188BET Casino in a nutshell
The 188BET Casino is part of the 188BET sports book provider, themselves owned by Cube Limited. This company has a real international appeal, and was intially aimed at the Asian sports book market.
Being founded in 2006 with headquarters on the Isle of Man, 188BET began to push into the UK market in 2009, and has partnerships both past and present with top UK football sides Bolton, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Wigan, Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City.
The company now has a huge array of gambling opportunities for punters, including sports betting, e-sports, bingo, poker and, of course, a casino, upon which this review will be focusing. How will the 188BET casino fair under our reviewer’s scrutiny?
What’s the look and feel of 188BET Casino?
The 188BET Casino site is far too busy. There’s also an annoying pop up that keeps popping up the longer you browse the site. The pop up ‘demands’ you sign up for 188BET.
Not only is 188BET Casino’s site too busy, it’s also too colourful. All affiliated logos are presented in their ‘habitual’ colours, so you get Facebook blue, Twitter blue and Visa blue, and a host of reds, greens and purples. It’s all a bit migraine-inducing.
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With so many options, it’s a good thing 188Bet has created an easy-to-use site. Getting around is simple and features like the filter option and on-site game scores help even the most inexperienced players feel confident
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The Promotions page is not as prominent as we would like it to be. 188Bet would do well to make that part of the site more accessible
What games are available at 188BET Casino?
As far as gaming goes, it’s Microgaming all the way for UK players. That means a lot of variety and some very good table games, but as far as slots go, there’s not a lot of slot fun to get excited about. Pick of the bunch for us would be So Much Sushi, Immortal Romance and the two Tomb Raider titles. We like Microgaming’s summer 2015 release Hot as Hades as well.
Table games here are mostly limited to blackjack (eight versions), roulette (four) and baccarat (two). No craps and shockingly, no video poker.
The line up at 188BET casino is completed by ‘social games’ (which are really simply mutliplayer games) and ‘other’ games which include some arcade-style bingo and keno games.
Microgaming’s live casino suite is offered here, which means baccarat, roulette and blackjack. There’s also ‘Playboy Baccarat’ if you like to see your dealer dressed up as a Playboy bunny.
There’s only one provider here, and that’s Microgaming as mentioned above. It’s nice to see 188BET Casino give accommodation to their fellow Isle of Man residents.
All games are played in browser, so there’s no need for a download. There’s a mobile version of the site available at m.188bet.co.uk that encompasses both a mobile casino and sports book.
Support is available via live chat 24/7.
Can I play at 188BET Casino on mobile?
188Bet offers both a dedicated mobile app and a mobile-compatible version of the desktop site. This allows players to choose the options that suits them best without compromising on the quality of the experience
What promotions are available at 188BET Casino?
You’d naturally expect a casino with a huge company behind it to offer a sizeable welcome bonus, so it’s a bit of a surprise to find the bonus at 188BET maxes out at £50. This is a one hundred percent first deposit bonus, and you need to use the bonus code CASINOMATCH50 to receive it.
If you prefer mobile play, you can grab yourself an extra tenner by making your first deposit via 188BET’s mobile app. This too is a one hundred percent match deposit, but goes up to £60. Use the bonus code MOB60 to receive it.
Wagering conditions are slightly better than you’d probably find at other online casinos, but not by much. You need to wager your bonus AND deposit 30x before you can cash out. This applies to both bonuses. You cannot use either live casino games or table games to meet wagering requirements.
There are a number of other bonuses available at 188BET, but they only relate to 188BET’s sports book and bingo sites.
As far as promotions go, that’s about your lot at 188BET. The site does not run a VIP scheme.
There are a huge amount of depositing methods at 188BET casino. All the regulars, such as credit and debit cards, plus Skrill and Neteller are available. There are also several payment methods aimed at the Asian market available, including ThaiDirect, Wing and China Online Payment.
Minimum and maximum deposit amounts depend on your chosen payment method, but they are generally around £20 (minimum) and £20,000 (maximum).
Withdrawal methods are just as numerous, and some minimum withdrawal amounts are extremely low, such as a mere £1 with Skrill. The maximum is generally £20,000, although you can make as many withdrawals as you want, as long as you have the necessary funds!
Payment processing times are fairly standard for the industry, although there’s a pending period for withdrawals that can stretch to 72 hours.
Does 188BET Casino have a VIP Programme or Loyalty Scheme?
There is no VIP or loyalty scheme available at 188Bet right now
What are the pros & cons of 188BET Casino?
Only a small choice of payment methods is available to UK-based players, which is can be inconvenient. The site is also missing a loyaly scheme.
On the other hand, 188Bet does well in providing two mobile options, a broad range of gambling opportunities and a well designed site.
- A staggering range of cashier options
- Withdrawal minimum limits as low as £1
- 188BET are a huge and well-respected global brand
- Plenty of slots, although only a handful of standouts
- Only one software provider, although it is Microgaming
- No video poker or table games beyond baccarat, blackjack and roulette
- No table or live games count towards wagering requirements
The final verdict
188BET is a true gambling giant. They may not be as popular as Ladbrokes or William Hill in the UK, but internationally they have an excellent reputation. Their casino needs a little bit of a de-clutter though, and a provider or two other than Microgaming would not go amiss either. The site is just too busy, and the ‘every colour under the sun’ approach is a little off-putting.
The positives are the amazing array of cashier options, and those teensy-tidny minimum withdrawal limits of just a quid!
There’s a great casino here than could be a brilliant one if a few wrinkles were ironed out. That’s what we think anyway – why not give 188BET Casino a shot and tell us how you get on?