Online Pokies NZ
A well-known international online gaming brand through its sponsorship of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and other major events, 888 Casino is celebrating its twentieth anniversary in 2017. Winner of a number awards, like Casino Operator of the Year from Gaming Intelligence in 2015, pokies players get great choice as games are by a variety of different producers, and also includes a selection of unique 888 pokies games. There are signup bonuses designed for both regular players and high rollers, and there are good promotions to take advantage of as well.
Welcome Bonus from 888 Casino
For new players, when you sign up for a real money account at 888 Casino, you get a 100% match on your first deposit, up to the value of $200 as a Welcome Bonus, so you can deposit $200 and your bankroll immediately grows to $400.
There is also another Welcome Bonus for those who want to give their new account more of a kickstart. The Premium Player Package gives you matches on your first 5 deposits, and is potentially worth up to $1,500 (provided all five deposits are made within 7 days of setting up your account):
- 1st deposit – 100% match bonus, up to $100 (use bonus code Welcome 1)
- 2nd deposit – 30% match bonus, up to $350 (use bonus code Welcome 2)
- 3rd deposit – 30% match bonus, up to $350 (use bonus code Welcome 3)
- 4th deposit – 30% match bonus, up to $350 (use bonus code Welcome 4)
- 5th deposit – 30% match bonus, up to $350 (use bonus code Welcome 5)
After you make a deposit, you need to play through each one 3x before you can claim the next. This means that in order to get the full $1,500 bonus amount, you will need to make five deposits totalling $4,760, which represents an overall match rate of 31.5%, and wager $14,280 in total.
Both of these Welcome Bonus offers come with a 30x wagering requirement, which is currently better than the industry average and most of the sites we list here (however, if you make your initial deposit(s) using Neteller, the playthrough is 40x).
Games at 888 Casino contribute to helping you meet the wagering requirements at different rates. For pokies players, the good news is that they clear the bonus at a rate of 1:1.
- 100% — online pokies, dice games (except craps), keno, scratch cards
- 20% — roulette, Pai Gow and Caribbean Stud poker
- 10% — blackjack, baccarat, live casino games, video poker
- 5% — craps
With a low 30x wagering requirement and a relatively modest deposit required to be able to unlock the full bonus amount, this is probably one of the best Welcome Bonus deals currently available at any of our recommended online casinos. It’s also helpful that the offer is there for those who want to go large with the Premium Player Package, although for most us the standard signup deal will be the one that gives the best value, especially given the fact that pokies contribute towards meeting the wagering requirements 100%.
Promotions by 888 Casino
In celebration of its twentieth anniversary, there are some excellent promotions for you to take advantage of at 888 Casino.
For instance, during the celebration promotion, if you deposit at least $20 with the casino bonus code 888CAKE, you get to spin the ‘cake’ and claim a prize — this can be a deposit match of between 15% – 40% (up to $200) which you receive in the form of free spins or, if you get the major prize, it’s $888 worth of free spins, available to play with straight away. You can use the 888 bonus code up to twice a day to make deposits, and for prizes other than the $888 jackpot, your winnings from your free spins are capped at the amount you receive as a bonus and come with a 30x playthrough.
The online progressive jackpot pokies games on which you can use your free spins are:
- Millionaire Genie
- Jack’s Pot
- Pirates Millions
- Rise of the Pharaohs
- Saved by the Bells
- Irish Riches
- Snack Times
- Ultimate Universe
- Gods of Gold
- Nightmare on Elm Street
- you can also choose to play European roulette or multi-hand blackjack
Throughout 888 Casino’s twentieth anniversary celebrations, there are also a range of Daily Challenges, where you can win instant prizes with no deposit required. This is in addition to the Pinch, Punch, It’s The 1st of the Month promotion, where any deposit on the first day of the month gives you a ticket in a prize draw to win between $8 – $188 in free spins, or the Daily Deals offer, where bonuses and free spins are available to be won every day of the week.
Slot selection and software 888 Casino
The range of online pokies available at 888 Casino is not huge by comparison with many of the sites that we list here (there are around fifty different titles to choose from), although there is still plenty of variety owing to the fact that the slots are by several different producers, including NetEnt, Blueprint Gaming, Ash Gaming, WMS, Next Gen Gaming and Amaya, and there is also a selection of exclusive slots produced by 888 and only available to play here.
You can choose to play online pokies either via free casino software download or browser-based games in Instant Play, so that games are accessible on any type of device, and each slot has its own detailed game description. The only drawback is that games can’t be played for free in practice mode.
