Is Bovada Casino Legit
Yes, Bovada is legit. It is not a scam because they will never steal your money or deny your payment request. And all its winners receive their money without a problem.
With all the changes in the online world, players ask themselves whether online betting is legal. Is Bovada legal? When betting online in the United States, you have to make sure that the sportsbook platform is legal. In this Bovada review, we are discussing whether Bovada is a safe and legal option for players located in the United States.
Bovada has a long history and a solid track record of dealing fairly and paying players on time. As the information above shows, this casino is run by a legit operator with lots of experience in the industry. This is exactly what I look for in an online casino. Bovada has a wide variety of sports, great betting options, cool bonuses, and a quick payout. We hope you have found this Bovada review helpful. Whether it’s online poker, online casino, sports, or horse betting, you can bet safe and get paid fast with Bovada!
But does Bovada cheat its players? It the gambling site worth trying out?
Bovada says you should join the service and “become a part of a leading betting platform“. That would suggest that Bovada is a leading betting platform.
This Bovada review will examine the features, offerings, policies and everything else about Bovada to help you decide if the casino is a leading one as they claim and whether they are worth trying at all.
Bovada review at a glance
- Bovada Casino is an online gaming casino launched in 2011; Bovada offers other betting operations such as sports betting and horse racing
- Their games are from three popular gaming providers – Real-Time Gaming, Betsoft and Rival Gaming
- They offer a wide array of over 300 exciting and recreational games
- The casino is mobile compatible, and even have games exclusive to mobile devices
- They employ 128-bit encryption algorithm to secure all users’ data in their systems
- They support multiple options for making deposits and withdrawals. The deposit limit are: min – $20, and max – $1,500; while the withdrawal limits are: min – $100, and max – $3,000.
- They have a high reputation for excellent customer support; and most importantly, for fast payouts
What is Bovada?
Bovada is a big name in the betting spheres; apart from the online casino, they run other betting operations such as sports betting and horse racing betting.
The online gambling site which this review is interested in taking off in 2011. In the years that follow, they have managed to create a good reputation in the industry (this review will touch this later). Bovada is owned by the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group. This is the same group that owns the very popular Bodog casino from which Bovada spun off. The Bovada website is https://www.bovada.lv. It is available in English, Spanish and Chinese.
You can sign up with Bovada if you’re 18 years and above. However, you’ll have to check with your local laws to know if you are legally allowed to gamble. This is because many jurisdictions raise the permissible age to 21.
Signing up simply requires submitting your personal information when prompted; after that, you can proceed to make your first deposit, and then you can start placing bets on games.
Is Bovada legit?
Bovada is legit. They are and not a scam. In this section, we’ll examine whether the is legit by law, whether its games are rigged, and whether it is safe to send them sensitive data.
Gaming License
There are many scammers lurking around on the internet; with some even hiding behind company names. Therefore it is wise to determine if any online group that you’ll send your money to is legitimate. The very first test of a casino’s legitimacy is whether they have a license to operate.
Bovada Casino used to hold a Kahnawake Gaming Commission license. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is a popular and trusted gaming regulatory body that licenses and regulates the majorly online casino, online poker rooms and online sportsbook sites.
Some have it that Bovada voluntarily relinquished its license with the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, and others have it that the Kahnawake Gaming Commission terminated the license of Bovada. Whatever the case, the bottom line is that Bovada is operating without a valid license. Illegal? In the least, it means that Bovada is unregulated (read: zero protection for players).
Fairness of the games
If you are to place bets on any casino game, you need to have a chance of winning. If there’s no chance that you’ll win, then the games are rigged, which makes the site nothing but an official scamming house.
One way of determining that casino games are fair and “winnable” is to look out for third party audit seals. These third-party audit seals convey that the casino games have been tested and found to be fair and random enough that players have a chance of winning.
Sadly, the Bovada game website he no such third party audit seals. Since such seals communicate the legitimacy of a casino, any casino having them openly displays them; therefore, their absence from the Bovada website is concerning. It can mean that the Bovada games have not been tested for fairness, or that the Bovada games are not fair.
