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Bovada Sportsbook Review

Written by Pavel Kateliev
Pavel Kateliev is a popular sport journalist, particularly in the fields of football, basketball, tennis, and hockey. He writes daily for Sportingpedia and his work has been translated into at least 20 languages and featured on renowned outlets such as BBC, Yahoo, MCN, Sun, and Evening News, in Italian, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
, | Updated: September 27, 2024
Bovada Logo
Brand Ratings
Security9
Bonus and Promotions9
Event Coverage10
Customer Support10

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Bovada is a major name in the world of online gambling and it is one of the primary betting websites available to the US market. This brand has become quite popular over the last few years, particularly due to the high quality of service that users receive here. Established only in 2011, Bovada seeks to headspear the online gambling industry and in the few short years that it has been on the market, it has made a lot of headway. The Bovada brand offers multiple services to users, specifically, an online casino, a poker room, horse racing betting and a sportsbook. For the purposes of this review, we will focus on the bookmaker aspect of Bovada and everything that goes with it. Below, you will find information on the available betting markets, supported payment methods, and the promotions that you can claim.

Summary of Bovada Betting Site

Bovada Sportsbook in Brief
Launch Date2011
Trustpilot Reviews956
Trustpilot Rating1.4 ⭐
Sports on OfferAmerican Football, Baseball, Soccer, Basketball, and 20+ other sports
Minimum Deposit• $10 - Crypto, Player Transfer, MatchPay• $20 - Bank Cards• $50 - Direct Bank Transfer
Minimum Withdrawal• $10 - Voucher, MatchPay• $250 - Check by Courier• $1,500 - Bank Wire• $10 - All crypto except USDT and ETH• $50 - USDT and ETH
Withdrawal Time• Bitcoin - Up to 24 hours • Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Tether, and Litecoin - Up to 1 hour• Check by Courier - Approximately 10-15 Business Days • Bank Wire - Approximately 10-15 business days
Payment Methods
Visa logoMastercard logoBank Transfer logoBitcoin logoEthereum logoTether logoLitecoin logoBitcoin Cash logoAmex logoMatchPay logoPapara logo
Licenses

Union of the Comoros

SponsorshipsN/A

Betting Markets

MarketsThe betting markets featured at Bovada are some of the most sought after in the online betting scene. Here you will find coverage of the most popular sports leagues in the world, including football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis and more.

Football

Football is one of the main sports in the United States and millions of viewers tune in every week to watch the games. At Bovada, you will be offered some of the most popular matchups in the country. The NFL is the default league of choice for sports punters but there are the occasional minor leagues that you can also place your bets on. Bovada provides a live feed for the current state of a given match and changes the odds in real time.

Baseball

Baseball is the American national sport in the eyes of many US citizens and it is one of the top sports in the online betting world. Bovada covers the most popular leagues around the globe and provides betting options to those willing to stake their cash. At the moment of writing, this gambling website offers wagering on Major League Baseball, NPB, and Mexican League matches.

Basketball

Basketball is a viewer-favorite around the world and it is no different where sports betting is concerned. There are matches taking place 24/7 and bettors will have to the opportunity to place wagers on their teams of choice at Bovada. Here, you will find multiple basketball leagues, with the NBA being the most popular among them. However, you can also have a pick at Australia NBL, Mexico LNBP, Chile LNB, Israel Super League, Russia VTB United League and other league matches. The options are many and gamblers will certainly appreciate this.

Soccer

Soccer is arguably the most popular sport in the world and the betting scene is unrivaled. With many different betting options on any particular game, Bovada gives you the opportunity at a great gambling experience. The list of supported leagues is long and it includes the likes of the England Premier League, France Ligue, Germany Bundesliga, Italy Serie A, Spain La Liga, the Polish Cup and dozens more.

Tennis

Tennis also has an enviable viewership when compared to many other sports and with multiple matches running at any given time, you will not find a shortage of betting options. Bovada is capable of satisfying the needs of any punters, offering bets on Las Vegas Tennis Open, ITF Women, ATP Tour, WTA Tour, Challenger, and many other leagues around the world.

Granted, the list of sports supported by Bovada is too long to include in this review alone. However, we can mention some of the more prominent ones, such as Boxing and MMA for fighting fans. If you like video games, then you can consider eSports betting on the best competitive games on the market. Rugby fans will have access to Rugby League and Rugby Union bets, while those who like to watch players wield sticks can bet on Golf, Hockey, Gaelic Games and Cricket.

