Bovada Poker Reviews

1. Bovada Poker Reviews
2. Bovada Poker Room Reviews
3. Bovada Poker Cash Out Reviews
4. Bovada Poker Reviews
5. Bovada Poker Reviews 2020
6. Bovada Poker Reviews Reddit

Bovada Poker Review 2020 At the 22 nd of August 2017, Bovada Casino and Sportsbook re-launched its online poker platform to cater for existing customers who wanted to play online poker. Bovada Poker has all the strengths and weaknesses (but mostly strengths) of the old days. In short, Bovada Poker is the most 'PokerStars-like' of anyone in the US market: tons of games, quick payouts, and a long clean history. The main difference is Bovada Poker actually has profitable games.

Bovada Poker runs on PaiWangLuo (formerly Bodog) Poker Network, which means the web clients, platform, and mobile apps are hooked to top-notch software. Overall, the site’s poker platform looks refined and modern, and the software works well. Bonus: 100% up to $500 Last updated: July 2020 Reviewed: 11 times In 2016, Bovada online poker was moved to Ignition Casino but was then returned to Bovada a year later. Bovada's poker tables look the same as those in Ignition but the starting bonus you receive is dif.

Bovada is the US version of Bodog. Bovada was a brand created specifically for American sports bettors and poker players. The group has more than 20 years of online gaming experience.

Bovada is a member of the PaiWangLuo Network. This platform was once known as Bodog. It launched in 2004.

Bovada moved its online poker product to Ignition Casino in August 2016. Online poker returned to Bovada almost one year later. While it uses the same skin as Ignition, it now has a different first deposit bonus. Both sites accept US players. Players in Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey and New York are not permitted to play at Bovada.

The Bovada brand is often mentioned when the media quotes odds and prices on sporting events in the United States. This includes cable TV and radio shows.

The PaiWangLuo Network is the largest that accepts US players, overtaking Winning Poker in 2018 as the #1 network. Play against these players at Bovada.lv poker.

Bovada Poker - #1 in the U.S

• Accepts U.S. customers with largest player pool
• Strong reputation and trusted poker site
• $500 beposit bonus

Bovada Poker Bonuses

Welcome Bonus for Poker Players

Bovada offers new players a 100% up to $500 first deposit bonus. This is available to any player that has never claimed a bonus on PaiWangLuo. The bonus releases in six increments based on the following chart:

Bovada Poker Points

Players earn three Poker Points for every $1 in a tournament and sit and go admin fees paid. Cash game players earn Poker Points when contributing to a pot based on its size:

Sign up at Bovada Poker to claim your Welcome Bonus and start earning Poker Points.

Poker VIP Program – The Red Room

Bovada has a simple, yet effective VIP program, what they call the Red Room. Members of the Red Room VIP program are said to receive special treatment in the ways of:

• Exclusive cash rewards and offers.
• Score weekly deposit bonuses.
• Receive personalized customer service.
• Exclusive Red Room offers.
• Convenient deposit options.
• Free expedited payouts.

How to join Bovada Red Room?

This program is open to all members of Bovada, whether they are playing poker, casino games, or betting on sports. Contact a customer service representative to learn how to join the Red Room.

Casino and Sportsbook Bonus Offers

In order to recruit new players and retain old ones, Bovada constantly provides special promotions and bonus offers. In this section, we’ll be looking at some of the perks previously dangled in front of customers. And since these offers are frequently recycled, you can expect to see them again in the future.

Before we continue, I want to explain rollover requirements for those who may not be familiar with them. When a casino awards you bonus money, you usually have to satisfy some form of wagering requirement before you can withdraw the “free” cash.

Let’s say, for example, that a poker room has a 30X rollover requirement on bonus money. If you received a complimentary amount of $300 from the house, this means that you’ll need to make $9,000 in wagers before the $300 can be withdrawn. The wagers can result in a win or loss, but they must be made in order to qualify.

Rollover details are usually buried in the fine print, and many novice players make the mistake of never reading below the big letters promising free money. They are usually less than pleased to learn the truth, especially when their withdrawal request on the bonus money is declined due to a failure to abide by the terms and conditions of the site. Just remember: nothing is ever as free as it seems at an online casino or poker room.

100% Welcome Bonus

All the money deposited into your account on the first day will be matched up to 100% (with a limit of $1000). In order to get the bonuses issued to your account, you’ll need to earn poker points during the 60 days immediately following your initial deposit.

Poker points are earned by either contributing to a rake or spending money on tournament entry fees. For example, a tournament with a $50 buy-in and a $5 fee would earn you 15 poker points.

While the 100% sounds great, it’s not so lucrative once you start reading the fine print. You have to play a lot of poker in order to unlock the bonus money, and there’s a decent chance that you’ll end up losing money in the process.

Refer-A-Friend Bonus

For each new customer who you refer to Bovada, the site will award you with 200% of their initial deposit (up to $100). Of course, there are still limitations to this seemingly generous offer. For each dollar earned in bonus money, the player needs to earn 3 poker points in order to collect the cash.

Mobile Casino Bonus

The first time you play at Bovada with your mobile device, you’ll be awarded a $10 bonus. In order to withdraw this money, however, you’ll need to wager a minimum of $250 between Monday and Sunday on any of the site’s next-level casino games (including several variations of draw poker).

Bovada Poker Deposit Methods

Bovada offers four deposit options to US players.

Bitcoin Deposits at Bovada

The most popular deposit method is Bitcoin. There are no fees associated with this form of deposit method. Bitcoin deposits are extremely secure and is becoming one of the most trusted banking options poker players are using today.

