Bovada has emerged as one of the most popular online sportsbooks among US bettors thanks to the rapid payouts, superb customer service and attractive bonuses it offers.

Pros
  • Excellent sports betting platform
  • Strong loyalty program
  • Reasonable rollover requirements
  • Very busy poker room
  • Quick payouts
Cons
  • Does not have a license
  • Narrow choice of deposit options

The site was launched in 2011 as a spin-off from another famous sportsbook, Bodog, and it has gone to become a household name. Bovada is based in Costa Rica and it has a specific focus on the US betting market.

That means you will find great odds on NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, college football and college basketball at the Bovada sportsbook. It is renowned for providing a large number of exciting prop bets on big games, along with futures and live betting options. The site also covers all the major sporting events each day, plus hundreds of niche events taking place around the world.

This Bovada review delves into the bonuses you can claim, the promotions it offers, the various banking options you can choose from, the overall sports wagering experience, the effectiveness of the mobile sportsbook, the casino, the customer service and much more.

Bovada Bonuses

Bovada offers one of the best sign-up bonuses in the sports betting industry. The only caveat is that you have to use Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash for your initial deposit in order to qualify. If you are happy to use one of those popular cryptocurrencies, you will receive a 75% match deposit bonus worth up to $750 upon signing up for an account.

You must deposit $1,000 in order to unlock the full bonus amount. The rollover requirement is just 5x, meaning you only need to play the bonus credit through five times before you can make a withdrawal. Most online sportsbooks impose far more onerous rollover requirements than Bovada. This is also a cash bonus, meaning you keep your stake along with your winnings if your bonus bets pay off.

If you do not want to use Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash, you will receive a 50% welcome bonus worth up to $250 on your first deposit. You would therefore need to deposit $500 to receive the full bonus amount. There is also a 5x rollover requirement on this bonus and also offers a Bitcoin casino bonus worth up to $3,750 and a 100% poker welcome bonus in an effort to tempt online casino players.

Promotions

Bovada runs a loyalty program whereby you receive points as you play. You will earn reward points on all sports bets, including single bets, parlays and round robins. Racebook and casino wagers also qualify. You receive three points for each dollar you bet on sports singles, 15 points for each dollar wagered teasers and 25 points for each dollar you bet on round robins and parlays.

The more points you earn, the higher up the standings you climb. You start at Rookie and then advance to Pro, All-Star, Legend and Hall of Fame, with the reward points redemption rate continually improving as you advance through the tiers. Your reward points can be redeemed for cash bonus at any time.

Deposit Options at Bovada

Bovada provides sportsbook and online casino customers with a small range of deposit methods to choose from. You can use Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, a direct bank transfer, a player transfer or a specific Bovada Voucher to top up your account. Popular e-wallets like Skrill and Neteller are not listed as payment options, and it does not accept e-checks or niche payment methods, while altcoins like Ripple, Ethereum and Litecoin are not accepted either.

Deposits are free if you use Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash. It allows you to deposit between $20 and $5,000 quickly and safely. Your first credit card deposit is free, but subsequent fees of 5.9% or higher will be charged on additional deposits.

That will be pretty unappealing to anyone that wants to make card payments, so you really need to use Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash or look at player transfers to enjoy Bovada at its best. The upper limit of $1,500 for a credit card deposit is also reasonably low. It goes up to $15,000 for a player transfer.

Withdrawals at Bovada

Click the profile icon at the top of any page and then click on “Withdraw” to request a payment. The list of payment options includes Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, check by courier, wire transfer and a voucher. There is no limit to the amount you can request. However, payment frequency and maximum increments are subject to change.

Crypto withdrawals start at $10. The most you can be paid in one increment is $9,500, so if you request more than that you will be paid in multiple increments. Checks can be couriered for $100 to $3,000, and voucher sizes range from $10 to $3,000. You can request a crypto withdrawal every three days, or a check every seven days.

Bitcoin transfers are fast and free. Players often receive Bovada withdrawals in just 15 minutes by choosing this method. Bovada covers the fee for one non-Bitcoin withdrawal each 90 days, but subsequent withdrawals in that time period will incur a $100 processing fee. Checks can take up to 15 business days to arrive. It is worth noting that Bovada is a large, popular site and it can take 24 to 48 hours for withdrawal requests to be processed before payments are released.

Bovada Sportsbook

Bovada is one of the best sportsbooks for US players. NFL, NCAAF, NBA, NCAAB, MLB and NHL take center stage. It goes all out on major events like March Madness, the Super Bowl and the world Series. Anyone that wants to bet on the professional and collegiate North American leagues is very well catered to at Bovada.

You will generally find more than 140 different betting options on each NFL game. It starts with the most popular markets – spread, win and total – but if you click on an icon you will be presented with a huge number of wagering possibilities. There are several alternate lines and totals, along with plenty of exotic game props, such as team to have the most punts or team to make the longest field goal. It does not really offer player props, but it is one of the only US facing books to offer a prop builder tool.

