Bovada Sportsbook Review
The Biggest Sportsbook Welcoming US players, but is it the Best?
With a record going back to 1994 (as part of the OG Bodog brand) there is no doubt that the Bovada sportsbook is safe.
What many players don’t realize is that products are superior too, for three linked reasons. These cover bonuses and rewards, easy ways to withdraw your winnings and sharp lines on all the big sports.
My detailed Bovada Sportsbook review covers everything you need to know to hit the ground running.
Including the bonus codes you need to get the best possible deal.
Betting Online at the US-Friendly Bovada Sportsbook
This online sportsbook started life under the Bodog brand all the way back in 1994. In 2011, they rebranded as Bovada. They are one of the major offshore sports betting brands. Their record of great service, prompt payouts and easy bonuses took years to build.
Bovada is more than just a great sportsbook. They cover all the main types of gambling. This includes a casino, a live dealer casino, poker room, and a racebook. This this Bovada review focuses on the sportsbook, with the latest features and markets covered.
You’ll find enough detail to get you off to the best possible start at the Bovada sportsbook below. This includes details of two welcome bonuses. All the types of bet you can place are covered, as well as getting your money safely on board and profits back out.
Planet Mark’s Bovada Review: Best Welcome Bonuses at the Bovada Sportsbook
Which bonus you get when you join Bovada depends on which payment method you choose.
There is a $250 matched bonus for credit card deposits. If you deposit using Bitcoin (or other cryptos) you get a boosted $750 match instead.
Best of all, you don’t need to hold Bitcoin for more than a couple of minutes to take full advantage of the boosted bonus deal. More on that in the payment options section below. First, here is how the bonuses work and the bonus codes you need.
$250 Sports Betting Welcome Bonus
The first bonus offer you’ll see at Bovada is the ‘$250 Sports Welcome Bonus’. This is one of two deals which are open to all new customers – no bonus code or special links are required. On clicking on the promotion you’ll head to a new page detailing the bonus. There are some terms and conditions – along with a ‘Claim Now’ button to receive your bonus funds.
This initial promotion is a 50% deposit bonus. Deposit $100 and you’ll receive $50 in bonus funds. The maximum bonus amount is $250 (deposit $500 or more to unlock it).
There is no bonus code required for this offer, it is the default for new accounts.
Rollover Requirement
Next you need to clear the bonus funds by rolling over the combined deposit + bonus money five times. For example, if you deposit $100 and get $50 in bonus money, you must bet a total of $750 (5x $150) before you can withdraw the funds.
A rollover is standard for sportsbook bonuses, to prevent hit and run deposits. A 5x rollover is competitive. The bonus can also be cleared at the racebook and casino, although play at the casino requires a larger 30x rollover.
One note on the rollover: While losing bets count at 100%, winning bets count as the bigger of your risk or your win. This means betting on huge favorites will mean lower contributions to the rollover (your win amount only in this case).
Alternative Bovada Welcome Offer: $750 Bitcoin Sports Betting Bonus
The Bitcoin bonus is huge compared to the credit card deposit one.
You can unlock up to $750 in bonus bets, at a 75% match to your first deposit. This requires a deposit of $1000. Smaller first deposits get the bonus funds in proportion. For example, $200 will get you $150 in bonus funds.
There is a bonus code for this offer, which you use alongside your first deposit at the cashier.
Bovada Crypto Sportsbook Bonus Code = BTCSWB750
There are also boosted ongoing offers for crypto payments, more on that below.
Rollover requirements are the same 5x.
You’ll also get your payouts faster.
Bovada Sportsbook Review: Ongoing Rewards
In addition to the two welcome bonuses, you will enjoy the generous Bovada Rewards Program.
Every time you place a bet at the sportsbook or the racebook, or head to the casino and play, you’ll earn reward points. The scheme has six levels – you’ll begin as a ‘starter,’ before moving up levels through ‘rookie,’ ‘pro,’ ‘all-star,’ ‘legend’ and the highest ‘hall of fame’ level.
You’ll earn points at the following rate:
- Singles: 3 points for every dollar you wager.
- Teasers: 15 points for every dollar you wager.
- Round Robins: 25 points for every dollar you wager.
- Parlays: 15 points for every dollar you wager.
At the ‘starter’ level you can redeem $1 for every 2,500 points you earn. The redemption rate gets bigger as you move through the levels. Once you hit the ‘hall of fame’ level, you’ll earn $1 for every 1,000 points).
Promotions and One-Off Rewards at Bovada:
When big events like the Superbowl or MLB playoffs roll around, it pays to keep an eye on the promotions. Bovada features reload bonuses, extra reward points, enhanced pay outs for parlays and cross-over deals with the casino and poker room.