Poker players can deposit anywhere from the minimum $20, up to the maximum $5,000 using Bitcoin per transaction. The money reaches your Bovada account within minutes.

Credit Cards: VISA and MasterCard

VISA and Mastercard are accepted. There is a 4.9% fee for VISA transactions and 6.9% fee for Mastercard ones. Players that deposit at Bovada by credit or debit card will need to fill out an authorization form before a withdrawal will be processed.

Using VISA or MasterCard allows players to make minimum deposits of $20, and maximum deposits of $1,000 per transaction. The benefit of using credit cards is that the transaction is done instantly, like paying for anything online.

Cash Transfers

Cash transfers are available for small deposits. The fee is usually about $10. Bovada will add this to the player’s account for deposits of $300 or more.

When you join Bovada Poker, you can be sure you will have safe and trusted deposits methods.

Bovada Poker Withdrawals

There are three ways to withdraw from Bovada.

Secure Bitcoin Payouts

Bitcoin is the fastest. Players receive these withdrawals in about 2-6 hours, or less, up to one day. There is no fee when you get the payout using this method. The maximum withdrawal amount is $9,500 per transaction. You can request a payout from Bovada every 5 days.

Courier Checks

Bovada will courier checks in amounts up to $3,000, and you can request one check payout every 7 days. The payout fee of $50, but this is waived once every four months. It takes 1-2 weeks for a check to be delivered.

Reputable Bank Wires

Large winners have bank wires available to them. The cap is $25,000 per transaction. The fee is $50, in addition to what is charged by the banks handling the transaction. These arrive in about two weeks.

Available Poker Games at Bovada

Bovada offers the following poker games:

• No Limit Texas Hold’em
• Fixed Limit Texas Hold’em
• Pot Limit Omaha
• Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Low

Limits start at $0.02/$0.05 and run up to 10/20. Sit and gos generally have action up to $33.

Bovada Poker Tournaments

Bovada spreads dozens of poker tournaments each day. Most are No Limit Texas Hold’em. There are a few Pot Limit Omaha and Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo games on the daily schedule. Buy-ins start at $1.10 and run as high as $109 on the dailies.

Bovada $100,000 Guaranteed Tournament

Bovada Poker runs a $100,000 guaranteed tournament every Sunday at 4pm ET. The direct buy-in is $162. There are several other ways to enter.

Super satellites run all week. These start at $1.10 and send a player to a semi-final for every $17 in the prize pool. There are satellites that start on Thursday with buy-ins of $17. The weekend brings turbo events with lower juice and higher buy-ins. The largest is $42.

Bovada Guaranteed Tournaments

While the $100,000 guaranteed is the largest weekly event, there are dozens of other guaranteed tournaments. The weekly guaranteed prize pool is $1.5 million. These tournaments are generally spread at night based on Eastern Time. The main daily events are:

If you want to play poker at the tables or in tournaments, sign up at Bovada to test your skill against thousands of other players.

Bovada Poker and Player Features

Zone Poker at Bovada

Zone Poker is a fast-fold variant. This is where players rotate tables after every hand. Once the player folds, the current table closes and he or she is seated at a new one and gets dealt cards. This increases the number of hands per hour by three or four times because there is no more sitting around waiting for a hand to end. A player can fold before the action ever gets to that position to make the games move faster.

Zone Poker is available in No Limit Texas Hold’em with limits from $0.02/$0.05 up to $1/$2. Pot Limit Omaha is spread from $0.02/$0.05 up to $0.10/$0.25. Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is offered with $0.02/$0.05 blinds.

Quick Seat Feature

Poker at Bovada does not have a typical cash game lobby. Players cannot choose which table they would like to sit. The software chooses seating for them. This is done by the player filling out a form that asks what game, limit, format, and number of seats that the player is looking for and automatically finding that seat.

Bovada Poker does this to protect players at the tables from getting hunted by sharks. It helps keep weaker players in the game longer.

Anonymous Tables

Another feature that helps protect recreational players is anonymous tables. All names have been removed from Bovada Poker. Each player seated at a cash game is given a number that stays with them until they leave the table. In tournaments, players are given a number that stays with them until the tournament ends or they are knocked out.

How to Play Poker

Bovada offers their members a section where they cover the basics of poker; veterans can skip it without any problem. For novices, however, you’ll be presented with a wealth of information on Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud, and 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo.

News and Blog Articles

Check out the collection of musings on gambling, poker, and the people who enjoy it. Read about poker strategy, learn the latest news, or just enjoy a few laughs.

Bovada Poker - #1 in the U.S

• Accepts U.S. customers with largest player pool
• Strong reputation and trusted poker site
• $500 beposit bonus

Is Bovada Poker Safe or Rigged?

Bovada is related to the Bodog brand. Bovada Poker was created for US players so that Bodog could enter regulated markets. There is little difference between the two sites. Both have the same online gaming experience that goes back decades.

Bovada has never had any scandals. Bodog’s founder and some other employees were indicted in 2012. This did not amount to anything except some misdemeanor convictions. Bodog and Bovada continued to pay players in a timely manner.

Anonymous Feature

At most poker sites, players can use tracking software to find inexperienced fish to feed on. This is never the case at Bovada Poker, as players can enter any game and remain anonymous. This allows players to grow in experience without being hounded all over the site by bloodthirsty sharks.

It Makes No Sense

Why would an organization as respected as Bovada risk their reputation by resorting to cheating? They make their money by collecting the rake and receiving buy-in fees, so it really doesn’t matter to them who wins or loses; they get their percentage regardless of the outcome.