Since Bovada gives us no third party audit proofs that should conclusively end the discussion about the fairness of their games; we did a little searching. The outcome was bitter-sweet.
The sweet part is that the Bovada games are the same games offered by Bodog, and the games have been verified at the Bodog website. The bitter part is that there are a lot of reviews that call out the fairness of the Bovada RNGs (Random Number Generators).
The Bovada blackjack especially seems unwinnable; if you decide to hit and bust, they’ll show a slightly higher number than you have; but if you decide not to hit, they’ll show a 20 or near 20. Every time, you lose; and the frequency of its occurrence makes it less random and more of a pattern.
Security and Privacy
You give up very sensitive information whenever you sign up and make use of a casino. According to the Bovada Terms and Conditions, “If you choose to register an Account you will be required to provide your full name, address, date of birth, email address and telephone number“; and sometimes Bovada will require you to submit additional information if your identity cannot be validated. Apart from personal information, when you make deposits, you’ll be submitting credit card information and the like.
I don’t know anyone who’ll want this information to get into the hands of hackers; I mean those who practise the dark art, that is identity thieves, cyber fraudsters etc. Therefore, you’ll have to consider if the casino has a structure that protects all your information in their systems.
Games Selection And Gaming Provider
In this regard, Bovada uses a 128-bit encryption algorithm to secure all data in their system. The 128-bit encryption is one of the most secure encryption methods and is still considered unbreakable. The security of your data with Bovada is guaranteed with the encryption standard employed.
However, security-focused organizations such as banks and the military have moved to the longer key encryption (AES 256-bit) which is widely regarded as the best encryption level there currently is. Interestingly, some casinos are also using the bank-grade, military-grade top notch 256 bit; but Bovada sits with the 128-bit encryption algorithm. Should you worry? No, but just saying.
Software Providers
One of the impressive things about Bovada is that their games are from multiple online gaming software providers.
Multiple providers is an important consideration to most players because particular providers include particular graphics and game-play styles. Having games provided by different software providers ensures that the casino offers games that give players different experiences.
Bovada games are from RealTime Gaming, Betsoft and Rival gaming. These are some of the most popular names among online gaming providers.
The download-based and instant play version
Bovada, like most other game sites, provides games that can be downloaded to devices, and those that can be played directly from their servers. The download based version requires that the player has space on his/ her device to accommodate the game; the game is downloaded into the device, and the user can play it from there anytime.
The instant-play versions require that the player access and play the game through a web browser. There’s no downloading required, but internet access and bandwidth are required every time to play the game.
Mobile Compatibility
The world is shifting to mobile, more time is now being spent gaming on mobile devices than on desktop. Therefore it is necessary to find a game that supports mobile devices.
Bovada says you can count on them to shift with the mobile trend. True too that the games come across as a true mobile-friendly game.
They offer a ton of mobile games that you can play while on the go. All you need do is simply log on to their site with your mobile device; the mobile-optimized version of the Bovada has the same games as the desktop casino. They even have some games that are available through mobile-only, an example is the slot game – Jackpot Piñatas.
Practice or real money play
In any gambling site, players commit real money and play to win real money or prizes. The Bovada games give this. Also, they also offer practice games that allow the players to have a gambling experience without committing real money. The account gives the player virtual money that can be placed on games; which would either be lost or won just like in a normal betting ground.
Restricted Countries
You’ll need to know whether a gambling site allows players from your country before thinking of signing up. If there are strict laws restricting gambling in certain regions, casinos would understandably not support those regions.
This effectively limits the market for casinos. Few countries allowed means a small pool from which casino players can come from, and few countries restricted to mean a large pool from which casino players can co he from. Therefore, it’s a big plus if a casino restricts only a few countries; and it’s a minus if they restrict too many countries.
That said, Bovada is kind of aimed at US and Canada players; as a result, they restrict almost every other country in the world. That’s a deliberate exaggeration, but the list of restricted countries is pretty long.
