Following the sale of its US operations to Hard Rock Digital, evoke (formerly 888 Holdings) will no longer offer 888casino and 888poker in New Jersey. Both websites now refer players to Hard Rock Bet.
It's the end of an era for the 888 sports betting brand in the Garden State.
Following a two-week delay from the announced June 3 shutdown date, 888casino and 888poker ceased operations in New Jersey on Monday. While new deposits were not accepted from 30 days prior to closure, players could still use their remaining account balance to place bets until the closing date.
The move comes amidst a series of organizational shifts at parent company evoke plc, which announced its new name as part of 888 Holdings’ strategic review in March.
With evoke having recently sold its US operations to Hard Rock Digital, the 888casino and 888poker websites now refer players to sign up with Hard Rock Bet. 888casino was only available in New Jersey, with evoke using its Sports Illustrated (SI) brand in other US states. However, SI Casino and Sportsbook are also expected to close within the next 18 months.
Despite shutting down 888casino and 888poker, evoke is still backing its other US poker product, Poker 8, which is currently available in Pennsylvania and Michigan. The site launched in New Jersey on May 31, just before the planned shutdown of 888poker and 888casino.
The Poker 8 platform allows players to join game tables and play online against fellow poker players from MI and PA. This cross-state expansion of the player pool allows Poker 8 to offer more cash games, tournaments, and larger prize pots.
“The latest poker platform upgrade in America will deliver superior gameplay experiences for players in Michigan, New Jersey and Nevada," Jeffrey Haas, evoke's chief growth officer, said in a statement. "... Poker is a game of liquidity and network effects, and our Poker 8 upgrade will be a catalyst for expansion.”
Zivhas been deep in the iGaming trenches for over 20 years, long before most people could spell "geolocation compliance." With a background in marketing and business development at some of the biggest names in gambling tech, Ziv knows the industry from the inside out. Since joining Covers, he's turned his sharp eye (and sharper keyboard) toward everything happening in the fast-moving world of online gambling. Whether it's new state launches, the latest twists in regulation, or what the big operators and game providers are cooking up next, Ziv breaks it all down with clarity, context, and just the right amount of snark. He covers the business side of betting, from affiliate trends and revenue reports to the tech powering your favorite slots. His motto in writing is “let’s make it make sense without putting you to sleep.”
When he’s not tracking gambling legislation or looking for the next breaking story, Ziv is living and dying with every pitch and play from his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins. As a Pitt graduate, it’s a city loyalty forged in heartbreak, but one he wouldn’t trade for anything, except maybe a few more playoff wins.
When away from the keyboard, Ziv loves to hit the road and soak up the energy of casinos. Whether strolling the neon jungle called the Vegas Strip, or wandering into a smoky riverboat casino in the Midwest, Ziv’s in his element. He’s the guy chatting with players, blackjack dealers, and asking pit bosses way too many questions, all in the name of “research,” of course. The casino floor isn’t just his workplace, it’s a weird and wonderful ecosystem of flashing lights, wild characters, and pure sensory overload, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you choose to make use of any information on this website including online sports betting services from any websites that may be featured on
this website, we strongly recommend that you carefully check your local laws before doing so.It is your sole responsibility to understand your local laws and observe them strictly.Covers does not provide
any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in
your relevant locality.Covers disclaims all liability associated with your use of this website and use of any information contained on it.As a condition of using this website, you agree to hold the owner
of this website harmless from any claims arising from your use of any services on any third party website that may be featured by Covers.
