps will correspondingly be smaller. Another thing to keep in mind is that short-handed cash game tables take less rake than those that have five or more players who are virtually seated when a hand begins.
For tournaments, roughly 10% of the buy-in is taken as a fee for most stakes. This percentage may increase in the case of a micro-stakes MTT, or it may decrease with higher buy-in tournaments.
Make sure to check the individual lobby page of the tournament you plan on registering for to consult the exact rake per event as well as the online tourney structure. All of this may vary considerably by event since many of the larger online tournaments are hosted by the WSOP brand.
888poker Banking Options
One great thing about banking with regards to 888poker is that deposits are safe and secure due to the regulated environment that the company operates in within the United States.
DEPOSITS (All deposit methods are instant unless otherwise specified)
- ACH Bank Transfer
- VISA/MasterCard (Credit Cards)
- Bill Pay Bank Transfer
- PayPal Online Wallet (PayPal account must be verified)
- In-Person Funding (Caesars Atlantic City only)
- PayNearMe (Barcode for cash deposit at local 7-Eleven convenience stores)
- Play+ Card
WITHDRAWALS (Allow 3-5 days for processing of 888poker cashouts)
- ACH Bank Transfer
- PayPal verified account
- Cash at the Casino Cage (Caesars Atlantic City only)
888poker Player Loyalty Program
The 888poker brand doesn’t really have a formal Player Rewards Program at this time, although we hope they add one in the future.
Poker players CAN earn Status Points (SPs) when playing in any cash game or tournament that has an associated fee. However, the amount of SPs you can earn through online poker play in the regulated U.S. market pales in comparison with the brand’s international rewards for loyal customers.
Simply put, you won’t be able to accrue enough SPs to make a meaningful dent in terms of “rakeback” if you’re a daily 888poker New Jersey player. On top of this, the 888pokerNJ website is extremely vague when it comes to actually redeeming SPs for something of value.
888poker Customer Service
If you want to get in touch with the 888poker staff in New Jersey, you’ll need to use the site’s Contact Us page and submit a request.
The New Jersey client DOES have an extensive FAQ section for players to consult, but any 888poker Delaware queries will need to be handled in-person at one of the three “racinos.”
888poker History & Company Information
888poker is owned and operated by 888 Holdings, which is a European gaming conglomerate headquartered in the British Territory of Gibraltar.
The company was one of the first online poker operators to become formally regulated in the United States (through the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement).
The 888poker brand is currently tied-into the Caesars casino brand in both New Jersey and Nevada.
The Good
Attractive welcome bonus
Multiple tournament options
Wide variety of banking options
The Bad
UX with desktop platform
App only available in NJ
888poker FAQs