Available Banking Options
For the same reason, a player would consider whether the casino supports players from his/ her territory, a player should also check available banking options. You wouldn’t want to sign up for a site only to find out that you cannot make a deposit because they do not support any payment method available in your region. Players also check whether the supported methods will afford them convenient payments. Therefore a casino should support a wide range of convenient payment methods.
Deposit Methods:
Bovada accepts many of the popular payment methods for making deposits. You can use Credit/ debit cards (Visa or MasterCard). Your first deposit made using Visa, MasterCard or American Express is free; for subsequent deposits, 5.9% fee will be charged on all Visa or MasterCard deposits, and 9.9% fee will be charged on all Amex deposits. You can also make deposits using prepaid visa cards, money transfer via Western Union (the associated fees can be between 6% and 15% of the total), and transfer via MoneyGram (transfer fees are about 5% to 10% of the total).
They have also started accepting bitcoin since 2016; you simply set up a bitcoin wallet and fund it with your credit/ debit card.
The only accepted currency is the U.S. dollars ($). The minimum deposit amount is $20 with cards and $10 with bitcoin; while the maximum deposit amount is $1,500 with cards and $5,000 with bitcoin.
Withdrawals
One of the most important areas to any casino player is payouts. When you make deposits, you are, most often than not, instantly debited; it is also almost generic that players lose bets more often than they win bets. Therefore, when you win bets you want to make sure that you can easily withdraw the money, and that the money gets to you, and fast. We’ll examine the withdrawal options that Bovada makes available, and how fast they are.
There are a number of withdrawal methods supported by Bovada. The one most encouraged is physical bank cheques. This also shows that the game site is targeted at the U.S market; cheques get mailed fastly to players within allowed U.S. region. It was also interesting to know that cheque payment does not cost the player anything. Bovada also allows you to withdraw via money transfer through Western Union.
However, this option attracts a processing fee, and you’ll also need to contact support. However, it is a very fast means of getting your cashouts. Lastly, Bovada allows players to make withdrawals through bitcoins.
Like every casino in the market, Bovada has a minimum and maximum withdrawal limits, which is also dependent on the payment method is chosen.
For Bitcoin withdrawals, the minimum amount is $10 while the maximum is $9,500; and the number of withdrawal that can be made is limited to one in 3 days.
Cheques by Courier has a minimum withdrawal limit of $100 and a maximum limit of $3,000, and the number of withdrawals that can be made is limited to one in 7 days.
Games that have slow payouts are usually not recommended. Bovada has a good reputation when it comes to payouts. They remain one of the fastest game sites for delivering cash-out checks. Typically, bitcoin payments take mere minutes once the transaction is confirmed, bank transfers take anything between 1 to 10 days, while checks take 7 to 28 days.
Customer Support
Customer support is always mentioned as an important consideration when deciding on gambling site. This is because it is inevitable that a casino player will have to contact the service’ customer support team. When that happens, no player will love to be kept waiting for too long to be answered, or worst still to be completely ignored.
The effectiveness of a customer support service is measured by the available options for getting assistance, and the timeliness of responses obtained. Bovada supports all the popular options for initiating direct contact. This includes email support service, online ticket system, telephone support service, and live chat.
Bovada customer service scores high on virtually all reviews. They promise that their customer support team is available 24/ 7 to treat users’ issues. True to that, when you send in a support ticket, they endeavour to reply within 24 hours. While this is okay; it can be improved upon to al least a few hours.
However, if you want instant responses, the live chat feature is there for you. The support staff you meet almost all the time tend to be professional, and genuinely interested in walking you through your issue. If you’ll rather talk with a support rep, Bovada provides a toll-free U.S. line (1-866-234-1324).
Summary
Bovada is a legitimate gambling site and also one of the most popular betting platform in the US owing largely to other products such as sports betting and horse racing betting.
Bovada games are provided by three of the biggest online gaming providers in the industry (RealTime Gaming, Betsoft, and Rival Gaming). This already shows that there is a variety of great games to choose from. There are over 300 quality games (bettings, slots, table games, video poker and speciality games), which promises a pleasant recreational experience.
