About our Advertiser

Since 2005, Bovada has been my only Internet casino advertiser at my companion site, Wizard of Odds. Unlike other web gambling sites, I don't sell ads to just anybody. Even before 2005, I carefully vetted advertisers and often removed them if player complaints warranted, which they often did. However, since 2005, I have slept a lot better knowing that Bovada is the only Internet casino I give my stamp of approval to. In the years since we started our relationship, I have had heard few complaints from my readers about Bovada. Most of the few complaints I did receive had to do with a banking crisis that led the U.S. government to seize Bovada funds held in U.S. banks. As a result, payments were, unfortunately, delayed. However, that incident is in the past, and Bovada is stronger than ever.

Following are some specific reasons why I endorse Bovada.

Excellent Customer Support

Since Bodog’s beginning in 1994 with Calvin Ayre, outstanding customer support has consistently been a high priority. It is always easy to reach a representative by phone, email, or chat window. English-speaking customers will be happy to know that Bovada's customer service center is in Canada, so their representatives are fluent in English, as well as exceedingly friendly and knowledgeable. I have personally visited the Bovada call centers in Vancouver and Montreal, and I can vouch that the staff are amiable and motivated. In addition, the work environment is pleasant and professional.

An unpleasant alternative you might encounter with many other Internet casinos is customer support outsourced to somewhere that handles a large volume of cookie-cutter casinos. As someone who has played at hundreds of Internet casinos, I'm familiar with how bad that [impersonal] kind of service usually is: you wait days for an answer to an email, and if you have a complaint, you sometimes won't get a reply at all.

Fast and Easy Withdrawals

If you play anywhere other than Bovada, it is not unusual to have to nag support multiple times to honor a withdrawal. Other places have long waiting periods, or they inconveniently process withdrawals only one day per week. Bovada believes that a good customer is a happy customer. To this end, outside the U.S., customers can get their money within seconds, and in the U.S., Bovada allows one free withdrawal per month by courier, which takes about 4-7 business days. The slower U.S. times are due to U.S. government regulations, which don't allow US banks to deal directly with Internet casinos.

No-Hassle Practice Games

A good sign of an honorable business is when it believes so highly in its products and services that it offers free samples. That is the case at Bovada. Unlike most of their competitors, Bovada lets you play their practice games with no downloads, no registration, and no questions. Just one quick click, and you're in.

Competitive Odds

Bovada believes in giving the player a good value for his gambling dollar. Here are some examples of Bovada's liberal gambling rules:

• Blackjack: Single-Deck game with a house edge of 0.0375%
• Roulette: Single-zero wheel
• Video Poker: Full-Pay Joker Poker (100.05%) and Jacks or Better (99.54% return)

One-Stop Shopping

Bovada offers the trinity of gambling: casino games, poker, and sports. Unlike many of their competitors, Bovada doesn't focus on just one type of gambling but does all three very well and in house. With Bovada, one account is all you need for whatever gambling mood you are in.

Intelligent Bonuses

Perhaps the most annoying thing about gambling at other Internet casinos is the complicated bonus rules. The rules are often pages long, and they tend to omit details and change frequently. Plus, if you break one rule, they might seize not only your winnings but your original deposit as well. The play requirement is often so huge that most players will go broke before achieving it. It has become so bad that if you must play somewhere else, if there is any doubt about the bonus rules, I would not ask for a bonus at all. Why risk your deposit over a technicality in the bonus rules somewhere else? Bovada offers a simple 10% bonus on first-time deposits of $20 or more. The play requirement is 15x the deposit in the casino, 1x in the sports book, or on a point system in poker. There is just one exception; no betting on opposites (like red and black in roulette).

My Promise

I'm so sure you'll be entirely satisfied with Bovada that in the very unlikely event you ever have a complaint that you have not been able to resolve yourself first, and you clicked through this site to join, then I'll mediate on your behalf. I have easy, unfettered access to top Bovada management, and they are always very responsive to every question or concern I have brought to them. To the best of my memory, the few times I've had to mediate, the situation has always come to a happy resolution.

If you play elsewhere, I wish you well. However, if you run into a problem, please don't write to me about it.