The online pokies selection at 888 Casino includes:
- exclusive 888 pokies, like Party Pigs, Clash of the Titans, Bloodlines, City Life 2
- popular and well-known video pokiesby NetEnt, such as South Park, Gonzo’s Quest, Starburst, Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack Hammer, Fruit Shop, Twin Spin
- pokies by new, up-and-coming games developers, including Zeus III, Kiss, Giant’s Gold(WMS); Dr Love (Next Gen Gaming); Oktoberfest Spins (Amaya); Ultimate Grill Thrills, Euro Reels, Adventures in Orbit (Random Logic); Zuma Slots (Blueprint Gaming)
- exclusive 888 Casino progressive jackpot pokies, such as Steampunk Nation, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Pirates Millions, Rise of the Pharaohs, The Big Lebowski, Millionaire Genie
Games in 888 Casino
In addition to online pokies, there are plenty other games to enjoy at 888 Casino. The selection is not huge by the standards of some other online casino brands, but the classic casino games are all here and available to play in several versions, including:
- American, classic, multi-hand and high limit blackjack
- French, European, American, 3D and low stakes roulette
There is also a 888 Live Casino, where games are streamed live in real time from a purpose-built studio and dealt by professional dealers. You can choose to play baccarat, blackjack, roulette, casino hold’em, ultimate Texas hold’em and 3-card poker. There is also a 888 Casino Live Elite Lounge for VIPs and high rollers.
888 Caino Mobile App
You can download both a 888 casino app and a 888 live casino app for iPad and iPhone (using iOS 6.0+) for free from iTunes. Search for ‘888 Casino: Slots, Live Roulette & Blackjack Games’ and ‘Live Casino by 888casino’.
Alternatively, both iOS and Android users can play mobile pokies directly in the browser of any smartphone or tablet, with no app download required. Go to and enjoy a range of mobile pokies and casino games on any hand-held device.
The number of mobile casino pokies is not enormous, but there is nevertheless some variety and most players should be able to find games that you like. Altogether, there are more than 50 mobiles slots on offer, including progressive jackpot pokies like Santa’s Super Slot, Rise of the Pharaohs, Jack’s Pot, Irish Riches and A Nightmare on Elm Street.
You can also play 888 Casino live dealer games in the mobile casino, as well as a selection of classic table games like roulette, blackjack and baccarat, while video poker can also be played.
New players signing up for an account in the 888 mobile casino receive the same Welcome Bonus of a 100% first deposit match (up to $200), and you can also make deposits and withdrawals, and connect with customer services, all from within the 888 casino app.
Customer Support
- extensive FAQ pages
- email support via website form
- each game has its own detailed instruction page
888 Casino Banking
Player accounts at 888 Casino cannot currently be operated in NZD$; instead, you have the option to use USD, GBP, CAD or EUR. When you undertake a transaction, you are given the FX exchange rate that will be used beforehand, so you always know what you are being charged.
Skrill and Neteller e-wallets can be used for deposits and withdrawals, although if you use Neteller to make your first deposit into a new account, your Welcome Bonus has a higher playthrough of 40x. You can also use EntroPay virtual Visa cards and pre-paid PaySafe Card (the latter for deposits only). Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards can also be used (although with MasterCard, some NZ financial institutions don’t allow you to use these for withdrawals, so it pays to check with your bank), as can direct bank transfer.
While deposits using most payment methods are credited to your account and available to start playing with almost instantly (the exception being direct bank transfer, where it can take up to 5 working days), withdrawals tend to be amongst the slowest of any of our recommended casinos.
E-wallets are the fastest, but these can still take between 1-2 working days, while for EntroPay it’s 2-3 days. Credit/debit cards are even slower and can take between 3-5 working days to be processed (there then may be additional processing time by your bank), while bank wire or transfer can take between 4-7 days before a withdrawal request is processed.
Conclusion
Although the number of online pokies isn’t huge at 888 Casino, there is variety and games by the leading producers, as well as some unique titles too. The pokies Welcome Bonus offers some good value, and most players should be able to clear the bonus with the standard signup deal, courtesy of a low 30x playthrough. The site also offers a safe and secure gaming environment, as it’s independently audited by eCogra, licensed by the Gibraltar Gaming Authority and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. Perhaps the biggest drawback is that you can’t operate your account in NZD$, and the payout times are slower than average, but these reservations aside, it’s still a site that we can recommend.