In this era of social media, people love to spill their guts about everything. If an employee knew that something illegal was going on, how long do you think it would take him or her to blow the whistle (especially if they were unhappy with their current employment situation)?

Experience in the Industry

When you consider that Bovada (originally Bodog) has been around since the turn of the century, you have to take into account their level of experience at running an online gambling operation. Most poker rooms that cheat are fly-by-night operations, designed to rook as many players as possible before disappearing into the shadows with their ill-gotten gains. Bovada has always stood in the light of day, dealing with questions and concerns in an open and courteous manner.

Lack of Player Complaints

Go to any gambling forum and try to find complaint threads about Bovada Poker. The chances are high that you’ll come up empty. They value their reputation among the gambling community, and their professional customer service staff bends over backward to keep that trend alive. If a problem does arise, expect it to be resolved with incredible speed.

Is It Legal to Play Poker at Bovada?

Bovada Poker does not accept players from five states where it believes there are questions about legality. Those are Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey and New York. Players in all other states are welcome.

Most states have no laws about players giving action to offshore sites. Louisiana and Washington are among those that do. Nobody has ever been convicted of this crime in any state. Always check local regulations while also understanding that players have never been the target of any type of investigation by state law enforcement.

Why is Bovada legit?

Bovada is a legit online casino, sportsbook, and poker site. While Bovada was launched in 2011, it is the natural successor to Bodog, an online gaming brand which has been around since 1994. Bodog chose to leave the United States online gambling market in 2011, so a new site with the same combination of proprietary Bodog software and licensed RTG and Rival Gaming software.

For 5 years, Bovada was licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. In September 2016, Bovada voluntarily gave up its license from Kahnawake, because that Canadian-based regulator told license holders they could no longer accept players from New Jersey, due to a deal with New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement. Bovada, therefore, is an unregulated online gambling site, though it is a respected offshore operator.

Delaware

In 2013, Delaware passed a law to conduct regulated online gambling within the borders of the state. The idea was to generate revenue by allowing select operators to conduct business by charging a $500,000 licensing fee and a 100% tax on the first $3.75 million of their winnings. Since Bovada Poker is not one of the operations willing to pay the state, they have decided to pull out of Delaware. No new players will be accepted, although existing players can still play with the money they have in their account (although no new deposits can be made).

It’s interesting to note that Delaware’s regulated gambling hasn’t been especially successful during its first year of operation. Numbers have been lackluster to begin with, and they’ve been steadily dropping as time goes on. Then again, we’re talking about a state with less than a million residents, many of whom don’t have the time or inclination to gamble.

Nevada

When you think gambling, Las Vegas is probably one of the first things that comes to mind. Sin City has been offering games of chance for decades, and they’ve become synonymous with instant millionaires and broken dreams. When the iGaming movement started up in post-UIGEA America, it was only natural that they would be among the first to participate.

According to state legislation, a gaming company can legally offer their services to a player as long as (a) the company is licensed and regulated by the state, and (b) the player is physically present within Nevada.

In order to avoid possible legal complications, Bovada announced its intentions to pull out of the Nevada market in June of 2014. This looks to be a smart move in hindsight, as even the capital of American gambling has met with a lukewarm response when it comes to iGaming.

Three regulated online casinos were originally offering games to customers within the state boundaries of Nevada. And while revenue rose during the annual World Series of Poker event in Las Vegas, the following months revealed an alarming downward drop.

The most obvious sign of trouble came in November 2014, when licensed online casino Ultimate Poker decided to close its doors in Nevada due to lack of business. This was the first company to launch regulated online poker within the United States.

Hawaii

While residents of Hawaii get their fill of poi and Don Ho, the same can’t be said for gambling. The state is notorious for its intolerance towards games of chance, and you won’t find a single casino or bingo hall anywhere on its islands.

Washington

The state of Washington has tough laws regarding gambling, and this even extends to the world of virtual gaming. Fortunately, these laws are directed at operators instead of players, and gamblers located within the state can still legally play as long as their virtual casino of choice is located elsewhere.

On the flipside, lawmakers in Washington State have caused such a stink that Bovada Poker no longer accepts players from within its borders. If you attempt to log on from an ISP within the prohibited area, you’ll be greeted by the following message: “We are sorry. We do not accept registrations from your state. For more information, please contact us.”

Maryland

This state has several land-based casinos, although it sounds like they’re filled with drunks and madmen. They also have a number of laws that specifically prohibit betting, and, unlike most states, the penalties for individual players are just as strong as those reserved for gaming companies. In other words, the gambling laws in Maryland are a mess. If betting is supposed to be prohibited, how can you have multiple casinos within your state? For that matter, why did they approve a statewide online lottery?

Bovada obviously doesn’t have time to ponder such questions, as they pulled out of Maryland and refused to accept any new players from the state. Players who already had an account prior to the ban are still allowed at the poker tables, although they’re prohibited from placing any additional funds into their account (although winnings can still increase the size of your bankroll).

New York

If you want to gamble in New York, you have plenty of options to choose from. In addition to the legendary state lottery, there are bingo halls, tribal casinos, and various forms of racing. But the primary source of revenue comes from commercial casinos and licensed online gambling, and in 2014 these combined to provide over 14,000 jobs and generate over $3.6 billion in revenue.

Like many other states that have turned to regulated online gambling, New York has attempted to squeeze out all those who fail to meet the necessary requirements (in other words, those who refuse to pay the state a huge fee). This certainly worked with Bovada, as they no longer accept players who are residents of the Empire State.

