Bovada Review
Bovada is a full-fledged online casino with a sportsbook, poker room and racebook that has been in the online betting game since 2011. Since that time, Bovada has seen millions of bets placed under its banner. The Bovada platform was the brainchild of the same guys behind US online betting company, Bodog. This means that there is a wealth of experience behind this popular betting site.
Bovada is a name that many players have more than likely heard of before. This is due to the media’s reliance on the company for trusted odds and lines on a number of sporting events. The PaiWangLuo Network – which is behind the Bodog and Bovada names – is the biggest source for online poker players in the United States, which sets a nice tone.
Account Funding Options at Bovada
Players can fund their Bovada account with Bitcoin or more traditional methods such as credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express and select Visa Gift Cards are accepted). If you decide to use a gift card, the casino asks players to ensure it is good for “International and Online Purchases” prior to purchasing one. Players can chat with Bovada support by clicking the speech bubble icon at the top of the page, or send them an email by clicking the envelope icon next to it. Their support team is available 24/7.
Bovada has fully immersed themselves in the Bitcoin casino game for a number of years now, and the site feels as though it has been put together to accommodate players who have grown fond of a simple online betting experience. The site’s background is black, with colorful text standing out very easily. Overall, we feel that the site is easy to navigate, and is certainly not cluttered or packed with unnecessary information.
The simple design may give the impression that there is little going on here, especially since everything is compact and well-placed. There is a nice and helpful FAQs section which is informative and explains how things work. Bovada also gives a breakdown of how to best use Bitcoin in your gaming experience, so this is something which can always be useful.
Reputation, License and Customer Support
Bovada does not appear to have any information pertaining to third-party validation, and we could not identify any licensing information. In lieu of these details, it appears that the casino instead relies on buzzwords such as “trusted” and “responsible” to instill a sense of safety and legitimacy. This, in itself, is not what we would come to expect from a major betting site. The saving grace Bovada has is that it is a well-regarded brand, but is this enough?
A solid customer service and support team, who have all been trained to deal with players’ queries, definitely helps. Bovada does also place emphasis on ensuring that players are adequately informed about responsible gambling, and provide a number of helpful tips to stay on top of your gaming.
Bovada is renowned for its massive sportsbook, so sport fans will be happy to learn that they will be more than taken care of in this regard. Everything from NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, Soccer, Boxing, MMA and more are covered under the banner of this fantastic sportsbook.
Game Selection
There is an excellent choice of games at Bovada, and we did not really expect anything different. Slots are the prime focus of their casino, meaning that players who enjoy spinning through a wide range of 3-reel, 5-reel, and video slots will be pleased. The choice here is astounding, and the titles all resemble those you would expect to find at the bigger casinos out there.
Bovada also provides a nice mix of table games and video poker titles which serve to enhance the image of the site as one which is particularly appealing, from the perspective of a seasoned player.
Slots
Coming to grips with the choice of slots Bovada offers means spending time running through the vast library of its game titles. Although Bovada is better known for its sportsbook, there can be no doubt that the slots on offer – which tallies in at over 200 – make it one of the best sites out there for choice. All slots titles are available from respected software providers such as Rival Gaming, Betsoft and RTG.
There are some cool games to be played under the slots category, with well-known titles such as The Slotfather, Viking Age, Heavyweight Gold, Birds of Fury, Chase the Cheese, and many more.
Table Games
Bovada has an excellent offering of table games, with a nice range of titles and variations of the classics. Bovada is adding to the number of table games they offer every few months, and generally rotate games with exceptional bonuses and try to target these at players with a preference for table games. Everything from roulette, blackjack, baccarat, keno and more can be found in the table games section of the site.
Roulette
- American Roulette (x2)
- Classic American Roulette
- European Roulette
- Classic European Roulette
- Common Draw Roulette
Specialty Games
- Beach Bums
- Cast for Cash
- Cavalier Cash
- Gunslinger Gold
- Penguin Payday
- Pirates Pillage
- Sudoku Box Game
Bingo
- Bingo
- 30-Ball Bingo
- 80-Ball Bingo
- Amazonia Bingo
- American Bingo
- European Bingo
- Go-Go Bingo
Blackjack
- Single-Deck Blackjack
- European Blackjack
- American Blackjack
- Blackjack Multihand Pro
- Pontoon
- Pirate 21
- Hi-Lo Switch
Other
- Baccarat
Live Dealer Table Games
Bovada provides an excellent platform for fans of live dealer table games. With a slick and tailored site which thrives on aesthetic simplicity, it is nice to see the presence of some glamorous hosts at the live casino. This section features an interactive casino experience that aims to bring a Vegas-style experience right to your computer.
We definitely felt that the live casino gave Bovada a nice touch: when you enter any of the live games, the dealers will address you by your name, and actively encourage you to join in on the interactive experience. The casino dealers each have a profile on the site, which makes things even more personable when you spot them behind the tables.
Video Poker Games
Video poker fans will also be pleased to see that some of the best titles available at Bovada are video poker games. There are 17 games in total underneath their video poker category, so there is a decent level of choice here for al players. While the choice is somewhere in the middle of what you would expect from a well-respected online Bitcoin casino, the quality of the games more than makes up for this.