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Bovada also gives exciting bonuses which include welcome bonuses and match bonuses. For deposit, they support major credit cards, postpaid visa card, money transfer, and bitcoin. For withdrawal, they support bank cheques, money transfers, and bitcoin.
They secure players information in their system using 128-bit encryption, they have excellent customer service; and they have a reputation of being one of the fastest (if not the fastest) casino when it comes to paying out winnings.
However, despite ticking a lot of the right boxes, Bovada still does not get the “recommended” status in many reviews. Players from too many countries are restricted from using Bovada; this is a minus, but one that can be overlooked.
What cannot be overlooked has to do with the very legitimacy of the gambling site; that is, the licensing of games, as well as the fairness of the games in the games.
The game is now operating without a valid license which, in the least, means it is unregulated, and users have zero protection. Also, there are no third-party audit seals that declare the games fair; and there are too many reports of the casino’s RNGs showing a pattern (favouring the dealer) instead of being random.
This is unbiased Bovada Sportsbook review. In this post, we analyzed the sportbook section to know if legit. We also evaluate all the sport bettings and also show you if they are actually sincere and legal to play on.
If you look for betting houses that accepts US bettors, you’ll always see Bovada with its .lv domain name. However, one of the first things you’ll find when you look at Bovada is that it is an off shoot of another betting house. Being an off-shoot has an ominous feel to it (at least to some).
Is Bovada Sportsbook legit? How does Bovada compare to the other betting houses? This review will X-ray Bovada (the sportsbook section of the site) and bring you the information that’ll help you answer those questions. We’ll look at whether Bovada has the elements that makes a great sportsbook such as: good sports coverage, good betting options, good odds, low minimum bets, mobile betting, live betting, easy to use platform, efficient deposits and payments, and efficient customer support.
Bovada sportsbook at a glance
- Bovada was started in 2011 as the US site of Bodog
- The Sportsbook of Bovada is where you can place bets on sporting events
- The Sportsbook offers lines from over 25 different “sports” including both worldwide and local events
- Apart from the sportsbook, Bovada also operates a racebook, a casino, live dealer games, and a poker house
- Welcome bonus is 50% bonus up to $250 (up to $500 for bitcoin deposits)
- Bonus rollover requirement is 5 times deposit plus bonus amount
- Deposit options are credit cards and bitcoin; while withdrawal options are check and bitcoin
- Min deposit: credit card – $25, bitcoin – $20; max deposit: credit cards – $1,000, bitcoin – $5,000
- Min withdrawal: check – $50,bitcoin – $20; max withdrawal: check – unlimited, bitcoin – $9500 per transaction
- Reputable for offering fast payouts
- 24/ 7 customer support is available via email, chat, and telephone
Bovada – Background
Bovada was created in December of the year 2011. However, any background of Bovada will predate 2011. This is because Bovada is, at best, the US site of Bodog – another online betting platform. Bodog is a betting platform that offers casino services, live dealer casino games, sports betting, race betting, and a poker house. As Bodog grew into new markets, and the US became more hostile to online gambling operators, Bodog thought of a way to disassociate the brand name from US gambling but still retain its share of the US gambling market. That gave birth to Bovada. A new domain (www.bovada.lv) was created and the US members of Bodog were moved to Bovada. Bovada/ Bodog was owned by MMGC (Morris Mohawk Gaming Corporation); but in around 2015, Salmon Rivers Technologies Ltd took over the ownership of Bovada.
The minders didn’t even try to make Bovada different from Bodog; as a result Bovada features the same software, platform, betting options, and services as Bodog.
Offerings of Bovada.lv
You’ll find that, just as Bodog Bovada is not only about sports betting. They also have a casino, live dealer games, a poker house, and a race book. Bovada even use the red and black theme of Bodog.
However, it should be noted that this review will only look at the Bovada.lv sportsbook. For the performance of the Bovada casino or poker room, you’ll have to check our other reviews.
Who can use Bovada Sportsbook
That Bovada was designed specifically so that Bodog will not lose its US market tells you that only US bettors are accepted in Bovada. All other persons outside the US cannot use Bovada, and will have to join Bodog.