New Jersey

Atlantic City was once a major venue for gambling, but recent years have seen it fall on hard times. The state saw four casino closures take place in 2014, but they hoped the regulation of online gaming would act as a counterbalance. This has proven unsuccessful to date, and the frustrated New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement even took the bold step of going after affiliates who were promoting gambling sites that were unlicensed in the state.

Bovada Poker announced in May of 2014 that it would no longer accept new players from New Jersey. Existing players are still able to keep their accounts, however.

Utah

This Mormon dominated state is decidedly hostile towards most types of vice. There are no bars to be found, which has drawn a less-than-enthusiastic response from both visitors and some locals. In fact, the NBA’s Utah Jazz has been forced over the years to watch more than a few free agent players slip through their fingers because of the almost total lack of nightlife within the state.

Legal Poker Gambling Age

It should also be noted that Bovada Poker requires all players to be at least 18 years of age before they can sit down at a virtual poker table and risk their hard-earned cash.

The idea is that anyone younger than 18 may not have the necessary good sense to know when to quit gambling. I would argue that this probably applies to anyone under the age of 100, but I digress.

There are a number of states, however, that require their residents to be 21 before participating in any sort of online gambling. So, while the casino may still accept your business, you may technically be in violation of state law while taking part. This probably isn’t going to worry too many of our readers, but I felt obliged to mention it.

The Final Verdict on Bovada Poker

Bovada is the second largest poker site that accepts US players. It has a long history of paying withdrawal requests quickly. There’s no reason to think that will ever change.

The company has two decades of online gaming experience. There were no signs of trouble when the company was indicted and that case was settled with a slap on the wrist. Payouts from Bovada Poker, its predecessor Bodog and its sister site Ignition, have been quick and reliable throughout the group’s entire existence.

We feel that Bovada is one of the top trusted poker sites that accept US players. We highly recommend it.

Bovada Poker - #1 in the U.S

• Accepts U.S. customers with largest player pool
• Strong reputation and trusted poker site
• $500 beposit bonus

History of Bovada

Once upon a time, there was a gambling site known as Bodog.com. Founded in 2000, it was the brainchild of Canadian businessman Calvin Ayre. It positioned itself as one of the leading names in the online gaming industry.

While business was respectable in the early years, nothing could have prepared them for what was to come. I’m talking, of course, about the World Series of Poker main event wins by Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer.

Both of these men qualified for the WSOP by playing in online tournaments, and both became household names (at least for a while). Soon, people all across the globe were signing up with online casinos and poker rooms, convinced that a massive payday was right around the corner. And while suburbanites wagered their mortgage payments in a bid for fame and fortune, Bodog and its contemporaries were all too happy to accept their business.

While this explosion of business occurred, Calvin Ayre could’ve lurked quietly in the background and counted his money. Instead, he decided to craft a new image, one that depicted him as a modern-day James Bond surrounded by fast cars and beautiful women. His picture was plastered all over the Bodog site, and their marketing scheme promised potential players a chance at the same luxurious lifestyle as the company’s founder. They even dabbled in the music business and MMA fighting, although these failed to enjoy the same success as their gaming ventures.

But then Bodog encountered a major bump in the road thanks to the 2006 passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. According to this legislation passed by the Bush administration, gambling businesses were now prohibited from knowingly accepting payments in connection with a wager involving the Internet that was unlawful under any state or federal law. Payment systems were also required to identify and block restricted transactions.

Most online gaming sites pulled out of the American market, especially when the Justice Department began arresting company heads who foolishly ventured onto U.S. soil. Ayre and his company defiantly fought on, but he eventually wised up and sold his business to Meadway Leisure Limited (while retaining the rights to the still-marketable Bodog brand).

The deal between Meadway and Bodog ended in July of 2011, and customers were transferred to the company’s newly branded site, Bovada. Since then, business has continued without a hitch, although with a different name at the top of the page. Despite the drama, the company remains an industry leader and continues to accept U.S. players.

The legacy of Calvin Ayre, it seems, lives on in a big way.

FAQ

Players might have questions they want to be answered about Bovada Casino. The following Bovada FAQ provides answers to common questions skeptical US players might have about Bovada. If you have other questions, send your inquiries to our webmaster for further answers.

Does anyone win on Bovada?

Yes, winning is possible at Bovada. A prominent online casino’s reputation quickly spreads, if the site runs an unfair game. Bovada has a solid reputation in the US gaming market. Players complain that the withdrawal times could be better, but they are reliable. Pending time for withdrawals is 48 to 72 hours. Bank wire transfers take 7 to 10 days, while bank checks arrive in 7 to 28 days. The weekly withdrawal limit is $3000, so high rollers could have issues, though Bovada customer service will increase payout limits for members of the Red Room membership tier. The Red Room includes Bovada’s high stakes gamblers.

Does Bovada accept Mastercard?

Absolutely. Bovada accepts MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Bitcoin wallets. MasterCard is available for deposits, though you won’t be able to make a withdrawal with MasterCard, Visa, or Amex. When you make a withdrawal, you’ll need to use a courier check, which means you’ll receive a payment at your home address from a FedEx or UPS courier. Direct or fast bank transfers also are available. The accepted currencies are the US dollar and bitcoins. If you want a one-method way of making deposits and withdrawals, you’ll need to use Bitcoin.

Does Bovada have an app?