The other time Bovada sportsbook comes up with new player promotions is when new bet types or technical features are released on their site. Same game parlays is a great example, with double reward points on offer to try out this new betting type. Regular parlay boosts are available too (though keep in mind the house edge is high for those bets!).
All the latest promotions, points schedules and rewards are explained in detail over (ADD LINK)
Bovada Sportsbook Bonuses: Fair Terms and Conditions?
Whether you bet on an offshore sportsbook or a state-regulated one, it is important to check the fine print in the terms and conditions. This helps avoid any nasty surprises.
My review of the Bovada terms did not raise any red flags. There are some things to be aware of that will help you get the maximum, from the welcome bonus and from the ongoing rewards.
- Time Limited: You have 180 days to complete the wagering requirement to clear your bonus funds. Miss this deadline, and your bonus will disappear. Note that this starts from the moment you claim the bonus (by making a deposit) and not on your first bet.
- Withdrawals Void Bonuses: You can withdraw profits at any time. However, any ongoing bonuses that you are clearing will be removed when you confirm a withdrawal.
- Using Strong Favorites for Bonus Clearing: Here the lesser of your bet amount or win amount will count. This prevents clearing the entire bonus on a locked-in favorite. This will not void your bonus.
- Other Types of Gambling: If you enjoy casino games (including live dealers), or poker, I strongly recommend checking those deposit bonuses. They are bigger than the sports betting intro bonus and may suit you better. Keep in mind the play-through (especially for casino bonuses) is higher than the sports roll-over.
Overall, these terms are fair to bettors. The 180 days to complete your rollover is generous.
Bovada Sportsbook Review: Layout, Design and Usability
Bovada set the standard for sportsbook design back when betting online was new.
More recently they made a clean and clear mobile sportsbook. The highlight for me is easy navigation, without too many gimmicks.
This sportsbook uses the familiar red, white and blue color scheme Bovada is known for. The site sticks to the tried and trusted sportsbook layout of three sections. Columns to the left and right and the larger central section for the betting action where the lines are displayed.
Left Side Navigation: Choose Your Sport
The left column is where you’ll find the menu bar. This features the ‘Quick Links’ you’ll need to navigate to the biggest sporting events. Sports in season decide which links are at the top. Or you can switch view to specific leagues by scrolling through the full list. For example, quick links take you direct to the NFL or NCAA football betting. There is an ‘All Sports’ option, which takes you to a full list of amateur, international, and niche betting options.
This menu column is smaller than you would usually find in a sportsbook, telling you that the focus at Bovada is on the biggest events / major leagues.
Central Section: Bovada Betting Lines Including Live Betting
It’s in the large central portion of the page where you’ll find all the betting action. At the top is a colorful banner detailing latest offers, promotions, and updates, with the odds below.
When first entering the site, you’ll see the latest ‘live’ betting odds for games in progress. This is ideal for match-day, you can get involved in the action right away. Live betting shows the latest in-game odds, as well as the score and the time remaining. It updates in real time.
When you click on a sport in the left side menu, the main view changes to the biggest upcoming games.
For the popular big US leagues, the point spread, totals and money line markets will be displayed by default. A number next to the team names shows how many additional markets are available. Click on this number to get the full list.
A useful option on this central column is the odds display feature. Select whether to use American, Decimal or Fractional odds.
Bovada Online Sports Betting: Using the Bet Slip and Placing Your Wagers
In the right column you’ll find the bet-slip. Clicking on a specific bet in the wider middle section will auto-fill this.
You then get to enter the bet amount, named ‘risk’ at Bovada, and see the potential return.
If you add more than one selection to the bet slip, multiples options appear. They are Parlay and Round Robin and Teaser options. You can also ‘buy points’ in the bet slip. Those extra points mean you’ll be given slightly reduced odds, while decreasing your risk for that bet.
Types of Bets Offered at the Bovada Sportsbook
No Bovada Sportsbook review would be complete without a full list of wagers. This is an impressive list, giving you the flexibility to bet in exactly the way that you want.
Here is a run-down of all the different bet types:
Single Game Wagers:
Point Spread: This is the most popular bet. You simply bet on whether your selection ‘beats the spread.’ Underdogs will have points added to even up the contest, with Bovada usually offering the same -110 odds on both sides. This is expressed differently depending on the league. For baseball, you have the run-line where the underdog has 1.5 runs added. While in hockey you have the puck-line where the underdog has 1.5 goals added.
