Founded in 1997, listed in London since 2005, and now part of Evoke plc — the group that also owns William Hill. Malta and UK licensed, with a lobby in the low thousands and several progressive jackpots developed in-house.
It also has the most substantial regulatory record of any casino covered on this site, and almost none of it appears in the listings.
The regulatory record
This site was named in a £1.3 million regulatory settlement
On self-exclusion
A record £11.6 million penalty, and what it was for
Corrections
The company, the currency and the game count
| Item | Commonly stated | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Parent company | Not mentioned | Founded 1997, listed in London in 2005. The parent rebranded from 888 Holdings plc to Evoke plc in May 2024, after acquiring William Hill’s non-US business in 2022. |
| Licensed entity | Virtual Digital Services Limited | The group operates through several licensed entities depending on market. Check the footer of the site you actually reach. |
| Minimum deposit | GBP 20 in the payments section and six table cells — NZ$10 in three other places | These are not a conversion of each other; £20 is roughly four times NZ$10. Check the cashier. |
| Game count | “over 2,000” twice, “over 1,000” twice | Lobby counts vary by market and include variants. Not a basis for choosing. |
| Withdrawal speed | “Fast withdrawals are also guaranteed”, 1–2 days — and 2–5 days in the FAQ | No withdrawal timeframe is guaranteed anywhere. Verification, weekends and payment method all move it. |
What is well established
The licences are real and demanding. The Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission are two of the more rigorous regulators in the industry — which is exactly why the record above exists and is public.
The exclusive progressive jackpots are a genuine differentiator. Millionaire Genie, Irish Riches and Rise of the Pharaohs are the operator’s own titles rather than licensed from a studio. Very few casinos have their own games.
Age verification at sign-up is correctly described, and the emphasis on it is right.
The provider list is credible — NetEnt, Microgaming and Playtech are all plausible for an operator of this scale.
What the record means in practice
The two enforcement actions are historic, paid for, audited and remediated. They are not a reason to treat this operator as a rogue site — a casino with no meaningful licence would have faced none of that scrutiny in the first place.
But three things follow from them.
The self-exclusion failure was systemic, not clerical. Seven thousand people, thirteen months, one platform not talking to another. If you exclude at any casino, check it covers every product the operator runs — bingo, poker, sport and casino may be separate systems.
The 2022 case shows the interval matters. A customer lost £15,000 in the three weeks between a trigger point and the check that should have followed it. Automated triggers are not instant.
And the protections are British. If something goes wrong with a New Zealand account, the UK Gambling Commission is not your route.
Where New Zealand’s rules are going
No online casino currently holds a New Zealand licence.
Licences are being allocated by competitive auction running July to October 2026, with a reported fifteen available. From 1 December 2026, operators that have not applied must stop serving New Zealanders. Licensed operators are expected from early 2027, with a public Department of Internal Affairs register, mandatory harm-monitoring duties, and self-exclusion effective within 24 hours.
Those obligations closely resemble the ones this operator was found to have breached in Britain — which is the argument for a licensed New Zealand market rather than against it.
Our New Zealand gambling laws guide sets out the timeline.
Support
Free, confidential help is available in New Zealand: the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655 or free text 8006, 24 hours a day, and PGF Services on 0800 664 262, which also offers free financial mentoring.
Our self-exclusion guide covers bank gambling blocks and blocking software, both of which work regardless of what any operator offers.
This page is published for information. It is not financial, legal or gambling advice, and nothing on it is a recommendation to gamble or an endorsement of any operator.
You must be 18 or older to gamble online in New Zealand.
No link on this page goes to an operator’s cashier, and none will. Reach any casino by typing the address yourself.
Player accounts described here are individual reports rather than findings. Licensing, ownership, bonus terms, withdrawal limits and country availability all change, sometimes within weeks, and this page covers a period in which the New Zealand market is being restructured. Confirm the current position in the operator’s own terms and on the regulator’s own register before acting on anything here.
Free, confidential help is available in New Zealand from the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655, or by free text to 8006, 24 hours a day.
Reference sources
Regulator records, legal analysis, legislation and New Zealand support services. No link below goes to an operator’s cashier.
- The £11.6m settlement and confirmation it was paid — UK Gambling Commission
- Record £11.6m settlement: the findings and remediation required — Lexology, March 2020
- Public register, including enforcement action — UK Gambling Commission
- Law changes for online racing and sports betting — Department of Internal Affairs, on the 28 June 2025 prohibition
- Racing Industry Act 2020 — New Zealand Legislation, as amended in 2025
- Licence verification — Malta Gaming Authority, where the licence number can be checked
- Super Group (SGHC) — the listed parent company, with its brand list
- Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 — New Zealand Legislation
- Information for online casino customers — Department of Internal Affairs
- POLi payments: what to know before sharing bank login details — Consumer NZ
- Safer Gambling Aotearoa — Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
- Gambling Helpline Aotearoa New Zealand — free, confidential support, 24 hours a day
Frequently Asked Questions
Has 888 been fined by regulators?
Twice, substantially. £7.8 million in 2017 — a record at the time — and £9.4 million in 2022. Both concerned failing to protect customers.
What happened in 2017?
A technical failure let over 7,000 self-excluded customers keep gambling through the bingo platform for more than thirteen months, depositing £3.5 million. Separately, a customer staked over £1.3 million including £55,000 stolen from their employer, with no intervention.
What happened in 2022?
Anti-money-laundering and social responsibility failings. The regulator noted it was the second action against the same licensee and warned a third would raise the operator’s suitability to hold a licence.
Does that mean it is unsafe now?
It means failures were found, published, paid for and audited. Since 2022 the only further sanction reported is a small one the operator self-reported. That is regulation functioning — and it is regulation for British customers, not New Zealanders.
Who owns it?
Evoke plc, which was 888 Holdings plc until May 2024. It acquired William Hill’s non-US business in 2022 and is listed in London.
What is the minimum deposit?
Both GBP 20 and NZ$10 are quoted, which are not the same figure. Check the cashier.
Is self-exclusion a temporary block?
No. Tables describing it that way are describing a time-out. Self-exclusion is a longer commitment that cannot be lifted on request during the period.
Where can I get help if gambling is causing problems?
The Gambling Helpline is free and available 24 hours a day on 0800 654 655, or by free text to 8006. PGF Services offers free counselling on 0800 664 262.