Yes, Bovada has an app for mobile sports, casino games, and poker. Go to the Bovada Mobile page to scan the QR Code into your Android smartphone or tablet computer, iPhone, or iPad.

Does Bovada payout to US players?

Bovada pays out to US players. For legal purposes, Bovada does not accept play from 7 US states. Players from the remaining 43 US states and the District of Columbia are welcomed at Bovada for online casino, poker, and sportsbook betting. These players are allowed to gamble in a safe, secure, and fair environment.

How is Bovada legal?

Lynton Limited’s base in New Zealand provides it with a place to operate legally. New Zealand does not allow online gambling sites based in New Zealand to accept real money play from Kiwis, but those sites can accept play from other countries. Because Canada and the United Kingdom enforce the Division of Gaming Enforcement’s ban on non-licensed online casinos and poker sites, Bovada does not accept players from the UK and Canada. US officials consider Bovada an unlicensed and unregulated offshore gambling site. While United States officials frown on unlicensed online casinos, they do not prosecute American gamblers who play for real money on such sites.

Who owns Bovada?

Bovada is owned by Lynton Limited, a gaming group which owns Ignition Casino and Slots.lv. Lynton Limited had a mailing address in Kahnawake, Quebec in Canada until 2016. Lynton Limited has been in business since 1999, with New Zealand listed as its home country for many years. Lynton Limited should not be confused with BAA Lynton Limited, a property development company founded in Leeds, England in 1997. Though gaming sites sometimes report Garcia Bilboa and Ignacio Aitar of BAA Lynton Limited being associated with Bovada and Slots.lv, that is not the case.

Bovada is Our Top US Poker Site

Bovada Poker - #1 in the U.S

• Accepts U.S. customers with largest player pool
• Strong reputation and trusted poker site
• $500 beposit bonus

• #1 trusted US gambling site.
• 15+ years of experience.
• Popular RTG casino games.
• Fastest cashouts in the US.
• Excellent customer service
• 4.9% credit card deposit fee.

While there's still a lot of competition in the US online gambling market, the amount of high-quality operations is surprisingly low. For example, the luxury of being able to cashout your winnings is, as scary as it sounds, unavailable at many sites, and there's only a short list of reliable sites. We rank Bovada as the #1 option for US residents, and here's why:

• They deliver the fastest check cashouts in the US. Well, faster than any other US gambling site excluding the sites in states with legalized online gambling.
• They take care of customers. With both phone and e-mail support, this site delivers great experiences by putting a lot of effort into their customer support.
• They have great software. We consider their gaming software the finest in the US for both casino and poker games. Their instant-play versions and mobile games are especially good.
• They have a long history in the online gambling business. There are people behind Bovada's operations that used to operate Bodog - a site that's been in the business since early 2000. Some of the people have been in the business 15+ years.

Customer Service

Bovada's customer service has always treated me well. You can contact them via phone support (1-888-263-0000) or e-mail support (service@bovada.lv) -- I've never tried contacting via phone number, but if the quality of their e-mail support is anything to go by (fast replies and thorough answers), you'll have a nice experience with their phone support as well.

Some people accuse Bovada of 'not listening to its players.' In most cases, these are the players who complain about anonymous tables, not being able to join waiting lists, etc. All of those decisions were made with recreational players in mind, and since the site is now more enticing to recreational players, educated players should love the current situation even more instead of complaining (there's a higher percentage of recreational gamblers to play against).

Bovada's customer service is also perhaps the most active out of any online poker room in the world at participating in discussions at online poker forums (many of the top internet poker forums now have 'Bovada Service' users who are there to answer any questions about the site). As incredible as it sounds, customers are sometimes getting answers to questions without even directly contacting them.

Deposit Options

Bovada.lv offers two deposit methods:

• VISA Credit / Debit / Gift Cards.
• MoneyGram® (called 'Rapid Transfer' at Bovada)

As of 2020, a card deposit is still the easiest and fastest of Bovada deposit options. You need a Visa credit, debit/check or gift card that's eligible for online and international purchases.

It's worth noting that even if your card fulfills the criteria, the transaction is never certain to go through, which unfortunately is typical for gambling-related transactions in the USA. Netspend debit cards have had a high success rate lately, and the cards that you should stay away from are Greendot and Vanilla VISA cards.

Bovada Poker Reviews

There's one negative with Bovada deposits: they charge a 4.9% fee for card deposits except for the first deposit. Betonline is the only other US poker site that charges for such transactions (6%). Take this into account when depositing to Bovada especially if you're going for the minimum deposit, since even though they claim a minimum deposit limit of $20, in reality you have to deposit the minimum of $20+4.9%.

Minimum Card Deposit: $20
Maximum Card Deposit: $500

Rapid Transfer (the equivalent of MoneyGram®) is a handy way to deposit and withdraw money to and from Bovada.lv. It takes 15 minutes for a deposit and 24 hours for a withdrawal to arrive. By depositing $300 or more at a time and withdrawing max. once a month, Bovada takes care of all the transaction fees. (Otherwise deposit fees are $12-$20 and withdrawal fees $20-$60.)

Minimum Rapid Transfer Deposit: $10
Maximum Rapid Transfer Deposit: $800

Pros & Cons

Credit / Debit / Gift Cards:

• Fast, convenient and easy-to-use.
• No need to visit any live locations to send the money.
• A low minimum deposit limit ($20).
• Sometimes fail to work for gaming transactions.
• A 4.9% deposit fee (most credit card poker sites take no fees).
• Must cashout via a check (takes a couple of weeks).

