Add the European-based 888 brand to the red hot sports and online gambling market in New Jersey in a move further integrating sports betting with online casino gaming.
888 Holdings is based in Gibraltar and listed on the London Stock Exchange. The company announced Monday that it has set up its first 888 sport brand in the New Jersey, clearing the way for growth in other U.S. markets as they become legal.
According to 888, the Launch Complements the 888casino and 888poker Brands Already Established in New Jersey.
The company joins the recent trend to integrate sports betting into pre-existing online poker and casino-game platforms, where legal, allowing players to participate using a single login and bankroll.
The company is incorporating technology provided by Kambi Group, a Malta-based B2B provider of sports betting services to licensed gaming operators in legal markets. Kambi services generally include a software platform with front-end user interface, odds compiling, customer intelligence and risk management.
Kambi is also powering DraftKings Sportsbook‘s mobile and web platforms, likewise for PlaySugarHouse, which launched in late August.
Already operating in New Jersey through its partnership with Caesars Entertainment, 888 says the sports betting move is in addition the recent expansion that added 200 new games to its New Jersey casino offering that includes “Live Dealer” casino games.
So-called Live Dealer games provide live streamed video with real dealers dealing real cards and launching real balls. Proponents say this product is “as close you can get to a traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ casino experience while playing online,” with games viewed on a PC or mobile device streamed in high definition real-time video.
The 888poker platform currently allows online play, where participants can compete against others in three regulated states, Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey.
“The launch of 888sport.com in New Jersey is a major milestone for the company in our ongoing expansion across the regulated U.S. online gaming market,” said Chief Executive Itai Frieberger. “We now have our sport, casino and poker products all operational in the U.S. and are continually developing our proposition, brands and technology to ensure that the group remains exceptionally well positioned to capture the potentially significant future growth opportunities as new regulation allows.”