However because gambling regulations in the US differs in the various states, not all bettors from the US are accepted. You can’t use Bovada if you’re resident in any of the following US states: Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Nevada, Utah and Washington.
And even if you’re resident in a US state that is not restricted, you still have to meet age requirements. Bovada only accept members that are 18 and above or up to the legal age recognized by the local jurisdiction (which is 21 in some).
If you’re of legal age and not resident in a restricted region, you can go to Bovada.lv to join, and enjoy the thrills and rewards offered by sports betting. It’s not advisable to use a location masking technology (like a VPN) to beat the platform and proceed to create an account when you’re resident in one of the restricted locations. If you do, you may be unable to deposit money into your account; and even if you succeed in that, receiving your payment when you withdraw winnings will be very difficult.
Is Bovada Sports legit?
Bovada Sports is actually legit. When you join any sportsbook you’ll have to credit your account to be able to place bets on sporting events. When it comes to sending your hard earned money to an online platform, you have to make sure that the platform is legit, so that you can avoid “stories that touch” (in this case, tales of how you were ripped off).
In this regard, there’s no doubt that Bovada is a legit platform. Bovada is an offshore company that is duly registered in Canada. Suffice it to say that no scam business will seek company registration. Also, Bovada operators are visible and known. The company (and its parent – Bodog) was for a long time owned by Morris Mohawk Gaming Corporation, until ownership of Bovada was transferred to Salmon Rivers Technologies Ltd who operate it till date. Key members of the company (such as the CEO) are known and are available to take responsibility. This lends an argument to Bovada’s legitimacy because the operators of scam houses are largely invisible and unknown.
Lastly, Bovada may be an offshoot of Bodog, but it has been operating independently since its inception. This gives it over 7 years of independent operation which is providing sports betting services and paying winners. Bovada claims to have never “missed a payout”. This is a double rubber stamp on the legit argument for Bovada. First, it’s inconceivable that a scam site will continue to rip people off for as many as 7 years. Secondly, the hallmark of a legit betting house is paying winners; and that is what Bovada sportsbook has been doing in its 7 years of existence.
Is Bovada Sportsbook Safe?
Of course, Bovada sportsbook is safe. When you join and use Bovada.lv, you’ll be sending them more than your money (account top ups); thus, it shouldn’t be enough knowing that the online sportsbook is legit and will not rip you off. You’ll also be sending them sensitive information (such as your credit card details) and your personal information (such as your contact numbers, address, etc); thus, you should also want to know that the online sportsbook is safe and will adequately protect the information that you share with them. If an online platform is not safe, hackers (the dark ones or cyber criminals) will intercept and access your information with them.
Bovada comes out strong in this regard. They use AES 128 bit encryption to secure the data in their system. The encryption level is currently unbreakable; and is the same standard used by most financial institutions. With the use of this technical measure, there’s no doubt that Bovada.lv is safe.
Features
Mobile Betting
More than ever before, bettors want to bet on the go; that is, from anywhere and at anytime. The problem is that one cannot always have his/ her computer handy; thus the only way to have on-the-go betting is with potable mobile devices. Therefore, the ideal online sportsbook will be compatible with mobile devices.
The Bovada Sportsbook site is fully mobile optimized; thus, when you access the sportsbook with a mobile device, it resizes to fit the screen of the device. The sportsbook works well on most mobile platforms such as Android and iOS. The look and feel as well as the features available is similar to the desktop version. Without any hiccup, you’ll be able to switch between sports and place bets.
Betting Interface
We saw somewhere that a great online sportsbook should look great. We just can’t disagree with that. The ideal sportsbook should have a website that’s clean yet attractive, with an interface that’s fully functional and intuitive.
The website of Bovada has always been good, but the recent July 2018 upgrade turned it from good to great. Navigation within the site is easy. On the desktop view; you’ll find that a listing of the sports is available in a menu at the top of the page. Given that the menu cannot hold all the sports offered by Bovada Sportsbook, the last item on the menu is “All Sports (A – Z)”, which would open up other sports not listed. To bet on any of the sport, you only need to click on the sport, and the events available will open up. At the left column of the page, you’ll find “Quick Links”; it allows you to quickly place bets on the major sporting events of the day. The betting slip is also simple to use. It updates automatically as bets are added.