Rapid Transfer:

• Fast and reliable.
• Rapid Transfer cashouts are processed faster than checks.
• You need to visit a live location to send the money.
• A relatively high deposit fee ($12-$20).
• A high minimum deposit ($100).

Bovada Poker Room Reviews

Cashout Options

Bovada.lv offers two withdrawal methods:

1. Checks
2. Rapid Transfer (the equivalent to MoneyGram®)

Your available withdrawal option depends on the way you deposited money to Bovada; if you made a credit card deposit, you can withdraw the money as a check (Bovada has the fastest check payouts out of all US poker sites); if you made a Rapid Transfer deposit, you can withdraw the money by using Rapid Transfer.

To be eligible for a withdrawal after having made a credit card deposit, you must complete the credit card verification form on Bovada's website.

How to cashout from Bovada:

1. Go to your account at www.bovada.lv and select 'Payout'.
2. Select the payout method.
3. Enter the amount you want to cashout.
4. Confirm your address information.
5. Click 'Request Payout'.

What are the withdrawal limits?

• For check withdrawals: $20-$3,000.
• For Rapid Transfer withdrawals: $100-$750.

Are there any cashout fees?
The first check withdrawal of each month is free. If you want to cashout more than once a month, the rest of the cashouts cost $50 each. (In case you make a deposit and then, without using the money, decide to withdraw it, Bovada may charge a fee).

Here are their Rapid Transfer cashout fees:

Payout Speed

Bovada.lv has the fastest cashouts for US players as of now (unless you live in Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey where you can order ACH cashouts at regulated online poker rooms). Bovada delivers checks in 1-2 weeks (recent reports indicate that they deliver these in 10 days) when many of their competitors take several weeks and some even months.

Bovada Poker Cash Out Reviews

Rapid Transfer payouts take a maximum of 24 business hours, after which you can collect your withdrawal at a local MoneyGram® location.

It's been increasingly hard to find US poker sites that process cashouts fast. Some sites claim to deliver checks in a couple of weeks but take months (even half a year in the case of relatively popular Lock Poker). Bovada is the biggest US poker site but incredibly also has the fastest withdrawal processing times.

Throughout Bodog's 15+ years in the online gambling business, no payout issue or dispute has been left unresolved. The only two Bovada payout issues that I recall were in 2008 and 2011 when checks took a long time to process (longer than usual, that is - they still delivered checks faster than most gambling sites do normally). But those were small issues and it's remarkable how well they've done for such a long time.

2008 Payout Delays

Bodog's payouts were delayed in 2008 and for a good reason: Maryland DOJ and IRS seized $25 million of Bodog's money as the dollars were sitting on their payment processor's account. An undercover agent registered an account at Bodog and made two cashouts during the year of 2007, which helped the IRS to seize the money. (Citypaper published a great article on the subject called The Ghost Hand.)

2011 Payout Delays

We have no real information on what caused Bovada payouts to be delayed in 2011. They claimed to be in the process of changing payment processors in order to deliver checks faster in future which then slowed down current check processing. I don't know if this was the real reason but they surely figured out how to deliver checks fast afterwards.

Bonus Offers & Promotions

• You'll qualify for the Bovada bonus automatically by signing-up at www.bovada.lv without using a Bovada bonus code.
• Bovada's bonus offer is decent for beginners. You get 60 days to clear the bonus (after you've made your first deposit), you can clear the bonus at any stakes you want and the terms are straightforward.
• Bovada caters to recreational players which forces Bovada to make welcome bonuses simple and relatively easy to clear.

First Deposit Bonus

Big poker bonuses are useless unless they can be reasonably cleared. Some bonuses are impossible to clear for beginners; for example, they might take ridiculous amounts of playing to clear in relatively little time or they can only be cleared above micro stakes.

Fortunately, the poker bonus offer is good for beginners. You get 60 days to clear the bonus (after you've made your first deposit), you can clear the bonus at any stakes you want and the terms are straightforward. They cater to recreational players which forces them to make their welcome bonuses simple and relatively easy to clear.

How Do I Clear the Bonus?
You clear the poker bonus by reaching new bonus levels; you reach new bonus levels by earning poker points; you earn poker points by generating rake for Bovada.

The more bonus you earn, the easier it gets to clear additional bonus. For example, level three is $100 for 750 poker points while level five is $150 for 1,500 poker points. (Going from level four to level five was 25% easier than going from level one to level two, for instance.)

Here are the charts:

Will Additional Deposits Qualify for the Bonus?
Only the money deposited on the same calendar day as your first deposit will qualify for the Bovada Poker deposit bonus. If you deposit $100 next Tuesday and later on that Tuesday deposit another $100, you'll be eligible for $200 in bonuses.

Should you deposit the additional $100 on Wednesday, however, you've already missed the boat and won't qualify for the bonus.

Do I Need a Bovada Bonus Code?
There is no Bovada bonus code at the moment; you can qualify for the bonus simply by signing-up at their website.

Reload Bonuses
They award reload bonuses only to certain players - whether these players are selected randomly or have to meet certain criteria is unknown. There are no poker reload bonuses available for everyone.

Other Poker Bonuses
In addition to the poker deposit bonus, Bovada players are eligible for a Bad Beat Bonus (win 100 x the big blind, up to $1,000) and a Royal Flush Bonus (win 50 x the big blind, up to $200).

Other Bonuses

You get a 100% welcome bonus (up to $3,000) for your first Bovada Casino deposit and a 50% free bet bonus up to $250 for their sportsbook. How long does it take to clear the bonuses?