Video Poker
- Bonus Deuces Wild
- Bonus Poker
- Bonus Poker Deluxe
- Deuces Wild
- Double Bonus
- Double Double Bonus
- Double Jackpot
- Double Double Jackpot
- Double Bonus Poker
- Jacks or Better
- Joker Poker
- Joker Poker 1 Hand
- Joker Poker 10 Hands
- Joker Poker 3 Hands
- Joker Poker 52 Hands
- Loose Deuces 1 Hand
Cryptocurrency Deposits
Bitcoin is supported by Bovada, but there are also alternative ways to fund your wallet, like Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. As we mentioned earlier, Bovada does also accept select Visa Gift Cards, but it is probably best to use other deposit methods if you can. You can discuss the various details regarding deposits to Bovada at any point via the Live Chat function on the site.
When it comes to other cryptocurrency options, you will not find anything other than Bitcoin. It is important to know that – should you prefer to use Visa, MasterCard or American Express – the first transaction is free. Any subsequent deposits will incur a 5.9% fee. Banks can also charge a fee of up to a 3% International Service or Currency Conversion on any transaction.
There are no fees for Bitcoin deposits, however, which is nice to know. This is another reason why BTC continues to lead the way when it comes to banking with an online casino. Below we have outlined the minimum and maximum deposit amounts for Bitcoin.
Bitcoin Deposits
Minimum: $10 Equivalent in BTC
Maximum: $5,000 Equivalent in BTC
Cryptocurrency Withdrawals
Withdrawals can be made by Bitcoin and Check Courier. Bovada insists that there must be a sufficient balance in your account to cover the requested amount until approval of the withdrawal, and funds are taken from your account. Withdrawals generally take between 1 and 2 days to process. It is important to ensure that your address on file is correct prior to requesting a withdrawal.
It is worth mentioning that only one withdrawal can be requested at any time, according to Bovada’s customer services. Your first withdrawal every 90 days will incur no charge, but any additional requests will come with a $100 USD fee, which is pretty steep, by any stretch of the imagination.
Bitcoin Withdrawals
Minimum: $10 Equivalent in BTC
Maximum: $9,500 Equivalent in BTC
Bonuses and Promotions
Bovada packs a good punch when it comes to bonuses, and nothing hits harder than the site’s Bitcoin bonus. Bovada players can avail from a 150% Bitcoin Casino Match Bonus up to $1,500 – redeemable three times. Alternatively, there is a 50% Bitcoin Match Bonus up to $500 to bet on sports. This is an exceptional bonus system in place aimed at Bitcoin players in particular, which makes Bovada one of the most crypto-friendly casino sites online.
Another notable promotion is the site’s slots welcome bonus. Players can pick up a 100% match on up to the first four deposits, which is excellent. Each individual bonus offers the chance to redeem up to $500, meaning that a player can potentially bag a cool $2,000 in bonus funds, if lucky enough to do so.
The Bonus Terms and conditions are far from unrealistic at Bovada. There is a 25x wagering requirement on each bonus you redeem, and only slots play contributes to turning over the slots bonus. This is well below the industry average, which tends to be somewhere in the 30x-45x range.
There are other bonuses to be found in Bovada’s casino, with specific offers relating to particular games. For example, there is a table games bonus, a Live Dealer bonus, and more.
Casino Welcome Bonus Details:
– 100% match bonus up to $3,000
*Players must meet the playthrough requirements before redeeming the bonus code again.
*Only activity following the bonus code redemption counts towards fulfilling the rollover requirements.
*The deposit plus bonus amount is subject to a 25X playthrough requirement before the deposit, bonus amount and any winnings can be withdrawn.
*Forfeiting this bonus will result in this bonus and any subsequent winnings associated with this bonus to be removed.
Bonus funds cannot be used for play on Live Dealer games.
*Craps and Live Dealer play do not count toward meeting rollover requirements for withdrawal.
*All games, except Craps and Live Dealer, contribute towards playthrough requirements; however, certain games may have a greater contribution than others. For more information please view our wagering contribution.
*Bonus funds cannot be used for play on Live Dealer games.
How Does Bovada Compare to Other Cryptocurrency Casinos?
We have all been guilty of judging a book by its cover at some point in life. When it comes to an online casino, the cover will essentially be the site’s design and interface. While Bovada’s site is not inspiring at first glance, it does make sense to offer such a simple site these days, where there is an abundance of choice. We also feel like the site’s design definitely grows on you over time. Bovada’s minimalism does lend itself to good design, although the site can be slow at times (which is most likely caused during times of heavy web traffic).
The bonus structure on the site is very, very good, to say the least. There is a real effort to reach out to Bitcoin casino players with their huge bonus for cryptocurrency fans and there is always something for everyone when it comes to bonuses, so getting the best out of your deposits is definitely made easy.
One aspect of where the site can improve its service to players is in the banking options it offers. More so, the restrictions, fees, and processing times are in great need of a shakeup, and this will need to be done sooner rather than later if Bovada wants to be considered as a genuinely top-class site among cryptocurrency users. There is a lot of promise here, so it would be a shame to see things fall flat on this basis.
When it comes to games, Bovada is excellent in what it delivers. There are high-quality slots and table games, and the Live Dealer Table Games are a particular highlight of this excellent casino. You will certainly be spoiled for choice when playing under the Bovada banner. Another massive advantage Bovada has over its competitors is its extensive sportsbook. There is a comprehensive range of sports to choose from, should you wish to fancy your chances on a few bets in-between playing your favorite slots and table games.
All in all, Bovada does deliver a top-class product by way of a straightforward and direct product. Bitcoin players will be well taken care of, and the customer service and support team certainly does its best to make each and every new player find their feet as soon as possible. With a number of helpful hints and tips contained in a positive FAQs section, you will certainly not find yourself without direction at Bovada.