Bovada Features
Sports CoverageAussie Rules, baseball, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, cricket, cycling, darts, entertainment, eSports, football, futsal, golf, handball, horse futures and props, motorsports, Olympic Games, politics, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Snooker, soccer, specials, tennis, table tennis, MMA, volleyball, and virtual sports
Minimum Bet$0.50
Supported Bet TypesOutrights, specials, straight bets, draw no bet, team totals, proposition bets
Early Cashout OptionYes
Live StreamingYes
Live Statistics and ScoresYes
In-play BettingYes
Available Odds StylesAmerican, decimal, fractional
Bet Slip FeaturesProp builder

Promotions and Bonuses

BonusesPromotions are great incentives for you to use Bovada over other similar sportsbooks. Each of Bovada’s services has a Welcome Bonus associated with it, but we will only cover the bonus for the sportsbook.

The Welcome Bonus becomes available to you as soon as you open an account with Bovada. It involves a 50% match on your first deposit up to $250. This bonus will be added to your balance within 30 minutes of making your deposit. There are certain rules that you have to follow if you wish to cash it in, however. To begin with, there is a turnover requirement of 5 times the value of the bonus. Therefore, if you claim the full $250 in bonus funds, you will have to place $1250 worth of bets before you can withdraw the bonus money to your personal bankroll. Additionally, you may not request a cash in while a bonus is active on your account. If you do so, the bonus sum and any winnings associated with it will be removed from your balance.

Bitcoin welcome bonus

The Bitcoin Welcome Bonus is the equivalent of the Welcome Bonus but has specific terms for those who deposit in Bitcoin. This bonus provides you with a 75% match bonus on your first deposit up to $750. To claim this bonus you need to enter the BTCSWB750 code when making the deposit through Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash. Much like the other promotion, the turnover requirement is 5 times and it has to be met on sports bets. This promotion is self-exclusive with the Welcome Bonus and if you claim one, you cannot claim the other. Therefore, you need to make your choice carefully.

If you enjoy the Bovada service, then you can spread the joy to your friends and earn a reward for doing so. The Refer a Friend promotion offers you the opportunity to bring in users to Bovada and benefit from that. Whenever a friend registers with your referral link, you will earn up to $3,750 and exclusive access to bonus incentives, bonuses, and events.

To take part in the promotional offer, newcomers will be required to register for an account using the link they have received from their friend who is an existing customer of the bookie. Once recruits of the sportsbook pick the sign-up deal and add funds to their account, you will get your bonus funds. The bonus amount will be determined by the deposit of first-timers. If your friend goes for Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash as a payment solution, this will earn you another $25 in bonus funds.

As was the case with the other promotional incentives, the Refer-A-Friend bonus offer also goes tied with 5x turnover requirements for betting on horse racing or sports.

Loyalty program

Bovada likes to reward its long-term users and so it has created its own Loyalty Program. It is quite simple to understand. The more bets that you place, the more points you accumulate. As you acquire more points, the higher your standing with Bovada will be and the better your rewards will become.

There are multiple account rankings, ranging from Starters to Hall of Fame, each with its own reward ratios. For example, Hall of Fame punters can trade in 1,000 Reward Points for $1. However, when you open an account you will have the Starter standing and be eligible to receive 2,500 Rewards Points for $1. Basically, the more bets that you place at Bovada the more you will receive. For each $1 they spend while betting on sports, punters will be offered a different number of reward points.

As they progress through the different standings, punters will also be able to unlock new exclusive payment options. The best thing about the loyalty program of the bookie is that gambling enthusiasts will not lose the status they have managed to acquire.

Promotional Incetives at Bovada
Promotional INCENTIVES at BovadaMinimum Deposit RequiredRolloverMinimum Odds RequiredEligible Markets and BetsCountry RestrcitionsExpires After
50% Welcome Bonus of up to $250$205x on sports and horse racing and 30x on casino games (combined sums of the deposit and bonus)N/AUp to 50% of the bonus amountStates of Dewalare, Maryland, New Jersey, and NevadaN/A
$750 Bitcoin Deposit Bonus$20N/AN/AUp to 50% of the bonus amountStates of Dewalare, Maryland, New Jersey, and NevadaN/A
Refer a Friend and get up to $3,750$205x on sports or horse racingN/AN/AN/AN/A

Banking

BankingSince Bovada is an online gambling website, so there is no option to use physical cash to fund your bankroll. Therefore, you will have to make use of the payment methods supported by Bovada. As it happens, the payment structure at this sportsbook is quite simple, for both good and bad.