Moneyline: With the money line, you are betting on which of the two teams will win the contest. Expect short odds for the favored team and long odds for the underdog if the game is one-sided, or odds closer to the point spread if it looks like a more even contest.
Totals Bets: When betting on totals, you’ll be betting on whether the total number of points in the game (by both teams combined) will be under or over a stated total. Once again, the total will be set at a number where each side of the best offers the same -110 odds.
Multiple Bet Options at Bovada
Parlay: A parlay is a bet where you’ll make between 2 and 12 selections. Every single leg of the bet must win to get a payout. The downside is that you could have 5 out of 6 winners and not pick up a cent if that last selection loses. However, the upside is exciting, as you can receive incredible pay outs if all legs of a parlay win.
Teaser: A teaser is a type of parlay where you can change the point spread slightly in your favor on each selection, making a winning teaser easier than a parlay. You’ll receive slightly lower odds on a teaser than a parlay to balance the reduced risk.
Round Robin: These are wagers where you can create multiple parlays at once. For example, you could make three selections, where you’ll enjoy one three-team parlay, and three two-team parlays (on each of these two team parlays, one of the three selections is left out). This gives you a shot at placing a parlay-type bet where you can still win if a selection lets you down. Round Robin bets are available when you make between 3 and 8 selections.
Live (In-Play) Betting Options
You can bet on major sports as the games are running at Bovada, via the ‘Live’ option. Standard single bets including point spreads and moneylines will be updated in real time. You can also bet props and on specific plays. Note that bets are sometimes suspended (usually only for a few seconds), as significant plays unfold.
Live betting is a popular option, giving bettors the ability to back their opinions with real money while the games are running.
Other Bets at Bovada
Futures: A futures wager is a long-term bet, usually based on an entire season. For example, you could place a futures wager on a team to win the World Series before the season starts. Or bet on the Super Bowl Winner mid-way through the regular season. The downside of these bets is that it locks up your stake for a long time.
Prop Bets: These are bets within a game which are different to your standard bets. For example, you could place a bet on a specific player’s performance within a game. Or gamble on the score at the end of a quarter. Prop bets become popular around the time of the Super Bowl and March Madness. For smart bettors, there is often value to be found with these wagers.
Non-Sports Betting Markets at Bovada
Betting is not restricted to major sports at Bovada. You can wager on elections, entertainment or try your hand at their entertaining virtual sports betting.
Politics: Betting on politics is restricted at State-regulated sportsbooks, though allowed offshore. You can bet on the Presidential race, overall seats, and key run-offs. International elections are also offered. These odds should be compared to international Prediction Markets, as you might find arb opportunities, especially when news breaks.
Entertainment Betting: Popular markets include the Oscars, Emmys, and other awards ceremonies. Betting also covers popular TV shows and celebrities. While this is entertaining, be aware that there will often be insiders with information not available to the public.
eSports Betting: When these markets started, eSports were small. The huge number of events and high profile of top teams mean many more markets are now open. Markets now include Rainbow 6 as well as League of Legends, Counter Strike and Dota 2.
Sports Coverage at Bovada: Betting Markets Review
Large icons at the top of the page display the major sports covered at Bovada. The ‘All Sports’ button on right of this list brings up the full selection.
Here’s a look at the coverage you can expect:
Major Sports / Leagues: Major leagues are all covered in depth at Bovada. Icons for the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL are in the menu at the top, and at the top of the left sidebar list. Every game is covered in multiple ways. As well as the popular point spread, totals, and money line bets there are many other markets for each game. There are futures options for those who like to take a longer view.
Soccer: With action taking place all over the world, the coverage of soccer is excellent at Bovada. See the latest odds on the big EPL, Champions League and major European leagues, Major League Soccer. Bigger international competitions, including the men and women’s World Cup and the Olympics are also covered.
Tennis: While the betting excitement peaks with the Open, all the biggest tours on the planet feature at Bovada. Bet on the ATP, the WTA, lower tier events and of course the four Grand Slams.
Golf: Bovada features extensive coverage of golf. Wagers are available on all the PGA tour events, plus many other events around the world, and the four Majors.
UFC/MMA: Betting markets are available for all the biggest bouts in both boxing and mixed martial arts. Things really take off when major UFC events are running.
At the time of writing this review, there were 29 sports offering betting markets. Alongside those listed above, you can bet on cycling, darts, rugby union/rugby league, snooker, volleyball and many more.
Mobile Betting: Enjoy Bovada Sportsbook on the Move
Bovada sportsbook will automatically adjust to your device, fitting mobile screens as well as laptops / desktops.