Sports Available
It’s a no-brainer that the ideal sportsbook should have a good coverage of sporting events from different betting markets. That is, they should offer events from multiple sports, regions, and continents. You’ll want to have popular sports such as football, tennis, basketball, etc; but at the same time you’ll want to have less popular and local sports events.
Bovada aced it in terms of available sporting events. Being a US-only sportsbook, they offer the big North American sports such as Basketball, Football, Hockey and Baseball. You’ll also find other popular sports such as Tennis, Soccer, Boxing, Golf, etc. There are local and less popular event like college football; and there are some events that do not even qualify as sports such as Entertainment, Shows and Politics.
You’ll find that Bovada sportsbook does not only attend to the primary league for major sports; you’ll find lines in a host of secondary and tertiary leagues. For example, for those who like to bet on soccer, you’ll find that Bovada draws events from leagues across the world; and they have lines from even fourth and fifth tier of most soccer leagues. It’s by far one of the most expansive lists you’ll find in the industry.
With over 25 “sports” available covering events from all over the world; Bovada Sportsbook comes out strong as an ideal destination for sports betting.
Betting Options
Another important consideration in rating online sportsbook is betting options. While it’s important to have different sporting events, the ideal online sportsbook will also provide various betting options for each sporting event.
Bovada Sportsbook also ticks the box in this regard. For each sporting event, there are a range of options that a bettor can wager on. We checked the online customer review platforms to see what Bovada members have to say about the available betting options; and it’s safe to say that on the whole bettors were satisfied with available options.
Live Betting
One of the advancement that sportsbook have seen over the years is the introduction of live betting. Many players want to rev up the betting excitement by betting on games that are on-going. Thus, it’s almost inconceivable that a modern sportsbook will not offer live betting.
In this regard, Bovada.lv ticks the box. You can bet on games that are ongoing; in most sports, the betting continues till the few minutes before the end of the game.
Bet limits
The ideal sportsbook is one that is available to everybody no matter the size of their wallets. In this regard, the minimum bet should be as low as possible.
In Bovada.lv the minimum bet is $1.00. This is low enough, as it allows bettors to throw a few dollars at games for the chance to boost their bankroll. The maximum bet varies depending on the sports, and the type of wager (spread, moneylines, parlays etc). However, the highest bet you can place in the sportsbook is $5,000 (spreads on NFL). Thus, if you’re a high roller and want to throw tens of thousands of dollars at games, you’ll find that Bovada is not the right place for you. This is especially so as the maximum wager payout in the sportsbook is $100,000
Odds
Also, the ideal sportsbook will have great odds; the higher the odds the more you’ll net if you hit a win. While the odds in Bovada are good, it’s not the best you’ll find in the market. We’ve not seen complaints about odds.
The biggest complaint about Bovada is that they are always slow in posting lines/ odds. It would seem that Bovada waits until the lines are established elsewhere before posting. For this review we closely followed a couple of Sportsbooks, and Bovada consistently came last in posting lines. The implication is that you cannot place your bets as quickly as possible. If you have a particular event in mind to wager on, you’ll have to wait until it’s posted in Bovada, while it must have been posted in other sportsbooks. The one consolation here is that early booking does not guarantee winning.
Another complaint about Bovada.lv sportsbook is that they are also relatively slow in posting wins. That is, after a betted event, if you lose the bet, it’s almost instantly updated and your bet is settled; but if you win, it’s not updated as quick. The problem is that some waiting times for bets to be settled and posted as wins have been reported to take more than 40 minutes.
Is there any problem win will definitely be posted? If there is no fund in your account, and you need your win released to be able to place bets on another event that’s almost starting, you’ll easily see the problem.
That said; it would seem that Bovada.lv does not see this as a problem that is worth fixing urgently. We reason along this line because Bovada’s response to some bettors who raised the concern is that the sportsbook offers live betting and that the concerned bettors may use the live betting feature if their win is not posted until another game they intended to wager on had started.
