888 to Rebrand Itself as Evoke with a Fresh Strategy

888, considered one of the biggest online gambling companies in the United Kingdom, has recently announced that it is rebranding to 'Evoke', according to the CEO Per Widerström. The renaming marks the start of a thrilling new dawn for the online gambling giant who has lately been plagued by regulatory investigations, management upheaval, and the decision to pull out of U.S markets. In this news article, we'll explore the brand name change, other companies that have gone through similar rebranding changes, the history of 888 and more.

Written by James Donnelly 3 minute read
888 to rebrand Itself as evoke

Gambling Companies Who Have Liven Up Their Brand Names

The new name resonates with steps taken by other major UK gambling firms in recent years to liven up their brand identity. GVC Holdings changed its name to Entain and owns several brands, including Sportingbet, PartyPoker, Ladbrokes, Coral, BetMGM, and Bwin to mention but a few. Entain is listed on the London Stock Exchange and has been in operation since 2004.

Paddy Power Betfair changed to the whimsical Flutter. For those of you who don't know, the name Flutter was originally the title of a small betting exchange which was the first acquisition by Betfair almost 20 years ago. Flutter owns a multitude of brands, such as PokerStars, FanDuel, Sportsbet, and Sky betting and gaming. These are some of the best online casinos and sports betting sites in the industry.

History of the 888 Brand Name

During the same time when Betfair established the revolutionary betting exchange platform in 2001, Virtual Holdings Limited, a novice online gambling company based in the British Virgin Islands tax haven, rebranded to 888. The name was based on the number eight as it represents luck in Chinese numerology. It is due to the pronunciation sounding like "Ba", which is like "fa", representing status, success, and great wealth. By extension, 888 means triply as lucky because of the three, which is also a lucky number.

Phone numbers and addresses in China containing the 888-digit sequence command premium prices due to their seeming favourable qualities. It might raise the question of why 8888 is not used for quadruple success. However, in Chinese numerology, the number four is ill-fated, disastrous, catastrophic, one and the same as death. Popular Las Vegas casino resorts skip the 13th floor to accommodate Westerners who might be superstitious. The same applies to Chinese guest where these famous casino resorts would skip floors 40 to 49 to avoid freaking out guests from China. Recently, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on tetraphobia, which is the fear of 4.

888 to Refocus on Core Markets Going Forward

The Chinese superstitions might be less important to the new Evoke, who is no longer as focused on unregulated markets as before. 888 has a new plan to refocus on core markets in Denmark, Spain, Italy, and the UK. The new name Evoke does evoke questions as it sounds more like the latest Calvin Klein fragrance or girl band vibes from the 1990s. Certainly not a gambling company. Perhaps someone took the brief to come up with a new evocative name for the company and took the assignment way too literally.

Play at 888 Online Casino for Big Winning Opportunities

The 888 Group, launched in 1997, became a household name over the years with several gambling products for online players. 888 Casino is one of the best-known gambling sites in the world and was named Operator of the Year in 2002. Newly registered customers at 888 Casino can claim a $25 no deposit bonus upon account registration before activating the 100% match up to $1,000 on their initial deposit. Play over 2,000 games at this award-winning online casino that holds its own with a great variety of slots, progressive jackpots, table games, exclusive titles, and one of the most favoured experiences around for live dealer games.

Voted as the Best Online Casino at the EGR rewards in 2022, 888 Casino offers a vast array of secure payment methods. The well-organised interface is user-friendly and offers instant access to 888 poker, 888 sports and customer support. The rebranding follows a clear success and strategy vision to drive excellence and in preparation for its change in value creation. It is an ambitious goal driven by 888's aim to increase revenue and profitability while reducing leverage by the end of 2026.

 James Donnelly
Written by
James Donnelly - Content Writer

James has been a part of Top10Casinos.com for almost 4 years and in that time, he has written a large number of informative articles for our readers. James's keen sense of audience and unwavering dedication make him an invaluable asset for creating honest and informative casino and game reviews, articles and blog posts for our readers.

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