Their casino bonus requires you to wager the deposit and bonus amount 25 times over until you can cashout. For a $100 deposit, therefore, you need to wager 25 times $200 (includes both deposit and bonus amounts), or $5000.

Their sportsbook bonus can be cleared by wagering 3 times the deposit plus the bonus amount. For the full bonus, you have to bet $500 and you'll get $250 in bonus money, which means that in total you need to wager 3 times $750 (or $2250) to clear the full bonus.

You have 60 days to clear the bonus offers.

Bovada Poker Tournaments and Games

Readers might wonder what kind of games are available at Bovada Poker. Players can enjoy Texas Hold'em, Omaha, and Omaha Hi-Lo events. Enter no-limit, pot-limit, and fixed-limit events. Play for high stakes, mid-stakes, low stakes, or event micro stakes.

Bovada Poker Events

Bovada has a $150,000 guaranteed poker event every Sunday. For high stakes players, Bovada also organizes a $100,000 high roller event. Premium players and whales have a much higher chance of winning the $100K high roller event, because so few players enter. Sit'n go's, jackpot SNGs, and turbo events are designed for card players on the go.

• $150K Guaranteed Poker Tournament (Weekly)
• $100K Guaranteed High Roller Tournament (Weekly)
• Turbo Tournaments
• Jackpot Sit & Go Tournaments
• Sit-and-Go Tournaments
• $1.5 Million in Weekly Guarantees
• Monster Stack Poker Tournaments

Special Features

Bovada's proprietary online poker software making cardplaying easy. Over the years, Bovada customers have called for special improvements, which have resulted in the following four innovations.

• Quick Seat: Be seated at the poker table of your choice in two easy steps.
• Anonymous Tables: The ultimate in fairness, because poker pros can't target you as a casual player.
• Zone Poker: As soon as you fold your cards, you'll appear on another poker table.
• Mobile Poker: Fully compatible with Android, iOS, and Windows smartphones and tablet computers.

Is Bovada Safe and Legit?

Controversy

It's important to look at the background and the people behind operations that provide online gambling - especially when it comes to sites that provide games for US customers. While the company has done an admirable job so far, there's some controversy in their background that the readers at Gaming the Odds should know about - so is Bovada legit and safe?

Bovada.lv is the 'US version of Bodog' - it was created by Bodog's operators, has the same software and shares the same players. It feels good to play at a site that has been in the online gambling business since 1998.

But if you were to judge the people involved in Bovada's operations by what they were doing before they created Bodog, you may think that Bovada is anything but a safe to place to gamble at. However, keep in mind: they've done a wonderful job at being a reliable, professional and entertaining gambling site for several years now.

In 1998, a company called eSportz provided original software for a company called Cyberoad, through which the software was provided to some of the first online betting sites, namely Grand Prix, The Big Book, The Sports Machine and Mayan Sports. All of these companies used a payment processor called eBanx. Eventually, Cyberoad purchased eBanx.

Bovada Poker Reviews

In 2000, a company called El Moro Finance agreed to make $200,000 worth of credit available to Cyberoad. Since Cyberoad was unable to pay its debt to El Moro, it went out of business during the same year and El Moro - curiously, a company that owns some of Ayre's real estate - acquired Cyberoad's assets, leaving Cyberoad's investors with nothing.

Bovada Poker Reviews 2020

Bodog was born out of this situation, and as far as the other companies that were powered by eSportz software go, The Big Book had acquired Grand Prix (The Big Book shared offices with Calvin Ayre's company) and continued using the same software, while Mayan Sports couldn't come to an agreement with El Moro and decided to start using new software.

During the time it took for Mayan Sports to transition to using new software, eBanx (which, again, was Mayan Sports' payment processor, and technically now owned by El Moro) sent e-mails to Mayan Sports' customers, urging them to move their business to Bodog, and they could even use the same usernames and passwords they had when playing at Mayan Sports.

During this time, Ayre even used a fake name ('Cole Turner'). Understandably so, the Mayan Sports people were not happy to find out his real name later on.

That's the story when you look at official records. Calvin Ayre paints a different picture:

'There's no point in me talking about Cyberoad,' Mr. Ayre said dismissively in an interview. 'It wasn't my company, it was only one of a number of customers I had.'

In U.S. regulatory filings, however, Mr. Ayre is described as the 'creator and visionary' of Cyberoad. The filings say he gave up his CEO's title shortly before the company obtained a stock listing in the U.S. 'over-the-counter' market in the spring of 1999, and began acting as a consultant.

It's worth noting that Calvin Ayre has been associated with marijuana smuggling (for which his father got sentenced) and insider trading (which he settled for $10,000), due to which he was banned from serving as an officer or director in any company listed on the Vancouver Stock Exchange (among other things). Being a 'consultant' is sort of a cliche for people to call themselves after they've been banned from directly running a company.

It's difficult to tell what they real story is, although if you read the article linked to from the previous paragraph, you'll find out about several things he claims to be true that don't add-up when compared to the 'official' story.

In short, Cyberoad relied on eSportz software (controlled by Calvin Ayre) and took a line of credit from El Moro (affiliated with Calvin Ayre). If eSportz would stop providing software for Cyberoad, would the company go out of business and then be owned by El Moro essentially for the price of $200,000 minus the money that Cyberoad paid back before going bankrupt?

And having eBanx e-mail to Mayan Sports customers, urging them to join Bodog instead is unethical to say the least. Then again, competition is fierce in the world of business.