Promotions
When buying anything online most persons look out for promotions; it’s no different in betting houses. Players look out for houses that offer promotions, because to the players, promotions represent free money. Thus, the ideal betting house will run a lot of promotions.
In this regard Bovada ticks the box as they offer a raft of bonuses which includes welcome bonus, referral bonus, and more
Sign up Bonus
This is Bovada’s way of saying thank you for choosing us. When you join the sportsbook, you’ll get a welcome bonus of 50% of your first deposit, up to $250. To get the maximum value of the offer, you’ll have to deposit $500, and you’ll be rewarded with $250, and you’ll have a total of $750 in your account.
Depositing with bitcoin is incentivized; when you join and make the first deposit via bitcoin, the welcome bonus will be 50% up to $500.
Another thing that makes the welcome bonus very attractive is the rollover requirement. Most often betting houses give attractive bonus but attach restrictive conditions that make it very difficult to clear the bonus. However, in Bovada sportsbook, the rollover requirement is 5 times the deposit plus bonus amount. This means that if you max the offer (deposit $500 and redeem a $250 bonus), you’ll have to wager a total of $3,750 (that is 5 X $750) before you’ll be able to make any withdrawal.
Know that a 5X rollover is the lowest rollover requirement in the industry. Many sportsbooks have a 10 times rollover requirement.
One-Off Promotions
Apart from the welcome bonus which is a constant of the site; there are other promotions which Bovada Sportsbook offers. These promotions are events-specific (usually on particular sporting events), and time-specific (usually available only for specified period of time). To take advantage of these promotions and put some money in your account from time to time, you’ll have to always check their site.
Sometimes, the offers will require you to complete a task such as placing a number of bets on a particular event. The reward for such one-off promotional offers is usually free bets or bonuses.
Referral bonus
You can also get some free money in your account if you invite people to join Bovada. Through the referral program, you can get up to $100 if friends join the sportsbook through your unique referral link. The referral bonus is also subject to the 5X rollover.
Reward Program
Bovada Sportsbook has a loyalty program that rewards players for playing in the house. For every bet you place in the sportsbook (and the other offerings of Bovada such as the casino, poker room and racebook), you’ll earn loyalty points. The more you wager in the house, the more points you earn. The program is tiered, and you climb up the tiers by accumulating more points.
As you move up the tiers, you’ll unlock bigger and better rewards which include cash back on losses, earning free plays and more.
Banking Options
Deposit
You will not have the chance of making any money in the sportsbook except you place bets on lines; and you cannot do that except you have real money in your sportsbook account. Thus, you need banking options to make the deposits. In this regard, some players will want a betting house that supports a range of deposit options so that it would be easier to find one that can be conveniently used.
Bovada does not support a wide range of options. The only deposit options they support are bitcoin and credit cards (Visa, Master card, and Amex). However, if your reason for wanting a lot of options is so that you’ll be more likely to get an easy and convenient method; you won’t have to look beyond Bovada. This is because the deposit process is very simple and straightforward. All deposits are processed quickly, and you’ll have the funds in your account almost immediately.
However, you should know that there is a 5.9% processing fee when you use credit cards for your deposit. If you’ll rather avoid such fees, you’ll want to use bitcoin. Bovada even provides help; in their website, you’ll find information on how to open and use a bitcoin account.
Just as in every betting house, there are limits to how much you can deposit. In Bovada sportsbook, the minimum deposit amount is $25 for all credit cards and $20 for bitcoin; while the maximum deposit amount is $1,000 for all credit cards and $5,000 for bitcoin.
Withdrawal/ Payouts
To many players, the most important consideration in any betting house is payouts (receiving payments when winnings are cashed out). If you are one of such players, you’ll love Bovada because payout is one area where shine brightly.
Just as with the deposit options, Bovada sportsbook does not blow the roof off with payment options. They support only two methods, which are physical check and bitcoin. If alternative payment method is a chief concern of yours, you’ll not like that Bovada does not offer a lot of options. However, if your main concern is just convenience; you’ll find that Bovada’s two methods are super convenient.