Credit/Debit cards

One payment method available to you are credit and debit cards in the form of Visa, MasterCard, Amex, and American Express. Either can be used to make an instant deposit to your sportsbook bankroll, with the transactions clearing as soon as you confirm them. This gives you an immediate opportunity to place bets at your discretion. Credit cards are arguably your best choice when it comes to funding your bankroll as they are the most widely available at Bovada.

With a credit card, your minimum deposit will be $20 and that can go up to $1,500. Moreover, your first deposit will be free, however, any subsequent Mastercard and Visa transfer will come with a 5.9% commission fee. Users depositing via American Express will have to pay a 9.9% fee on all transactions after their first one. Moreover, this does not account for any fees by your card issuer and any foreign exchange fees that may be incurred.

Crypto

The alternative to using credit cards is to make a deposit via Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a revolutionary online payment system, which is not connected to any particular banking platform. The value of a Bitcoin is solely determined by the community and it is designed so that no central authority can control it. As a result, it is fully decentralized and also allows for unrivaled anonymity on the Internet.

Transactions made via Bitcoin will be processed within a few seconds and you will not need to reveal any personal information about yourself. The minimum deposit is the $10 equivalent of Bitcoin at the time of the transfer and the maximum goes as high as $5,000. Bitcoin transactions are free on the part of Bovada, but the transfer may come with a nominal fee, though not nearly as much as credit card transfers.

Other payment processors punters can settle on when depositing include Bitcoin Cash, Union Pay, MatchPlay, play transfer, and direct bank transfer. As for cashouts, eChecks are an additional banking solution, which will appear on the withdrawal page.

Banking at Bovada
Payment MethodDeposit Limit and TimeframesWithdrawal Limit and TimeframesDeposit and Withdrawal FeesBonus Restrictions
Bitcoin$10-$5,000; Instant$10; A couple of minutesN/ANot specified
BitcoinCash$10-$5,000; Instant$10; A couple of minutesN/ANot specified
Mastercard$20-$1,500; InstantN/A5.90%Not specified
Amex$20-$1,500; InstantN/A5.90%Not specified
Union Pay$20-$1,500; InstantN/A5.90%Not specified
Visa$20-$1,500; InstantN/A5.90%Not specified
MatchPlay$20-$1,000; InstantN/AN/ANot specified
Direct bank transfer$50-$450; InstantN/AN/ANot specified
Player Transfer$10-$15,000; InstantN/AN/ANot specified

Mobile Support

FeaturesWith mobile devices becoming an ever greater part of people’s lives, their influence is felt far and wide. This includes the world of online gambling and nowadays many punters are placing their bets from their smartphone or tablet. If you are one such gambler, then you need to be sure that your website of choice will have full support for mobile devices.

In the case of Bovada, you will be happy to know that you will have full access to all features of the sportsbook from both a desktop computer and mobile device. The mobile version is adapted to be more functional on the smaller displays, shrinking the size of certain things and moving others around so that the website is as accessible as possible. The user interface retains full functionality and allows for easy transitions between the different menus. Moreover, you will be able to make use of any aspect of Bovada without issue. Whether you are coming from a desktop computer or a mobile device, you will still have access to all promotions, betting markets, customer support and banking methods.

To load the mobile version all you have to do is enter the Bovada link into your browser. There is no software that you need to install and you can simply hop in and place your bets with ease.

Mobile Support of Bovada
Dedicated iOS AppN/A
Dedicated Android AppN/A
Browser CompatibilityGoogle Chrome, Opera, Safari, and Opera Mini, among others
Supported LanguagesEnglish, Chinese, and Spanish
Supported DevicesApple iPhone 12, Apple iPhone 11, Apple iPhone XS, Apple iPhone XR, Apple iPhone X, Apple iPhone 8, Apple iPhone 7, Apple iPad, Huawei Y5, Huawei Y6, Huawei Y7, Huawei nova, Huawei P10, Huawei P20, Huawei P30, Infinix S4, Infinix Smart 5, Infinix Smart 6, Infinix Hot 7, Infinix Hot 8, itel A16, itel A33, itel A56, Nokia 2.1, Nokia 2.2, Nokia C1, OPPO A3s, OPPO A5s, OPPO A1K, Safaricom NEON RAY, Samsung Galaxy A01, Samsung Galaxy A10, Samsung Galaxy A10s, Samsung Galaxy A11, Samsung Galaxy A20, Samsung Galaxy A21s, Samsung Galaxy A30, Samsung Galaxy A40, Samsung Galaxy A50, Samsung Galaxy A51, Samsung Galaxy A70, Samsung Galaxy A71, Samsung Galaxy Grand, Samsung Galaxy J5, Samsung Galaxy J7, Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung Galaxy S20, Samsung Galaxy J2, Samsung Galaxy J4, Samsung Galaxy Note8, Samsung Galaxy Note9, Samsung Galaxy Note10+, Tecno Pop 2, Tecno Pop 3, Tecno Camon 11, Tecno Camon 12, Tecno Camon 13, Tecno Camon 14, Tecno Camon 15, Tecno F1, Tecno K7, Tecno Spark 2, Tecno Spark 3, Tecno Spark 4, Tecno Spark 5, Tecno Pouvoir 2, Tecno Pouvoir 3, Vodafone 100, Vodafone Smart Kicka 4, Xiaomi Redmi Note 7, Xiaomi Redmi Note 8, Xiaomi Redmi Note 9