Bovada’s basketball betting and baseball betting sections are equally detailed and impressive. You can also bet on a wealth of games taking place around the world. For example, it offers betting options on games taking place in the French Under 21 Basketball Championship, the Vietnamese Championship and Italy’s Serie A2 Women. There is plenty of baseball from across Asia and South America, plus hockey from Europe.

Bovada is also one of the best US sportsbooks for soccer.

 It has dozens of prop bets on all the major games in MLS, Premier League, Serie A, Champions League and so on, but it also covers everything from the Belarus Reserve League to women’s regional soccer in Australia, along with a number of virtual soccer games.

The list of sports covered at Bovada also includes Aussie rules, beach volleyball, boxing, cricket, cycling, darts, futsal, Gaelic games, golf, handball, horse racing, motor sport, rugby league, rugby union, snooker, table tennis, tennis, UFC/MMA, volleyball and winter sports. It has a number of politics, entertainment and numbers game betting options for you to check out too, so it is a thoroughly comprehensive sportsbook offering.

The odds are above average across the board, and the betting limits are generous, so all players are well looked after. This is not a sportsbook that particularly welcomes sharps, and limits may be slashed for professional bettors, but the majority of sports fans will relish the opportunity to wager at Bovada.

Live Betting at Bovada

Bovada has built up a seriously impressive live betting platform. It vastly exceeds rivals like YouWager and Intertops in this department. You will not find live streaming, but it does provide stats and updates on big games, and the range of choice is excellent. At any given time, you might be able to bet on live basketball in Australia, China and Rwanda, baseball in South Korea and Japan, soccer in Belarus and Uzbekistan, tennis in Turkey, hockey in Russia, volleyball in Kazakhstan and darts in the Netherlands, along with many more sporting events.

It also provides an impressive amount of prop wagers on live action, along with moving totals, spreads and money lines. The live betting page is well laid out, and it is easy to find exciting action to bet on. It is also nice to see odds flash up in red if they are growing shorter, and green if they are becoming more attractive.

Sports Wagering Experience

The sports wagering experience is thoroughly pleasant at Bovada. It is by no means the flashiest site, and the graphics might look a little basic. However, everything is very neat, tidy and orderly. That helps you find sports betting markets quickly and easily. Bovada also has a search function – something that many US facing books lack – and it works very well.

The site is also rich with features. The prop builder option is a really nice touch, the daily soccer specials are really appealing, and it has a lively blog that is updated on a reasonably regular basis. The process of actually placing a wager is simple, and the bet slip is helpful, so it is easy to see why the Bovada sportsbook is so popular.

Mobile Site Review

Bovada has also invested in an excellent mobile site. If you prefer to download an app, you will have to look elsewhere. However, the Bovada mobile site is fully optimized and works really well. You can find games with minimal effort and place wagers quickly. All the features are condensed into a smaller format in a seamless fashion. The pages load really quickly, and this really is an outstanding mobile product.

Other Betting Options

Bovada has a fantastic online casino to go along with its market leading online sportsbook. It boasts an exciting range of slots, including i-slots, video slots, 3D slots, progressive jackpots, classic 3-reel games, 5-reel offerings, rival games and more. There are nine online blackjack games to choose from, plus European and America roulette, craps, Caribbean Stud poker, baccarat and more niche games such as three card rummy, Teen Patti, Andar Bahar, Lucky Wheel and Roll the Dice.

A liver dealer section features blackjack, American roulette, European roulette, baccarat and Super 6. The Bovada online poker room features $1.5 million in weekly guarantees and encompasses a number of different tournaments. Bovada is also strong when it comes to esports, and it has a comprehensive racebook too.

Customer Service

Bovada has an experienced customer service team based in Costa Rica. They are used to dealing with all manner of requests and queries from US customers. You can access customer support 24/7, 365 days a year. We put the customer service department to the test while writing this review, and we can confirm that wait times are short, the representatives are professional and diligent and the whole process is very smooth. Choose from live chat, phone or email.

Security

A Secure Socket Layer safeguards the Bovada website. You can see it represented by the padlock visible on your browser’s address tab. Bovada has a strong record for keeping players’ details safe and secure. It facilitates several safe, reliable payments on a daily basis, and there can be no complaints about Bovada when it comes to security, trustworthiness or dependability.

Conclusion

Bovada deservedly ranks among the best sportsbooks in the world. It offers a superb sportsbook featuring appealing pre-game and live betting odds on a dazzling variety of events from across the globe. There are more prop bets on offer here than you will find at most rival sportsbooks. The user experience is strong, you can take great sign up bonuses, the loyalty program is brilliant, customer service is on point and payouts are fast and reliable. The only downside is a slight lack of banking options and the need to use Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash to enjoy the best bonuses.

Bet Online America Rating: 9.5/10

Bovada Sportsbook Details

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5.0 rating