There are also some limits in place. The minimum amount that you can withdraw is $50 if you you’re your payout via check and is $20 for bitcoin. There is no maximum withdrawal limit for check payment, but for bitcoin you cannot withdraw more than $9500 per transaction.
However, you’ll agree that how long it takes for the payment to be delivered is an even more important consideration than payment methods or convenience of requesting payment. First, you want a sportsbook that honors all payment requests. Secondly, you want a sportsbook that delivers fast payments. Bovada ticks both boxes.
All you’re requesting payment via bitcoin, you’ll receive the payment almost immediately (sometimes within minutes); but if you choose check payment, you’ll receive your check in two weeks. We’ve scoured the internet for customers’ reviews; and the few late check payments check recorded were delivered in under 3 weeks. In the industry, that remains miles ahead of almost all the competition. That said; for super fast and super convenient payment; you’ll want to choose bitcoin.
Customer Service
In the world of sports betting, customer service is considered by many bettors and industry watchers as one of the most important of the offerings of a betting house. This is because questions and complaints are inevitable; and you’ll want the betting house to attend to your concerns when they do arise. Thus, the ideal legit sportsbook should provide resources for addressing bettors’ questions or issues.
In this regards, Bovada ticks the box. They provide different channels for giving needed assistance. The first is a very detailed FAQ on their website. You’ll find that the FAQ hold answers to many of the questions you may have. You may also choose to directly contact Bovada. Their direct contact channels include email, chat and phone.
When you drop your submissions via email, you’ll get a response within 24 hours which is relatively fast by the industry standards. The live chat also works okay. You’ll get connected to an agent pretty fast; and you’ll be able to get good answers to many generic questions. For the phone service, Bovada provides a toll free line (1-888-263-0000) so you don’t have to worry about charges when contacting them.
One of the good things about Bovada’s customer support service is that it is available round the clock (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
Summary
If you want a legit sportsbook that offers a painless sports betting experience, Bovada is really worth looking into. It starts with an easy to use and intuitive website; it continues with easy services such as efficient deposit and payment systems; and caps it up with an efficient customer service. You’ll also find that the sportsbook has great offerings such as good coverage of sporting events, numerous betting options, live betting, and attractive bonuses and promotions.
Reliability is the hallmark of a legit sportsbook; a sportsbook should be reputable to always pay. Add super easy and super fast payment system to guaranteed payment, and you have a great sportsbook. Thankfully, all of the above describes Bovada.lv sportsbook. They never miss a payment, their payment process is easy, and you’ll receive your payment really fast.
If you’ll want to take a break from sports betting, you’ll find that Bovada.lv has secondary offerings which include online casino games, live dealer games, horse racing, and a poker. This allows you to remain in the same house for other betting activities, and it saves you the inconvenience of looking up another house.
However, Bovada is not all bells and whistles; you’ll find that they are one of the slowest to post lines/ odds. So there’s no hope that you’ll put in your bet early. When the odds are finally out, you’ll find that you can get better odds elsewhere. Also, they do not post winnings on time; so if you’ll want to bet on another event with start time close to when your betted events finishes, you’ll need to have funds in your account.
Is Bovada A Legit Site
I liked:
- Very easy to use and intuitive website
- Has a good coverage of sporting events, and a good range of betting options
- Live betting is available
- Minimum bet is low (only $1.00); thus, it’s a good house for low rollers
- Very efficient (super easy and super fast) payout
- A handsome welcome bonus (50% match bonus up to $250) and a variety of one-off promotions
- The lowest bonus rollover requirement (5 X deposit + bonus amount)
- Also provides casino games, poker, and race (horse) betting
- Very detailed FAQ; and relatively okay customer service
I didn’t like
Is Bovada Casino Legit Site
- Does not post lines on time
- Does not post wins on time
- Not the best odds you’ll find
- Limited banking options (credit card and bitcoin for deposits; check and bitcoin for withdrawals)
- Charge a high 5.9% processing fee when using credit cards for deposits
- Not the ideal house for high rollers because the highest individual bet is $5,000 and the maximum wager payout is capped at $100,000