Licensing and Country Restrictions

SecurityIn the world of online gambling, licensing is a core aspect, as it often the only way that you will know that a website is legitimate and trustworthy. The online gambling industry is one of the most heavily regulated out there and there are many different regulatory institutions that issue licenses to operators from all over the world.

As far as Bovada is concerned, this website operates under a license granted by the Government of Curacao. Gambling enthusiasts can easily ascertain that the stamp of approval of the bookie is still valid after they head over to the Help section. Previously, the operator held certification from the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, which it relinquished voluntarily in late 2016. Why they would choose to do so has not been disclosed to the public.

Bovada has proven over the years that it operates in a moral and trustworthy manner, never failing to deliver a fair gambling experience. As for the last years, the website has had no shortage of users, which means that it is indeed capable of providing a good betting service.

Currently, Bovada does not accept customers from states like New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, and Maryland. It does, however, place more responsibility on the user’s end of things, requiring them to know the laws regarding online gambling in their country of residence. The operator behind the sportsbook also maintains multiple other gambling websites which do accept punters from other jurisdictions and are worth checking out as well.

Player Protection Security at Bovada
Encryption128-bit encryption technology
Custom Deposit LimitsN/A
Cooling-Off PeriodN/A
Self-ExclusionN/A
Minimum Age Requirement18

Customer Support

SupportRegardless of the service you are using, all people will agree that quality customer support is vital for one to enjoy themselves. As is the case with many Internet services, there is always the possibility that something may not work right. While that is rare, you still need to know that there is someone out there to back you up in case things take an interesting turn. With Bovada, you have nothing to worry about. This gambling website employs a whole crew of customer service agents, ready to assist you with just about anything that you may need.

Customer support at Bovada is available at any hour of the day and the agents work around the clock to ensure that you have a smooth and enjoyable experience with the sportsbook. Most of the time, you will not have need of them but in the rare cases that you do, you will have multiple ways of contacting them.

The support staff are available on three different platforms of communication. The first and most convenient of them is the live chat system, which allows for direct one-on-one conversations with an agent. To initiate it you will have to enter your name, your email address and the topic of your question. You will be placed in a queue and as soon as an agent becomes available, you will be connected.

Alternatively, you can use the form provided on the ‘Contact Us’ page, where you can enter your email and the question that you want to ask. Response times are usually quick, with the agents taking no more than 24 hours to reply to your email. If you instead, wish to talk to someone, then you can pick up the phone and dial the number provided on the same page. There is always someone ready to answer on the other side.

Bovada Sportsbook Contacts
Contact Details

Live Chat: Yes
Email: service@bovada.lv
Phone: N/A

Social Media
Facebook profileX profileInstagram profileLinkedIn profile

Conclusion

VerdictOverall, Bovada is quite an interesting gambling website that offers users a great sports betting experience. Bovada covers all major sporting events and offers multiple betting options on all markets. While the deposit options may not include all the popular ones, credit cards and Bitcoin should see most gamblers through. Still, it would have been nice to have prepaid cards and eWallets available for those who do not wish to submit their personal information to a gambling website.

At Bovada, you can always rely on dedicated customer support at any hour of the day. Whether you contact them from a desktop computer or a mobile device is irrelevant. Speaking of which, mobile support is a major perk of Bovada, as it allows you to take the sportsbook with you just about anywhere that you go.

When all is said and done, Bovada has all the hallmarks of a proper and reliable gambling website. The promotions available here are certainly worth your while and you really should dedicate some time to checking out this sportsbook.

Bovada Strong PointsBovada Pitfalls
Extensive sports coverageFees are charged on deposits and withdrawals
Accepts payments via cryptocurrenciesBonus terms are not laid out in a clear-cut manner
Supports in-play bettingLimited range of accepted payment processors
Available for play on the moveNot available in that many jurisdictions
Bonus offers that are tailor-made for Bitcoin depositorsNo dedicated apps for play on the move
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