Among the long list of online betting brands available today, few carry the weight Bet365 and 888casino bring. Each has built its place over decades of operation, regulated licenses, and consistent product quality. But players are widening the field they look at, and a new wave of crypto-first operators is starting to come up in the same conversations. ZunaBet — live since 2026 — is one of the names showing up more often as that trend grows.
This article walks through where the established names sit, and what’s making ZunaBet a more frequent comparison point.
Two Operators With Real History
Bet365 has been live since 2000. Starting from its UK base, it grew into a global brand offering sportsbook, casino, poker, and bingo all from a single account. Deposits move through cards, bank transfers, and e-wallets, and the operator holds active licensing in each market it serves.
888casino traces back to 1997, making it even older than Bet365. Operating under 888 Holdings, it’s one of the first online casinos to launch and continues to hold solid positions in European regulated markets and parts of North America. The casino runs slots, table games, and live dealer rooms, with banking on fiat under regional licensing rules.
Both bring the reliability that comes with serious longevity. Both also share the constraints common to that profile: banking that runs at traditional speeds, withdrawal timelines that depend on the method chosen, libraries that come in smaller than what global crypto brands carry, and loyalty programs that haven’t drifted far from their original structure.
How ZunaBet Joins the Picture
ZunaBet launched in 2026 under Strathvale Group Ltd with an Anjouan gaming license. The defining separator from older operators is in the build. ZunaBet was crypto-first from the start, not adapted from a fiat foundation.
The game library reaches more than 11,000 titles from over 60 providers, including Pragmatic Play, Hacksaw Gaming, Yggdrasil, BGaming, and Evolution. That puts the casino among the larger crypto-focused libraries currently available, and pushes past what Bet365 and 888casino can field in most of their licensed regions. Slots, table games, and live dealer rooms all share one account.
The sportsbook side rounds out the lineup. Football, basketball, tennis, NHL, and other major sports sit beside CS2, Dota 2, League of Legends, and Valorant. Virtual sports and combat sports finish out the menu. The hybrid setup mirrors Bet365’s, with a broader spread of markets in one platform.
Two Different Payment Models
This is where the structural divide really shows. Bet365 and 888casino route payments through traditional banking. The cost of that approach comes in processing times, possible holds, and withdrawal speeds shaped by player choice at deposit.
ZunaBet’s payment side runs entirely on crypto, supporting over 20 currencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT on multiple chains, Solana, Dogecoin, Cardano, and XRP. No platform fees apply, and withdrawals process quickly. Players already holding crypto skip the friction of bank-routed money entirely.
There’s a reach factor too. Crypto-first operators aren’t constrained by the same region-by-region licensing structure that fiat brands work within. ZunaBet’s full platform is accessible across many regions older brands can’t easily serve. For players already comfortable in digital, crypto-friendly contexts, that aligns with how they expect any modern platform to work.
Sign-Up Bonus Comparison
Bet365 and 888casino tie welcome offers to region, generally around deposit matches or new-player bonuses. Wagering requirements on the casino side typically take careful reading to navigate.
ZunaBet’s welcome package totals up to $5,000 plus 75 free spins across three deposits. The first matches 100% up to $2,000 plus 25 spins. The second adds 50% up to $1,500 plus 25 spins. The third closes with 100% up to $1,500 plus 25 more spins. Marketed as a 250% bonus across three deposits, the structure leaves more room for new players to explore the platform than a single-bonus format would.
Different Takes on Loyalty
Bet365 takes a quieter route with loyalty, with personalised offers landing in player accounts based on activity rather than a defined tier structure. 888casino runs the more conventional tiered VIP program — points, free spins, and bigger promos at higher levels. Both function effectively, but both stay close to the loyalty card model that’s been around for years.
ZunaBet builds the program differently. It runs on a dragon evolution theme, with a mascot named Zuno guiding players through six tiers. Squire kicks off at 1% rakeback, then Warden at 2%, Champion at 4%, Divine at 5%, Knight at 10%, and Ultimate at the top with 20% rakeback.
Tiers bring more than rakeback. Free spins scale up with tier — reaching 1,000 spins at the top — along with VIP club access and double wheel spins through the climb. The whole structure feels more like in-game progression than collecting points toward a reward. For players already comfortable with that kind of mechanic, it lands differently than a standard VIP program does.
Why Players Are Including ZunaBet
Bet365 and 888casino still make sense for players who value regulation and reputation built over time. Their position isn’t slipping. But the standards players bring to these platforms keep moving forward. Fast withdrawals, deep libraries, and engaging loyalty mechanics are turning into expectations rather than differentiators.
ZunaBet was designed around those expectations from the start. The crypto-first core delivers fast settlement and minimal fees. The library outpaces what most established brands offer. The sportsbook covers traditional sports and esports under the same account. The dragon loyalty program adds direction and progression to regular play.
For players who want speed, variety, and a more current feel, ZunaBet sits among the more interesting platforms in the market right now. The brand is still in its early phase, but the direction is clear. A new generation of players treats crypto support, gamified rewards, and global access as defaults rather than additions to ask for.
Bet365 and 888casino built the online betting world that exists today. ZunaBet is one of the platforms working on what comes next — and players who include it in their comparisons are getting an early read on where the industry is headed.