Living in texas most of my life, Bovada has been one of the most reliable sports betting sites around for over a decade. I remember my first weekend I used Bovada I bet on tiger woods to win the masters in 2019, This started my experience with Bovada and it has been a good one. especially living in Texas where there are plenty of options, however little current regulation in the market makes it important to use a reliable, safe sportsbook.
Bovada is licensed and operates with a curaçao license subject to regulation by the curaçao gaming commission. Bovada as of 2024 works in 45 U.S. States. It does not work in Nevada, Delaware, New York, Maryland, or New Jersey. All 45 other states Bovada is currently operating in 2024. While it may not have as intense of regulation as other countries, it is still regulated and has over a decade of good business practices.
As a long time sports bettor, I have seen my fair share of good sports books and bad sports books. Knowing how to choose a good sports book is easy, if you know what to look for. I’ve done my full analysis of Bovada, and am ready to share my thoughts on this particular sports book. Lets dive in!
What is Bovada?
Bovada is an online sports book and betting site. Their platform offers betting in sports, casino, live dealer, poker, and horse races. Basically, they’ve got anything you could dream of betting on. Users can place bets on the full spread of over 40 different sports, deal in for a live hand of poker, blackjack, or baccarat, or try their luck at any number of slot games.
I took the time (and money) to test out some of these awesome features, so that I could give them my honest review.
My First Impression
When I first landed on Bovada’s home page, I was greeted with an account registration form. It was quick and simple, no more than a minute of my time. They asked for my name, date of birth, email, and a password for my account. I like how their website appears visually, and how easy it was to navigate. I put in my information and was able to access the website with ease. In order to use Bovada, users must be age 18+.
The Odds
As a regular sports bettor, I need to know that my sportsbook is easy to navigate, has good odds and props, and is quick to transfer money in and out of. My first stop in my research was the odds section. I was pleased to find that Bovada offers up to date betting on over 40 sports, from the obvious basketball and football, to sports I had never considered betting on, like darts, handball, and esports.
I dug a little deeper and found that they’ve got plenty of futures to bet on as well, such as who will win the NCAA championship this year, and what color gatorade will be dumped on the winning Superbowl coach. For sporting events that are months out, I really appreciated seeing that these were things I could bet on now.
The Props Builder
I’m a big fan of making parlays, even though the odds aren’t always with me. Regardless, they’re fun to place and I like to make sure any sports book I use is easy and has fun options. In Bovada, I found that they have a very thorough spread of different possibilities to bet on. Since its NFL season, I’ll share what I found on tonights game.
In the NFL section, I clicked the “200+ bets” next to the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which redirected me to a live game countdown, plus a plethora of bets I could make on individual quarters, players, and outcomes of the game. Click through the images below to see more!
The props builder had a layout that was simple, self explanatory, and quick to navigate. I thought it was well organized and offered probably the most thorough selection of things to bet on that I have ever seen. Another thing I found that was really cool is that they offer a pregame summary, the standings, and general stats as to how the game is expected to go.
At this point we know that anything can happen, but it is great that they offer this information instead of having to scour the internet to figure out where your money is best placed.
The Money
Most peoples biggest hesitation with betting online is knowing whether their money is safe and secure. Bovada uses a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) to maintain the trust and security of its users. One of their biggest focuses is protecting the money of its bettors, so that we know our money is in good hands- unless we bet on the Bears!
Just kidding, I was actually really impressed that they beat the Saints. Anyways, Bovada is a reputable sportsbook, and they care about making sure that each of us has a good experience using their platform.
Credit Cards
Bovada accepts two forms of currency when making a deposit. First, they will accept most major credit cards. I’m hesitant to use a credit card, and this is why. Bovada states on their website that a users first deposit with a credit card is free, but after that any future deposits will have something like a 15% fee attached to them.
Cryptocurrency
If you don’t mind fees, then swipe away! I prefer to use the second option, cryptocurrency. With cryptocurrency, there are no fees and Bovada actually offers bigger incentives for first time crypto deposits.
In order to use cryptocurrency, you will need to have a basic understanding of cryptocurrency and a Coinbase account. However, once you’ve set it up once, you can deposit and withdraw easily!
Customer Service
While I like things to go perfect, that isn’t always the case. Sometimes the book puts in odds wrong, refs change the call at the last second, or other small discrepancies arise. Bovada offers 24/7 messaging and email support for its users, which I find to be a great feature.
They are pretty quick to respond in my experience, and while they may start with the copy-and-paste responses, I find that specifically outlining my problem and what solution I am seeking helps to get their support talking and working on helping me fix what I’m messaging them about.
I’ve always had a successful time when working with their customer support on any questions or issues that arise. They are timely and thorough, really taking the consideration of their customers needs.
What about the negative reviews about bovada? Will I be able to cash out my winning bets on the site?
In my personal experience absolutely. and I have multiple friends who have bet Using Bovada successfully as well. It is important to read their terms of service and to not do anything you should not with an online casino. I plan to write an article soon of the few things that will actually get your account banned by an online sports betting site, I will link it here when I do.
I do think some of the negative reviews out there on Bovada could be things like customers dissatisfied for any number of reasons that may not necessarily be Bovadas fault, I have even seen a guy in a sports betting group lose his bets and then blame Bovada, So in my personal opinion and from what I have seen, I have only had the best of experiences with Bovada.
Final Thoughts
All in all, I think that Bovada is an excellent choice for anybody looking for a new sportsbook. Bovada offers a wide variety of sports to bet on, their probs builder is expansive and easy to navigate, their customer service is always available and ready to help, and as a company they definitely care about providing a good experience for their users.
If you’re looking to sign up for Bovada, they are currently offering up to a $750 match on new users first deposit. Click here to activate this awesome bonus now, and happy betting!