Bovada U.S. App Review
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RATING ***
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BOVADA MOBILE SUMMARY
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INTRODUCTION
After changes to Internet gaming law at the federal level in America, the big names in online sports betting pulled out of the US market. Bodog, one of the online gambling industry’s best-known properties, launched Bovada Sports to deal exclusively with customers located in the US. To do business with US sports bettors, Bovada put together a financial transaction program that falls in line with the 2006 UIGEA rules. This legislation, designed to curtail all online gambling on American soil, in fact only made most types of financial transactions between known gambling websites and financial institutions illegal. Thanks to Bodog’s ingenuity, US sports betting fans still have access to this premium online sportsbook and its many features. |
Though Bovada is a relatively new entrant into the mobile and online sports betting industries, its parent company Bodog has been accepting legal wagers for nearly twenty years. Below are some details about the Bovada Sports services for users of the iPhone and other mobile devices.
INSTALL & WELCOME BONUS
American sports bettors looking for a safe home for their wagers as well as a decent bonus and promotional layout should skip the app download and access Bovada Sports on a mobile device through a Web browser. This option provides the same convenience as the mobile app with a much more robust system for rewarding player loyalty and deposits.
The standard welcome bonus seemingly always available at Bovada Sports can be worth as much as $250 at a match rate of 50%. This offer is about on par with the world’s top Internet sportsbooks, mobile or otherwise, though the match rate is a little lower than with other sports betting venues.
Special sport-specific bonuses are available to customers who favor one style of athletic competition over another. These vary, depending on what sports are in season. A good example is the upcoming NCAA $250 “Charge to the End” bonus, whereby a player who makes at least one qualifying wager in every week of the college football regular season will earn a gift of $250 from Bovada Sports. For details on this and all other available bonuses, check the site’s Terms & Conditions pages.
INSTALL & WELCOME BONUS
American sports bettors looking for a safe home for their wagers as well as a decent bonus and promotional layout should skip the app download and access Bovada Sports on a mobile device through a Web browser. This option provides the same convenience as the mobile app with a much more robust system for rewarding player loyalty and deposits.
The standard welcome bonus seemingly always available at Bovada Sports can be worth as much as $250 at a match rate of 50%. This offer is about on par with the world’s top Internet sportsbooks, mobile or otherwise, though the match rate is a little lower than with other sports betting venues.
Special sport-specific bonuses are available to customers who favor one style of athletic competition over another. These vary, depending on what sports are in season. A good example is the upcoming NCAA $250 “Charge to the End” bonus, whereby a player who makes at least one qualifying wager in every week of the college football regular season will earn a gift of $250 from Bovada Sports. For details on this and all other available bonuses, check the site’s Terms & Conditions pages.
FEATURES
Because Bovada is American-facing only, it has a limited pool of potential members. This smaller membership number means limitations abound in every category, including the special features offered to members. Yes, Bovada also operates American-facing casino, poker room, and pari-mutuel wagering options, but the following three features are of the most importance to potential new customers.
Mobile betting – Access to betting on a smartphone or tablet is important, especially when combined with access to traditional Web-based sports wagering. Members of Bovada Sports get both, though some differences exist between the two services. Generally, the Web portal is more robust, offering better player promotions and more gaming options.
Live betting – As is the case with most of the world’s most-popular sports betting venues on the Internet, Bovada Sport has a Live Betting section for gamblers that like to bet on odds that move as a sporting event takes place. Live wagering takes exotic bets to the next level, and is essentially an entirely new way to gamble on sports.
The Bet Slip – Available only through the service’s Web-based interface (or on a laptop or desktop computer), The Bet Slip is Bovada’s name for their user-friendly GUI. The Bet Slip makes placing and tracking bets more convenient.
MARKETS
From the major pro sports of the world (football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer) to major UFC and MMA events, pro golf and tennis betting, and motor sports action, Bovada Sports offers US sports betting customers as wide a range of markets as they’ll find anywhere as of this review. More obscure sports available include rugby, snooker, volleyball, and regional events like Strongman competitions and Gaelic Games.
SUPPORT & BANKING
Bovada’s customer service staff is available either by phone or online chat. Bovada’s customer service team can be contacted by phone toll-free at 1-888-263-0000. This number is staffed twenty-four hours a day. 24-hour coverage via live chat is also available through the main Bovada website, though not through the mobile app.
Banking is simplified thanks to the US government’s restrictions on funding online gambling accounts. Customers at Bovada Sports can take their pick of the following methods for adding and removing funds to and from their player account: Check, Western Union (with a max of $800 each deposit and withdrawal), MoneyGram, Bank Wire (a service that can take as much as two weeks to fully process).
VERDICT
If for no other reason than the fact that Bovada Sports was designed with US sports betting fans in mind, bettors in the US interested in wagering on sports should consider opening an account. Bovada is the flagship USA-only online sportsbook, which does admittedly bring with it a few limitations. But the easy-to-use interface, USA-friendly deposit and withdrawal options, and the large lineup of both mobile-specific and general customer promotions makes Bovada Sports worth the time it takes to research its many features and customer options.
Because Bovada is American-facing only, it has a limited pool of potential members. This smaller membership number means limitations abound in every category, including the special features offered to members. Yes, Bovada also operates American-facing casino, poker room, and pari-mutuel wagering options, but the following three features are of the most importance to potential new customers.
Mobile betting – Access to betting on a smartphone or tablet is important, especially when combined with access to traditional Web-based sports wagering. Members of Bovada Sports get both, though some differences exist between the two services. Generally, the Web portal is more robust, offering better player promotions and more gaming options.
Live betting – As is the case with most of the world’s most-popular sports betting venues on the Internet, Bovada Sport has a Live Betting section for gamblers that like to bet on odds that move as a sporting event takes place. Live wagering takes exotic bets to the next level, and is essentially an entirely new way to gamble on sports.
The Bet Slip – Available only through the service’s Web-based interface (or on a laptop or desktop computer), The Bet Slip is Bovada’s name for their user-friendly GUI. The Bet Slip makes placing and tracking bets more convenient.
MARKETS
From the major pro sports of the world (football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer) to major UFC and MMA events, pro golf and tennis betting, and motor sports action, Bovada Sports offers US sports betting customers as wide a range of markets as they’ll find anywhere as of this review. More obscure sports available include rugby, snooker, volleyball, and regional events like Strongman competitions and Gaelic Games.
SUPPORT & BANKING
Bovada’s customer service staff is available either by phone or online chat. Bovada’s customer service team can be contacted by phone toll-free at 1-888-263-0000. This number is staffed twenty-four hours a day. 24-hour coverage via live chat is also available through the main Bovada website, though not through the mobile app.
Banking is simplified thanks to the US government’s restrictions on funding online gambling accounts. Customers at Bovada Sports can take their pick of the following methods for adding and removing funds to and from their player account: Check, Western Union (with a max of $800 each deposit and withdrawal), MoneyGram, Bank Wire (a service that can take as much as two weeks to fully process).
VERDICT
If for no other reason than the fact that Bovada Sports was designed with US sports betting fans in mind, bettors in the US interested in wagering on sports should consider opening an account. Bovada is the flagship USA-only online sportsbook, which does admittedly bring with it a few limitations. But the easy-to-use interface, USA-friendly deposit and withdrawal options, and the large lineup of both mobile-specific and general customer promotions makes Bovada Sports worth the time it takes to research its many features and customer options.
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