Review of the Bovada Sportsbook
If you have been aching for a true-blue sports wagering experience in the USA, Bovada is king, and also happens to be one of the best in the world. Many sportsbooks accept US residents, but Bovada is a triumph in both funding options, and odds/wager types. This is something most other sites cannot claim. We trust Bovada because the site has been around for decades offering up the greatest betting action on the web, and millions of other Americans will attest to that.
Picking a new (or maybe this is your first?) sportsbook can be tough. You sometimes have to sign up in order to unlock everything and truly see for yourself what they have on offer. Bovada isn’t like that. They allow you to access just about every facet of the site before you make a decision, and you can even play free versions of their casino games. That’s right, this isn’t just a sportsbooks, it’s a full-fledged online casino and poker room as well.
Does the dust on your boots tell a story? You can take your wary head to Bovada and join millions of other sports aficionados that are winning money every day. “Pull up a chair” they’ll say, “tell us about yourself.” The best thing is, you don’t have to stick around talking to some down on his luck drunk if you don’t want to. You can just log off, and go enjoy yourself and your money. This is just one of the many advantages to using an online sportsbook instead of a land-bases operation.
This is the question that I am asked most, and I didn’t even know the answer before I signed up. I was relieved and amazed when I found out that not only is Bovada a legally functioning sportsbook, but it has been for over two decades. The laws that limits the availability of sportsbooks in the states don’t affect Bovada, which operates out of Quebec, Canada. One of these laws, The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), is the main reason why there are so few bookmakers in America. In fact, PASPA only allows them to function in Delaware and Nevada. So if you aren’t in either state, your options are online or nil.
Bovada ensures your safety in many ways. I would first like to point out that there has never been an instance of a player losing his or her money or personal information at this site. A few mishaps like this would spell doom for an online sportsbook because on the internet, everybody talks. It only takes one players bad experience to get the ball rolling to the point of millions of members cancelling their accounts in an avalanche of upheaval. No one abandons ship at Bovada because they know that their information is guarded with the best security software and encryption protocols that money can buy. Wagering here is as safe as using any of the major online retail outlets or money transfer services.
Bovada accepts players from every state except New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, or Maryland. This is because those states either already have sportsbooks, or their laws are rather harsh on the subject. There are other online books out there that do accept players from all 50 states, but Bovada isn’t one of them. You also want to be aware of your states legal betting age. Anyone over 18 can join Bovada, but many states set the age higher than that, usually 21. If you happen to live in one of these states, I suggest you wait until you are old enough to join the site. While the chances are slim to none that anything bad will happen, it’s always advisable to take all precautions.
Learn More: Laws Governing US Sportsbooks
The first thing to do after signing up and seeing all the sites at Bovada is to make a deposit. This will get your account fueled so you can start placing bets. There are a few ways to go about this. The simplest method is simply using your credit/debit card. Head to the cashier section and enter your card info, which Bovada can store for you if you don’t want to have to enter it every time you reload. You can deposit $25 at the minimum; the fees will always be under 5%.
Another way to fund your account is via Western Union or MoneyGram. These take a little longer than credit cards, but are just as safe and effective. The fees run between 6% and 15%, however Bovada will refund the fee for any deposit over $300. If you are looking to put a lot in at once, this is the way to go.
Learn More: Depositing at US Sportsbooks
Just as there are multiple ways to deposit at US sportsbooks, the same goes for Withdrawals. The most popular method is via check in the mail. This may sound old fashioned, but if you don’t mind waiting a bit, it’s cheap and efficient. Unlike many other online sportsbooks, Bovada doesn’t charge fees for checks. Using the paper route makes things cheaper for you and the site.
If you want to get your winnings a little bit faster, then Western Union is the way to go. You can arrange to pick up your funds at your local Western Union office within three days. This is great for those that want their funds fast, and with minimum hassle. There will be a small fee attached that depends on the amount you request, so be aware of that.
Learn More: Withdrawals at US Sportsbooks
Yes they very much do. In fact, they are willing to award you up to $250 just for signing up and making a deposit. This welcome bonus is just the beginning of the pearls they will throw you throughout your tenure. You will also find reload bonuses that reward you every time you make a qualifying deposit, refer-a-friend bonuses that will match your friends deposit amount, and a host of other goodies that we don’t want to ruin for you here. Suffice to say that joining Bovada will be like Christmas every week, and you can take that to the bank!
Learn More: Bonuses at US Sportsbooks
Have you ever dropped a dime on the line or the spread for a football game and had everything going your way up until an interception in the 4th quarter? We all know the feeling of all that joy being sucked out because of a bad play. Well, at Bovada you can take part in a revolutionary feature called live/in-game wagering. This fantastic option uses the power of technology to deliver you constantly updated odds throughout the course of a game, which you can wager on as many times as you’d like. So if that interception knocks twenty points off of the favorite, you can wager on the dog with these new stats and up your final pot. Live/in-game wagering allows you to anticipate what will happen during a live game and bet accordingly. This is by far the most exciting way to bet.
Don’t you hate when you are stuck in a long line at the post office or the grocery store and realize that you are going to be late to bet on the game that day? With Bovada’s mobile betting feature, this can be a thing of the past. For no extra money and no extra download, you can access almost all of Bovada by simply connecting with your mobile device. This gives you a world-class sportsbook to take with you wherever you go. The team behind the layout have also formatted the book to be simple to use on all current devices, so navigating the spread will be a breeze. Check out mobile betting next time you are bored and out of the house, it will make those hours fly by.