888Ladies Review:

Since its launch in 2008, 888Ladies has picked up multiple industry awards on its way to growing into a market leader in the UK bingo market. From the name to the site design, it’s pretty clear that Broadway Gaming has decided to focus like a laser on what it sees as bingo’s core demographic. Whether that branding decision speaks to you or not, with the full might of one of the online gambling industry’s global giants behind it, there’s every reason to hope for a superlative bingo experience. Read our in-depth 888Ladies review below to find out if its the right bingo site for you.

You might take one look at a company like Broadway Gaming and decide that it’s so big and public-facing that there can’t be any chance they’d rip you off, and you’d probably be right. But we always like to make sure that everything is as it should be. So, let’s take a closer look.

One thing we like about all of the Broadway Gaming properties we’ve reviewed is that they provide plenty of information regarding their licensing and game fairness assessments, directly accessible via the front page of the site. In the case of 888Ladies, this includes the standard UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) required to operate in the UK, as well as a primary license from the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner, where its parent company is based.

There’s also a link to eCogra, an agency accredited by the UKGC to assess the fairness of online bingo and casino games. The certificate is extensive. It confirms the site’s games are fair, provides detailed payout percentage reports for the full range of games, and evaluations of the randomness of the blackjack and roulette games.

Site security is handled with 128-bit SSL encryption, which should be well up to the task of protecting your funds and personal data.

From a player perspective, reviews online are mixed, with some concerns about payouts on bonuses, withdrawals being held up, and difficult customer service interactions. Still, the overall volume of negative reviews is quite low for a site of this size, so that should be taken into consideration, as well.

Some players may have complaints about the lack of Neteller and Skrill, two very popular e-wallet options in online gambling, but PayPal deposits for bingo should go some way to making up for that. If you feel nervous about depositing online you can also do it over the phone with a support agent. One downside for 888Ladies is their long pending withdrawal period before they even start processing a withdrawal. Something to think about if this is at the top of your priorities.

As a PlayRight user you can get your hands on an exclusive first deposit bonus that’s even more generous than the standard offer.

Use the bonus code, LADIESPIN, and when you deposit £10 you’ll be rewarded with a £40 bonus and 15 free spins on the slot game, Fluffy Favourites. The bonus is divided into a 200% bingo bonus and a 200% games bonus. There are, as always, some important terms and conditions to consider, though. In order to withdraw bingo bonus winnings you have to wager x 2 the amount of the deposit and bonus, which is slightly better than the industry-standard x 4 bonus wagering requirement. The games portion of the bonus requires you to wager 50x the bonus only. We’d like to see this slightly lower, 40-45x is about the industry average for casino and slots bonuses.

You’re required to use the free spins winnings within seven days of depositing, but they shouldn’t take long to use, and there are no wagering requirements. Winnings from free spins are capped at £4, though.

As an extra sweetener for new players, 888 also offers regularly scheduled free games in the Newbies Room, which are available to play for your first three days on the site.

Magic Monday gives players the chance to land a £500 jackpot every Monday evening, while the Free Sunday promo is a free weekly game where you can play 90-ball bingo with a £200 prize. All you have to do to get six tickets is log on to the iOS app for the first time.

The weekly ‘weekend’ bonuses, available from Friday to Sunday, offers bonuses of up to £85 for deposits of £10 or £20, depending on the specific bonuses. You’ll need to wager 2x the bonus and deposit amount to withdraw it, but this is still a pretty sweet deal if you enjoy your bingo at 888. At other times there’s no set reload bonus, but using the bonus code LUCK when you make a redeposit will give you the opportunity to spin for a mystery bonus of up to 88%, as well as free spins and instant cash prizes.

888Ladies is also part of the Joy Gem VIP Club that includes several other Dragonfish Network sites, such as Wink Bingo and Wink Slots. Perks include exclusive VIP rooms, bonuses and contests. In order to get on the bottom rung of the ladder, Sapphire, you must have deposited at least £2,000 over the previous 90 days, but after that, progress to Ruby and Diamond levels are by invitation only. We always prefer it when conditions are made explicit, but this policy isn’t unusual when it comes to VIP schemes.

There’s lots going on here, even by the standards of the bingo industry. It’s all very much part of the bonus culture that has been cultivated around bingo at 888Ladies.

When the bingo lobby fires up for the first time, you’re presented with a short (skippable) tutorial to get you started, but in truth, it’s all pretty straightforward. 888 have done a great job of creating a clean, attractive and welcoming site interface that is a pleasure to use. It also allows you to access slots and casino games from the same lobby, so there’s no need to navigate around the site.

Dragonfish provides its platform to other operators, so it’s not precisely accurate to describe it as a proprietary platform. But we’re pretty sure that 888Ladies, as a sister company to Dragonfish, gets the latest improvements first. This results in a smooth and reliable platform that compares favourably to its rivals.

What 888Ladies does have, is exclusive games and rooms. There are 90-ball, 75-ball, 5-line and Flash Fives games available, each of which comes with its own tutorial – another nice little touch to make things easier for anxious first-timers.

The “Playing Next” widget makes it easy to see which games are about to start, or you can navigate straight to your favourite form of the game.

Once you jump into a game, the pink-and-planks design scheme is carried through, and everything is clearly labelled and easy to understand. There’s also a lively chat box, with regular games hosted by chat moderators, as well as a separate widget where you can play mini slots while you wait for your number to be called.

The bingo selection at 888 is pitched pretty well. There’s a lack of 80-ball and some other niche games, but the combination of the traditional formats with 5-line and Flash Fives, as well as all the Jackpot games, provides the kind of variety that should appeal to most players.

If you’re the type who enjoys taking some time away from the rooms to spin the wheels, you’ll find there’s little to complain about when it comes to the non-bingo gaming selection.

There are 191 slots, including 30 progressive jackpot games, among them the legendary Mega Fortune (a recent addition) and Irish Riches – Jackpot. NetEnt favourites like Jack and the Beanstalk, Gonzo’s Quest and Starburst are all present, as well. There are also games from the likes of IGT and NextGen, so quality slots gaming is assured.

If that’s still not enough to keep you diverted, you can always make your way to 888Ladies sister brands 888 Casino, 888Poker and 888Sports using your 888ladies playing account details.

888Ladies offers an app for mobile players, although that’s only for iOS devices like iPhone and iPad. You can download the app free in just a few seconds from the App Store, and after a quick install, it’s straight to the action.

There are also some exclusive slots available in the bingo app, games you won’t find on the website – so it’s well worth checking out the app if you haven’t already. The design and feel of the app is consistent with the online experience, and it’s virtually identical in terms of features and gameplay relative to the main site.

If you’re an Android user, you’ll have to make do without an app, but the pain is lessened somewhat by the quality of the mobile site. Simply visit 888 via your mobile browser, or scan the QR code from the desktop site and you’ll automatically be presented with a perfectly optimised version of the site. And don’t worry, those mobile-exclusive slots are present on Android too.