888 Casino Coming To America?

The recent moves to regulate online casino gambling and online poker in U.S. states like New Jersey and Nevada has caught the attention of powerhouses in the European online gambling market. 888 Holdings, a popular online casino, sportsbook and poker room based out of Gibraltar recently announced the creation of the All American Poker Network. 888 once offered poker, casino gambling and sports betting in the U.S. but decided to pull out in 2006, along with many other online gambling companies. Things have been changing and many consider regulated online poker and casino gambling regulation in the United States to be imminent. This has prompted many of the top Internet gambling companies in Europe to reach out to land-based casinos in the U.S. in order to form joint ventures.

888 Holdings is already teamed up with Caesars Entertainment to jointly create an online poker room and casino open to Americans from Nevada. They have several license applications with the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

Their most recent partner GambleInCanada.com and co-creator of the All American Poker Network is Avenue Capital Group, a New York based investment firm.

The U.S. online poker and casino market is still in its initial phases. There is a disconnect between some state laws and federal laws. Many states want to regulate online gambling and create multi-state Internet gambling networks. On the federal level it is still illegal for banks to process payments to and from online poker sites and casinos. It is thought that federal regulation will come shortly after one or more states have functional online gambling commissions.

If federal regulation is not passable it is likely that the Department of Justice will simply turn a blind eye to online casino gambling and poker. There are a couple of U.S. casinos online in 2024 – Bovada and Betonline – that have been accepting American gamblers for over a decade with little to no interference from the U.S. government so the “blind eye” theory is probably the easiest.

In either case companies like 888 are perfectly positioned to open licensed poker rooms and casinos online.

About 888 Holdings

888 was my favorite online gambling site before they left the market in 2006. I primarily played poker at 888 Poker and their casino was and still is one of the best online. They actually have a massive standard casino, a 3D casino and the Internet’s top live dealer casino. 888 is something of a pioneer. They developed the first fully 3D casino, which resembled the SIMs game. This virtual casino is no longer available but that will surely change when 888 enters the U.S. market. The 888 poker room is also the only place to play webcam poker. They are also popular amongst sports bettors but it is doubtful that they will be able to offer betting in the USA.