When you access via your phone, the menu compresses and the layout becomes mobile friendly. It works on Android devices as well as iPhones.
Unlike many other sportsbooks, there isn’t a dedicated app you’ll download. However, the mobile site does look and feel the same as a mobile app, with a set up designed specifically for mobile devices. This will work on both iPhones and Android smartphones.
Deposit Options at Bovada Sportsbook: Flexible Payment Processing Options
It’s already clear from the boosted first deposit bonus, Bovada’s deposit method of choice is via Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency. My view is that the setup is more than worthwhile. For anyone that does not want to risk the volatility of Bitcoin, you can exchange your dollars and transfer within minutes at all major exchanges. As soon as the BTC hits Bovada, it becomes dollars again.
Bitcoin: If you want to enjoy the biggest bonus and no transaction fees, Bitcoin is your best deposit option at Bovada. If you’ve never used Bitcoin before, there is a handy video talking you through the steps of purchasing the currency, adding it to a wallet, and then making a deposit.
Mark’s Rec For first time users: stick to a big brand exchange such as Coinbase or Gemini. It takes minutes to set up. Once you are running, you’ll never have to think about deposits or withdrawals from sportsbooks again.
Other Cryptocurrencies: Alongside Bitcoin you can also make a deposit using Bitcoin Cash or Zelle (which uses ACH). Other options include Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether (USDT) or US Coin (USDC).
Player to Player (Vouchers): As a member of the Bovada sportsbook you’ll have the opportunity to send or receive vouchers. A player can simply select ‘voucher’ from the cash-out screen and then send the voucher code to another player, seeing the other player with added funds immediately.
Credit Cards: Big brands like Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Union Pay are all accepted. Making a deposit credit or debit cards can attract oversize fees. Minimum fees of 15.9% on every deposit made after the first one (which is free). It’s clear that Bovada are steering you away from this deposit method, with Bitcoin the preferred option.
Bank Wires: This is normally for withdrawals, though for the whales out there, I recommend contacting Bovada support.
Support and Customer Service Options at Bovada Sportsbook
Having held a positive reputation among sports bettors for more than 20 years is a major feat.
Bovada maintains a flawless record of fast payouts, quick and fair dispute resolution, and no major scandals.
Your first option for any query is the Bovada help page. This contains a series of topics with Q and A pages for each. 80% of what you need as a new player is right here. Scroll down this page to see the Bovada community. This is a social area, where you can ask questions, which are then answered by experienced bettors.
Finally, you’ll find a series of help videos.
If you do need the help of an agent. You can reach them via email (on the ‘contact us page’).
Responsible Gaming:
At the bottom of the site is a link to the Bovada ‘Responsible Gaming’ page. This includes a checklist to identify whether gambling has become a problem. There are also links to a variety of responsible gaming organizations. The site also offers self-exclusion.
Bovada Review: Other Types of Gambling with the Bovada Brand
If you enjoy poker, horse racing bets, or casino games in addition to sports betting, then Bovada have you covered.
Poker: For me, Bovada is still the softest US friendly poker room. It offers anonymous play, which means a fresh start every time you sit down at a new table. This protects against sharks using (banned) software tracking tools to target novice / inexperienced players. There is an app offering fast-fold poker, and a big tournament schedule. Cash games are where the action is at, and anyone with some poker skills can easily hold their own here.
Casino: Bovada casino has slots, electronic table games, and a live-dealer gaming studio. With the live casino option, you are betting on hands dealt by a croupier in real time. Many of the slots (from RTG, Rival Gaming and others) have huge progressive jackpots. Look out for the famous ‘reel series’ games.
Race Book: Horse racing betting fans can bet on tracks around the country, and the bigger international fixtures. While the major events like the Kentucky Derby and Breeders Cup get all the publicity, there are multiple race meetings – every day during the summer season. Look out for the rebates.
Each of these gaming areas have their own welcome bonuses and promotions.
Wrapping Up: Is Bovada the Best Offshore Sportsbook?
As one of the largest names in offshore sports betting, Bovada has few equals.
For me it is the combination of that long record and having all the betting markets available in one place.
Add competitive odds available on all markets. Wagering options that ensure that whether you bet singles, parlays, or round robins, they’ve got you covered. When you join Bovada, it’s a good idea to use Bitcoin (or alternative cryptocurrency) to make your deposits. You’ll not only get improved bonus deals; and be able to deposit and withdraw very quickly. Your funds will be held in dollars while in your Bovada account, protecting you from any volatility in the crypto markets.
They are the best trusted offshore sportsbook brand. Check them out for yourself now over at (LINK)