Criticizing Bodog / Bovada the company, however, is difficult. They've provided customers with first-class online casino games, professional customer support and fast payouts for over 15 years now, and even though their poker room has the most player traffic out of all US sites by far, they still process cashouts the fastest.

But if you look at the background of the company's founder, there's definitely something shady going on. With that said, I have yet to find a case where Ayre's actions have negatively affected his customers, even though many of his business partners seem unhappy.

Is Bovada Rigged?

Bovada Poker Reviews Reddit

Bovada has essentially been in business since 2000. They've been through all sorts of testing, their software is certified by Gaming Associates, and they are currently licensed by Kahnawake Gaming Commission.

So is Bovada rigged? My answer is a definite no.

In case you still worry about Bovada cheating or being rigged, you're obviously more than welcome to contact their customer support. They're true professionals and I've never had a bad experience with them. You can either call them or send an e-mail. Can you cheat at Bovada?

The fact that this is an honest and reliable company doesn't mean that there wouldn't be cheating at Bovada. Just like an honest live casino or poker room is bound to have cheating customers, the same goes for online sites.

Fortunately, bigger online poker rooms have all sorts of methods to stop players from cheating; for example, they can detect if you're talking with your friend on MSN or Skype, have a lot of experience on studying hand histories, etc.

But you could, of course, play in the same table as your friend and have a phone conversation at the same time, thus sharing information with each other. These players get caught faster than you'd probably think since it's surprisingly difficult to act like you're not playing together.

All-in-all, I suggest spending less time wondering 'is Bovada rigged?' or 'are other players cheating at Bovada?' Just play the game and enjoy it. Should you see anything suspicious, feel free to report it, but it's unlikely that you will.

Is Bovada Legal for US Players?

I get a lot of questions asking about whether Bovada is legal or not. While I'm not a lawyer, have never studied law and write for entertainment purposes only, here's why my answer is 'yes.'

• Bovada operates in Canada, is owned by Meadway Leisure Limited and has a gaming license issued by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. For all I know, they're running their business legally under international law and fully comply with Kahnawake Gaming Commission's rules.
• Nowhere in the US federal law does it say that it's illegal to play poker, casino games or bet on sports online. This is a myth. People often confuse the legality of betting on these games with the legality of running a business that accepts bets or is involved in processing online gambling payments (those might be illegal).
• They use a .lv domain. This prevents the Department of Justice seizing the domain like they seized the .com domains of PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker in 2011, which turned into quite a catastrophy for the US online poker market.

Is It Legal for Bovada to Operate in the US?

They accept sports bets and are involved in processing gambling transactions so there's a real chance that the US government will take action against them at some point -- especially considering it already has done so when seizing $25 million from Bovada's payment processor's account in 2008 (as referred to earlier).

Bovada has, however, demonstrated that they can handle problematic situations and payouts were delayed only for a while. They since prohibited players from states where they feel like operating online gambling games is going to be the most difficult (legally-speaking).

But betting on sporting events or casino and poker games is not illegal by any federal law, although some state laws do prohibit it. Accepting sports bets online is illegal per the Wire Act of 1961. The sites operating an online sportsbook are taking a risk and you - if you participate in their games - take a risk as well since the site might fold one day and take your money with you. But by playing, you're not violating any federal laws (this, again, is my uneducated opinion - for legal advice, contact a local gaming lawyer).

Where Is Bovada Legal?

While no federal law prohibits you from playing online poker, casino or sportsbook games, individual state laws may do so. Most state laws have vague gambling laws and it's a matter of interpretation to determine if playing there is legal or illegal, however, there are a couple states where participating these games is illegal with almost 100% certainty. (Still, getting prosecuted for gambling online is rare.)

States such as Utah, New York and Washington have strict laws against online gambling. With many others, it's difficult to say and only three states have specifically legalized online gambling games (although not in all forms) and those are Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware.

Bovada operates in Canada, is owned by Meadway Leisure Limited and has a gaming license issued by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. For all I know, they're running their business legally under international law and fully comply with Kahnawake Gaming Commission's rules.

I recommend contacting a local gaming lawyer about the subject. In fact, that's what you should do if you want to get a professional answer to 'Is Bovada Legal in the US?'

Why the Biggest Poker Sites Got Shut Down a Few Years Ago?

When PokerStars left the US market and Full Tilt Poker shut down (it has since re-opened, although not for US players), US players lost two of the biggest online poker sites in the world. Will legit Bovada get shut down as well? While everything is possible and I have no way of predicting the future, PokerStars and Full Tilt were charged with fraud and money laundering and the Department of Justice never blamed them for violating the Wire Act (which, they later admitted, applies only to online sports betting anyway).

Banks allegedly processed 'unlawful' gambling transactions - while making them look like non-gambling transactions - in exchange for large investments from those poker companies. SunFirst Bank, for instance, allegedly processed around $200 million in online poker payments.

All the problems that US poker sites have had with the Department of Justice have related to bank frauds, money laundering or accepting illegal transactions, which is why only a few payment options for US players exist. Legality of playing poker online (from a player's point-of-view) has never been the issue. And there is no federal law that prohibits you from playing poker on the internet. Locally, in your state, there may be though.

It's only reasonable to assume that something of similar sort may happen to other real-money online gaming sites in the US, no matter how 'legit' they are. Banks and payment processors aren't willing to process online gambling related payments knowingly so gambling sites have to 'hide' the true origin of the transfer. We recommend that you keep your account balance at minimum in order to avoid losing a lot of money in these situations.

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Last Updated: January 2, 2020